Abstract: A tray (201) comprises electrically conductive material and has at least one hand-graspable fixture (203). This hand-graspable fixture comprises an electrical conductor (301) disposed in a location that is likely to be operably interacted with by a human who grasps the hand-graspable fixture. A capacitively-coupled RFID tag is then disposed on the hand-graspable fixture with a first antenna plate (303) being electrically coupled to the tray and a second antenna plate (304) that electrically couples to the electrical conductor. A corresponding tray receiving compartment (400) has a front lip (401) over which the tray must pass and upon which the tray will rest when properly disposed within the tray receiving compartment. One or more capacitively-coupled RFID tag reader antennas (402) are disposed proximal to the front lip. These antennas may be positioned to facilitate reading the capacitively-coupled RFID tag when the tray is properly disposed within the tray receiving compartment.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating radio frequency (RF) communication between a radio frequency identification (RFID) device and RFID tags is disclosed. The method may include associating one or more RFID tags to one or more containers that comprise a container volume, wherein the RF signal communication between the RFID device and one or more of the RFID tags is at least partially obstructed, and integrating at least one conductive surface into the container volume, wherein if the RFID device is coupled to at least one of the conductive surfaces and energized, the RFID device, the at least one conductive surface and one or more of the RFID tags are capacitively coupled allowing RF signals to be communicated between RFID device and the one or more RFID tags in the container volume without being obstructed.

Abstract: The filter includes a housing (13) defining a cavity (14). The housing has a fluid inlet orifice (22) and a fluid ou let orifice (24) therein. At least one resonator (16), which is sized to receive and pass a radio frequency signal, is disposed in the cavity. A dielectric fluid (18) fills the cavity. The fluid inlet orifice is configured to supply a first quantity of the dielectric fluid to the cavity and the fluid outlet orifice is configured to remove a second quantity of the dielectric fluid from the cavity, so that the dielectric fluid is continuously replaced.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a housing having a cavity, the cavity sized to enclose an electronic component. The housing includes a first layer having a first aperture and a second layer having a second aperture. The second aperture is in communication with the first aperture and in communication with the cavity. The first and second apertures are sized to receive a fluid, atomize the fluid and discharge the atomized fluid into the cavity.

Abstract: An illumination system for illuminating a line on a document which illumination, when reflected and focused via a lens on a sensor (or image plane), has substantially uniform light intensity along the length of the line. The illumination system includes means for compensation for lens cosine to the fourth power fall-off and an illumination cosine fall-off phenomenon, which has classically been treated as proportional to cosine to the fourth power but in the example of lamps made of coiled tungsten filaments located along the axis of the foci, is more nearly cosine to the 2.8th power. The compensation apparatus includes a cylindrical ellipse for focusing light from two lamps located on an axis which is one foci of the ellipse and the line on the document is located at the other foci of the ellipse. Reflected light from the line on the document is then reflected and focus via a lens onto a sensor. At the sensor, the image is captured for analysis or other uses, e.g.

Abstract: A printer includes a print mechanism for performing printing operations and a print medium feeding mechanism for feeding a print medium past the print mechanism so that printing operations can be performed on the print medium. The print medium feeding mechanism includes a forward feed apparatus located downstream of the print mechanism for feeding the print medium in the forward direction past the print mechanism and a print medium tensioning apparatus. The tensioning apparatus includes at least one pair of pressure wheels rotatably mounted on the frame and located on opposite sides of a print medium being fed by the forward feed apparatus and means for restricting the rotation of at least one of the pressure wheels, whereby the pressure wheels exert a retarding force on the print medium tending to tension the print medium. Each pressure wheel is constructed so that it is flexible in the axial direction so as to permit lateral movement of a print medium as it passes between the pair of pressure wheels.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for offsetting sheets laterally with respect to their travel in a predetermined direction along a path. The method includes directing the sheets away from the path and through a second curved path aligned in skewed relation to their direction of travel in the original path and then directing the sheets back into the original path. Where some sheets are selectively fed through the second path and others only along the original path, they all can then be collected in a single stack in laterally offset relation to each other. The apparatus for offsetting the sheets includes feeding means for feeding the sheets in the predetermined direction along the original path and guide structure for directing the sheets along the curved path. The guide structure is curved about an axis skewed relative to the direction of travel of the sheets along their original path to effect the offsetting.

Abstract: The method and apparatus aligns the leading edge of pliable sheet material such as paper, transverse to its intended direction of travel. Feed means positively advances the material between guide members towards an alignment member pivotally mounted but releasably secured by a latch means in the plane of the desired leading edge orientation for the sheet material. Position sensing means adjacent the alignment member senses proper leading edge orientation. The latch means responds to the position sensing means operation to release the alignment member and sheet material for movement towards transport means adapted to positively engage the sheet material leading edge to convey the properly orientated sheet material.In a typical configuration, the feed means is a set of feed rollers, the alignment member is a pivotally mounted mechanical gate assembly, and the leading edge alignment sensing means is a mechanical trigger member or photoelectric sensing means.