Abstract:
A combination vehicle passenger seat / child stroller apparatus (10) is adapted to be releasably secured to floor-board seat tracks (36) of a vehicle. The apparatus (10) is selectively convertible between a stroller mode for use outside the vehicle and a seat mode for supporting an adult or child passenger inside the vehicle. The apparatus (10) includes an upright body portion (12) and a corresponding first cushion (14), a bottom body portion (16) and a corresponding second cushion (18), where the bottom body portion (16) is operatively coupled to the upright body portion (12). Also included are front wheels (28) and rear wheels (30), and front arms (22) and rear arms (24) each having proximal and distal ends. The distal ends of the front arms (22) are operatively connected to the front wheels (28), and the distal ends of the rear arms (24) operatively connected to the rear wheels (30). The proximal ends of the arms (22,24) are pivotally connected to either the upright body portion (12) or the bottom body portion (16).
Abstract:
The invention relates to reinforced composite pallet assemblies of the sandwich-type having a cellular core. In a method for making a deck of the assembly, a stack is formed that is made up of: a load-bearing skin made of a reinforced thermoplastics material; an upper grid of reinforcing slats each of which is made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; a cellular core made of a thermoplastic material; a lower grid of reinforcing slats each of which is also made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; and a tine-engaging skin made of a reinforced thermoplastic material. Each of the grids of reinforcing slats has a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of each of the skins. The grids of reinforcing slats are positioned synmetrically about a plane formed by the cellular core against the skins. After the stack is processed to form the deck, a plurality of supports or spacers are affixed to the tine-supporting skin such as by an in-mold process. Two such decks interconnected by supports may be used to make a pallet assembly which is stackable and rackable.
Abstract:
A plastic shopping cart is disclosed. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, all of the components of a shopping cart are formed from a moldable material such as, for example, a thermoplastic resin by means of an injection molding process or the like. When shopping cart (66B) is being inserted inside shopping cart (66A), the front portion of basket (30B) causes the gate and seat assembly (36A) to be disposed in a fully raised position. This causes the handle (34) of the shopping cart (66) to travel up the inclined portions (60) of the cam members (58) of the gate and seat assembly (36A) and, therefore, lift the rear caster wheels of the shopping cart (66) off of the ground.
Abstract:
A container (70) for constituting a formulation in liquid form, comprises an elongate outer body (71) split into a first section (72) and a second section (73), along the longitudinal axis thereof, The container (70) has an inner chamber (77) divided into a first compartment (78) and a second compartment (79) by a seal (80). Seal (80) is movable in use between a closed position, wherein the first compartment 78 and the second compartment are sealed thereby, to an open position, wherein the first compartment (78) and the second compartment (79) are unsealed and any contents therein are free to mix together in the inner chamber (77) to form the formulation. The seal (80) is movable from the closed position to the open position by rotation of the first section (72) relative to the second section (73), and the volume of the inner chamber (77) remains unchanged following unsealing. Once the seal (80) has been moved to the open position it is retained in that position. Reversal of the rotational movement causes an outer cover (74) to become detached from a tear strip (75), permitting the outer cover (74) to be removed and the formulation to be capable of being delivered from the container (70). A formulation administered from the container (70) can ensure, for example, that a precise dose of an active ingredient is delivered to a patient, where the formulation is a pharmaceutical product.
Abstract:
A method of applying a polymer (116) to a glass surface (100) includes applying atmospheric plasma (110) to a glass surface (100), applying a film (116) of polymerizable fluid via spray apparatus (112) to the surface (100) and curing the film with high-energy radiation (114). Apparatus called a "plasma head" (10, 20) for applying atmospheric plasma (110) includes positive and ground electrodes, and a gas emitter strip of porous material with a plasma gas source (108) diffusing between the electrodes and through the emitter strip onto the glass surface. The substrate may be moved in direction (106) relative to the plasma, spray and radiation apparatus, or the apparatus be mounted on movable mount (104) and moved in direction (107), with positionable mechanism (102) attaching the plasma head.
Abstract:
A chrome plated item with printing and the method of printing on chrome plated items is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a plastic molded part having chrome plated thereon and pad printed images, icons, indicia and/or instructions printed on the chrome plating. In a preferred embodiment the item is an automobile part and the pad printing process includes the use of agitated ink placed on the part using a stamp or die having indicia, icons and instructions thereon. The ink, used in the preferred embodiment, is agitated immediately prior to its placement on an inkpad and immediately prior to the placement of a stamp onto the inkpad and then onto the part, to imprint the part.
Abstract:
The present invention involves a knee bolster airbag system (12) to dissipate impact energy during an impact of a vehicle (10) in which the system (12) is disposed. The system (12) includes a base (21) which has a first surface (22) disposed toward a vehicle compartment (18) of the vehicle (10), and a cover (31) having an inner surface (32) attached adjacent the first surface (22) of the base (21) to define a cavity (33). The cover (31) further has opposite first (36) and second (38) edges, wherein the first edge (36) pivotally attaches the cover (31) to the base (21) about an axis (40) to hinge the first edge (36) of the cover (31) to the base (21). The system (12) further includes an airbag housing member (41) adjacent which an airbag (42) and a gas source (48) are disposed. The system (12) further includes a tether (43) connected to the base (21) and the cover (31). The tether (43) allows a predetermined displacement of the second edge (38) away from the base (21) when the airbag (42) is in a deployed state.
Abstract:
A vehicle plastic panel (10) includes a plastic panel body (12) and a speaker grille (14) integrally injection molded with a plastic panel body. The speaker grille (14) has a plurality of sound passages formed therethrough from a front surface to a rear surface, and has a cross-hatched upstanding rib pattern extending from the rear surface.
Abstract:
A method and device of treating an irregularly shaped article to prepare the article for painting is provided. The device includes a burner which can produce an adjustable flame tongue which can fit into crevices, openings and other irregular topographical features of an item to be painted or otherwise coated. The burner device further provides means to apply a grafting chemical on a freshly oxidized surface. Further, the invention provides means to colorize treated objects so that they may be recognized as having been treated. In another embodiment, the grafting chemicals may be enhanced with electrolytic solutions such that electrostatic methods of painting may be subsequently employed on the item. In an alternate embodiment, the burner is adapted to spray a powder inside of a generally enclosed flame, and is used in conjunction with chop guns to manufacture glass or carbon fiber preforms. In a preferred embodiment all of the main systems of the present invention are provided with redundancies that allow the continuous operation of the device. Further, the device provides means to run and modify the process either locally or by remote communication means.
Abstract:
Various motor vehicle components that are designed to satisfy certain impact standards are disclosed. In one example, a bumper system includes an elongated beam configured to be operatively mounted to the frame of the vehicle. Also included is a foam portion that extends along a portion of the beam and a fascia surrounding the foam portion. In another application, an automobile interior component that includes a honeycomb structure is disclosed. A honeycomb defining structure may be formed in one of the mold halves of a mold that is used to manufacture the automobile interior c omponent in order to manufacture the component. A honeycomb structure for use in a motor vehicle component may be manufactured by providing a mold half with a shape defining cavity that is contoured to have generally the same as the shape of one side of the honeycomb structure that is to be formed. A plurality of vertically indexed straws that, include a central core formed from a first thermoplastic material having a relatively high melting point and an outer layer of second thermoplastic material that has a relatively low melting point, are placed in contact with the shape defining cavity of the mold and heated. In another application , a honeycomb structure is mechanically affixed to an interior shell of an automobile component by, for example, means of an interference fit. In another application, a honeycomb structure is bonded to an the automobile component by inserting the honeycomb structure into the molding apparatus, and then molding the automobile interior component around the honeycombstructure.