Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7358865 | Optical encoder and apparatus using optical encoder An optical encoder includes a cylindrical reflective scale, a point light source for irradiating the reflective scale, and light-receiving elements for receiving the light beams reflected by the reflective scale. The pitch of the reflective scale is set to an approp... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7277053 | Apparatus and methods for detecting and locating signals A discrete three-dimensional receiving element has multiple sensors scattered over its surface to detect and locate a signal. The sensors facing the signal detect the signal, and a boundary line is drawn between the sensor which detect the signal and those which don... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7252018 | Drive for closure elements A drive for closure elements is provided, in particular in the area of garage and industrial doors, but also for example in the form of roller shutters, with a reference value generator arranged in the motor or in the gearing of the drive for determining the actual ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7233427 | Display system with clock dropping A display system includes a light source 110 and a spatial light modulator 122 located to receive light from the light source. The spatial light modulator (e.g., a DMD) includes a number of independently controllable elements that are activated for a p... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7205561 | Media sensor apparatus using a two component media sensor for media absence detection An imaging apparatus includes a media support surface. A light source and a light detector are positioned in relation to a reflective surface such that when a sheet of print media covers the reflective surface, a reflected specular light component of a light beam is... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7161733 | Remote sensing apparatus and a frequency analysis method of the remote sensing apparatus A remote sensing apparatus includes an optical system device, a frequency converter, and a frequency analyzer. The device transmits laser light generated from a laser light source toward an optical pattern rotary plate to receive its reflection light by an optical r... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7105801 | Actuator with interrupter-type limit switches An actuator comprising a motor for rotating a shaft connected via a gear train to an output device; an interrupter vane connected to the output device and adapted to travel in a path corresponding to the movement of the output device; and at least two interrupter sw... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7102832 | Method and apparatus for modulating infrared radiation A chopper for an imaging system includes a frame and a sheet that have different coefficients of thermal expansion. The frame has a space within it, and has at least one opening that allows radiation to pass through the space. The sheet has structure which influence... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7103249 | Optical module and manufacturing method of the same, optical-communication apparatus, and electronic apparatus The invention provides an optical module that enables to increase the optical coupling efficiency without being dependent on the thickness of a substrate. The optical module, detachably coupled to a connector provided at one end side of an optical fiber, can include... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7095494 | Method and apparatus for measuring temporal response characteristics of digital mirror devices A method and system for measuring the temporal response of a micromirror array to a variety of driving signals. A micromirror array is illuminated with a coherent light source so that a diffraction pattern is reflected from the micromirror array. One or more photode... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7092080 | Light intensity distribution measuring method and light intensity distribution measuring device A light intensity distribution measuring method for measuring the light intensity distribution of a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser comprises the steps of measuring light intensities at a plurality of locations in a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7086736 | Display system with sequential color and wobble device A display system for displaying an image includes a modulator configured to produce a light beam that sequentially bears a plurality of color image sub-frames, where each color image sub-frame corresponds to one color in a plurality of colors; display optics configu... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7061550 | Color wheel index aligning device and alignment method thereof A color wheel index aligning apparatus for a projection display apparatus and an alignment method thereof. The color wheel index aligning apparatus has a signal supply unit for supplying a predetermined image signal to the display apparatus, a color detection unit f... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7050164 | Spectrophotometer In order to improve spectral measurement accuracy during high-speed wavelength shifting, the appropriate sensitivity of the detection system is maintained by, prior to measurement of a sample, measuring the voltage value, then storing this value into a table, and ma... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7019667 | System and method for accurate reading of rotating disk A novel system and method for achieving accurate readings of the rotational speed, number of revolutions and direction of rotation of a utility system. More specifically, a system and method for retrofitting existing utility meters with a lightweight tape, having co... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6950088 | Synchronizing optical scan and electrical addressing of a single-panel, scrolling color LCD system The electrical scan which applies data for one of the red, green and blue colors of a liquid crystal display (LCD) to the pixels of each row of the display and the optical scan of the panel with the color stripe of that color are synchronized to ensure sufficient ti... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6932560 | Apparatus and method for detecting an impact on a rotor blade A gas turbine engine (10) comprises a fan rotor (26) having a plurality of fan blades (24) and an apparatus (34) for detecting an impact on the fan blades (24). The apparatus (34) comprises speed sensors (48,48B) arra... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6905258 | Miniature imaging encoder readhead using fiber optic receiver channels A fiber optic readhead arrangement for imaging a scale onto a set of optical fiber receiver channels is disclosed. The readhead arrangement includes an imaging lens and may include an aperture positioned at a focal point of the imaging lens in a telecentric arrangem... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6784807 | System and method for accurate reading of rotating disk A novel system and method for achieving accurate readings of the rotational speed, number of revolutions and direction of rotation of a utility system. More specifically, a system and method for retrofitting existing utility meters with a lightweight tape, having co... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6785635 | Apparatus and method for predicting failures of spinning disks in turbo-machinery An apparatus is described for detecting the early signs of cycle-induced fatigue and thereby predicting failure of the rotating disk in turbo-machinery. It identifies change in shape of the entire disk in radial, tangential and axial directions. It examines these de... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6580064 | Background rejection circuit A background rejection circuit uses the harmonic content of an angularly narrow target to produce a signal. The signal is used to modulate an externally derived audio signal to produce a target indication signal free of background noise.... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6525309 | Optoelectronic sensor An optoelectronic sensor has a light source (10) for the transmission of a scanning beam (11), a light deflection unit (12), which is formed for the periodic deflection of the scanning beam (11) within an angular transmitting range (14), a receiving devic... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6437324 | Timing ruler or timing disk and process for its manufacture The present invention relates to a timing ruler or a timing disk for the exact positioning of working machines, servo-motors, encoders or the like. The device consists of a transparent material on which codings are arranged for scanning via optical sensor... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6357695 | Reticle for use in a guidance seeker for a spinning projectile A reticle for a guidance seeker for spinning projectiles comprises a substrate; a pattern of a plurality of alternating light modulating structures, such as opaque and light transmitting, or light absorbing and light reflecting areas on the substrate such... | 03/19/2002 |
| 6184518 | Rotary encoder with multiple calibration points One embodiment of the present invention provides a rotary encoder having a rotatable disk with multiple index points. These index points contain information specifying an angular position of the index point. This allows the rotary encoder to be calibrated... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6111249 | Submergible optical sensor housing with protective shutter and methods of operation and manufacture An apparatus for housing a submergible optical sensor is provided. The apparatus comprises a sensor body having a sensor opening. The sensor body is operable to protect a sensor when submerged in a fluid. A shutter is disposed above the sensor opening. A ... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6084235 | Self aligning color wheel index signal A method of generating a color wheel index signal for use in a display system (10) that uses a spatial light modulator (14) and a color wheel (15). The index signal is compared to a reference signal associated with an input image signal so that the color ... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6034371 | Semi-opaque chopper for thermal imaging system and method Thermal imaging chopper (22) having a frame (42) with an open window (47) and a covered window (48). The covered window (48) is preferably covered with a material that partially blocks a selected amount of thermal radiation from a scene and randomly scatt... | 03/07/2000 |
| 5818049 | Infrared gas spectrometer having a lid assembly with an integrated chopper and chopper motor A respiratory gas monitor for measuring the concentration of certain gases in a respiratory gas stream has a compact and unitary lid assembly having an integral low-profile motor and a cylindrical infrared light beam chopper. The lid assembly also contain... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5816079 | Needle position detecting system for a circular knitting machine A needle position detecting system for a circular knitting machine inputs the needle position to a computer which controls the needles to perform jacquard knitting. The knitting machine includes a needle cylinder carrying a plurality of needles, a driven ... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5777694 | Color wheel with plastic film filters A color wheel (15) for use in a display system (10). The color wheel (15) is comprised of a rigid hub (23) and an outer perimeter of color filter segments (21), which are made from a thin plastic material.... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5672865 | Timing device for controlling machinery and other servomechanical devices and method of manufacture therefor Disclosed are a timing device for controlling machine tools, handling equipment or other servomechanical elements and a method of manufacture. The timing device comprises a timing control element having a light sensitive layer including thereon a pluralit... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5557450 | Optical rotation encoder for X-Y direction input device An optical rotation encoder for an X-Y direction input device includes a light source for emitting therefrom a light, a pair of substantially vertically aligned light responsive elements for receiving the light, and a circular code wheel mounted between t... | 09/17/1996 |
| 5408311 | Method for measuring a refracting power of an optical system and its apparatus A method and apparatus for measuring a refracting power of an optical system to be inspected. A beam source generates a luminous flux which passes through the optical system to be inspected. A rotating plate intermittently blocks the beam after passing th... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5315428 | Optical scanning system comprising optical chopper Optical scanning system to scan a code on an object comprising a laser source (1), a laser beam shaper (2) receiving a laser beam from the laser source and focussing the laser beam on the object, a mirror polygon (4) having facets (6-9), of which at least... | 05/24/1994 |
| 5255117 | Advanced eye or sensor protection and high speed variable optical attenuation system In order to protect the eyes or other sensor, from light produced, e.g., by odern laser weapons which have extremely fast onset times and high power per pulse, a protective shutter device is provided which is based on the integrative property of such senso... | 10/19/1993 |
| 5245190 | Imaging arrangement An infrared imaging arrangement using a chopping device for periodically blocking exposure of an array of detector elements responsive to infrared energy by using a plurality of individually-mounted cells. There is a non-reciprocating rotary mechanism use... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5198939 | Apparatus for positioning apertures of a disk assembly Apparatus for positioning apertures in a beam of light including a plurality of drive members coaxially supported on a longitudinally extending shaft, each having a separate electrically operable drive motor mechanically interlocked therewith.... | 03/30/1993 |
| 5107530 | X-ray diffractometer with shutter control A reliable shutter position indicator for an x-ray diffractometer utilizes an optical shutter position sensor for detecting the position of a shutter of the x-ray diffractometer. In one embodiment, a pair of optical isolators are utilized with an arm coup... | 04/21/1992 |
| 5055673 | Radiation chopper having a chopper disk driven by an electromotor A radiation chopper has a chopper disk 9 which is driven by an electromotor 8 and disposed between a front and a rear part of the housing 2, 3 placed on top of each other wherein the rear part 3 of the housing has a multi-armed yoke 5 and the front part 2... | 10/08/1991 |
