96results about How to "More cost-efficient" patented technology

It is provided a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (10) for providing ultraviolet light, comprising an outer tube (12) filled with a discharge gas for providing ultraviolet light, an inner tube (14) arranged at least partially inside the outer tube (12), an outer electrode (16) electrically connected to the outer tube (12) and an inner electrode (18) electrically connected to the inner tube (14), wherein the inner electrode (18) comprises a conductor (20) and a plurality of an conductive granulated material (22) for providing an electrical contact between the conductor (20) and the inner tube (14). Due to the conductive granulated material (22) an electrical contact between the conductor (20) and the inner tube (14) is safeguarded and different thermal expansions of the inner electrode (18) and the inner tube (14) are compensated at the same time without applying mechanical stress to the inner tube (14). This leads to a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (10), which comprises an increased life time without the need for external cooling.

A system for inspecting an object has at least one light projector and at least one camera jointly defining a field of view and a computer operatively connected thereto. The computer is configured to acquire object data representative of the outer surface of the object through projection of light thereon by the light projector and acquisition of return light by the camera. The object data relates surface points on the outer surface of the object to one or more source point of the light projector. The computer is further configured to generate inspection information data based on the acquired object data and project the inspection information data on at least some of the surface points of the outer surface of the object using the corresponding source points of the at least one light projector. A method inspects an outer surface of an object.

A vegetation pod for creating a green roof is disclosed. The vegetation pod includes vegetation that absorbs and stores water. The roots of the vegetation grow in a growing media that rests atop a layer of filter fabric. The filter fabric is disposed within a tray that is easily handled by an installer. The tray includes a fastening mechanism that couples multiple trays together. An additional layer of absorbent material may be provided between the filter fabric and the tray. A second, preferably larger tray may be provided for accommodating a series of smaller trays. An additional layer of filter fabric may be provided between the trays.

A light-sensitive (i.e., touch-sensitive) display device that requires less circuitry than the currently available light-sensitive display devices is presented. Unlike the currently available devices, which require at least two switching elements and a capacitor to implement a photosensitive switch, the invention only requires one switching element. The device of the invention includes a substrate with a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of read-out lines, a power line, and an array of photosensitive switches formed thereon. The scan lines and the read-out lines extend in directions that are substantially perpendicular to each other, forming pixels. One photosensitive switch is formed in each pixel, and each photosensitive switch has one light-sensitive transistor. The transistor connects the power line to one of the read-out lines in response to sensing incident light.

A lighting device, capable of identifying and marking traffic areas of airports, comprises at least one semiconductor lamp and an electronic control circuit, which is connectable to an electrical AC supply network with constant current feed. For controlling the operation of the semiconductor lamp, the control circuit has a rectifier, which is connectable without a transformer to the electrical AC supply network. It further has an internal power supply, which is connected to the rectifier, for supplying the semiconductor lamp with an electric direct current. Furthermore, the voltage supply device (3) having electronic power factor correction means, by means of which voltage and current can be kept in phase in all operating states of the lighting device (1). It furthermore re-adjusts the input voltage from the electrical AC supply network to allow the current predefined on the AC supply network to flow in the event of a small power demand of the electronic control circuit.

The subject invention provides composite articles (20, 120) and associated systems (32, 132). A first composite article (20) includes a piezoelectric layer (22) having a piezoelectric property. The piezoelectric layer (22) is sandwiched between a first conductive layer (28) and a second conductive layer (30). At least one of the conductive layers (28, 30) is a conductive polymer having an electrically conductive property. A second composite article (120) includes first and second piezoelectric layers (122, 124) having a piezoelectric property. The first and second piezoelectric layers sandwich an insulating layer (126). A first system (32) and a second system (132) each include a control device (34) electrically connected to the first composite article (20) or the second composite article (120), respectively. The control device (34) measures an electrical signal generated by the respective piezoelectric layers (22, 122, 124) and/or produces an electrical signal to actuate the respective piezoelectric layers (22, 122, 124).

A phase-locked loop for a differential recovery of the clock signal wherein an extracted data signal (DS) is conveyed via a phase delay element and thence to a phase comparator. In the phase comparator comparison signals, whose phase shifts can be set relative to one another, differential phase evaluation is carried out. This results in a control signal (RS) whose operating point, independent of the power of the transmit channel, always lies in the center of the control range. In the inventive differential timing recovery, the dependencies on power fluctuations, signal-to-noise ratio, the pulse shape and on transmitted bit patterns are eliminated to the greatest possible extent.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for drying and gasifying substances using the calorific value contained in the substances, and it more specifically relates to apparatus and methods for processing wet, pasty, sticky substances, such as municipal wastewater treatment sewage sludge, into a workable, powdered product.

In a method for distribution and dispensing of beverages, a one-way system is used including a disposable and freestanding container (100) blow moulded in one piece from a preform of plastics, and a tube structure having a tube (136) to be inserted in the container and a closure cap (102). The thin-walled container (100) is filled with beverage by means of the tube (136) and then closed by the closure cap (102). This filled unit (100, 102, 136) is distributed to the end user and connected to standard beverage dispensing means (138). After use, the empty container (100) is collapsed and discarded along with the tube structure which also is made of plastics.

In a method for representation of the heart in a magnetic resonance system at least one MR overview image of the heart is acquired. An image plane with a predetermined position relative to the magnetic resonance system is selected for this overview image. The acquired MR overview image is displayed and a number of marking points are established in the displayed overview image. Further image planes for representation of the heart are calculated using some of the established marking points. Further MR images are acquired in the calculated image planes.

A sandwich core material for a sandwich laminate is disclosed. The sandwich core material includes a number of flexible core material elements having a longitudinal structure. A flexible core material for a sandwich core material, a sandwich laminate and a wind turbine blade including such a sandwich core material are provided. In addition, the present a method of manufacturing such a sandwich core material is provided.

A system, apparatus and method are provided to automate an audit of an information technology (IT) system.

Mold-free resin-insulated coil windings are obtained by applying continuous fibers embedded in a quasi-solid-state epoxy-resin matrix, e.g. in the form of a tape, to the coil windings. The tape is locally heated up to the melting point of its polymer matrix, and is subsequently pressed against the winding body. The heated and fused resin of the tape, which is pressed onto the coil, flows under pressure into the voids and gaps between the coil windings and fills them up, thereby hermetically insulating the coil windings. After leaving the heating and pressing apparatus the fused epoxy resin becomes solid again. The resulting curing process is thus considerably simplified and shortened, compared to the state of the art.

Disclosed is a sheet buffering and inverting device having a sheet transport path and multiple sheet inverter paths extending upward and/or downward there from. Sheets being transported through the sheet transport path are selectively diverted into the sheet inverter paths, held, and subsequently fed back into the sheet transport path such that they are inverted. Optionally, an additional sheet transport path can branch off the sheet transport path upstream of the sheet inverter paths and can connect to the distal end of each of the sheet inverter paths to allow sheets to be buffered without being inverted. This device can be incorporated into a discrete module of a modular printing system to ensure sheets are properly merged and oriented after processing by multiple printing engines. Alternatively, it can be incorporated into a standalone printing system to ensure sheets are properly buffered and/or inverted prior to processing by a single printing engine.

An apparatus for measuring the temperature of outside air provided with a thermometer mounted in a housing connected to a forced ventilation blower for drawing a current outside air across the thermometer and with a Venturi nozzle having an air penetration opening disposed orthogonally relative to the air current for generating vacuum pressure and prevent reverse flow of air through the housing.

So as to render the manufacturing of an at least equally efficient multi-stage ejector more cost-efficient, the invention provides a multi-stage ejector for generating a vacuum from a source of compressed air by passing said compressed air through a series of nozzles, accelerating said compressed air, and entraining air so as to form a jet flow in one or more stages and generate a vacuum across each stage, the multi-stage ejector comprising a drive stage; a second stage; and a converging-diverging nozzle provided in said series of nozzles between said drive stage and said second stage for receiving jet flow from said drive stage and accelerating said jet flow to form a second stage air jet and directing said second stage air jet into an inlet of an outlet nozzle of the second stage, wherein said converging-diverging nozzle is formed in a moulded nozzle piece mounted in said multi-stage ejector.

Described is a method and an apparatus of directly digitizing microwave signals reflected at a filling product surface of a filling product present in a receptacle, in which method the microwave signals reflected at the filling product surface are sampled unmodified in their frequency, and the therefrom resulting analog values are converted into digital values, with successive digital values being stored in various intermediate memories, and the intermediately stored digital values are read out from the intermediate memories and are stored in a terminal memory unit, to which accesses an evaluation arrangement which determines the filling level height.