Abstract: The self-cleaning animal brush apparatus provides a one-piece flexible frame with flex hinge whereby straightening a user's hand causes the bristles to extend outwardly from the frame bottom. Cupping a user's hand causes the bristles to retract, automatically removing hair and debris from the bristles. A plurality of straps removably holds the apparatus to a user's hand.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus for grooming an animal having a brush head, the brush head having a plurality of bristles, each bristle having a midpoint and an endpoint, where the bristles are in general perpendicular orientation to the brush head, a cleaning plate, in general parallel orientation to the brush head, the cleaning plate able to move from a contracted to an extended position, the cleaning plate further having material removed to allow the bristles to protrude through the cleaning plate when it is in the retracted position; and a mechanism for extending and contracting the cleaning plate, wherein the cleaning plate has a bottom surface and the bottom surface does not extend past the bristle endpoint when the cleaning plate is in the extended position. In one embodiment, at least some bristles are wire, and in further embodiments the wire bristles have round coated tips. The brush head may further have a water outlet and a hose coupling for intake and dispensing of liquids.

Abstract: A method for mounting, on a support, at least a microcircuit in the form of a chip produced on a very thin semiconductor substrate. An interconnection point is provided at the chip in the form of a bump contact in weldable material. The bump contact has a welding surface in the same plane as at least one of the chip faces. An interconnection pad is provided on the support that is designed to be welded with a corresponding bump contact of the chip. The welding face of each bump contact of the chip is placed opposite each corresponding interconnection pad of the support. Each bump contact of the chip is welded with each corresponding interconnection pad of the support. The method can be applied to a device such as a chip card.