Other

Bowles Fluidics Corporation

University of Massachusetts

University of Notre Dame Du Lac

Kurita Water Industries Ltd.

Peter H Bauer

Julian Lazrus

Ronald D Stouffer

Janice J Ferrara

Stephen F Bauer

Matthias Scheutz

Eduardo F Mello

Thanuka Wickramarathne

An energy-optimal vehicle control system for at least one vehicle including a roadway data source configured for providing traffic and map data including at least one drive segment of the at least one vehicle, and an electrical processing system operably coupled with the roadway data source. The electrical processing system includes an optimizer for generating an energy-optimal speed profile for the at least one drive segment, and the electrical processing system is configured for controlling the speed of the at least one vehicle in accordance with the energy-optimal speed profile.

Energy-optimal adaptive cruise controller

A transportation threat detection system includes a communication module that receives an inertial event report from a reporting vehicle. The report includes (i) an indication of an inertial event from an inertial sensor at the reporting vehicle, and (ii) an indication of a geographic location associated with the event. The system also includes a fusion processor that associates the inertial event report with a potential transportation threat, consistent with the inertial event report and at the geographic location. The fusion processor generates a measure of support for the transportation threat potentially existing at the geographic location based on a participation rate generated using any additional inertial event reports received from respective additional reporting vehicles. The system also includes a reporting interface that renders output indicative of the potential transportation threat, wherein the output is made as a function of the generated measure of support.

Transportation threat detection system

A swarm navigation system is disclosed. The swarm navigation system includes a plurality of mobile agents, each having a receiver and capable of receiving a collision avoidance signal or a target attraction signal from a remote source. A stereo antenna system and memory storing instructions cause the mobile agent to determine the intensity and direction of the received collision avoidance signal or the received target attraction signal and to navigate the mobile agent substantially towards the received target attraction signal and substantially away from the received collision avoidance signal. Each mobile agent may further include a collision avoidance beacon mounted to the mobile agent and adapted to broadcast a collision avoidance signal, and a target attraction beacon mounted to the mobile agent and adapted to selectively broadcast a target attraction signal.

Methods and apparatus for swarm navigation of multiple agents

A generator for cyclically moving jets comprises a housing including a chamber having a circular track therein, a body disposed in the chamber and rollable along the circular track, a hollow revolvable axle coupled to the body and extending to outside of the chamber and rotatably born in and sealed to the housing, a nozzle attached to the axle outside of the chamber for issuing at least one jet misalignedly in relation to the axis of rotation of the axle, and a fluid flow supply leading to an upstream region of the chamber. In operation, fluid flows past the body, through the hollow revolvable axle and issues from the nozzle as a jet. The body rolls along the circular track as a consequence of fluid-dynamic forces acting on the body. A fountain employs the generator for dynamic display of the cyclically moving jets issuing therefrom.

Generator for cyclically moving jets

A spray-forming output device for fluidic oscillators to provide relatively wide-angle three-dimensional output spray patterns is connected to the output of a fluidic oscillator. The device comprises mutually counter-directed conduits whose entry regions are fed from the oscillator output and whose exit regions are connected to an interaction outlet region that includes a common outlet, the common outlet being directed substantially orthogonally with respect to the plane in which the counter-directed conduits are disposed. In one embodiment, the interaction outlet region includes an impact wall disposed at the exit regions of the counter-directed conduits proximally to the common outlet. The spray-forming output device further comprises in one embodiment a shunt inertance conduit that provides an inertance shunt path between the entry regions of the counter-directed conduits, the shunt conduit being operative in smoothing out waveforms of the alternating flows from the oscillator and also providing for load-impedance matching between the oscillator and the output device. In operation, alternating output flows from the fluidic oscillator feed the counter-directed conduits and therefrom are deflected into the common outlet of the interaction outlet region. The alternating output flows mutually interact in the interaction outlet region and issue therefrom in the form of a substantially common fluid stream that oscillates or sweeps from side to side in correspondence with the oscillation of the fluidic oscillator.

Spray-forming output device for fluidic oscillators

A warming bowl for electrically heating lavage and irrigation liquid for use during medical-surgical procedures includes an electric heating device and an automatic thermostatic control to heat and maintain the liquid at a substantially constant temperature. The warming bowl is disposable after use and has an inner and an outer bowl sealed to one another so as to provide an internal sealed region therebetween for holding a battery to power the electric heating device. The inner bowl serves to hold irrigation liquid and supports therein a housing made of low-thermal-conductivity material that houses the electric heating device and the thermostatic control in spaced, substantially thermally isolated relation from one another. A metallic thermal shunt conductor is disposed along and in contact with a portion of the external periphery of the housing and extends over and across the space between the heating device and the thermostatic control. The housing is fixedly supported spacedly above the inner bowl's bottom. When the inner bowl is filled with irrigation liquid, a major portion of the housing is exposed to the liquid at least over a substantial part of the outer surface of the shunt conductor. An external power source can be selectively optionally connected to power the heating device.

Disposable thermostatically controlled electric surgical-medical

Shelf suspension member for shelf arrangements that install easily and quickly on sash windows without tools or fasteners by engaging into existing window structures and by being supported by or suspended from such structures in cantilevered manner, which is convenient in use, low in cost and attractive in appearance, which does not appreciably obstruct daylight, and which permits opening of at least a part of the window without removal of the arrangement.

Shelf suspension member for double-hung sash windows

A positionally bistable domed annular disc includes a projection which engages a transverse through hole or a recess in a shaft to be retained. The disc fits concentrically about the shaft and is concave in different directions when in its two stable positions, respectively. In a cotter pin embodiment the projection extends from the outer rim of the disc and is bent to fit solidly in a transverse hole in the shaft. The projection is inserted when the disc is convex toward the hole and not surrounding the shaft. When switched to be concave toward the hole the disc surrounds the shaft to preclude longitudinal and rotative movement of the projection. In a retainer ring embodiment the projection is a plurality of fingers extending from one or both rims and arranged to engage the shaft or the bore in which the shaft is retained in its closed position. In a shaft coupling embodiment the projecting fingers engage two or more shafts in a manner which tolerates axial, radial and angular shaft misalignment.

Bistable shaft retaining element

A spray nozzle is provided with various surface configurations within a chamber to stress the liquid flow therein whereby the liquid issues from the nozzle as individual drops of liquid in a stressed state so as to further break up into smaller drops after leaving the nozzle.

Jet break-up device for spray nozzle applications

A small, but nevertheless high-flow fluidic oscillator has a dual level body portion including an interaction chamber in a first level. An inlet plenum supplies fluid to a supply nozzle which enters directly into the inlet end of the interaction chamber to direct a jet flow from the supply nozzle, through the interaction chamber and out of an outlet opening. A fluid passage is located at least partly in the second level of the body portion, and connecting passages on either side of the supply nozzle connect the fluid passage to the inlet end of the interaction chamber. The walls of the interaction chamber converge from the inlet end toward a neck portion and thereafter diverge and then converge again at the outlet so that a fluid column extends between the jet flow and the sidewalls of the interaction chamber, and moves cyclically back and forth through the fluid passage and the connecting passages to obtain interaction between the fluid column and the jet flow without the need for control nozzles.

High-flow oscillator

A flying saucer type toy is made suitable for indoor use by relying on spin velocity, rather than translational velocity, to effect lift. A flat disc is provided with plural generally spiral through-cuts to define plural spiral blade members therebetween. The center of the disc is raised relative to the rim so that the blade members extend between the planes of the disc center and rim and provide lift when the disc is spun about an axis perpendicular to the disc.

Flat-packaged air glider toy

The present invention is a puzzle game which employs a plurality of moveable members, each of which bears at least one indicium, slideably mounted over rail-like means formed on a sectionalized base. One section of the base is the display section whereto the moveable members are moved in order to form a sought after display of the indicia which represents a solution of the puzzle. Another section of the base is the maneuvering section which is employed by the person solving the puzzle to change direction, location or orientation of the moveable members in an effort to find the solution to the puzzle. The maneuvering section includes a turntable means which enables the movable members to be moved from one rail to another and which enables the orientation of the indicia to be changed. In addition the moveable members can be readily removed or added to the puzzle to effect flexibility in the degree of difficulty offered in solving the puzzle.

Toy puzzle arrangement

A latch mechanism useful for belt buckles, door latches, etc., includes an endless member in the form of a frusto-conical or frusto-spherical band of spring-like material which can be snapped between two stable positions. In one position the rim of the band is disposed on one side of a reference plane defined by the outer rim; in the other position the inner rim is on the opposite side of that plane. An integral tongue projects from one rim of the band and is positionally slaved thereto to assume first and second orientations depending upon the band position. The band is secured to one of two members to be latched, the second member having a keeper for receiving the tongue and a portion of the band, precluding relative movement between the two members. A keeper surface abuts the distal edge of the tongue in one stable band position such that movement of the band out of the keeper is resisted by the abutting force of the surface applied longitudinally to the tongue. When the band is snapped to its second position it can be slid out of the keeper along the reference plane. Belt buckle and door latch embodiments are disclosed.

Bistable latch

In a clothes washer, liquid pulses are delivered to a bucket or tank of water to create continuously re-circulating flow therein in a vertical plane. The flow carries the clothes in a tumbling action and the pulses agitate the clothes passing the pulse source. Air is introduced into the water pulses and forms air bubbles in the tank which attract dirt particles and carry them to the surface where they are removed as part of a continuous surface overflow. In a preferred embodiment the liquid pulses are delivered by a novel fluidic oscillator of the feedback type in which air is continuously entrained by the power stream from each feedback passage in alternation.

Washing method using a fluidic oscillator

A snap-action one-piece clamping device, made of spring steel, plastic, or the like, includes an endless member and a tongue. The endless member is a frusto-conical or frusto-spherical band having inner and outer rims of generally oval or rectangular configuration. The tongue projects transversely from either the inner or outer rim, depending upon the embodiment. The endless member has two stable positions on opposite sides of a reference plane defined by its outer rim and can be snapped to either position from the other by finger pressure applied toward the reference plane proximate the longitudinal mid-point in the endless member. The tongue is positionally slaved to the endless member and likewise has two stable positions. In one embodiment the tongue projects from the inner rim and clamps sheet material or a tube against the inner rim. In another embodiment the tongue projects from the outer rim and extends along a pen or the like to clamp a pocket against the pen.

Growing community of inventors

South Bend, IN, United States of America

Peter H Bauer