Abstract: An attachment for a hand held appliance, the attachment including an outer wall with a first part which is generally conical in shape, and a fluid inlet into the outer wall, wherein the fluid inlet is formed from a discontinuity in the outer wall. The outer wall may be formed from a first wall and a sleeve. The first wall may define a fluid flow path through the attachment. The sleeve may extend around the first wall forming a second fluid flow path from the fluid inlet in the outer wall, the second fluid flow path extending between the first wall and the sleeve. An outer surface of the sleeve and an outer surface of the first wall may be collinear. The fluid flow path may extend from a first fluid inlet into the attachment to a first fluid outlet. The first fluid inlet may be annular.

Abstract: An attachment for a hand held appliance, the attachment having a first wall, and a bung housed within the first wall wherein each of the first wall and the bung are moulded as a single unit which are subsequently joined together. One of the first wall and the bung may include a locating rib and the other of the first wall and the bung may include a locating recess and the locating rib and locating recess are adapted to cooperate together to position the bung with respect to the first wall. In addition to the locating rib and locating recess, the first wall and the bung may be secured using one or more of gluing, welding and screwing the parts together.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning appliance includes a filter housing having at least one air inlet for receiving an air flow, a filter assembly removably locatable within the filter housing for removing dirt from the air flow, and a duct for receiving the air flow exhausted from the filter assembly. The filter assembly includes a filter body, a filter mounted on the filter body, and a spring-loaded coupling member moveable relative to the filter body for engaging the duct. The coupling member includes an air outlet through which the air flow is exhausted from the filter assembly. A convoluted sealing member forms a seal between the filter body and the coupling member while allowing relative movement therebetween as the coupling member engages the duct.

Abstract: An attachment for a handheld appliance, the attachment having a first end for connection to the appliance and a second end, a first wall extending from the first end towards the second end and defining a fluid flow path through the attachment, a second wall extending from the second end towards the first end about the first wall and defining a second fluid flow path extending between the first wall and the second wall. The first end of the appliance may be substantially circular. The fluid flow path may have a fluid inlet that may be annular at the first end. The fluid inlet may be defined by the first wall and an inner wall extending around and at least partially along the first wall. The inner wall may be substantially equidistant from the first wall around the fluid inlet. A hair care appliance comprises such as attachment.

Abstract: A hand dryer comprising a jetting nozzle comprising a duct in fluid communication with a slot which forms a nozzle outlet. The duct comprises opposing first and second surfaces which extend along opposite sides of the slot. The angle of inclination of the first surface of the duct with respect to a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slot varies in the longitudinal direction of the slot. The hand dryer further comprises a blower which blows air through the jetting nozzle to produce an air jet.

Abstract: A hand dryer comprising a jetting nozzle comprising a duct in fluid communication with a slot which forms a nozzle outlet, and a blower which blows air through the jetting nozzle to produce an air jet. The jetting nozzle is configured such that the angle of inclination of the air jet with respect to a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slot varies in the longitudinal direction of the slot.

Abstract: A hand dryer comprising a first jetting nozzle comprising a first duct in fluid communication with a first slot which forms a first nozzle outlet and a second jetting nozzle, disposed opposite the first jetting nozzle, comprising a second duct in fluid communication with a second slot which forms a second nozzle outlet. The first and second slots extend transversely with respect to the hand dryer. At least a portion of each of the first and second slots is curved such that the distance between the slots varies in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the slots. The hand dryer further comprises a blower which blows air through the jetting nozzles to produce respective air jets.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning appliance includes a filter housing having at least one air inlet for receiving an air flow, a filter assembly removably locatable within the filter housing for removing dirt from the air flow, and a duct for receiving the air flow exhausted from the filter assembly. The filter assembly includes a filter body, a filter mounted on the filter body, and a spring-loaded coupling member moveable relative to the filter body for engaging the duct. The coupling member includes an air outlet through which the air flow is exhausted from the filter assembly. A convoluted sealing member forms a seal between the filter body and the coupling member while allowing relative movement therebetween as the coupling member engages the duct.

Abstract: A method of encoding information in a document using a plurality of marks (104), the information comprising first data and second data, the method comprising the steps of encoding the first data using a first plurality of arrays of modulated marks disposed in a corresponding first plurality of tiles (610) spaced apart from each other at a first repeat rate (660); and encoding the second data using a second plurality of arrays of modulated marks disposed in a corresponding second plurality of tiles (680) spaced apart from each other at a second repeat rate (670); wherein: the second repeat rate is different to the first repeat rate; and the second plurality of tiles are embedded within the first plurality of tiles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of decoding a first barcode and a second barcode, different from the first barcode. The barcodes have typically been printed on a page and are derived from image scanning. The first barcode comprises a plurality of marks modulated about a first grid to redundantly encode data and the second barcode comprising a plurality of marks modulated about a second grid. The method estimates (810) the first grid from a bitmap representation (805) of at least a portion of the page, using modulated marks contained therein. The method determines (820) a first barcode region from the first grid, the first barcode region being a portion of the first barcode, followed by estimating a second grid from the bitmap representation, using modulated marks contained therein.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for authenticating a physical medium (1405). The method starts by retrieving (1406) a reference digital signature (1412) previously determined (1403) based upon visual characteristics of an area (1402) of a reference physical medium (1400). A candidate digital signature (1415) is determined based upon visual characteristics of an area (1408) of the physical medium (1405), the area (1408) of the physical medium (1405) being at least partly corresponding to the area (1402) of the reference physical medium (1400). Weight values associated with different parts of at least one of the areas (1402 and 1408) are determined (201). Finally, the candidate digital signature (1415) is compared (1420) with the reference digital signature (1412), wherein the contributing of the parts in the comparison (1420) is based upon the weight values.

Abstract: A method of encoding information in a document using a plurality of marks (104), the information comprising first data and second data, the method comprising the steps of encoding the first data using a first plurality of arrays of modulated marks disposed in a corresponding first plurality of tiles (610) spaced apart from each other at a first repeat rate (660); and encoding the second data using a second plurality of arrays of modulated marks disposed in a corresponding second plurality of tiles (680) spaced apart from each other at a second repeat rate (670); wherein: the second repeat rate is different to the first repeat rate; and the second plurality of tiles are embedded within the first plurality of tiles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of decoding a first barcode and a second barcode, different from the first barcode. The barcodes have typically been printed on a page and are derived from image scanning. The first barcode comprises a plurality of marks modulated about a first grid to redundantly encode data and the second barcode comprising a plurality of marks modulated about a second grid. The method estimates (810) the first grid from a bitmap representation (805) of at least a portion of the page, using modulated marks contained therein. The method determines (820) a first barcode region from the first grid, the first barcode region being a portion of the first barcode, followed by estimating a second grid from the bitmap representation, using modulated marks contained therein.

Abstract: A process (700) for determining one or more parameters for data encoded in a modulated grid (e.g., 200) of dots (e.g., 202). The process (700) determines one or more vectors from at least one dot (202) of the grid (200) to a closest other dot. The dots are modulated about a virtual grid (e.g., 201). The process (200) using the vectors to remove the modulation to determine the virtual grid. The process (700) then determines the orientation of the grid (200) using the determined vectors.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program for generating a barcode (200) representing one or more portions of data is disclosed. A block-based correlatable pattern of data is generated and the generated data patterns are arranged according to a predetermined arrangement. The one or more portions of data are interdispersed with the arranged data patterns to generate the barcode (200).