Other

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Ernesto M Rodriguez

Dwight G Baldwin

Ronald K Bender

Xiaowei Zhao

Paul A Muller

Mike E Darland

William Edward Haushalter

Disclosed is a healing enhancement apparatus formed from a curtain bearing a calming image such as an outdoor scene or other image of nature. The healing enhancement apparatus, an alternative to the sterile environment found in most hospitals, has therapeutic benefits. In particular, the calming image, occupying all or most of the curtain assists in calming the patient, reducing blood pressure, reducing required medications, and assists in quicker recoveries. The calming image may be applied to first and second panels of cloth that are stitched together, in registration, at a seam. The calming image may extend from edge-to-edge, or may occupy a framed portion of the curtain. The calming image may consists of an outdoor scene as viewed through one or more windows and, where the image contains two or more windows, the seam may be conveniently located within the image of the wall surface between adjacent windows.

Healing enhancement apparatus formed from multi-panel curtain with a calming image

Disclosed is a healing enhancement apparatus formed from a hospital bed cubicle curtain bearing a patient calming image such as an outdoor scene or other image of nature. The healing enhancement apparatus, an alternative to the sterile environment found in most hospitals, has therapeutic benefits. In particular, the patient calming scene, occupying all or most of the cubicle curtain assists in calming the patient, reducing blood pressure, reducing required medications, and assists in quicker recoveries. The image is preferably applied to first and second panels of cloth that are stitched together, in registration, at a seam. The image may extend from edge-to-edge, or may occupy a framed portion of the curtain.

Healing enhancement apparatus formed from multi-panel hospital bed cubicle curtain with a patient calming image

A light trap for a projector, such as an integrated LCD projector, is provided for placement in ventilation channels to prevent escape of light through the channels while allowing free flow of cooling fluid through the channels. The light trap is constructed of material having a honeycomb-like structure, with conduits in the light trap being preferably disposed obliquely between the light source and the duct opening. The light trap may be coated or treated to increase absorption of visible and infrared radiation. A light trap according to this invention not only prevents escape of extraneous light from the projector's ventilation openings, but it assists in controlling the heat load generated by the light source, and it provides less resistance to air flow than does a louvered panel that is typically used to cover a ventilation opening in a projector thus reducing the amount of noise associated with the ventilation system.

Honeycomb light and heat trap for projector

A liquid crystal display projector for projecting images on a screen. The projector includes a projector body and an optical projection system positioned generally within the projector body. A releasable first self-aligning lamp socket for receiving a first end of a longitudinal replaceable bulb and a releasable second self-aligning lamp socket for receiving a second end of a longitudinal replaceable bulb are mounted on a hinged platform coupled to the projector body. The platform has a first position where the platform swings the bulb outside of the projector body and a second position where the platform swings the bulb into an interior position inside the projector body optically aligned with respect to the optical projection system.

Project or having a self-aligning replaceable projection lamp mechanism

A compact electronic projector has a display assembly, such as a liquid crystal display panel and associated Fresnel lenses, which is mounted inside the projector body so as to rotate between a storage position in which the display assembly is generally parallel with the projection axis of the device, and a deployed position in which the display assembly is disposed at an oblique angle (such as 90.degree.) with respect to the projection axis. The assembly can thus be rotated to occupy the voids needed for expansion and contraction of the optical beams when the projector is in use, which voids have no useful function when the projector is not in use, and are thus available for component storage. This feature enables saving of a substantial volume of space, making the closed unit compact and easily transported. A linkage may further be provided to cause a projection lens to extend at least partially outside of the body in the deployed position, and to cause the projection lens to retract back inside the body in the storage position. In one embodiment, the body has doors movable between an open position, when the display assembly is in its deployed position, and a closed position, when the display assembly is in its storage position, and the display assembly extends through the doors in the deployed position. An adjustable rear foot may be used to adjusting the pitch angle of the projection axis.

Compact integrated LCD projector

A paint can comprising a container having an upper portion formed in cylindrical configuration and a lower portion formed in an inverted cone shaped configuration, the lower portion having an aperture with internal female threads at its lower central extent; a plurality of downwardly extending legs secured at their upper ends to the container adjacent to the lower end of the upper portion and the upper end of the lower portion to maintain the threaded opening at an elevated location for the dispensing of paint; and a threaded bolt threadedly received in the opening with a knurled knob at its lower extent and an inverted cone-shaped stopper at its upper extend positionable in bearing contact with the interior surface of the container and for rotation by a user between a lower orientation to maintain paint within the container and an upper orientation to allow the dispensing of paint from the container.

Cone-shaped paint container

An improved overhead projector head is provided that reduces the vibration that can occur in an overhead projector head that is used to project images from an LCD panel placed on the stage of the projector. The improvements comprise adding a mounting plate between the support arm and the head bracket. The mounting plate is cantilevered from the support arm, and the head bracket is supported by spacers placed near the end of the mounting plate that is remote from the support arm. In alternative embodiments, the head bracket may be divided into two pieces separated by foam or other vibration damping material, or a conterweight may be added to the head assembly behind the support arm.

Overhead projector with vibration control head

A mounting for the projection head of an overhead projector allows the head to pivot through an arc of 90.degree. between a position for operation and a position for transportation. A position lock secures the projection head in either of the two positions.

Pivoting projection head for overhead projector

A tennis ball device for use by tennis players and the like which mounts upon the back of a tennis player by means of an adjustable shoulder strap together with an adjustable waist belt and is provided with a dispenser end extending at substantially right angles from the bottom of the device. The device also is provided with resilient strap structure for holding the player's tennis racket. An elliptical outlet opening on the dispenser portion together with a thumb recess enables the player to quickly and easily obtain a tennis ball from the device when needed. The dispenser end is inclined upwardly from the right angle position of the end so that the stored tennis balls normally will not be at the open end of the dispenser unit until such time as the user of the device tilts the device backwardly. Other features include a flanged lip member at the upper end of the holder for positive retention of the tennis balls within the holder, together with an additional feature of being able to be used as a tennis ball pick up device. Another embodiment provides for perforated apertures in the holder for increased lightness of the device as well as visibility of the number of tennis balls contained therewithin.

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Ernesto M Rodriguez