60results about How to "Minimize wear" patented technology

A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a touch screen having a rigid contact surface. The touch screen overlay apparatus comprises a flexible membrane that covers at least a portion of the rigid contact surface. This flexible membrane is removably maintained in a predetermined position over the rigid contact surface to provide a more tactually desirable surface for manual actuation than the rigid contact surface. Furthermore, the flexible membrane may include one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions which are disposed on the membrane so as to be in substantial registration with input regions on the rigid contact surface to provide tactile landmarks for the user.

A bearing, a composite structure, an implant and a method for producing a bearing with a micro-rough bearing surface are proposed. An improvement in the bearing properties—minimization of particle formation and reduction of friction—and a universally usable composite structure are achieved by the surface of the bearing or of the composite structure being roughened by etching and possibly provided with a coating, preferably consisting of plastic.

A multi-battery charging system for reduced fuel consumption and emissions for an automotive vehicle. The system starts the vehicle with a start battery in a fuel savings manner, removing electrical torque from the alternator shaft, and allows a second (run) battery to provide all or some of the current required by the vehicle loads as a fuel savings measure. The system also utilizes an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) and a third (EHC or storage) battery to provide a 3 to 15 second preheat and/or a 20 second current, during vehicle start, to the EHC heater coil, e.g., of a small EHC located in series with a standard catalytic converter for emissions reduction to reduce emissions during start. The start battery is recharged after start and switched out of the system fully charged for future vehicle starts. The run battery is recharged when its charge level drops below a predetermined level with an on board battery charging device powered from a 115 volt or 220 volt ac power line source external to the vehicle.

In the embodiments described in the specification, a rim-driven propulsion pod arrangement has a cylindrical housing with a duct providing a flow path for water and a rotor assembly supported from a central shaft and containing a rotating blade row and driven by a rim drive permanent magnet motor recessed in the housing. An array of vanes downstream from the rotating blade row is arranged to straighten the flow of water emerging from the rotating blade row. Radial bearing members on the rotor have a hardness less than that of the shaft on which the rotor is supported and relatively soft protrusions are provided in the space between the rotor and the housing to limit excursion of the rotor. A thrust bearing has wedges arranged to form a water wedge between facing surfaces of the rotor and the rotor support during rotation of the rotor.

A method is provided for improving the wiping capabilities of a windshield wiper by causing the windshield wiper blade to vibrate or oscillate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the blade during a windshield wiper sweep. The vibrating mode causes less wear on the blade due to windshield abrasion since the blade edge does not contact the same eroded point on the windshield all the time. Secondly, any debris that is caught underneath the blade is quickly ejected due to the vibrating action. In one embodiment, an electromechanical vibrating unit is secured at one or more positions to the blade, with the actuator being driven by a 12-volt source and provided with a quickie disconnect at the center of the blade support structure. The vibrating actuator may be an electromechanically drive off-centered weight, a vibrating linear actuator, an ultrasonic vibrator, or a vibrator in the form of a piezoelectric crystal, with the primary mode of oscillation translating the blade along its centerline. The result is that debris underneath the blade is thrown out, including leaf stems, leaves and particulate matter, with the periodic translation of the blade providing more uniform water removal during the wiping operation to provide clearer visibility through the windshield regardless of the amount of water on the windshield, whether it be from a sporadic sprinkle or a torrential downpour. Wiper life is extended since the blade edge's position on the windshield is constantly varied during wiper sweeps.

A medical lifting device is provided. The medical lifting device comprises a lifting unit that is operable in a linear motion. A spindle drive is operable to adjust the lifting unit. A first ball joint is disposed in the lifting unit and a second ball joint is disposed where the spindle drive is respectively supported.

A drill pipe including a tube having opposite ends. An internally threaded connector is provided at one of the opposite ends of the tube. An externally threaded connector is provided at the other one of the opposite ends of the tube. The externally threaded connector is adapted to mate with the internally threaded connector on a second drill pipe. A bar code is etched into either the tube, the internally threaded connector, or the externally threaded connector.

A lubrication system comprising a motor, a positive displacement pump driven by the motor, a lubricant container in fluid communication with the positive displacement pump and at least one lubricant outlet in fluid communication with the lubricant container. The positive displacement pump is arranged to carry out at least one discharge stroke to dispense lubricant from the at least one lubricant outlet when the lubrication system is in use. The lubrication system also comprises a control unit that is arranged to determine an amount of lubricant that is dispensed from the lubricant container via the at least one lubricant outlet when the lubrication system is in use. The control unit is arranged to monitor current supplied to the motor to obtain a motor current signal, and to determine a number of the discharge strokes from the motor current signal.

An identification tag that is adapted to be attached to a collar ring. The tag has a molded tag body that defines a pair of recesses, and a pliable clip having spaced arms that are adapted to be releasably received into the tag body recesses, the clip further adapted to be coupled to the collar ring, to releasably couple the tag body to the collar ring.

An hydraulic head features two or three individual radial pumping pistons and associated pumping chambers, annularly spaced around a cavity in the head where an eccentric drive member with associated outer rolling actuation ring are situated, whereby a rolling interaction is provided between the actuating ring and the inner ends of the pistons for intermittent actuation, and a sliding interaction is provided between the actuation ring and the drive member. The respective inlet and outlet valve trains are also situated in the head, and the head is attachable to an application and/or customer specific mounting plate. The outside diameter of the rolling element is barrel shaped, to compensate for any misalignment of the pistons relative to the drive shaft due, for example, to either tolerance stack up or deflection.

A milling method and apparatus for the fabrication of components from materials that are difficult to cut for turbo-engines, producing recesses having one or more side walls, in particular for the fabrication of integrally bladed rotors for gas turbines, in which the recesses form flow channels and the side walls form blade surfaces of an integrally bladed rotor, are disclosed. A milling cutter rotates centrally about an axis of a milling machine. The milling cutter additionally executes an eccentric circular motion about a circular path axis at a distance from the axis of the milling machine. The axis of the circular path including the milling cutter executes an advance motion on a straight and/or curved path. The milling cutter includes cutting edges that are contoured with projections and recesses.

A hydraulic radial-piston pump transfers the wind energy of the rotor to an adjustable hydraulic motor on ground level, driving an electric generator with constant speed. The pump consists of piston assemblies, located in radial direction between camshaft and housing, supported by spherical bearings at the housing and cylindrical bearings at the camshaft, allowing for self-adjustment of the assemblies. The radial and axial bearings of the camshaft are pivotally mounted allowing for self-adjustment to the housing. At least two planes with cams opposing each other compensate the piston forces in radial direction. Preferably, the pump has four planes symmetrically arranged around a plane between the second and third plane, compensating the piston forces in axial direction. The center of gravity of the rotor is located between or near the bearings of the camshaft. The loads are supported by hydraulic pressure fields, minimizing frictional losses and increasing longevity.