Abstract: Collar, harness or leash mounted electroluminescent strips are powered by an electronic inverter circuit and batteries inside a plastic housing. A lid on the housing is thinned around a central push button. An extension of the push button activates or deactivates a push switch in the base. An O-ring in a peripheral groove on the base seals a complementary peripheral projection of a lid. Cylinders extend from sides of the base. Knurled and threaded inserts are held in the cylinders. Complementary lid lugs hold set screws which are screwed into the inserts, tightly compressing the O-ring. Knurls on the base and a keeper opposite the knurls hold the housing on the collar. An opening for the electroluminescent strips is partially surrounded by the lugs.

Abstract: Collar, harness or leash mounted electroluminescent strips are powered by an electronic inverter circuit and batteries inside a plastic housing. A lid on the housing is thinned around a central push button. An extension of the push button activates or deactivates a push switch in the base. An O-ring in a peripheral groove on the base seals a complementary peripheral projection of a lid. Cylinders extend from sides of the base. Knurled and threaded inserts are held in the cylinders. Complementary lid lugs hold set screws which are screwed into the inserts, tightly compressing the O-ring. Knurls on the base and a keeper opposite the knurls hold the housing on the collar. An opening for the electroluminescent strips is partially surrounded by the lugs.

Abstract: A disc holder has a vacuum-formed thin tray secured to a paperboard base and cover. Ledges are formed at bottoms of paired opposite inner segmental walls. First paired opposite ledges are horizontal. Second paired opposite ledges slope upward toward the tray center. A first rosette is positioned on a tray base. A flap formed in the base is hinged along its end and extends toward the first rosette. A second rosette is positioned on the flap. Disc retainers extend inward from the segmental walls.

Abstract: Beverage and water bottles are recycled by flaking and melting, extruding thin RPET thermoplastic sheets thermoforming disc and product trays. The thermoformed trays have disc or product receiving wells surrounded by inner walls. Tray outer walls are surrounded by flanges to aid in separation of stacked trays before joining the trays and covers. Disc trays have resiliently deformable hubs with radially extending retaining bumps formed during or after thermoforming the trays. Product trays have similar product-retaining thermoformed bumps projected over product wells. Paperboard covers are printed outside and inside, clear coated, creased to form spines and adhered to trays with minimal, separable adhesive for recycling ease. Gutters are adhered to inner portions of spaced trays forming flexible hinges, films are attached to flanges at remote edges of tray and printed inserts are inserted between the films and trays when loading the trays and before closing the packages.

Abstract: Method and assay devices for the detection of the presence or amount of biological material, analyte(s), or microorganism(s) in a sample. The method includes the steps of liquefying the sample (if necessary) and distributing the liquefied sample over the surface of the assay device. The device may comprise an incubation plate, a dip stick device, or other devices. The devices have at least one reagent provided within the devices. Some devices have a generally flat horizontal surface which is divided into a plurality of recessed wells. Others have one or more surfaces with reagent island(s) immobilized thereon. Each well or reagent island is adapted to hold an aliquot of liquid. The wells or reagent islands are sized and shaped, and formed of a suitable material, to hold the aliquot within the well or reagent island by surface tension. Any excess liquid from the liquefied sample is drained from the surface of the device.

Abstract: Tape partially curves around a one-way tape brake for a cassette. The brake has a cylindrical roller with a side extension. When the tape advances, a smooth cylindrical side of the roller allows tape forward movement. When the tape tends to reverse the tape pulls a friction surface rearward, turning the roller and frictionally engaging the tape and pinching it against a tape guide. Rearward tape motion is prevented.

Abstract: A new CD package has a cover attached to a tray by a single hinge at one end of the tray. That simplified manufacture and assembly makes the entire cover available for printing and graphics. The CD package is assembled with a single direction motion of a paper board cover toward a plastic tray. The entire cover surface is available for graphics, and the complete package lies flat on either side when fully or partially opened. A hook folded on one paper board flap engages a ledge in the receiver. A flap on one paper board cover is slit and glued or physically attached to a hinged extension on the tray. When the flap is formed on one end of the cover, the cover wraps around the tray. When the flap is formed in the middle of a cover, the CD package opens like a book. More than one connector flap may be provided for connecting the cover to multiple trays. The trays may be double-sided with a central opening in a central platform to receive snap-in and twist-in rosettes.

Abstract: An integrally molded video cassette is formed with an integral living hinge between the body of the cassette and the dust cover. An energy absorption zone formed near the hinge isolates the hinge from directly transferring high impact forces between the relatively low mass dust door cover and the high mass cassette body loaded with reels and tape. Energy absorption zones are formed of relatively thin wall areas with radiused intersections. One or more radiused grooves are formed in the wall sections.

Abstract: A video cassette is labeled with a wrap around label attached to the cover, to the back and to the bottom of the video cassette. The label has perforations for detachment of the bottom section. A clear film can be attached peripherally around an opening in the label for viewing a reel and hub within the video cassette. Portions of the cassette are molded as openings between the interior and exterior to reduce material costs, and are subsequently covered with the wrap around label. The invention is a lower cost molded video cassette with increased display area and removable label section, which can be put to various uses, such as an information card for future reference.

Abstract: A machine optics and paper path cleaner has a relatively stiff backing sheet and a cleaning sheet attached to the backing sheet at a position spaced from the leading edge. The cleaning sheet is folded, flocked or flapped, knitted or engraved with surface variations to aid in the cleaning of paper paths and optics. Wet cleaners are held in absorbent materials and in frangible or openable reservoirs to wet the cleaning material as it is drawn into the machine through the paper path and across the optics. The cleaners are made in single foam sheets of varied thickness and in laminated sheets of stiff backing material and flexible cleaning material.

Abstract: An integrally molded polypropylene tape cassette has a base with vertical first and second side walls. A rear wall is attached to the base by an integral hinge. A cover attached to the rear wall by an integral hinge, and a dust door attached to the cover by an integral hinge. Snaps between the cover and base connect and close the apparatus with integral springs pressing on tape reel hubs. The dust door covers a forward wall protruding from the base between the first and second side walls. The forward wall has slots and posts for allowing passing of the tape between the interior and exterior of the cassette. The cassette further includes a dust door latch which is integrally molded with one of the sides of the tape. An integrally molded tape hub brake is positioned between the hubs for locking the hub flanges when the cassette is not in use the entire cassette is made of polypropylene material.

Abstract: A dust door arrangement which avoids spring clip malfunction and enhances video cassette longevity. Reduced width of cavities containing first and second side hinges between the dust door and the video cassette cover improve hinge flexibility and operation and eliminate hold down spring clips catching when the video cassette is being withdrawn from a VCR. The dust door, hinge and cover are integrally molded, with the hinge lying below the surface of the cover of the video cassette and providing an axis of rotation for the door with respect to the cover. The hinge and cavity are approximately of the same width and are about two to four times as wide as the thickness of the dust door side walls. A supplemental spring is preferably provided to bias the dust door downward. The dust door first and second thin side walls have bevelled tops with extended steps which form first and second hinges. Flat tops of the hinges oppositely mate with first and second extensions extending down from the cover.

Abstract: A low cost video cassette has a base formed of a generally flat wall portion, with sloped converging front walls spaced inward from a front edge and with flat tape guiding walls extending upward from medial, generally rectangular projections of the base. Tape guide roller support pins are mounted on forward projections near lateral portions of the base. Tape reel guides are molded in the base. Integrally formed tape reel locks have operators extending into a groove formed in the plane of the base for receiving an actuator which extends into, but not beyond, the plane of the base. The rear wall has an upward-extending recess and a frangible anti-record tab extending downward within the recess. Rectangular openings are formed medially in the cover. Flaps are hinged to the openings. Cantilevered leaf springs connected along outer edges of the openings or to the flaps extend toward the base wall when the flaps close the openings to urge tape reels downward. A dust cover is connected to the short living springs.

Abstract: An integrally molded tape cassette has a base with vertical first and second side walls. A rear wall is attached to the base by an integral hinge. A cover attached to the rear wall by an integral hinge, and a dust door attached to the cover by an integral hinge. Snaps between the cover and base connect and close the apparatus with integral springs pressing on tape reel hubs. The dust door covers a forward wall protruding from the base between the first and second side walls. The forward wall has slots and posts for allowing passing of the tape between the interior and exterior of the cassette. The cassette further includes a dust door latch which is integrally molded with one of the sides of the tape. An integrally molded tape hub brake is positioned between the hubs for locking the hub flanges when the cassette is not in use.

Abstract: A non-abrasive disc cleaner is disclosed. The present cleaner incorporates a base, a cover, a cleaning solution reservoir, a spin pan and a spinner means with a drive spindle for spinning the disc within the spin pan. Solution is supplied to the spin pan from the reservoir. A spinner is mounted within the cleaner, and the spin pan is horizontally positioned within the base above the reservoir. The disc is positioned with respect to the fluid within the pan with the spinning motion of the CD creating froth which forms a high surface area, thin skin of bubbles on the CD. Because of the spinning motion, the bubbles move outwardly and the CD is dried by air contact. Spinning the disc rapidly above the surface of the fluid causes a vacuum to draw the fluid upwards for frothing, or spinning the disc within the fluid froths the cleaning fluid and centrifugally removed the fluid from the pan.

Abstract: A cutter for removing overwraps or tape on products and product packages incorporates first and second wings extending angularly from a body. A cutting point extends a short distance into the angle between the wings, wherein the wings embrace an edge of a product and the blade slices the wrapper along the edge as the user slides the cutter along the edge. The wings are flexible to conform to the angle of the edge, and are integrally molded with the body. Living hinges provided between the wings and the body, or the wings are molded angularly with respect to the body. A cutter is molded as a flat blank and folded. A solid article is molded with a pocket for insertion of the blade. The angle between the wings is less than or equal to 90.degree., allowing it to conform to most standard packages. The reduced angle between the wings and the relatively slight exposure of the blade allows for effective cutting of the wrapper without scarring the package or injuring the user.

Abstract: Brake levers are molded in place through an opening in the base of a video cassette. The brake levers have first brake arms with outward extending reel grippers at distal ends, and second actuator arms with an actuator connected between distal ends of the actuator arms. Medial portions of the levers are supported on integrally formed living hinges with axes perpendicular to the base. Pressing outward on the actuator arms with the actuator rotates the levers about the hinges so that the brake arms and grippers are withdrawn from contact with the reels. The actuator has two legs which are joined centrally by a hinge and which extend angularly to living hinge interconnections with the actuator arms. As a pin or blade pushes on the central connection in a direction parallel to the hinge axes of the operating levers, the actuator legs spread forcing distal ends of the actuator arms apart and distal ends of the brake arms and the grippers together, releasing the reel brake.

Abstract: A dust door arrangement which avoids spring clip malfunction and enhances video cassette longevity. Reduced width of cavities containing first and second side hinges between the dust door and the video cassette cover improve hinge flexibility and operation and eliminate hold down spring clips catching when the video cassette is being withdrawn from a VCR. The dust door, hinge and cover are integrally molded, with the hinge lying below the surface of the cover of the video cassette and providing an axis of rotation for the door with respect to the cover. The hinge and cavity are approximately of the same width and are about two to four times as wide as the thickness of the dust door side walls. A supplemental spring is preferably provided to bias the dust door downward. The dust door first and second thin side walls have bevelled tops with extended steps which form first and second hinges. Flat tops of the hinges oppositely mate with first and second extensions extending down from the cover.