Abstract: An electronic fuel level indicator includes an elongated circuit board containing multiple elongated slots separated by a land segment of the circuit board, and an elongated wire spanning across the slots and being clamped to the land segment. Another aspect provides at least one elongated polymeric and/or insulating cover retained against a circuit board and a portion of the wire solely by insertion of the circuit board and cover within an elongated hollow tube through which fluid may flow. A method of assembling an electronic fluid level indicator is also provided.

Abstract: A boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus is provided. One aspect of the present ladder apparatus includes an elongated extension handle including a slot adjacent a lower end thereof. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus provides a snap-on step tread which can be mounted to a dual-tubular ladder step structure. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus employs a laterally expandable ladder step which can be retrofit onto an existing ladder. A further aspect employs clasps or hooks to attach and retain a ladder step to generally vertical ladder rails in a tool-free and fastener-free manner.

Abstract: A boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus is provided. One aspect of the present ladder apparatus includes an elongated extension handle including a slot adjacent a lower end thereof. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus provides a snap-on step tread which can be mounted to a dual-tubular ladder step structure. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus employs a laterally expandable ladder step which can be retrofit onto an existing ladder. A further aspect employs clasps or hooks to attach and retain a ladder step to generally vertical ladder rails in a tool-free and fastener-free manner.

Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to fabrication and operation of a heat exchanger that is configured to extract heat from an underlying substrate. Heat can be extracted by way of an air gap formed between an impeller and a baseplate. By utilizing a pump to create an initial air gap that is further maintained by rotation of the impeller relative to the baseplate, a spring can be utilized that can apply a force of greater magnitude to the impeller than is used in a conventional approach, thus enabling the weight of the impeller to be negligible with respect to a width of the air gap, thereby conferring the desirable feature of orientation independence with respect to gravity with no performance degradation.

Abstract: A throttle pedal assembly comprises a housing having a first and second side, top, bottom, front and back walls; a main chamber open to the front and bottom of the housing and a sensor cavity. A pedal assembly comprises a pedal, a pedal arm, and a head at an end of the pedal arm rotatable a pivot axis. A magnet is operatively connected to the pedal assembly to rotate on the pivot axis as the pedal assembly rotates about the pivot axis. A Hall effect sensor assembly mounted in the sensor cavity to be proximate the magnet yet separated from the magnet. The cavity and Hall effect sensor assembly are respectively shaped and sized such that the Hall chip and the magnet lay on a common axis such that the Hall chip and the magnet are coaxially aligned. The sensor cavity is sealed to prevent contaminants from entering the cavity.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to devices, systems, and methods for cooling and/or heating a medium as well as cooling and/or heating an environment containing the medium. More specifically, at least one embodiment includes a heat pump that may heat and/or cool a medium and, in some instances, may transfer heat from one location to another location.

Abstract: An electronic fuel level indicator includes an elongated circuit board containing multiple elongated slots separated by a land segment of the circuit board, and an elongated wire spanning across the slots and being clamped to the land segment. Another aspect provides at least one elongated polymeric and/or insulating cover retained against a circuit board and a portion of the wire solely by insertion of the circuit board and cover within an elongated hollow tube through which fluid may flow. A method of assembling an electronic fluid level indicator is also provided.

Abstract: A boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus is provided. One aspect of the present ladder apparatus includes an elongated extension handle including a slot adjacent a lower end thereof. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus provides a snap-on step tread which can be mounted to a dual-tubular ladder step structure. Another aspect of a boat or recreational vehicle ladder apparatus employs a laterally expandable ladder step which can be retrofit onto an existing ladder. A further aspect employs clasps or hooks to attach and retain a ladder step to generally vertical ladder rails in a tool-free and fastener-free manner.

Abstract: Methods for connecting cables and cable connector accessories include inserting an end portion of the cable into a bore defined in a main body of the cable connector accessory, the cable connector accessory formed from an aluminum. Methods further include detonating an explosive, the explosive comprising a detonation cord surrounding an outer surface of the main body of the connector accessory. Detonation of the explosive compresses the main body around the end portion of the cable.

Abstract: A throttle pedal assembly comprises a housing having a first and second side, top, bottom, front and back walls; a main chamber open to the front and bottom of the housing and a sensor cavity. A pedal assembly comprises a pedal, a pedal arm, and a head at an end of the pedal arm rotatable a pivot axis. A magnet is operatively connected to the pedal assembly to rotate on the pivot axis as the pedal assembly rotates about the pivot axis. A Hall effect sensor assembly mounted in the sensor cavity to be proximate the magnet yet separated from the magnet. The cavity and Hall effect sensor assembly are respectively shaped and sized such that the Hall chip and the magnet lay on a common axis such that the Hall chip and the magnet are coaxially aligned. The sensor cavity is sealed to prevent contaminants from entering the cavity.

Abstract: The device provides mechanism for aiding scent detection canine to detect explosive or other contraband that are deemed to be in a person's possession. The device operates upon the idea of air tracking. The person enters in a collapsible non-porous covered metal frame, stands directly under a 2 by 2 plastic exhaust fan that pushes air down the person's body. At the bottom of the device are 2 vents with 2×2 dimensions on each side with 2×2 fans that draw the air out into a 1×1 silver foil exhaust tube. A 4×4 non-porous box with an opening is connected to the exhaust tube for the canine to sniff the air and alert his handler if there is a presence of explosive or other contraband. The person will then exit at the back of the device.

Abstract: An on-the-fly analog switching method and system for providing a switching time of less than one second between energy levels and laser heads for laser shock peening applications. An analog switch is used with variable resistance devices that produce a switching time of less than one second. One advantage of the present invention is that a switching time of less than one second is provided which provides for an energy and time efficient system. The laser shock peening process is never delayed for switching purposes as the switching occurs during the standard pause between treated linear areas.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for counting moving objects in a digital video stream. In contrast to known computationally-expensive methods, areas of motion are determined by threshold subtracting a current video frame from a short term average video scene. An object box surrounding an object is determined by threshold subtracting the current video frame from a long term average video scene. Coordinates of the moving object are identified by associating the area of motion with the object box, if it overlaps the area of motion, to define a moving object box. An event counter can be incremented when the moving object box is in a buffer zone in the current frame, and was in a detection zone in an earlier frame, and was initially detected in a buffer zone on the opposite side of the detection zone.

Abstract: An on-the-fly analog switching method and system for providing a switching time of less than one second between energy levels and laser heads for laser shock peening applications. An analog switch is used with variable resistance devices that produce a switching time of less than one second. One advantage of the present invention is that a switching time of less than one second is provided which provides for an energy and time efficient system. The laser shock peening process is never delayed for switching purposes as the switching occurs during the standard pause between treated linear areas.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for initializing a processor based device having a processor that controls an electrical load, such as a motor. The electrical load is initially operationally controlled using startup code executed by the processor. Processor control of the electrical load is next temporarily released so that the electrical load operates in an open control mode while the startup code is displaced with application code during a “brain transplant” operation. Processor operational control of the electrical load is thereafter resumed using the application code and the device is placed in an operational ready mode. The apparatus preferably comprises a data storage device and the electrical load preferably comprises a spindle motor configured to rotate a data storage medium on which the application code is stored, as well as an actuator motor which supports a data transducing head used to access the application code.

Abstract: A continuous motion laser shock peening apparatus and method for laser shock peening a workpiece. A laser controller modulates and fires a laser beam from a laser unit. A motion controller is controllably connected to a manipulator and to the laser controller to fire the laser beam based on axis position feedback from a speed control of the motion controller. The laser controller has a standby mode for flashing a laser flash lamp at a flash rate without triggering the laser beam and a firing mode that triggers and fires the laser beam in laser beam pulses. The laser controller includes a synchronizing means for synchronizing a triggering signal provided to the laser interface controller by the computerized motion controller to fire the laser beam pulses and the flash rate substantially at a time when the laser beam pulses are to be generated.

Abstract: A laser shock peening apparatus includes a laser unit for generating at least one laser beam aimed at a laser shock peening area and an anti-feedback means for preventing electromagnetic radiation reflections from the target area from entering the laser unit during laser shock peening and the anti-feedback means is located between the laser unit and a final focusing lens. The anti-feedback means may include an optical isolator at an output of the laser unit such as a faraday isolator. Alternative optical isolators may include thin film polarizers, glan prism polarizers, independent pig tailed optical isolators, mirrors with enhanced P or S polarization coatings. The laser unit may include an oscillator and a final amplifier and the output of the laser unit located after the final amplifier.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for initializing a processor based device having a processor that controls an electrical load, such as a motor. The electrical load is initially operationally controlled using startup code executed by the processor. Processor control of the electrical load is next temporarily released so that the electrical load operates in an open control mode while the startup code is displaced with application code during a “brain transplant” operation. Processor operational control of the electrical load is thereafter resumed using the application code and the device is placed in an operational ready mode. The apparatus preferably comprises a data storage device and the electrical load preferably comprises a spindle motor configured to rotate a data storage medium on which the application code is stored, as well as an actuator motor which supports a data transducing head used to access the application code.