Abstract:
A hydrophilic fiber wick is provided, the wick made up of a self-sustaining fluid transmissive body having a plurality of bicomponent fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points. The bicomponent fibers have at least one biodegradable material and collectively define tortuous fluid flow paths through the fluid transmissive body.
Abstract:
Aspects of the invention include an air freshener device that emits fragrance through the evaporation of a fragrance-containing fluid comprising: a container, comprising a particular volume of the fragrance-containing fluid; a wick disposed partially in, and partially out of the fragrance-containing fluid, the wick having an immersion section immersed in the fluid so as to displace a displacement volume of fluid and a non-immersion section extending outward from a surface of the fluid, the immersion and non-immersion section being disposed on opposite lateral ends of the wick; the wick further comprising a displacement portion and a wicking portion, the displacement portion being configured to displace a desired first volume of fluid, the wicking portion being configured to wick a second volume of fluid; the displacement portion and the wicking portion designed to achieve a desired ratio between the displaced first volume of fluid and the wicked second volume of fluid.
Abstract:
An ink absorbing substrate suitable for use in inkjet printing systems is provided. The substrate comprises at least one continuous fiber bonded to itself at points of contact to form a substantially self-sustaining structure for retaining ink. The continuous fiber preferably is a bicomponent fiber having a core material and a sheath material at least partially surrounding the core material. The core material preferably is a crystalline thermoplastic polymer and the sheath material preferably is low density polyethylene modified with a cycloolefin copolymer.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for incorporating an additive material into a fibrous web to be bonded into an elongated porous element by heating the fibers in a confined forming die with a heating medium adapted to bond the fibers to each other at spaced points of contact. An additive material is admixed with the heating medium and then the web of fibers is contacted with the heating medium/additive material mixture whereby the heating medium simultaneously carries the additive material into the fibrous web and heats the fibers to bond them into the porous element. The apparatus includes an adjustable venturi assembly through which the heating medium passes to create a pressure gradient adapted to aspirate a quantity of additive material and entrain a metered quantity of same in the heating medium. The method and apparatus are preferably used to uniformly inject a surfactant into a stream of steam for producing an ink reservoir for a writing or marking instrument from a web of melt blown bicomponent fibers having a sheath of polyethylene terephthalate.
Abstract:
HIV protease inhibitors inhibit or block the biological activity of the HIV protease enzyme, causing the replication of the HIV virus to terminate. These compounds can be prepared by the novel methods of the present invention using the novel inventive intermediates.
Abstract:
A wireless access unit (12) for providing an interface between a satellite communications system (32) and a plurality of terrestrial user devices (14-26) in a centralized or distributed architecture includes a spectrum allocation unit (92) for dynamically allocating spectrum to the plurality of terrestrial user devices (14-26) based on a spectral environment about the wireless access unit (12). A spectrum scan unit (60) scans the spectral environment about the wireless access unit (12) and generates a spectrum signal indicative thereof. An environment understanding unit (61) provides signal information corresponding to signal emitters in proximity to the distributed or centralized network. A spectrum table (90) assembles data related to the spectral environment and the proximity emitters for use by the spectrum allocation unit (92) in dynamically allocating spectrum.
Abstract:
A storage system (10) is disclosed that provides random access storage/retrieval of data on data cartridges within the storage system (10). In one embodiment, the storage system (10) includes a storage array (20), a player/recorder device (22), and a cartridge transport device (40). The player/recorder device (22), a guard device (80) and the transport device (40) are positioned on substantially opposite sides of the storage array. The transport device (40) moves cartridges between the storage array (20) and the player/recorder device (22). The guard device (80) pushes a prolapsed data cartridge back into the storage array (20) and/or limits the distance a data cartridge will prolapse from the storage array (20).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for using switched telecommunications services to emulate a local area network (LAN) medium. The method and apparatus convert a public switched network or an equivalent private network into a LAN cabling method for connecting distant devices using the same communications software as used in traditionally wired LANs.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for using switched telecommunications services to emulate a local area network (LAN) medium. The method and apparatus convert a public switched network or an equivalent private network into a LAN cabling method for connecting distant devices using the same communications software as used in traditionally wired LANs.