Sandia Corporation

Other

Sandia National Laboratories

Barry Louis Spletzer

Lisa C Marron

Gary J Fischer

Diane Schafer Callow

Michael Anthony Martinez

Jonathan R Salton

Michael A Kuehl

Stephen Buerger

John T Feddema

James F Jones

Thomas M Weber

Richard E Fate

Paul Charles Galambos

Douglas Ray Adkins

Gregory Charles Frye-Mason

Curt Michael Salisbury

Peter J Hesketh

Clinton G Hobart

Richard C Givler

George S Davidson

Kevin J Dullea

Brandon R Rohrer

Fred M Dickey

Jason W Wheeler

Barbara J Scalia

Deepesh K Kholwadwala

Jon R Bryan

Luc Gooris

Stephen G Kaufman

Dick L Shaw

Daniel J Zimmerer

James H Lee, Jr

Chungnin C Wong

Richard N Shagam

A tilt and lock apparatus that includes a tilt servomechanism, a spiral torsion spring, a lock wheel, and a lock hook is described herein. The spiral torsion spring is mechanically coupled to the tilt servomechanism and the lock wheel (which includes an opening). When a shaft is positioned through the opening, rotation of the lock wheel is in unison with rotation of the shaft. An external surface of the lock wheel includes one or more grooves. The lock hook includes a head that engages and disengages the grooves. The lock wheel is stationary when the head engages one of the grooves and is rotatable when the head disengages the grooves. The head and the grooves are geometrically aligned when engaged to prevent creation of a force that acts to disengage the head responsive to an applied force acting on the shaft.

Robust tilt and lock mechanism for hopping actuator

An electromechanical latch is described herein. The electromechanical latch is a dual-actuator latch, wherein a first actuator and a second actuator are driven with precise timing to move a first latch part relative to a second latch part, and vice versa. When the electromechanical latch is in a closed position, the first rotary latch part is positioned to prevent rotation of the second rotary latch part in a first direction. To transition the electromechanical latch from the closed position to an open position, the first actuator drives the first rotary latch part such that the second rotary latch part is able to rotate in the first direction. Thereafter, the second actuator drives the second rotary latch part in the first direction until the electromechanical latch is in the open position.

Electromechanical latch

Cylindrical first and second components have a joint between the components. The joint includes a male coupler with a first extent slidably received in the second component and a second extent formed with male coupling threads. Female carrier threads are provided on the male coupler. The joint also includes a female coupler slidably received in the first component. The female coupler has female carrier threads. The female coupler has female coupling threads adapted to removably couple with the male coupling threads of the male coupler. Tubular carriers have ends. Carrier threads are removably received in the carrier threads of the couplers. An elastic member has a central region located within the threads of the couplers and extending through the upper and lower carriers.

Crutch system

An outrigger support assembly is for use with a frame of a bicycle. Front and rear wheels are coupled to the frame. Handle bars are coupled to and extend upwardly from the frame. Pedals are secured to and extend laterally from the frame adjacent to the forward end of the frame. A drive chain operatively couples the pedals and the rear wheel. A seat is mounted on the frame between the front and rear wheels. The support assembly includes two outrigger wheels positionable on opposite sides of the frame and on opposite sides of the front and rear wheels. Support structures on each side of the frame, each have an interior end couplable to the frame and an exterior end with an outrigger wheel rotatably supported on an associated exterior end. Hinges on each support structure move between lowered and raised orientations.

Bicycle outrigger support assembly

A rotary mechanical latch for positive latching and unlatching of a rotary device with a latchable rotating assembly having a latching gear that can be driven to latched and unlatched states by a drive mechanism such as an electric motor. A cam arm affixed to the latching gear interfaces with leading and trailing latch cams affixed to a flange within the drive mechanism. The interaction of the cam arm with leading and trailing latch cams prevents rotation of the rotating assembly by external forces such as those due to vibration or tampering.

Rotary mechanical latch

An apparatus and method for inspecting a plurality of containers are provided. Each container has an outer surface for housing at least one material therein. The techniques provided involve at least one inspection vehicle and at least one detector. Each inspection vehicle has a plurality of wheels for movably positioning about the plurality of containers. The wheels may have at least one magnet for selectively adhering to the outer surface of at least one of the containers whereby the inspection vehicle traverses the container(s). The detector is positionable proximate at least one of the containers. The detector may be deployable from the inspection vehicle to a position adjacent the container(s). The detector has at least one sensor for measuring at least one characteristic of the plurality of containers. At least one base station may be provided for communicating with the inspection vehicle(s) and/or detector(s).

Apparatus for inspecting a group of containers and method of using same

Footwear comprises a sole and a plurality of sealed cavities contained within the sole. The sealed cavities can be incorporated as deformable containers within an elastic medium, comprising the sole. A plurality of micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensors are respectively contained within the sealed cavity plurality, and can be adapted to measure static and dynamic pressure within each of the sealed cavities. The pressure measurements can provide information relating to the contact pressure distribution between the sole of the footwear and the wearer's environment.

Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor for footwear

A load cell utilizes a plurality of strain gauges mounted upon the load cell body such that there are six independent load-strain relations. Load is determined by applying the inverse of a load-strain sensitivity matrix to a measured strain vector. The sensitivity matrix is determined by performing a multivariate regression technique on a set of known loads correlated to the resulting strains. Temperature compensation is achieved by configuring the strain gauges as co-located orthogonal pairs.

Load cell having strain gauges of arbitrary location

A low energy high pressure screw valve having a valve body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion of said valve body defining an inlet flow passage and an outlet flow passage traversing said valve body to a valve seat, said upper portion of said valve body defining a cavity at said valve seat, a diaphragm restricting flow between said upper portion of said valve body and said lower portion, said diaphragm capable of engaging said valve seat to restrict fluid communication between said inlet passage and said outlet passage, a plunger within said cavity supporting said diaphragm, said plunger being capable of engaging said diaphragm with said valve seat at said inlet and outlet fluid passages, said plunger being in point contact with a drive screw having threads engaged with opposing threads within said upper portion of said valve body such engagement allowing motion of said drive screw within said valve body.

Low energy high pressure miniature screw valve

An apparatus and method for cutting soft materials such as meat. Two or more spirally mounted helical blades are situated between two supports, and the supports are mounted to a shank. The shank is rotated to impart rotary action to the spiral shear blades, and the entire device may be used to perform various cutting operations. The distal or bottom one of the supports may also be a cutting blade, and a number of versions of bottom cutting blades are useable in the practice of the invention.

Apparatus and method for cutting soft materials, especially meat

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for displaying two portions of an image at two resolutions. For example, the invention can display an entire image at a first resolution, and a subset of the image at a second, higher resolution. Two inexpensive, low resolution displays can be used to produce a large image with high resolution only where needed.

Fractional screen video enhancement apparatus

An apparatus and method for locating the boundary surface between a layer of fatty tissue and lean tissue in a cut of meat, such as beef, such as slabs of meat undergoing trimming and cutting in commercial meet processing facilitates. The invention exploits the fact that fatty tissue and lean tissue have significantly different responses to incident light energy. By gauging the degree to which a generated beam of light is scattered and reflected by the tissues under evaluation, the invention permits the character of the tissue to be ascertained. An incident beam of light, such as green light, is generated and transmitted to a probe tip, which tip is inserted into the cut of meat under investigation. The light beam is emitted into the meat tissues from the probe tip, and then is scattered and reflected by the tissues, whereupon some fraction of the emitted light returns to the probe tip. The returning light energy is transmitted to a detector; relative changes in the returning light transmitted to the detector permit the operator to determine when the probe tip is approaching or penetrating the fat/lean tissue interface.

Optical probe for determining the fat/lean interface in cuts of meat

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for extracting liquid water from moist air using minimal energy input. The method can be considered as four phases: (1) adsorbing water from air into a desiccant, (2) isolating the water-laden desiccant from the air source, (3) desorbing water as vapor from the desiccant into a chamber, and (4) isolating the desiccant from the chamber, and compressing the vapor in the chamber to form liquid condensate. The liquid condensate can be removed for use. Careful design of the dead volumes and pressure balances can minimize the energy required. The dried air can be exchanged for fresh moist air and the process repeated. An apparatus comprises a first chamber in fluid communication with a desiccant, and having ports to intake moist air and exhaust dried air. The apparatus also comprises a second chamber in fluid communication with the desiccant. The second chamber allows variable internal pressure, and has a port for removal of liquid condensate. Each chamber can be configured to be isolated or in communication with the desiccant. The first chamber can be configured to be isolated or in communication with a course of moist air. Various arrangements of valves, pistons, and chambers are described.

Method and apparatus for extracting water from air using a desiccant

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for extracting liquid water from moist air using minimal energy input. The method comprises compressing moist air under conditions that foster the condensation of liquid water. The air can be decompressed under conditions that do not foster the vaporization of the condensate. The decompressed, dried air can be exchanged for a fresh charge of moist air and the process repeated. The liquid condensate can be removed for use. The apparatus can comprise a compression chamber having a variable internal volume. An intake port allows moist air into the compression chamber. An exhaust port allows dried air out of the compression chamber. A condensation device fosters condensation at the desired conditions. A condensate removal port allows liquid water to be removed.

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Barry Louis Spletzer