17461results about "Domestic plumbing" patented technology

An implantable prosthetic valve, according to one embodiment, comprises a frame, a leaflet structure, and a skirt member. The frame can have a plurality of axial struts interconnected by a plurality of circumferential struts. The leaflet structure comprises a plurality of leaflets (e.g., three leaflets arrange to form a tricuspid valve). The leaflet structure has a scalloped lower edge portion secured to the frame. The skirt member can be disposed between the leaflet structure and the frame.

A method for monitoring compliance with recommended hand-washing practices is disclosed. The method involves detecting the occurrence of an event that is specified in a hand-washing rule. The method also involves determining whether a person who is involved in the event complies with the hand-washing rule. If the person does not comply with the hand-washing rule, the method may involve triggering a reminder alarm. The method may also involve determining whether the person washes his or her hands within a period of time subsequent to the reminder alarm. Compliance data that is related to compliance with the hand-washing rule may be updated.

An implantable prosthetic valve, according to one embodiment, comprises a frame, a leaflet structure, and a skirt member. The frame can have a plurality of axial struts interconnected by a plurality of circumferential struts. The leaflet structure comprises a plurality of leaflets (e.g., three leaflets arrange to form a tricuspid valve). The leaflet structure has a scalloped lower edge portion secured to the frame. The skirt member can be disposed between the leaflet structure and the frame.

A capacitive touch-controlled automatic faucet comprises: a spout, a magnetically latching valve, a proximity sensor, a handle, a capacitive touch-control, and a logical control. The proximity sensor is sensitive to motion of objects within a detection zone of the proximity sensor. The handle determines a water flow rate and temperature. The capacitive touch-control is positioned in the spout and generates an output signal while the touch-control is in contact with a user. The logical control receives the output signal, and toggles the magnetically latching valve when the output signal begins and ends within a period of time less than a predetermined threshold, but does not toggle the magnetically latching valve when the output signal persists for a period longer than the predetermined threshold. The faucet has a manual mode, wherein the proximity sensor is inactive, and a hands-free mode, wherein water flow is toggled in response to the proximity sensor.

An exhaust foreline for purging fluids from a semiconductor fabrication chamber is described. The foreline may include a first, second and third ports independently coupled to the chamber. A semiconductor fabrication system is also described that includes a substrate chamber that has a first, second and third interface port. The system may also include a multi-port foreline that has a first, second and third port, where the first foreline port is coupled to the first interface port, the second foreline port is coupled to the second interface port, and the third foreline port is coupled to the third interface port. The system may further include an exhaust vacuum coupled to the multi-port foreline.

A hands-free faucet comprises a proximity sensor, a logical control, a handle including a first touch control, a second touch control, and a mode indicator. The logical control has a manual mode (wherein the proximity sensor is inactive, and water flow is toggled on and off by positioning the handle) and a hands-free mode (wherein water flow is toggled on and off in response to the proximity sensor). The first touch control puts the faucet in the hands-free mode when touched by a user. The second touch control toggles the logical control between the hands-free mode and the manual mode when touched by a user. The mode indicator indicates which mode the faucet is presently in. The water flow has a temperature and a flow rate that are determined by the position of the handle.

A flexible, sectioned plastic arm for a showerhead comprises a series of interconnected ball-and-socket (B&S) sections (10) with a proximal (shower pipe) end piece (12) and a distal (showerhead) end piece (14). Each B&S section has a proximal (cup or socket) end (10S) and a distal (ball) end (10B). The proximal end piece has a proximal end with female threads which can be screwed onto a shower pipe and a ball-shaped distal end for snapping into the socket of the most proximal section of the shower arm. The distal end piece has a proximal end with a socket for snapping onto the most distal end section of the shower arm and a distal end with male threads (12T) which can be screwed onto the showerhead. The arm has a through hole containing a series or chain of cylindrical brass or other metal sections, tubes, or sleeves (16). These prevent the arm from being bent too far, thereby to keep the B&S from separating. The two end tubes abut a pair of respective resilient spacers (18) or springs (18S), which in turn abut shoulders in the end pieces to keep the series of tubes in place. Inside the series of tubes is a flexible plastic tube (20) for carrying the water without leakage. A T-shaped end fitting (20T) is attached to each end of the plastic tube. These end fittings hold the tube in the arm. The top arm of the T of the distal end fitting sits in the bottom of the female threaded end of the proximal end piece. The top arm of the T of the distal end fitting sits on the very end of the male threaded end of the distal end piece.

Device and method for decoding a plurality of video bitstreams on the same time by using one decoder by making time multiplexing decoding of bitstreams in different frame rates and film modes in frames, which facilitates simultaneous processing of multiple video bitstreams for PIP, POP, multi-channel broadcasting, and the like by using, not numerous video decoder, but only one HD class video decoded, a required memory size can be reduced significantly, and an IC size can be reduced further if the present invention is applied to an ASIC, that enhances competitiveness.

The subject invention features a low-reflectivity, brightness-enhancing multilayer optical film for enhancing the brightness of an organic light emission diode (OLED) display and imparting anti-reflection performance to the display.

A holder device may be attached to a water outlet tube which is extended from a wall, without drilling holes in the wall, and includes a housing having an inlet attached to the water outlet tube, and two or more outlet ports for attaching a shower head and a sprayer nozzle simultaneously. The housing includes an attaching device for attaching the sprayer nozzle to the housing. A controlling device may control the water to flow out through the outlet ports. The housing includes a casing having a chamber to receive a valve stem of the controlling device. The valve stem includes a passage for communicating the inlet with either or both of the outlet ports of the housing.

A fluidic nozzle having multiple operating modes comprising a fluidic oscillator circuit having an oscillation chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end and a power nozzle at the upstream end for introducing a jet of a liquid (water) into the oscillation chamber. An outlet throat at the downstream end has a width, which does not allow the oscillation circuit to fill up and start to oscillate without entrained liquid. A pair of control ports are at the upstream end of the oscillation chamber and a pair of feedback passages connect said control ports to downstream ends of said oscillation chamber adjacent said outlet throat. A pair of controllable entrainment holes are provided in the oscillation chamber at the upstream end and a valve opens and closes the entrainment holes, such that when the entrainment holes are open to air, air is entrained and the oscillator does not oscillate. Closing the air entrainment holes initiates oscillation and the issuance of a sweeping liquid jet through the outlet throat.

A system and method of managing a social network are disclosed. The method includes the step of recording the IDs and corresponding personal information of users who have subscribed to a service via a network, in a user DB; the step of recording corresponding relationships between the users and relationship indices R, reflecting the degrees of trustworthiness of the users having the corresponding relationships, in a relationship information DB; and the path search step of evaluating one or more paths based on the relationship indices R of respective links constituting the paths and providing evaluation results to a first user so that the first user can select an optimal path from among the paths existing between the first user and a second user on the social network constructed with the users used as nodes and the corresponding relationships of the users used as the links.

A faucet has a spout and a pullout spray head connected to a flexible water supply tube and releasably connectable to the spout. The spout has a docking collar mounted thereon for receiving a connecting shaft of the spray head. The docking collar has an annular wall with a plurality of U-shaped slots which define a plurality of cantilevered snap fingers. Each snap finger includes a projection that fits into a groove in the connecting shaft when the spray head is docked. An elastomeric O-ring surrounds the annular wall at a point where the O-ring engages the snap fingers to bias them toward the groove. Ridges on the exterior surface of the wall retain the O-ring in place. The spout and docked spray head have parallel shoulders that define a mating plane. The projections and groove define a retaining plane. The mating plane is not parallel to the retaining plane such that rotation of the spray head about an axis normal to the mating plane will cause the projections to release from the groove.

Disclosed herein is a built-in wall water service box. The water service box of the present invention includes a case (100) which is connected to cold and hot water pipes (10, 20) and is open at a front end thereof, and a faucet unit (200) which is provided in the case (100) and mixes cold and hot water, which enters the case (100), with each other. The water service box further includes a cover (300) which protects the faucet unit (200) and is coupled to the open front end of the case (100), and a cover flush-mounting unit (400) which is provided between the case (100) and the cover (300) to adjust a gap between the cover (300) and the case (100) embedded in a wall.