Abstract: A handle assembly for a cleaning appliance includes a slidably extendible wand and a connecting portion that includes a first locking arrangement releasably securing the handle assembly to the main body of the cleaning appliance, a second locking arrangement releasably locking the wand in a pre-determined position with respect to the connecting portion and an actuator. The actuator is adapted and arranged to move the first and second locking arrangements between locked and unlocked positions. The first locking arrangement is movable independently of the actuator. This arrangement allows a single actuator to be operated by a user to unlock both the first and second locking arrangements simultaneously. However, because the first locking arrangement can move independently of the second locking arrangement, it is possible to secure the handle assembly to the main body of the cleaning appliance while keeping the wand in a locked position.

Abstract: A method of linearising a non-linear opto-electronic apparatus that includes an opto-electronic Mach-Zehnder modulator that receives an incoming electrical signal for modulating a light signal passing through the modulator, where the transfer characteristic of the modulator is sinusoidal, and including means for detecting the modulating light signal and for digitizing the detected signal, wherein the method comprises the following steps: injecting one or more calibration tones as an input electrical signal and obtaining a digitized form of the output signal obtaining the spectrum of said digitized form and measuring the spectral values at the frequencies of the input tone or tones and at the frequencies of spectral lines arising from the non-linearity; providing, from said spectral values, an inverse form of the non-linearity; and performing linearization on subsequent output signals for arbitrary input signals by applying said inverse form of the non-linearity to the output signal.

Abstract: An electrically powered portable device, the device including means for providing a function to be performed by the device, an electrical power supply which incorporates in combination a voltage source and at least one capacitor for storing electrical charge to power the device, the voltage source and the at least one capacitor being arranged so that the voltage source progressively charges the at least one capacitor for any period that the at least one capacitor is not fully charged, and electronic control circuitry to control electrical power drawn from the electrical power supply for driving the function providing means.

Abstract: A cleaning appliance includes a main body and a collecting chamber releasably held on the main body. The collecting chamber includes a closure member which is movable between a closed position and an open position in which the collecting chamber can be emptied and an actuating member adapted and arranged to release the collecting chamber from the main body and, when the collecting chamber is released from the main body, to release the closure member from the closed position. By providing such an arrangement, a single actuating member can be used to release the collecting chamber from the main body of the cleaning appliance and also to open the closure member to empty the collecting chamber. A single actuating member is less complex, requires less space and is more intuitive for a user to operate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite vessel encompassing rapid manufacturing that is applicable to composite hydrogen and other gas storage tanks, both for high-pressure cylinders, as well as low-pressure conformal tanks. The process of fabrication includes using a liner, of metal or plastic materials, over which a braided or developed preform is wrapped. The dry fiber wrapped liner is placed in a mold and resin injected into the cavity formed between the liner and the mold outer walls. The liner is flooded with heated and/or cooled pressurized fluid thus enabling complete and independent process control from within the liner for both the resin injection and the cure phases. Fiber placement control is determined through combined biaxial and triaxial braid/preform design, and by wrapping at controlled tension onto the supporting liner. Fiber tension control is further enhanced by the methodology of mold loading whereby tensioning forces are enacted during actual load and close.

Abstract: An improved method and device for the reduction of aerodynamic drag and for improved performance of bluff base vehicles by increasing the pressure on the bluff base of the vehicle by controlling the wake flow and the interaction of the wake flow with the vehicle bluff base region. An improved method and device for generating a reduction in drag force on the bluff base of a body moving through a fluid. The apparatus consists of two opposing panels attached to the bluff base and aligned approximately parallel to the side edge of the bluff base and lying in a plane that is parallel to the vehicle centerline. The drag force reduction results from controlling the flow entering the bluff base trailing wake from the left side surface, right side surface, bottom surface, and top surfaces of the vehicle. The objects and advantages also extend to other applications in which an object, body, or vehicle is moving through either a gas or a fluid.

Abstract: A wipe in the form of an absorbent tissue which comprises at least two layers of material, one of which is non-porous or at least sufficiently less porous than the other so that it forms a hygienic barrier.

Abstract: An all-terrain recreational vehicle comprises a frame, a seat assembly, a plurality of tire assemblies, a steering assembly, a power delivery assembly, a water reservoir, a nozzle and an actuation mechanism. The frame includes a padded roll cage and the seat assembly is attached to the frame. The plurality of tire assemblies is attached to the frame. The steering assembly is connected between the frame and at least two of the tire assemblies. The power delivery assembly is connected to at least one of the tire assemblies. The water reservoir is attached to the frame and the nozzle is in fluid communication with the water reservoir. The actuation mechanism is attached to the frame at a remote location from the nozzle. The actuation mechanism is operably connected between the nozzle and the water reservoir for enabling selective dispensing of water from the water reservoir through the nozzle.

Abstract: An improved, space-saving, vehicle slide-out is slidably supported on a vehicle chassis by a bearing mechanism and is selectively positionable relative to the chassis between retracted and extended positions. The slide-out includes, among other things, sidewalls and a cover assembly operable to cover the corresponding sidewall and the bearing mechanism while using a minimal amount of internal vehicle space. Each cover assembly includes a base segment that at least partly receives the sidewall, with the base segment and sidewall cooperatively defining a gap. The cover assembly further includes a shiftable cover segment that is operable to cover the gap.

Abstract: A projectile core is provided formed from a carrier and a colorant. The carrier and colorant are mixed into a core mixture, which is formed into a predetermined core shape. The core mixture is cured until substantially firm, such as by drying, heating or freezing. An outer layer may be formed adjacent the surface of the projectile core by heating. An outer coating may also be applied to the projectile core. A method of forming a projectile core comprises: (a) mixing a carrier and a colorant to form a core mixture; (b) forming the core mixture into a predetermined core shape; and, (c) curing the core mixture until a substantially firm projectile core is formed.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for an interface for receiving a user input and a user selection signal and for concurrently supporting a set of service templates; and a specification compiling system communicable to a network supporting the network resource for combining the user input with a user-specified service template selected from the set of service templates responsive to the user selection signal to produce the resource access specification.

Abstract: A microcontroller unit (MCU) includes a CPU, a system integration module (SIM), and a memory. The CPU decodes instructions to determine the function, an addressing type and an operand address, and converts the operand address to a first address. The SIM converts the first address to a memory address. The memory has a first section addressable via a tiny addressing mode and a second section addressable via a short addressing mode. The tiny and short address spaces can be addressed by a single instruction word. The remaining memory locations can be accessed via alternative addressing modes, such as indirect addressing and paging. The first and second memory sections include mapped registers for indirect addressing, index addressing and paging.

Abstract: A process for the purification of a crude liquid feed stream comprising 1,4-butanediol and a minor amount of 2-(4->hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran and/or precursors thereof wherein the process comprises passing the crude feed in the presence of hydrogen in a reaction zone over a heterogeneous liquid tolerant copper catalyst in the liquid phase at hydrogenation conditions and recovering a purified stream of 1,4-butanediol having a lower amount of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran than the crude liquid feed stream.

Abstract: Methods and systems for acquiring claims in health services environments are presented. An exemplary method for processing service provider claims for payment includes: scheduling appointments with the service providers, receiving claims from the service providers, analyzing the scheduled appointments to identify at least one scheduled appointment corresponding to each of the received claims, automatically detecting scheduled appointments not identified as corresponding to any of the received claims within a predetermined period of time, and notifying respective service providers that no claims have been received for the detected scheduled appointments.

Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking treatment of patients are presented. An exemplary method for tracking treatment of patients includes scheduling appointments for a patient with service providers based on requests for services and generating appointment information corresponding to each of the scheduled appointments; capturing service information corresponding to claims received from the service providers for payment of charges associated with services rendered by the service providers to the patient; and establishing for the patient an episode of care pertaining to treatment of a specified ailment and associating with the established episode of care at least one of the requests for services, the scheduled appointments, and the received claims for the patient that correspond to the treatment of the specified ailment.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adjudicating claims in health services environments are presented. An exemplary method for processing service provider claims for payment includes receiving a claim for payment, automatically identifying candidate appointments from a plurality of scheduled appointments based on a degree of similarity between service information associated with the received claim and appointment information associated with the scheduled appointments, analyzing the candidate appointments to determine whether to flag the received claim for resolution, and presenting the received claim for payment when at least one of the candidate appointments corresponds to the received claim.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for an interface for receiving a user input and a user selection signal and for concurrently supporting a set of service templates; and a specification compiling system communicable to a network supporting the network resource for combining the user input with a user-specified service template selected from the set of service templates responsive to the user selection signal to produce the resource access specification.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for an interface for receiving a user input and a user selection signal and for concurrently supporting a set of service templates; and a specification compiling system communicable to a network supporting the network resource for combining the user input with a user-specified service template selected from the set of service templates responsive to the user selection signal to produce the resource access specification.

Abstract: A paintball marker has a pressurized gas source; a trigger that opens a trigger pilot valve assembly in communication with the pressurized gas source; a fill valve assembly in communication with the trigger pilot valve and the pressurized gas source; and a firing chamber in communication with the fill valve assembly comprising a bolt that releases pressurized gas to fire a paintball when a pressure in the firing chamber reaches a critical firing pressure.

Abstract: A homogeneous process for the hydrogenation of dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides in the presence of a catalyst comprising: (a) ruthenium, rhodium, iron, osmium or palladium; and (b) an organic phosphine; wherein the hydrogenation is carried out in the presence of at least about 1% by weight water and wherein the reaction is carried out at a pressure of from about 500 psig to about 2000 psig and a temperature of from about 200° C. to about 300° C. such that from about 1 mol to about 10 mol of hydrogen are used to strip 1 mole of product from the reactor.