Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a removable shelter that electrically and/or communicatively integrates with an electric vehicle when the removable shelter is mounted to the vehicle. The removeable shelter may leverage electrical contacts in accessory mounting ports on the roof, crossbars, and/or truck bed of the vehicle. The removeable shelter may also communicate wirelessly with the electric vehicle. The removable shelter may include any of various integrated electronic accessories that can be powered by the vehicle battery, including, but not limited to, external lighting, external proximity sensing, proximity-based external lighting, interior lighting, air temperature control, other temperature control, speakers, charging ports for mobile phones and/or other devices, and/or other features.

Abstract: An organic thin film includes an organic solid crystal material and has mutually orthogonal refractive indices, nx, ny, and nz each having a value at 589 nm of between approximately 1.5 and approximately 2.6, where nx?ny?nz. The organic thin film may be birefringent, and may be configured as a single layer thin film, or plural organic thin films may be stacked to form a multilayer that may be incorporated into an optical element, such as a reflective polarizer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for using vehicle-location information to determine vehicle-usage statistics and using the determined vehicle-usage statistics in an assessment of an insurance discount are described in the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, vehicle-usage statistics are determined solely from received location information, without needing to gather additional information.

Abstract: A method for making a biodegradable fibrous material composition includes: (a) grinding raw bamboo into coarse raw bamboo particulates; (b) drying the raw bamboo particulates; (c) grinding the raw bamboo particulates into fine bamboo powder; (d) mixing the bamboo powder with water to result in a mixture; (e) stirring the mixture at a speed ranging from 1000 to 1800 rpm/min, which leads to formation of softened bamboo fibers; and (f) stirring a mixture of the softened bamboo fibers, a binder, a solidifying agent, a water repellent, starch and water at a speed ranging from 1000 to 1800 rpm/min.

Abstract: An apple/potato peeler. The peeler includes a base, a main frame mounted to a slightly L-shaped structure on the base, a rotatable and axially movable screw horizontally supported on a screw support member on a vertical frame member disposed at the rear of the main frame, a 3-prong fork fixed to the front end of the screw, a guide piece pivotally mounted on the vertical frame member and being releasably engageable relative to a screw channel of the screw, a resiliently movable peeling arm fore-and aft swingeable pivoted to the front part of the horizontal frame member of the main frame, a U-shaped peeling blade fixed to the upper end of the movable peeling arm by a blade positioning device, and a coring/slicing blade fixed to the front end of the horizontal frame member for cutting flesh of a vegetable fruit held by the 3-prong fork if the screw into continuous spiral slices and for coring fruit.

Abstract: An apple/potato peeler. The peeler includes a base, a main frame mounted to a slightly L-shaped structure on the base, a rotatable and axially movable screw horizontally supported on a screw support member on a vertical frame member disposed at the rear of the main frame, a 3-prong fork fixed to the front end of the screw, a guide piece pivotally mounted on the vertical frame member and being releasably engageable relative to a screw channel of the screw, a resiliently movable peeling arm fore-and aft swingeable pivoted to the front part of the horizontal frame member of the main frame, a U-shaped peeling blade fixed to the upper end of the movable peeling arm by a blade positioning device, and a coring/slicing blade fixed to the front end of the horizontal frame member for cutting flesh of a vegetable fruit held by the 3-prong fork if the screw into continuous spiral slices and for coring fruit.

Abstract: A fluid container has a fixed delivery mechanism capable of moving a pusher piston forward to thereby discharge the contained fluid substance quantitatively through a discharge hole by a gentle push of a knob or cover and through a unidirectionally driven motion change mechanism. The container is capable of regulating the delivery amount by adjustment of the press stroke of a drive mechanism and also capable of squeezing out a large amount of the contained substance at one time by a short stroke push operation. Further embodiments of the container are provided having discharge action during both the press stroke and the return stroke by the recovery of a spring, whereby a double discharge amount is obtained and energy is saved.

Abstract: An improved disc-type key holder includes a circular disc with an annular sliding groove on its peripheral surface, and a multiplicity of key retaining rings slidably suspended in the groove. The disc is formed of two halves each having in the center of the disc surface a boss portion with a recess on the outside and a convexity on the inside and which are opposedly joined together to form a wheel-type body. On the disc surface of one of the two halves is provided a guide slit cutting and extending along the surface from a point on the peripheral wall toward the center to terminate in an enlarged end opening provided on the peripheral surface of the boss portion.