17463results 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.

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, a spout, and a touch control operably coupled to at least one of the spout and the handle.

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 water faucet assembly providing touchless water temperature and water flow adjustment. The assembly comprises a spout, a water mixing valve, at least one proximity sensor, and a microcomputer. The water mixing valve provides a mix and controls the flow of hot water from a hot water supply and cold water from a cold water supply to the spout. The at least one proximity sensor provides a water temperature or water flow input signal having a value corresponding to the distance of an object from the sensor. The microcomputer is responsive to the value of the water temperature input signal to control the water mixing valve and generate a mixture of the hot and cold water corresponding to the distance of the object from the proximity sensor. The microcomputer is also responsive to the value of the water flow input signal to provide a flow of water from the spout corresponding to the distance of the object from the proximity sensor.

A memory wire actuated control valve comprises a memory wire actuator operatively coupled to a fluid control valve. The memory wire actuator includes a housing having an interior cavity enclosing an electrical platform assembly, an activation wire and a transfer mechanism. The activation wire is formed of a shape memory alloy, often called a “memory wire” or “muscle wire.” The activation wire is electrically connected to the electrical platform and mechanically coupled to the transfer mechanism. The actuator is activated by conducting electrical current through the activation wire causing the wire to contract thereby actuating the transfer mechanism. The transfer mechanism is operable coupled to the fluid control valve such that actuated and de-actuating the transfer mechanism open and closes the valve.

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.

A spray head for a faucet or the like has a wand body defining a flow path from an inlet to first and second outlets. Diverter seats are provided so a face seal on a diverter spool can direct flow to the first or second outlet. The spool is positioned by a trigger acting on cam surfaces formed on a toggle. A spring biases the toggle to one of two stable states. Movement of the spool by the trigger causes the toggle to change states so subsequent actuation of the trigger causes the spool to move in the opposite direction. The wand body also has a pause button that reciprocates in a chamber that is part of the flow path. The chamber includes a valve seat and the pause button has a spool having a face seal that is engageable with the valve seat to shut off flow through the spray head. A return spring causes separation of the pause button's face seal upon release of pressure on the pause button. The pause button's seals in the chamber are arranged to have equal diameters and thus provide balanced hydraulic forces on the spool.

An ergonomic water conserving faucet assembly that pivots around a cognitive central point providing touchless water temperature, flow rate, volume control and spray pattern adjustment through multiple, hygienic means. The assembly comprises a pivotable, ergonomic, ball-shaped spout that may be used statically or hand held; a retractable water delivery hose connecting the spout to a water source; a water mixing valve at the water source delivering water of preselected temperature; solenoid valves controlling flow; proximity and object detection sensors mapping the sink area and detecting input signals; speech sensors with microphone for voice control; an LED display of water temperature; internal speakers delivering audible prompts; and an electronic controller recognizing speech and supervising operations.

An on demand tankless water heater system that is capable of quickly delivering water within a desired temperature range. The tankless water heater provides a hybrid heating method that contains a primary heating system and a secondary heating system disposed in a buffer tank that cooperate to facilitate control of output water temperature during water usage. A pressure differential switch detects low flow demand and allows the secondary heating system to provide immediate heating to the water. This secondary heating system provides a faster temperature response and fine tuning of output water temperature.

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 challenge of the present invention is to suppress a variation in brightness of an image and make a reference value of a black level converge at an appropriate value in a short time. Acondition judgment circuit judges whether or not a frame of an amount of change in gains of a variable gain amplifier being equal to or greater than a threshold continues for a predefined frames or more. If a frame of an amount of change in the gains being equal to or greater than the threshold continues for the predefined frames, a black level value of the current frame is set for new black level reference. If not continues for the predetermined number, the previous black level reference value is retained in lieu of correcting the black level.

A show head water pick apparatus includes a first pipe segment for attachment to a shower pipe protruding outwardly from shower stall wall and having a first pipe segment outward end; a switch valve having a switch valve intake end connected to the first pipe segment outward end, and having a shower head output branch to which a shower head is connected and a water pick output branch, and having a valve operation handle for delivering water flow alternately to the shower head and to the water pulsing and pick assembly; a water pulsing unit connected to the water pick output branch; a water pick tube having a tube first end and a tube second end, the tube first end being connected to the water pulsing unit; and a water pick secured to the tube second end.

A method and computer-readable medium convert the text of a word and a user's pronunciation of the word into a phonetic description to be added to a speech recognition lexicon. Initially, a plurality of at least two possible phonetic descriptions are generated. One phonetic description is formed by decoding a speech signal representing a user's pronunciation of the word. At least one other phonetic description is generated from the text of the word. The plurality of possible sequences comprising speech-based and text-based phonetic descriptions are aligned and scored in a single graph based on their correspondence to the user's pronunciation. The phonetic description with the highest score is then selected for entry in the speech recognition lexicon.

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 valve with a smart handle including a memory module to log relevant data. A sensor on the handle determines when the valve is open, and this triggers the start of timers and recording of the “open” event in a log in the memory module. When the valve is closed, the sensor triggers stopping of the timers and recording of the “closed” event in the log. The timer information is used to calculate the duration of the time “open” event, and this, together with the actual date and time of the opening and closing of the valve are recorded in the log. Other relevant information, such as cylinder fill date, cylinder I.D. number, batch number, and patient name or account number may also be logged in the memory module. The log of the events and the corresponding dates and times may be used to prepare invoices for billing gas treatments, for inventory control, and for other record-keeping and control functions.

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.

A system includes a forwarding skid configured to forward a liquid supply from a liquid storage vessel toward a downstream component. The forwarding skid includes a pumping system configured to receive a gravity feed of the liquid supply from the liquid storage vessel, and the pumping system is configured to pump the liquid fuel supply toward the downstream component. The forwarding skid also includes a monitoring system configured to obtain at least one sensed parameter of the gravity feed of the liquid supply received at the forwarding skid upstream from the pumping system. The at least one sensed parameter is indicative of a supply level remaining at the liquid storage vessel.

A shower head having a plurality of nozzles capable of attachment to a flexible shower arm. The shower head has a unique nozzle construction that allows for the manipulation of an external flexible nozzle to remove mineral deposits and has an internal, rigid nozzle structure for efficiently forming an aesthetically pleasing water stream. The shower head may have two available flow configurations which are selectable by a valve.

The invention relates to a device (2) for controlling and / or regulating the supply of a medium using a supply unit for an impingement device. Said supply unit comprises at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member can be moved into a closed position and at least one open position by means of an actuating element. The device comprises a sensor unit (50) for determining in a contactless manner the presence of a material that is to be impinged by the medium. The inventive device (2) is characterized in that said sensor unit (50) is additionally configured for the contactless determination of the relative position of the material in relation to the impingement device (10) and for the output of signals, which act on the actuating elements in such a way that the later moves the shut-oft members into a position that corresponds with the presence and the location of the material to be impinged by the medium. The washing and / or drying devices (10) preferably comprise a device (2) of this type for controlling and / or regulating the supply of water and / or warm air for washing and / or drying purposes. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.