Abstract:
Disclosed is a device that protects inboard/outboard motors (up to 250 horsepower) from damage and simultaneously provides an underwater hydrofoil that both helps prevent inboard/outboard motor damage and is specifically designed to improve the efficiency of an outboard motor and the speed and ride of a boat. In one embodiment, an underwater hydrofoil, skeg enclosure, skeg protector and lower-unit protector are combined into a single unit that protects the skeg, the propeller and the lower unit of an inboard/outboard motor while simultaneously improving the efficiency of an inboard/outboard motor and the speed and riding qualities of a boat using that inboard/outboard motor.
Abstract:
A system and method for monitoring whether a resident is away from home or inactive within the home. A sensor, which includes a transmitter, a processor, a timer, and a detector, watches for motion to occur within a home. Upon sensing motion, the sensor sends a first signal indicative of the motion if the timer is not currently running and waits for the motion to end. If the timer already is running, the timer is restarted at zero. Upon expiration of a predetermined timing period, the sensor transmits a second signal indicative of inactivity. By comparing the timing of the second signal and the predetermined timing period, with a third signal sent by an exterior door sensor, a determination can be made whether the resident has left the home or is inactive within the home. The system includes a database, a CPU and State Model for determining the activity state of a home.
Abstract:
Multiple-active database systems include at least two database systems that both store a common portion of a relational database. Each database system includes one or more data-storage facilities configured to store data forming the common portion of the relational database in one or more tables and one or more processing modules configured to manage access to the data in the data-storage facilities. One or more management components are configured to distribute database queries directed at the common portion of the relational database among the database systems and to synchronize the data across the database systems when changes are made to the data stored in at least one of the database systems.
Abstract:
A non-circular can end for a container having walls which form an opening includes a corner-mounted pull tab opener secured to a severable panel portion by an integral rivet. The corner-mounted opener facilitates easy opening of the can end. A pair of generally parallel bead recesses on either side of the integral rivet stiffen the severable panel portion in order to facilitate bending of the panel aft of the rivet to easily open the can end. The severable panel optionally further includes a mustache-shaped scoreline to reduce the amount of force required to lift the opener. Tooling and a conversion press for converting shells into the non-circular can ends are also disclosed.
Abstract:
An improved system for fabricating convolutely wound tubes includes a supply roll support for supporting a large supply of paperboard, an adhesive applicator for receiving paperboard from the supply roll and applying a coating of adhesive to one side thereof, a cutting station for cutting the paperboard across its length to form sheets of paperboard, and a winding station including a mandrel about which cut sheets of adhesive bearing paperboard are wound into a tubular configuration. As the paperboard is drawn from the supply roll, one of its edges passes sequentially through three corrugating nip rolls, which alternately deform the material of the edge to render it more pliable and flexible. This flexible edge, then, becomes the trailing edge of paperboard sheets that are wound into tubes such that the edge can be easily conformed to the contour of and adhered to the outer surface of the finished tube.
Abstract:
A system and method for managing, distributing, and processing promotional offers is provided. The system includes at least one consumer interface that enables communication between the promotional offer processing system and a plurality of consumers; a consumer information database for storing consumer data for a plurality of consumer profiles; an offer catalog having a plurality of offers; a product catalog having product codes corresponding to products associated with each of the accepted offers; and an offer management module.
Abstract:
A colloid protected polyvinyl acetate emulsion resin can be employed as a corrugating adhesive. The use of this adhesive is useful for increasing the line speed for the manufacture of double and triple wall paperboard constructions.
Abstract:
A wireless communication device stores a system GUI configuration file and a downloaded service provider GUI configuration file, each of which contains a text name checksum value that is calculated using the text names of the GUI parameter data stored either the system GUI configuration file or the service provider GUI configuration file. The text name checksum values are based on the text names of the GUI parameter data. After the download operation is complete, a text name checksum comparator program compares the downloaded text name checksum value to the initial text name checksum value in the system GUI configuration file. If the two text name checksum values do not match, the downloaded service provider GUI configuration file is rejected.
Abstract:
Photovoltaic modules comprising back-contact solar cells manufactured using monolithic module assembly techniques comprising a flexible circuit comprising a back sheet and a patterned metallization. The module may comprise busses in electrical contact with the patterned metallization to extract the current. The module may alternatively comprise multilevel metallizations. Interlayer dielectric comprising islands or dots relieves stresses due to thermal mismatch. The use of multiple cord plates enables flexible circuit layouts, thus optimizing the module. The modules preferably comprise a thermoplastic encapsulant and/or hybrid adhesive/solder materials. An ultrathin moisture barrier enables roll-to-roll processing.
Abstract:
Multiple-active database systems include at least two database systems that both store a common portion of a relational database. Each database system includes one or more data-storage facilities configured to store data forming the common portion of the relational database in one or more tables and one or more processing modules configured to manage access to the data in the data-storage facilities. One or more management components are configured to distribute database requests directed at the common portion of the relational database among the database systems and to synchronize the data across the database systems when changes are made to the data stored in at least one of the database systems.