Abstract: A device to alter and/or reduce the aerodynamic, base drag on and improve the stability of a bluff bodied vehicle, such as a heavy trailer with or without two aft vertically hinged doors, comprised of preformed, resilient, semi-circular airfoils permanently attached with hinges to the aft planar surface or the rear doors of the vehicle, at the vertical left and right corner edges, the horizontal top corner edge, the horizontal bottom corner edge of the vehicle, or at two or more of these positions. The airfoils self stow when the doors are opened and resume their initial shape when the doors are closed. If accidentally impacted, the airfoils deflect and then resume their initial shape. The airfoils can be fitted with compact air nozzles to blow air tangentially over their outer surfaces to enhance their effect. The device is inexpensive, lightweight and easily installed, replaced and retrofitted.

Abstract: A resilient aerodynamic skirt assembly is provided, the aerodynamic skirt assembly comprising a skirt panel adapted to connect to a trailer to route airflow along the trailer, skirt supports adapted to connect the skirt to a trailer are also provided with a plurality of resilient struts providing lateral support to the skirt panel, the resilient struts allowing substantial lateral deflection of the skirt panel away from an aerodynamic configuration. A method of assembling an aerodynamic skirt assembly and an aerodynamic skirt kit are also provided.

Abstract: A structural member reinforcement includes a body portion having a plurality of side walls. The side walls are spaced to define an opening therebetween. A plurality of cells are disposed in the opening between the side walls. Each of the plurality of cells defines a channel. An expandable material, such as structural foam or noise vibration and harshness (NVH) foam, is disposed in the channel of at least one of the plurality of cells. The reinforcement may be used to reinforce a structural member, such as a vehicle frame. The structural member may define a cavity, and the reinforcement may be disposed within the cavity.

Abstract: Provided is an automotive vehicle body structure which is light weight but demonstrates improved mechanical strength during a frontal or side collision. A pair of front side frames extend in a fore-and-aft direction in a mutually spaced relationship in a front part of a vehicle body, and a pair of floor frames having forward ends joined to rear ends of the corresponding front side frames, respectively, extend in the fore-and-aft direction. A first middle cross member is joined to intermediate parts of the floor frames and to lateral ends of side sills. A front cross member is joined to a front side of the first middle cross member, has a pair of lateral ends that are joined to inboard sides of the corresponding front side frames, and is arch shaped such that a fore-and-aft dimension of the front cross member diminishes from each side end toward a middle part.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body which includes a storage area at the rear of the vehicle. A load floor located in the storage area is moveable between a first position and a second position relative to a stationary floor also located in the storage area.

Abstract: A storage structure for a cover member of a sliding roof type vehicle is equipped with a cover member (20) capable of open and close for covering the opening section formed in the roof of the vehicle, the first rails (13R, 13L) for guiding the opening or closing of the cover member (20) provided along the right and left sides of the opening section, a tray (30) for placing the cover member in folded state installed at the rear of the first rails, a holding means (50) for holding the tray (30) rotatably at a first position A, and a storage means (85) installed at the back of the last row of seat of the vehicle, wherein the storage means (85) is composed of a second rails (40) extending downward from the first position A and a storage box (80) provided on a vehicle deck connected to the second rails (40), and, with the folded cover member (20) placed on the tray (30), the tray (30) is rotated by the holding means (50), thereby the folded cover member (20) is stored by guiding the tray (30) to the second rails (

Abstract: A collapsible support frame includes a plurality of segmented legs pivotally connected to an inner surface of a collar, and are held together by an elastic cord. The legs pivot between a folded and a deployed position. In the folded position, the legs segments form a bundle to facilitate storage or transport. Portions of the legs segments may seat within leg seats formed in the outer surface of the collar. In the deployed position, the legs pivot to contact leg support seats formed at angles in an inner surface of the collar. After contact, each leg extends in a different direction supported by its respective leg support seat. The elastic cord provides tension that keeps the leg segments together in the deployed position, and prevents the leg segments from becoming lost or separated in the folded position.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for securing a moveable scat substructure of a vehicle seating system to a stationary base substructure of the vehicle seating system during a dynamic event such as, for example, rapid vehicle deceleration. In one embodiment, an inertia lock apparatus is provided for a vehicle seating system and includes: a striker bar; a pendulum latch pivotally moveable between a normal orientation and a latching orientation; and a lock mechanism configured to prevent the pendulum latch from moving from the latching orientation to the normal orientation. In another embodiment the inertia lock apparatus includes a release mechanism for moving the pendulum latch from the latching orientation to the normal orientation, thereby unlocking the lock mechanism and resetting the apparatus. In another aspect, a vehicle seating system including the inertia lock apparatus is provided.

Abstract: A vehicle seat has an energy-absorbing device connected to a transverse support member of the seat frame. The device has a plurality of rib members configured to plastically deform in response to an impact between an object and the device, thereby absorbing energy from the object. The device has a shell portion with a pair of intersecting side walls having a generally U-shaped profile defining a recess, and the rib members are connected to each of the side walls within the recess. The shell portion is one piece, and the shell portion and rib members are formed of molded plastic. Each rib member is equally spaced within the recess.

Abstract: A juvenile seat pad is adapted to be placed on a juvenile seat such as a juvenile vehicle seat. The pad is configured to be altered to produce either a large-sized infant receptacle suitable for full-term and growing infants or a relatively smaller small-sized infant receptacle suitable for premature infants.

Abstract: A head and body protection assembly which includes a safety seat shell and a plurality of chambers secured to the shell. A belt which includes a plurality of chambers is placed across the lap or mid section of an individual in the seat. The chambers are inflated to a pre-selected pressure which provides protection of the occupant of the seat from side, rear and frontal impacts. The chambers or pads are inflated or deflated to permit the chambers or pads to be adjusted to the size of the occupant of the seat. The assembly includes a device to indicate the correct inflation pressure. The chambers are fluidly interconnected to distribute fluid throughout the assembly to help absorb the impact of the head of the occupant. The chambers can be filled with an energy absorbing foam.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, tilt adjustment mechanism mounted on a child safety seat is provided, the tilt adjustment mechanism including: a seat portion having a recess; and a support block pivotally connected to the seat portion having a first protruding portion, the support block being rotated relative to the seat portion between a first position at which the recess of the seat portion is engaged with the first protruding portion of the support block and a second position at which the recess of the seat portion is disengaged from the first protruding portion of the support block for varying an angle between the seat portion and the support block.

Abstract: In order to secure a shape retaining property of a support face of a backrest 1 of a chair, the backrest 1 for chairs comprises frame elements 21 and 22 arranged in pairs at right and left sides, a flexible support member 3 that bridges the frame elements 21 and 22 to support a load of a body of a seated person and an adjust mechanism that can change a bent degree of the support member 3 in multiple states and that can maintain the state against the load of the seated person.

Abstract: There is provided a device for fixing a component, in particular a headrest in or on a vehicle whereby the component includes at least one fixing bar. The fixing bar may be displaced relative to the device in a first direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal extension thereof. The device includes a tolerance compensation member in contact with the fixing bar. The tolerance compensation member may be displaced in a second direction relative to the device, running essentially perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A machine includes a seat assembly and a mechanical strut attached to the seat assembly. The mechanical strut, free of pneumatic seals, is positioned to move at least a portion of an armrest of the seat assembly along a horizontal axis. A length adjustment mechanism is movable to release a friction lock mechanism within the mechanical strut. The mechanical strut is telescopically movable through a continuous range of armrest lengths when the friction lock mechanism is released.

Abstract: A footrest is described, having a platform, a side rail and a plurality of surfaces for supporting one's feet.

Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle and method of manufacturing the same including a seat foam pad having a headrest portion and a backrest portion. A structural support member is included that is formed of a foam material that is at least partially enclosed by the headrest portion and the backrest portion. The seat system also includes a seat frame having the seat foam pad and the structural support member adjacent thereto, wherein the seat foam pad and the structural support member enable the seat system to meet a predetermined structural requirement.

Abstract: In a child seat which has a seat portion and a back portion and in which the back portion provided with a shoulder belt guide for guiding a shoulder belt of a seat belt of a vehicle from the shoulder to the chest of a sitter, the child seat is provided with a belt guide position adjusting mechanism for changing the position of the shoulder belt guide in the left and right directions of the back portion.

Abstract: A pavement profiler having a grinding element within an enclosure for smoothing an existing road surface includes a transporter having a frame supported on a set of wheels with the enclosure situated between the forward and rearward wheels of the transporter. Positioning mechanisms coupled between the transporter frame and the grinding element enclosure positions the grinding element relative to the pavement surface. The positioning mechanisms includes a front support and a front lift mechanism, and a rear support and a rear lift mechanism. The rear support has vertically extending tracks fixed to the transport frame, and vertically extending rails movable relative to the tracks, the rails being coupled to the rear lift mechanism. Forwardly projecting flanges fixed to the rails have a pivot defining element. Rearwardly projecting flanges from the enclosure are coupled to the pivot defining element to permit the enclosure to pitch relative to the transport frame.

Abstract: A spoked wheel for a bicycle includes a rim, a hub, a plurality of spokes tensioned between the rim and the hub, each provided with a spoke attachment element for attachment to the rim, a plurality of seats, such seats being openings formed in the rim, each for housing one of said spoke attachment elements. The shape and size of the spoke attachment elements and of the seats of the rim are such that: the spoke attachment element is suitable for taking up a first configuration in which its insertion through the seat is possible; and the spoke attachment element once inserted in the seat assumes a second configuration in which it is not possible to remove the spoke attachment element through the seat.

Abstract: A combination secondary master cylinder and brake pedal compliance device for an automotive braking system includes a cylinder having a signal chamber, a working chamber, and a compliance chamber. Elastic devices mounted within the working chamber and compliance chamber allow the apparent compliance of the friction braking system attached to the combination device to remain at a relatively constant value notwithstanding the presence of varying amounts of powertrain braking.

Abstract: A brake-by-wire automotive braking system includes a master cylinder connected to a number of wheel cylinders, with the master cylinder being actuated by a brake pedal assembly operatively connected with a master cylinder force simulator simulating the resistive force/displacement characteristics of the master cylinder itself. An electronically controlled compliance device selectively immobilizes the master cylinder force simulator so that the resistive force provided by the simulator may be applied selectively to the brake pedal. This produces a transparency in the brake pedal's operational feel, notwithstanding the presence or absence of force provided by the master cylinder force simulator.

Abstract: A control system for an electromechanical brake with self-reinforcement has a unit adapted to recognize brake failure, a unit adapted to detect the actual state of motion of the device to be braked, and a unit adapted to open and close the brake upon recognition of a failure dependent upon the detected actual state of motion of the device to be braked. The unit adapted to detect the state of motion detects in particular the rotational velocity of a brake disk assigned to the brake.

Abstract: In braking force control method for an automotive vehicle and braking force control apparatus therefor, contribution degrees of both of a stroke quantity of a brake input device and a master cylinder pressure developed in a master cylinder are set in accordance with at least one of the stroke quantity of the brake input device and the master cylinder pressure and the contribution degree of the master cylinder pressure on a calculation of a target braking force is set to become larger when an abrupt brake operation by a vehicle driver is detected (a control flag F is set to “1”) than the contribution degree of the master cylinder pressure when no abrupt brake operation by the vehicle driver is detected (control flag F is reset to “0”).

Abstract: A computer housing includes a foldable frame and a face panel. The frame is disposed for mounting a motherboard, an optical disk drive, and a power supply, and includes two first housing panels and two second housing panels that are connected pivotally and surroundingly as a whole. The frame is foldable into a folded state, where the first and second housing panels are turned pivotally to be proximate to each other so as to reduce the size of the frame, as well as the space and material required for packaging the frame, thereby saving costs of transport and packaging material.

Abstract: A dishwasher tub includes a main body having opposing side walls that are interconnected by a rear wall, all formed from a multi-layered composite material. A cap member is joined atop the opposing side and rear walls, a base member is joined to lower edge portions of the opposing side walls and rear wall, and a frontal halo member is mounted between the cap and base member to define an overall washing chamber having a front opening. Preferably, the multi-layered composite material includes an inner stainless layer, a rigid layer and an outer protective layer, such as a layer of stainless steel, a rigid polyester mat, and a protective layer of hard plastic or aluminum foil. The outer layer also preferably serves as a shipping container for the dishwasher, enabling components of the dishwasher to be transported to a designated location for final assembly.

Abstract: A multi-drawer file cabinet having an upper cabinet that may be stacked on top of a lower file cabinet is provided. The lower cabinet includes a top surface having a peripheral edge with a first perimeter. The upper cabinet includes a base with a sidewall. The sidewall has a peripheral edge with a second perimeter. The second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter so that the sidewall fits around the peripheral edge of the top surface of the first cabinet. The cabinets include an extendable drawer assembly having a pair of slide members slidably positioned between a pair of outer tracks formed in a casing and tracks formed in a drawer frame. Furthermore, a locking assembly is associated with a recess in the casing and a ledge of a drawer head to allow the drawer assembly to remain in a locked position even if the cabinet sustains fire damage.

Abstract: Furniture such as bathroom vanities are suitable to be shipped in collapsed form and then readily assembled/erected at the installation site. A back wall folds forwardly as bracing along the front folds vertically in one form. There can be a multi-piece collapsible brace between opposed side walls with four pivot points.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive device for a furniture part that is displaceably mounted in relation to a furniture body, in particular for a drawer or similar. The device includes an energy accumulator device, which supports the displacement of the furniture part. According to the invention, the displaceable furniture part can be essentially displaced into a fully open position by the energy accumulator device, thus partially discharging the energy accumulator device. The energy accumulator device is then re-charged during the closing operation of the displaceable furniture part. The energy accumulator device only acts on part of the displacement path of the furniture part.

Abstract: A device for automatic shock-absorbed closing of drawers and pull-out furniture elements in general, which comprises a hydraulic cylinder with a piston used to pour oil from one chamber to the other one and a return spring inserted into the piston stem, whose end is used to fasten and unfasten the stem automatically to and from a special bracket suitably fitted to the pull-out element.

Abstract: A fully extendable telescopic drawer guide (10; 10?) for furniture components, such as drawers, work surfaces and the like, that can be extended from the body of an item of furniture, with a guide rail (12) facing the body, a running rail (14) associated with the extendable furniture component, and an intermediate rail (16) arranged between these two rails, wherein rolling elements are provided which are supported in cages (24; 26) and which transfer the load of the extendable furniture component by way of rolling surfaces disposed on the rails, and wherein at least one rotatably supported supporting roller (30) for the running rail is provided on the front end of the intermediate rail. The intermediate rail (16) is implemented as a profile rail which encompasses the region of the guide rail (12) provided with the rolling surfaces and which has on the bottom side an elongated opening for insertion of the support region of the guide rail to be secured to the body wall of an associated item of furniture.

Abstract: A rack mounted inside a cabinet in which a number of office files are supported, wherein the rack can be extended outward of the cabinet allowing all of the files to be visibly seen for easy identification along with the easy removal of any file. The files are supported one above the other so that each file tab is higher than the lower one. The rack is shaped to fit inside a cabinet that is substantially as tall and as wide as a conventional filing cabinet but is thinner and capable of being wall mounted and thereby consuming a minimum amount of floor space.

Abstract: A horizontal dispensing container comprising a base, opposed side structures including vertically spaced support members for slidably supporting removable, hinged shelves, and opposed rectangular frames is provided. The rectangular frames define openings on front and rear sides of the container through which parts may be loaded onto the slidable shelves inside the container. At least some of the movable shelves have front and rear sections separated by a hinge, the front section being pivotal downwardly to allow access to parts on the rear section of the shelf.

Abstract: A refrigerator which provides an improved installation structure of a receiving device disposed in a storage chamber such that the receiving device can be stably supported in the storage chamber and easily mounted on and separated from the storage chamber. The refrigerator includes a shelf fixing structure which fixes a shelf to the storage chamber. The shelf fixing structure includes an engaging protrusion formed on a lower surface of the shelf at one side of the shelf, a stepped surface formed at the other side of the shelf, a restriction groove formed at a position corresponding to the engaging protrusion to restrict the engaging protrusion, and a restriction portion formed at a position corresponding to the stepped surface to restrict the stepped surface.

Abstract: A support element for use with a refrigerator, the support element having a support surface with a rear edge, at least two support arms located on the support element and being laterally spaced from one another, with the support arms extending rearwardly of the rear edge and being laterally biased.

Abstract: A shelf arrangement is provided which includes a support surface, a frame, and an electrical control interface positioned and accessible at a front of the shelf arrangement, the control interface arranged to transmit a control signal to a location remote from the shelf arrangement. The frame may include a pair of laterally spaced apart front-to-rear brackets supporting the support surface. The support surface may be a part of a shelf member. A pair of rods may extend laterally between the brackets. The frame may be at least partially overmolded with plastic.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing onto a rotating media is described. According to one embodiment, the printing system includes a print head that is laterally displaced from a radial printing radius, a rotating mechanism to rotate the media, and a controller to print onto an annular print area. The annular print area is defined by an inner hub circumference, two lines substantially parallel to the radial printing radius and tangential to the inner hub circumference, and an outer edge of the media. The print head moves about the annular print area by one or more motion mechanism and prints images onto the media.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes a plurality of tanks, a plurality of sub-tanks, a replenishment amount detector, a liquid replenisher and a recording head. Each of the plurality of tanks is capable of storing a different kind of basic liquid. The plurality of sub-tanks includes a first sub-tank that includes a mixed liquid of two or more of the different kinds of the basic liquids from the plurality of tanks. The replenishment amount detector detects amount of each of the different kinds of the basic liquids to be transferred to the first sub-tank. The liquid replenisher transfers the basic liquids stored in the tanks into the sub-tanks until a predetermined amount for each of the basic liquids is detected by the replenishment amount detector. The recording head ejects the liquids supplied from the sub-tanks in a form of droplets.

Abstract: In the ink-jet printing apparatus, the influence of displacements of printing positions caused by the excessive conveyance of a printing medium to the resultant image when the rear end of the printing medium exits from a nip portion between the roller pair in a conveying mechanism. More specifically, in the printing operation for the rear end portion of the printing medium in which the printing medium exits from the roller pair, the guide shaft for supporting the carriage is lifted at a position wherein a head-medium distance is changed to widen a distance between the printing had and the printing medium (S402). Thereby, the displacement of the landing position caused by the excessive conveyance of the printing medium is inconspicuous because of the variations of the landing positions due to the widening of the head-medium distance.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a calibrator that calibrates a pixel value of a pixel in image data. An output interface outputs to an image output device the image data calibrated by the calibrator, the image output device forming an image in accordance with the calibrated image data, wherein the reference pixel and the target pixel have a predetermined positional relationship.

Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus includes a liquid jet head and a driving signal generating circuit. The driving signal generating circuit generates driving signals including ejection pulses to control the ejection of liquid droplets. A first driving signal is supplied to a first actuator unit and a second driving signal is supplied to a second actuator unit. A first ejection pulse is generated, followed by a second ejection pulse generated after a delay time of ?t. The delay time ?t is set within a range that allows a liquid droplet to be ejected with reduced misting and reduced deviation from a predetermined path.

Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive waveform generator adapted to generate a drive waveform signal, a modulator adapted to execute pulse modulation on the drive waveform signal, a digital power amplifier adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal, on which the pulse modulation is executed by the modulator, with a pair of switching elements push-pull coupled with each other, a low pass filter adapted to smooth the amplified digital signal obtained by the power-amplification of the digital power amplifier, and a modulation period adjustment circuit adapted to adjust a modulation period of the pulse modulation of the modulator in accordance with a reset signal forming a basis of timing for driving an actuator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a print apparatus including a rotating unit rotating a printed object, a print head printing visible information by ejecting ink droplets onto the printed object being rotated by the rotating unit, and a control unit generating ink ejection data based on the visible information and controlling the print head based on the ink ejection data. In the print apparatus, the control unit converts the visible information, which is expressed using biaxial perpendicular coordinate data, to polar coordinate data and carries out dot density correction that applies a correction weighting calculated in accordance with the number of dots per unit area for each dot in the polar coordinate data to a luminance value of each dot to generate the ink ejection data.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus of the present invention records an image on a recording medium by having ink landed on the recording medium. The apparatus includes ink-jet heads, a dot position memory unit, an image data memory unit, a print data generating unit and a head controller. The dot position memory unit stores therein dot positions which include: black dot positions where only ink droplets of black ink are landed and chromatic color dot positions where only ink droplets of chromatic color ink are landed. The head controller causes the ink-jet heads to eject the ink droplets to the dot positions, so that: only the ink droplets of the black ink lands in the black dot positions stored in the dot position memory unit; and only the ink droplets of the chromatic color ink lands in the chromatic color dot positions stored in the dot position memory unit.

Abstract: Embodiments of nozzle disable systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A curl predicting method includes calculating liquid amount discharged to each of areas defined on a medium by a liquid discharge device for every area defined on the medium and predicting a curl state of the medium which is attributable to liquid discharged to the medium on the basis of a position of the area on the medium and the amount of the liquid discharged to the area.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head having a nozzle, a cleaning mechanism, and a controller. The controller includes a timer device, first memory section, second memory section, power supply, determining section, and tracked time correction section. If determination of the determining section is positive when the power supply is resumed, the tracked time correcting section reads out tracked time information from the second memory section and causes the timer device to start time tracking from the time indicated by the tracked time information that was stored when power supply to the liquid ejection apparatus was stopped. If the controller determines that the difference between the tracked time and the end time indicated by end time information stored in the first memory section is longer than or equal to a predetermined period, the controller operates the cleaning mechanism to carry out the cleaning.

Abstract: A maintenance assembly for a pagewidth printer, said assembly operatively mounted between posts of a main body of the printer so that the maintenance assembly is positioned adjacent a printhead assembly of the printer. The maintenance assembly includes a maintenance chassis defining tongue portions and having ends which are shaped to fit over the posts of the main body to secure the maintenance assembly in position. The maintenance assembly also includes a retainer element operatively engaging the chassis, and a lower molding and an upper molding operatively fast with each other to sandwich an absorbent insert between them. The moldings are in turn sandwiched between the chassis and retainer element, so that the maintenance assembly is useable to wipe the printhead of the printer.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid storage unit comprising: a case, a liquid storage part for storing a liquid in the case, with which a liquid port communicates; at least one gas accommodation part for accommodating a gas in the case, with which a gas port communicates, wherein the liquid in the liquid storage part is led out through the liquid port by a pressure of a gas introduced from the gas port; an inner case provided in the case having a pair of openings on opposite side faces thereof; and a pair of flexible partitioning members sealing said pair of openings of the inner case respectively, thereby partitioning the liquid storage part therebetween and defining said at least one of the gas accommodation part in cooperation with the case.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: an ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles which are open in a surface thereof so as to provide a nozzle opening surface and through which ink is ejected; and a cap which is operable to cover the nozzle opening surface of the ink-jet head so as to surround the plurality of nozzles and which includes (a) a peripheral portion that comes into close contact with the nozzle opening surface at an end thereof when the cap covers the nozzle opening surface and (b) an outlet formed at a part of the peripheral portion, the part being located at a lower position when the image recording apparatus is kept in a posture for transportation thereof.