Abstract: A control system for a glass touch cooktop includes a control panel including a plurality of touch control areas with touch toggle controls that correspond to a plurality of surface heater elements, and a toggle lock control that disables the touch controls areas when activated. The toggle lock control is separated from the touch control, identified with a conspicuous icon, and includes an integral indicator to readily alert a user that the system is locked. Graphical icons and integral indicators are incorporated into touch controls for user-friendly operation of the heating elements.

Abstract: An autochanger for DAT cassettes comprises a 51/4 inch form factor housing having a tape drive mechanism, a magazine for six DAT cassettes and a transfer mechanism for transporting DAT cassettes between a storage area and the tape drive mechanism. A turntable mounted in the underside of a housing lid rotates the magazine about 180.degree. so all of the DAT cassettes in the magazine are accessible from a single direction.

Abstract: The seat post includes a hollow support tube 1 which is partly inserted into a cycle frame 24 and carries a bracket 2 for supporting a seat. A series of light-emitting diodes 12 mounted on a printed circuit board 8 emit light through windows 13 in the support member. The circuit board also carries a flush-mounted or recessed on/off switch 9 which is accessible to control the supply of power to the diodes 12. Power may be supplied by one or more cells 16 inserted in the support member via a removable bottom end cap 21. The support member can also contain rechargeable cells which can be recharged via a power connector 32 at the bottom end of the support member.

Abstract: A delivery mechanism and device for the passive periodic release of a drug or an active ingredient which avoids the need for external power sources and/or electronic controllers. By taking advantage of oscillating chemical systems, one can change the state, i.e. the pH, of a solution, a drug, enhancer or solubilizer resulting in oscillating the ability of an active ingredient to be delivered transdermally. The pH of a solution can be oscillated over a range of pH values from 2 to 10 by the reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions of salts, such as permanganates, iodates, sulfates, chlorates, or bromates. Upon activation, the delivery system conditions begin to oscillate and with it, the delivery of the active agent oscillates.

Abstract: A gasket for a crown cap to be used on a carbonated beverage, especially a twist-off crown or for a bottle which is to be pasteurized, is formed of a thermoplastic material, which is preferably free of polyvinyl chloride, and which contains a hydrogenated copolymer of styrene and a conjugated diene, or a functionalized derivative thereof. The material is resistant to heat, and provides a gasket with advantageous sealing properties.

Abstract: A dust collector system includes a conduit defining an interior volume, having a first open end, and including an air vent. A pressure differential detector includes a first air flow tap, a second air flow tap, and a pressure differential indicator. The first air flow tap is connected to a dust filter unit dirty air plenum. The second air flow tap is connected to the sensor conduit internal volume at a portion above a location corresponding to a level of collected dust to be detected. The pressure differential detector indicates a presence of at least a selected pressure differential between the first and second air flow taps. When a level of dust in the dust collection container reaches a selected level, it will close the sensor conduit first end. When the sensor conduit first end is closed, a pressure within the sensor conduit internal volume will rise towards atmospheric as a result of the air flow through the air vent.

Abstract: In automobiles incorporating a console-mounted shift lever assembly for an automatic transmission control, a range indicator assembly is attached to the shift lever assembly to form a subassembly. This subassembly is secured in the automobile by attaching the shift lever to the vehicle floor pan, inserting a console housing over the shift lever assembly and clipping the range indicator assembly to the console. The range indicator assembly has an indicator extension or post that mates with a shifter alignment feature or bracket on the base of the shift lever assembly. This mating establishes the fore/aft location of the range indicator assembly relative to the shift lever assembly. The clips cooperate with the console to determine vertical and transverse locations of the range indicator assembly. A trim plate is placed over the opening in the console and secured to the console by clip members. This effectively closes the opening around the range indicator assembly and the shift lever assembly.

Abstract: A lockable electrical socket has a grasping jaw which can pivot relative to a conductive contact in response to the translational motion of a carrier supporting the grasping jaw in order to selectively retain an electrical plug in place. The plug can be released by pushing in the plug and then allowing the plug retaining assembly and the plug to be thrust out under spring pressure. In a second embodiment a key is required to allow the plug to be released in order to prevent unauthorized removal of the plug from the socket. A dummy or safety plug can be used in place of an electrical plug to make the lockable socket child-proof.

Abstract: A rectilinear composite building panel having a pair of opposed faces, and a pair of opposed sides, the panel comprising a pair of spaced-apart rigid face sheets (56), a rigid insulating material (58) sandwiched between, and adhering to, the face sheets, connecting means (60) connecting the face sheets together to resist relative movement between the face sheets in the plane of the panel and out of the plane of the panel; the opposed sides (66,70) each have a profiled shape for mating with a correspondingly profiled side of an adjacent panel; each side (66,70) has means (72,74) for securing, or being secured to, a side of an adjacent panel of the same general construction. The panels can be easily assembled together to form a fire-resistant multi-story building.

Abstract: An encoder and decoder system for compressing discrete data sequences is disclosed. The encoder includes a self-affine map generator and a backward adaptive map generator which model source vectors formed from a discrete data sequence. The self-affine map generator uses known modeling techniques to determine map parameters for mapping functions. The mapping functions are evaluated by computing a collage error and the mapping function corresponding to the smallest collage error is selected. The backward adaptive map generator determines map parameters for mapping functions which map vectors previously generated to represent the discrete data sequence to the source vector. A distance measurement is computed for each target vector/mapping function combination and the mapping function corresponding to the smallest distance measurement is selected.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hand held brush for delivering multiple foamable wash/wax solutions and designed to effectively and aesthetically wax the vehicle which includes a generally hollow elongated shaft having a first end and a second end and a plurality of veins extending thought the shaft, a head connected to the first end of the shaft and having a plurality separate compartments and a plurality of aperture surfaces formed within the head, a first of the compartments communicating with a first of the veins and a first of the aperture surfaces, and a second of the compartments communicating with a second of the veins and a second of the aperture surfaces, and the head further having means connected to the head for aiding application of the foamable wash/wax solutions.

Abstract: An electronic control system, particularly adaptable to coin-operated laundry appliances, which enables owners of such machines to customize machine operation. Laundry parameters are stored in random access memory, and timing functions are performed in control logic. Thus, the owner may simply update the information on a computer and download the parameters to individual laundry machines. A portable receiver/transmitter may be utilized to transfer information to the laundry machine controller by way of an infrared communications link. Also disclosed is a reconfigurable fuzzy logic control which is general purpose, having a functionality that may be easily altered in accordance with the type of machine. The structure of the fuzzy logic controller is identical for all applications.

Abstract: In a laminar polymeric sheet having a passageway which is threaded for part of the thickness of the sheet and a threaded element engaged with the threads in the passageway, the improvement wherein the thread engagement begins at a minimum distance from the top surface of the sheet.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a manifold which includes a foam generating zone having means for receiving a foamable solution and air therethrough to produce a foam, a streaming discharge zone wherein the streaming discharge zone includes a first plurality of aperture surfaces of a first diameter and a second plurality of aperture surfaces of a second diameter larger than said first diameter and a buffer zone operably communicably associated with the foam generating zone and streaming discharge zone with means for impeding flow of the foam therebetween.