International Patent Development Group, LLC

Other

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Flow Lighting Technologies, Inc.

Gregory A M Brown

Brian A Brown

Lawrence George Brown

Anchor for wall or ceiling

This disclosure includes various embodiments of apparatuses for encapsulating and stopping a flowing mass of fluid (e.g., liquid such as water, or gas such as air) to extract the kinetic energy from the mass, and for exhausting the mass once stopped (spent mass, from which kinetic energy has been extracted). This disclosure also includes various embodiments of systems comprising a plurality of the present apparatuses coupled together and/or one or more of the present apparatuses in combination with one or more flow resistance modifiers (FRMs). This disclosure also includes various embodiments of methods of extracting kinetic energy from a flowing mass of fluid (e.g., liquid such as water, or gas such as air) by stopping the mass, and for exhausting the mass once stopped (spent mass, from which kinetic energy has been extracted). This disclosure also includes embodiments of mechanical energy-storage or accumulation devices.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for extraction and/or storage of energy from moving fluids

An internal nasal dilator approximates a U-shape having a bight section and two elongated members with end pads. Each member can be custom formed for comfortable and secure placement in the respective nostrils. Insertion is limited when the bight section of the U contacts the bottom of the user's columella. The upper ends of the members transition to widened areas or pads that face outwardly and are shaped and sized to urge the outer wall of their respective nostril outwardly to dilate the nostril to facilitate breathing. The lower portions of the members have inwardly directed projections at a predetermined distance from the bight; these projections overlie the upper ledge of the columella to interfere with or block withdrawal of the dilator unless a sufficient downward force is exerted to enable the projections to slide off and past the ledge of the columella to allow the dilator to be withdrawn.

Nasal dilator with columella retainer for resisting withdrawal and adjustable sections for optimizing fit, comfort, and breathing performance

This disclosure includes kits for retrofitting, or replacing with new, light fixtures using an existing troffer, without using a troffer, and/or including a troffer. Some kits include a frame for a light fixture having a first end, a second end, and a frame length extending between the ends, a first mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the first end of the frame, and a second mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the second end of the frame, where the mounting members are configured to support the frame relative to the troffer. Others of the present kits have a trim configured to support the frame relative to a T-bar support of a suspended ceiling. Some kits have a processor configured to control the light fixtures, and some kits have one or more sensors configured to detect events or environmental characteristics.

Retrofit and new light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures for replacement of a fluorescent light fixture

An aesthetically designed sink () comprises a plurality of orifices () that deliver different water flow profiles for washing, rinsing, and drinking. Hot and cold water supplies () supply water to the sink. A series of touch and sliding-touch controls (-) regulate the temperature and flow of water from the orifices. A logic circuit () controls all operations, i.e., orifice selection, flow rate, and temperature. In one aspect water flowing from an orifice forms a sheet-shaped stream that arcs over the bowl for ease of washing and drinking. The stream can be illuminated by bi-color light-emitting diodes () in colors indicative of the selected temperature of the water flowing through that orifice. Alternatively an orifice is replaced by a removable fixture () in a cavity () in the sink, which is connected to the water supply ().

Sink with colored lights for indicating water temperature

One embodiment of a nasal dilator comprises a pair of pads (), supported by arms () surrounding an air passage (). Each arm has a bend portion () and a pad () that grips a wearer's septum (). Leg portions (') extend down from the arms and are connected by a bight that surrounds the wearer's columella (). The dilator is installed by gripping an optional handle () or the bight and inserting the pads and the arms into both nostrils. The dilator is urged upward and inward until the inner side of the bight touches the wearer's columella. To remove the dilator, the user grips the handle or bight and gently pulls downward until the dilator is removed. In an alternative embodiment, optional cushions () soften the contact points between the dilator and the user's nasal structures and can supply medications through the user's nasal membranes.

Nasal dilator comprising joined legs with end pads and air passages

A system () for fastening objects to a wall or ceiling () comprises a rear, wall-anchor section () with a bore, and a front, pivotable section (), rigidly abutted together with no gap, aligned by a projection (), and connected by a 'living' hinge, strap, flap, lanyard or other type of connector (). The pivotable section has a sharpened tip () for penetrating the wall while the fastener is forced into the wall by a hammer or other driving tool or device, or manually by hand. The two sections of the fastener have a tapered, elliptical cross-section () which both prevents rotation of the fastener and locally reduces load-responsive pressure in the wallboard. To install, the axes of the wall-anchor and pivotable sections of the fastener are first aligned. The fastener is forced into the wall one of the above means. Then a pin () is manually inserted into the bore of the wall-anchor section. When the pin meets the projection the pivotable section is forced to rotate about the hinge. A locking tooth () secures the pin by interfering with either threads or notches in the pin. Alternatively, the pin forces past the projection and wedges between the projection and the bore of the wall-anchor section.

System and methods for wall and ceiling fastening

An infinitely variable transmission, in which the driver and driven members can exchange their roles&#x2014;with the driver becoming the driven, and vice versa. The initially chosen driver carries within it a number of movable parts, which the driving forces bring into contact with the driven member, in a manner designed to produce a momentary lock between the driver and driven members, at the point of the torque transfer between them. In one embodiment the driven member&#x2014;which can be a flat disc&#x2014;is clamped between two oppositely placed drivers. Infinite variability is achieved by controllably relocating the fixed diameter drivers to smaller or larger diameter points on the so clamped disc. The output can be harvested from the rotation of said driven disc directly. Or one or more driver members like these which are used to rotate said disc, can be brought into contact with different locations on said disc, and become driven by it. In such a case a number of different speeds, or torque levels, can be taken simultaneously as outputs from a single rpm/torque input. In embodiments with a single driver of convex shape input, the preferred driven member is a cone with a concave curvature, to allow for a larger contact zone than two opposing convex parts could provide. Either the flat clamped disc version, or the cone versions, can be stacked vertically or horizontally, with cones nested within each other, to multiply gear ratios and or torques as wished.

Locked contact infinitely variable transmission

An anchoring fastener comprises a shaft () with straight and tapered portions, a tip () at the front, cam follower surfaces () at the rear, a body () with a bore, a head () with a hole, and fins (). There is a bendable region by the fins. The anchor is inserted into a wallboard () until the head contacts the wallboard. The fins slice into the wallboard, thereby preventing rotation during and after insertion. An activating member (), a screw or a pin, is inserted into the hole and urged against the cam follower surfaces, thereby forcing the shaft to rotate until it comes into contact with the inner surface () of the wallboard. An object-holding washer (), restrained by the activating member, is secured to the anchor which in turn is secured to the wallboard.

Wall and ceiling anchor with fins and hinge

A twist-lock anchoring fastener comprises a head (), a shaft (), and a lance (). The foot is adapted to penetrate through wallboard (). The shaft length is approximately equal to the thickness of the wallboard so that when the foot lies on the back side () of the wallboard and the shaft is rotated, the foot is captured behind the wallboard, completing installation of the fastener. An optional footer () for the head contains raised lines () or bumps () or both to aid in seating the fastener on the wall. An optional wall plate assembly () further strengthens the installation of the fastener by locally reducing pressure within the wallboard. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener comprises a wall anchor that accepts a pin (). In another alternative embodiment, the fastener is designed for installation in our prior-art wall anchor ().

Twist-lock anchoring fastener

An anchoring fastener comprises, in one embodiment, a shaft () with straight and tapered portions, a tip () at the front end, cam follower surfaces () at the rear end, a body () with a bore, a head () with a hole collinear with the bore in the body, and a pair of fins (). The shaft and the body are joined at a bendable region by the fins. The anchor is fully inserted into wallboard () until the head comes into contact with the outer surface of the wallboard (). The length of the body is approximately equal to the thickness of the wall. The fins slice into the wallboard, thereby preventing rotation of the anchor during and after insertion. An activating member (), such as a screw or a pin, is inserted into the hole and bore and urged against the cam follower surfaces, thereby forcing the shaft to rotate until it comes into contact with the inner surface () of the wallboard. An object-holding washer (), restrained by the activating member, is secured to the anchor which in turn is secured to the wallboard.

Hinged wall and ceiling anchor with fins and hinge

A water energy conversion system for convening the potential energy of water to electrical or mechanical energy, takes water at an inlet () from a higher elevation source, through a conduit () to a lower location. Then a riser () conveys the water up to nearly the same elevation it had at the inlet. The riser acts as a 'virtual dam', delivering the water with nearly the same head as a dam. The water from the riser is delivered to an energy converter () which comprises a loop raceway () which constrains and guides a plurality of carriage and disc assemblies () connected in a continuous train by links (). An inlet () at the top of the energy converter receives the water where it falls downward through a jacket () that is constrained by the raceway ().

System for relocating and converting potential energy of water without dams

A compact wall fastener () comprises pivotably connected proximal and distal sections where the proximal section has a through hole (). The distal and proximal sections () preferably are flat. The distal section has a cam follower surface (), a point (), and a raised portion () that has the cam follower surface. The fastener is driven into a wallboard () until its proximal surface is parallel to the surface () of the wallboard. An activating pin or screw () is inserted into the entry of the fastener and forced into contact with the cam follower and then past the raised portion, forcing the distal section to bend, thereby causing the distal section to rotate downward until it is in contact with the inside surface () of the wallboard. The result is a secure fastener with minimal damage to the wallboard. In addition, the fastener can be used to fasten layers of delicate or easily displaced materials (). The fastener can be activated by a tool () that applies the activating force to the fastener only, and not the material surrounding it.

Growing community of inventors

Incline Village, NV, United States of America

Gregory A M Brown