Abstract: A thermostat is operable from battery, common-wire (“C-wire”), or furnace relay power. The thermostat includes a power source selector, such as a jumper wire, that is set when the thermostat is installed in a heating system. In a gas millivolt heating system, the thermostat operates off of battery power. In heating systems having a C-wire, a diode bridge converter converts alternating-current voltage to direct-current voltage to provide operating power to the thermostat. In heating systems without a C-wire and having sufficient furnace relay current, a triac converter in series with the furnace relay provides voltage spikes to the diode bridge converter to provide operating power to the thermostat when the furnace is on, and the diode bridge converts AC to DC voltage when the furnace is not on. The thermostat can also be used in cooling systems and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Thus, the thermostat can be used in a wide variety of applications.

Abstract: A pest deterrent device attracts the attention of a pest with ultrasonic noise and then produces a series of flashes to drive off the pest. In one embodiment, the device continuously produces ultrasound, changing the ultrasound when a pest is detected. In another embodiment, the device does not produce ultrasound until a pest is detected. In a further embodiment, the flash charging circuit is used to modulate the ultrasound while the flash is operated. In a particular embodiment, four ultrasonic speakers are arranged in a series-parallel configuration with a total capacitance of about 0.2 micro-Farads achieve 120 dB of sound output with a supply voltage of about 12-18 V.

Abstract: A pest deterrent device attracts the attention of a pest with ultrasonic noise and then produces a series of flashes to drive off the pest. In one embodiment, the device continuously produces ultrasound, changing the ultrasound when a pest is detected. In another embodiment, the device does not produce ultrasound until a pest is detected. In a further embodiment, the flash charging circuit is used to modulate the ultrasound while the flash is operated. In a particular embodiment, four ultrasonic speakers are arranged in a series-parallel configuration with a total capacitance of about 0.2 micro-Farads achieve 120 dB of sound output with a supply voltage of about 12-18 V.

Abstract: A cartilage plug, which is made from a biocompatible, artificial material, that is used to fill a void in natural cartilage that has been resected due to traumatic injury or chronic disease is disclosed. Alternatively, the plug may be relied upon to anchor a flowable polymer to subchondral bone. The plug is prefabricatable in any size, shape, and contour and may be utilized either singly or in a plurality to fill any size void for any application. The plug may be formed of a laminated structure to match the physiological requirements of the repair site. Additionally, ridges may be formed about the periphery of each plug to facilitate its anchoring to surrounding cartilage, bone and/or adjacent plugs.

Abstract: A pest deterrent device attracts the attention of a pest with ultrasonic noise and then produces a series of flashes to drive off the pest. In one embodiment, the device continuously produces ultrasound, changing the ultrasound when a pest is detected. In another embodiment, the device does not produce ultrasound until a pest is detected. In a further embodiment, the flash charging circuit is used to modulate the ultrasound while the flash is operated. In a particular embodiment, four ultrasonic speakers are arranged in a series-parallel configuration with a total capacitance of about 0.2 micro-Farads achieve 120 dB of sound output with a supply voltage of about 12-18 V.

Abstract: A cartilage plug, which is made from a biocompatible, artificial material, that is used to fill a void in natural cartilage that has been resected due to traumatic injury or chronic disease is disclosed. Alternatively, the plug may be relied upon to anchor a flowable polymer to subchondral bone. The plug is prebricatable in any size, shape, and contour and may be utilized either singly or in a plurality to fill any size void for any application. The plug may be formed of a laminated structure to match the physiological requirements of the repair site. Additionally, ridges may be formed about the periphery of each plug to facilitate its anchoring to surrounding cartilage, bone and/or adjacent plugs.

Abstract: An irrigation timer (2) includes a controller (8) coupleable to a power source (16), user inputs (12) coupled to the controller, controller output terminals (18) coupleable to an irrigation valve actuator (20) and an internal day-of-week and time-of-day clock. The controller may be pre-programmed with a predetermined, known initialization day-of-week and start time-of-day setting so that upon actuation, the clock automatically begins running at that setting, such as Sunday, 6:00 PM. The user inputs may have a single, preset function so that no user input is a multifunction input to help make programming essentially intuitive.

Abstract: An irrigation timer (2) includes a controller (8), including output signal terminals (18) coupleable to irrigation valve actuators (20) and an internal clock, and user inputs (12). Each irrigation valve actuator is coupleable to an irrigation valve for a watering zone with a watering period setting for each of the watering zones during a watering cycle (96). The controller divides the watering period for each watering zone by an integer n greater than 1 to obtain fractional watering periods (98). This permits each zone to be watered for its fractional watering period during a first fractional watering cycle (100) prior to beginning a second fractional watering cycle n of the fractional watering cycles constitute the watering cycle. The use of fractional watering periods help to spread out watering over a long period of time in each zone.

Abstract: An orthopedic interference screw for compression anchoring a bone graft in a bore formed in a bone mass. The interference screw includes a biocompatible body with a root. A screw thread is formed over substantially all of the root. The screw thread includes buttress structure on only one side of the screw thread so that forces applied to the screw thread from a side remote from the buttress structure will be buttressed by the buttress structure.

Abstract: An orthopedic interference screw for compression anchoring a bone graft in a bore formed in a bone mass. The interference screw includes a biocompatible body with a root. A screw thread is formed over substantially all of the root. The screw thread includes buttress structure on only one side of the screw thread so that forces applied to the screw thread from a side remote from the buttress structure will be buttressed by the buttress structure.

Abstract: An adapter for a laboratory filtration unit includes an annular neck with a smooth outer surface and which slopes inwardly at its inner surface to form a funnel section and which has a collar threaded internally at its lower extremity and located beneath said annular neck. A transverse downwardly disposed ledge is defined between the collar and the funnel section and receives a gasket in abutment therewith. The adapter is utilized to filter a liquid medium from a conventional vacuum assisted laboratory filter unit directly into a conventional liquid storage container.