Abstract: A self-wringing ratchet mop including an elongated handle, a mop head having mop strands supported on the handle, and a wringing mechanism for wringing the mop strands. The wringing mechanism includes a sleeve attached to the mop strands and supported for longitudinal and rotational movement relative to the handle. The handle includes a first ratchet portion formed by teeth and the sleeve includes a second ratchet portion formed by pawl members for engaging the first ratchet portion to permit the sleeve to rotate in a first direction and prevent rotation in a second, opposite direction. The pawl members are supported on a deformable resilient ring wherein deformation of the ring causes the pawl members to disengage from the first ratchet portion and permit rotation of the sleeve in the second direction.

Abstract: A heated fuel strainer assembly for a fuel tank in a vehicle includes a strainer made of a metal material and adapted to be connected to an inlet of a fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank. The heated fuel strainer assembly also includes a power source connected to the strainer to supply power to the strainer to heat the strainer and allow fuel to flow through the strainer to the inlet.

Abstract: A self-wringing ratchet mop including an elongated handle, a mop head having mop strands supported on the handle, and a wringing mechanism for wringing the mop strands. The wringing mechanism includes a sleeve attached to the mop strands and supported for longitudinal and rotational movement relative to the handle. The handle includes a first ratchet portion formed by teeth and the sleeve includes a second ratchet portion formed by pawl members for engaging the first ratchet portion to permit the sleeve to rotate in a first direction and prevent rotation in a second, opposite direction. The pawl members are supported on a deformable resilient ring wherein deformation of the ring causes the pawl members to disengage from the first ratchet portion and permit rotation of the sleeve in the second direction.

Abstract: A mop including a mop handle and a mop head located at one end of the handle and including a plurality of flexible strands defining a mop body. A sleeve is positioned on the mop handle and is supported for slidable movement in an axial direction parallel to the handle, and is further supported for rotatable movement relative to the handle. A lower end of the sleeve is provided with engagement portions defined by slots for engaging and gripping the strands of the mop body to facilitate twisting of the mop body by the sleeve. In addition, a ratchet and pawl mechanism is provided by cooperating portions of the mop body and sleeve to limit rotation of the sleeve to a single direction during a wringing operation.

Abstract: A method of repairing cigars and the storing and humidification of pre-coated adhesive backed cigar patches for sealing damaged cigars packaged in separate zip-lock bags stored in a small box with a Spanish cedar bottom insert having an optional humidifier compartment containing wet paper wads or wet Spanish cedar chips. The method of cigar repair includes applying vegetable glue to one or both sides of a wrapper leaf and allowing the glue to dry, cutting desired sizes and shapes form the dried leaf, selecting a patch and wetting it, and applying the wet patch to the damaged cigar and allowing it to dry.

Abstract: A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a valve housing adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump and a valve seat formed on the valve housing. The check valve also includes a valve member disposed in the valve housing and having a closed position to engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member. The valve member has at least one outlet port a predetermined dwell distance from the valve seat when the valve member is in the closed position and allows fluid flow past the valve seat when the valve member is in the open position.

Abstract: A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a valve housing adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump. The valve housing has a valve seat formed thereon. The check valve also includes a valve member adapted to be disposed in the outlet member and cooperating with said valve seat. The check valve further includes a nonlinear spring adapted to be disposed in the outlet member and cooperating with the valve member to move the valve member to a closed position to engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position spaced from the valve seat to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member.

Abstract: A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a retainer adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump. The check valve also includes a valve seat adapted to be disposed in the outlet member and spaced from the retainer. The check valve includes a valve member disposed in the outlet member between the retainer and the valve seat. The valve member has a closed position to engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member. The check valve further includes a magnet cooperating with the valve member for generating a magnetic force on the valve member to maintain a contact force between the valve member and the valve seat when the valve member is in the closed position.

Abstract: A check valve for a fuel pump of a vehicle includes a valve housing adapted to be disposed in an outlet member of the fuel pump and a valve seat formed on the valve housing. The check valve also includes a valve member disposed in the valve housing and having a closed position to operatively engage the valve seat to prevent fuel from flowing through the outlet member and an open position to allow fuel to flow through the outlet member. The valve member also has a single outlet port to allow flow from the valve member when the valve member is in the open position.

Abstract: New techniques and systems may be implemented to improve error correction in speech recognition. These new techniques and systems may be implemented to correct errors in speech recognition systems may be used in a standard desktop environment, in a mobile environment, or in any other type of environment that can receive and/or present recognized speech.

Abstract: A computer-based method of routing a message to a system includes receiving a message, and processing the message using large-vocabulary continuous speech recognition to generate a string of text corresponding to the message. The method includes generating a confidence estimate of the string of text corresponding to the message and comparing the confidence estimate to a predetermined threshold. If the confidence estimate satisfies the predetermined threshold, the string of text is forwarded to the system. If the confidence estimate does not satisfy the predetermined threshold, the information relating to the message is forwarded to a transcriptionist. The message may include one or more utterances. Each utterance in the message may be separately or jointly processed. In this way, a confidence estimate may be generated and evaluated for each utterance or for the whole message. Information relating to each utterance may be separately or jointly forwarded based on the results of the generation and evaluation.

Abstract: A mop including a mop handle and a mop head located at one end of the handle and including a plurality of flexible strands defining a mop body. A sleeve is positioned on the mop handle and is supported for slidable movement in an axial direction parallel to the handle, and is further supported for rotatable movement relative to the handle. A lower end of the sleeve is provided with engagement portions defined by slots for engaging and gripping the strands of the mop body to facilitate twisting of the mop body by the sleeve. In addition, a ratchet and pawl mechanism is provided by cooperating portions of the mop body and sleeve to limit rotation of the sleeve to a single direction during a wringing operation.

Abstract: A serviceable sealed fuel tank includes a tank shell having a first half shell and a second half shell connected to the first half shell. The serviceable sealed fuel tank also includes at least one internal component disposed inside the tank shell between the first half shell and the second half shell. The serviceable sealed fuel tank further includes an inspection tower extending outwardly from the second half shell and being sealed. A portion of the inspection tower is removed to allow access to the at least one component after the first half shell and the second half shell are connected together.

Abstract: Language model results are combined according to a combination expression to produce combined language model results for a set of candidates. A candidate is selected and the combination expression is adjusted using language model results associated with the selected candidate.

Abstract: Incorrect text associated with recognition errors in computer-implemented speech recognition is corrected by performing speech recognition on an utterance to produce a recognition result for the utterance. When a correction command is identified in the recognition result for the utterance, corrected text is produced from a portion of the recognition result for the utterance.

Abstract: A sample reconstruction device and method extracts digital values from a DSP that are digital samples of a signal of interest and reconstructs the digital samples into an equivalent analog signal. A context detector monitors the context of the DSP's operation and determines when a digital value being processed by the DSP is a digital sample of a signal of interest. The context detector may be implemented using a logic analyzer, DSP emulator system, or the DSP itself. A digital probe or input extracts the digital values selected by the context detector for reconstruction into an analog signal. A sample buffering system having a FIFO buffer memory and control loop is employed to ensure that the analog sample interval is substantially constant, even if there is a great deal of variation between the digital sample intervals. The analog samples are reconstructed into an analog signal that accurately represents the digital signal found within the DSP.

Abstract: A fluorescent imaging system provides an illuminated image of an object that has been subjected to a fluorescent dye, as well as a fluorescence image of the object. Thus, highlighted fluorescent portions of the object are viewed in context with the surrounding environment of the object being viewed. The imaging system includes an optical system which separates illumination light reflected from the object from fluorescence light radiating from the object and provides illuminated and fluorescence images of the object.

Abstract: A speech recognition technique uses lexical tree pre-filtering to obtain lists of words for use in performing speech recognition. The lexical tree pre-filtering includes representing a vocabulary of words using a lexical tree and identifying a first subset of the vocabulary that may correspond to speech spoken beginning at a first time by propagating through the lexical tree information about the speech spoken beginning at the first time. A second subset of the vocabulary that may correspond to speech spoken beginning at a second time is identified by propagating through the lexical tree information about the speech spoken beginning at the second time. Words included in the speech are recognized by comparing speech spoken beginning at the first time with words from the first subset of the vocabulary and speech spoken beginning at the second time with words from the second subset of the vocabulary. The state of the lexical tree is not reset between identifying the first and second subsets.