Abstract: Provided are a storage device, system, and method for throttling host writes in a host buffer to a storage device. The storage device is coupled to a host system having a host buffer that includes reads and writes to pages of the storage device. Garbage collection consolidates valid data from pages in the storage device to fewer pages. A determination is made as to whether a processing measurement at the storage device satisfies a threshold. A timer value is set to a positive value in response to determining that the processing measurement satisfies the threshold. The timer is started to run for the timer value. Writes from the host buffer are blocked while the timer is running. Writes remain in the host buffer while the timer is running. A write is accepted from the host buffer to process in response to expiration of the timer.

Abstract: Threshold voltage shift values, or TVS values, are calibrated for a non-volatile memory unit including strings of memory cells organized into memory pages, the memory pages being organized into blocks. The calibration involves a read operation to read a given page of the memory pages, based on given one or more TVS values for the given page. In response to a read failure of the read operation, the calibration determines one or more corrected TVS values based on one or more reference TVS values of one or more reference pages of the memory pages. The calibration subsequently performs a read operation to read the given page based on the one or more corrected TVS values. This calibration exploits TVS values of reference pages to determine corrected TVS values of the failing page, instead of finding appropriate TVS values by repeatedly re-reading the failing page.

Abstract: A power door lock actuator avoids back driving the motor during manual operation through the use of main and secondary shafts with opposed external threads that cooperate to send a drive member to a neutral position without changing the direction of the motor.

Abstract: A wiper arm for use with a highly curved windshield is designed so that the wiping pressure in the blade is substantially constant in spite of the deflections up and down to which the arm is subjected. The arm consists of two parts, a channel shaped main body cantilevered from the post of the wiper drive mechanism, and a slider bar that is free at its back end. As the arm deflects, the main body bends, creating a resistance force that adds to the wiping pressure in the blade, while the back end of the slider bar moves relative to the main body of the arm. A tension spring hooked between the back end of the slider bar and the vehicle pulls the arm toward the windshield, also adding to the wiping pressure. However, as the arm deflects up, the spring relaxes, so that the contribution of the spring to wiping pressure decreases concurrently with the contribution of the bending main body of the arm increasing. Therefore, the total wiping pressure remains more nearly constant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for arranging balloons or the like in a nozzle-up orientation. The apparatus comprises a pair of downwardly inclined, elongate members, at least one of which has an upwardly movable surface, such as the surface of a rotatable roller. The members define a gap therebetween, and a row of spaced, unoriented balloons are fed at random, some with the baggy body leading and others with the less baggy nozzle leading, into the gap at the upper end of the members from below or the underside thereof. A baggy body leading balloon is advanced upwardly by the roller through the gap and discarded, whereas only the nozzle of each less baggy nozzle leading balloon is advanced through the gap. The nozzle leading balloons then slide down the members all arranged in a nozzle-up orientation.

Abstract: A gauge for sorting defective cylindrical parts from satisfactory cylindrical parts has an upper plate with a plurality of vertical passages to orient the parts and a lower plate with several vertical bores disposed beneath each of the upper plate passages. The bores in the lower plate allow satisfactory parts to drop through but retain parts which are bent, which have a radially extending burr, or which are otherwise larger in diameter than the bore.