42results about How to "Reduce equipment footprint" patented technology

A storage system and a load handling device for lifting and moving containers stacked in the storage system are described. The storage system includes a plurality of rails or tracks arranged in a grid pattern above the stacks of containers. The grid pattern can include a plurality of grid spaces and each stack is located within a footprint of only a single grid space. The load handling device is configured to move laterally on the rails or tracks above the stacks. The load-handling device includes a container-receiving space located above the rails or tracks in use and a lifting device arranged to lift a container from a stack into the container-receiving space. The load handling device has a footprint that, in use, occupies only a single grid space in the storage system.

This patent disclosure is based on silicon instead of LiNbO₃, waveguide chip. The disclosed silicon-based multi-function integrated-optic chip comprises of unique design and fabrication features onto it. First, a unique polarization-diversity coupler is designed and fabricated to couple the external light into the silicon waveguide structure. Then TE mode is guided into a silicon slab waveguide, but TM mode is confined and diverted 90 degree in a silicon carbide structure till the chip edges for TM-mode suppression. Second, a unique two-step (vertical and lateral) taper waveguide region is designed and fabricated to bridge the polarization-diversity coupler output with the input of a multi-mode interferometer (MMI) splitter for power loss reduction. In this configuration, MMI may be a 1×2 or 2×2 structure to divide the input TE mode into a 50/50 splitting ratio output to form a Y-junction. Third, at either end of the Y-junction output, there is a phase modulator to achieve optical phase modulation through various physics mechanisms such as plasma dispersion, electro-optics, thermo-optics, or photo-elastic effect. With this newly-developed silicon-based multi-function integrated optic chip, the size and cost of fiber sensors including FOG's can be greatly reduced.

An iridium oxide (IrOx) nanowire protein sensor and associated fabrication method are presented. The method provides a substrate and forms overlying working and counter electrodes. A dielectric layer is deposited over the working and counter electrodes and contact holes are formed in the dielectric layer, exposing regions of the working and counter electrodes. IrOx nanowires (where 0≦X≦2) are grown from exposed regions of the working electrode. In one aspect, the IrOx nanowires are additionally grown on the dielectric, and subsequently etched from the dielectric. In another aspect, IrOx nanowires are grown from exposed regions of the counter electrode.

A radio frequency (“RF”) harmonic filter circuit as disclosed herein is fabricated using integrated passive device (“IPD”) technology. The RF harmonic filter circuit is configured to provide second, third, and fourth harmonic rejection while providing good input and output impedance matching. The RF harmonic filter circuit employs only one IPD loop inductance (preferably used for a second harmonic resonance circuit), which results in a significant die/package size reduction. The RF harmonic filter circuit also employs a combined circuit that performs input and/or output impedance matching and third harmonic rejection.

An electric hair-trimming device includes a body having two opposite ends, two trimming heads mounted to the two opposite ends of the body, and two endcaps that detachably couple to the two opposite ends of the body to cover the two trimming heads. The endcaps each have a generally flat end surface such that the device can be stood upright on either of the endcaps. In an example embodiment, the trimming heads are provided by a nose-hair trimmer and a detail trimmer. And in another example embodiment, the nose-hair trimmer includes a high surface-porosity foil shroud.

The current invention discloses a compact size bubble generating machine. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bubble generating machine comprising a housing having a top opening; a bubble generator positioned inside the housing and adjacent to the top opening; an impeller positioned inside the housing; and a motor positioned inside the housing and operatively coupled to the impeller and the bubble generator, wherein the motor, when actuated, causing the impeller and the bubble generator to rotate simultaneously.

The invention provides a method of patterning flowable material on a surface. The method comprises providing the surface with at least one channel and at least one deposition region connected to the at least one channel, the width of the channel being less than the width of the deposition region, and depositing flowable material in the deposition region such that when the material makes contact with the channel the material is directed into said channel by capillary forces, the receding contact angle of the flowable material in the deposition region being less than 30°.

Microfluidic devices are disclosed for carrying out cyclic or iterated reactions such as PCR, LDR, and other cyclic or iterated reactions. A microchannel forms a closed loop, through which a reaction mixture may be thermally cycled an arbitrary number of times. Flow is preferably mediated primarily by electrokinetics. Multiple temperature zones may be employed along the course of a single microchannel loop, for example for PCR. Embodiments may be compact, automated, fast, and operable in continuous-flow mode. Real-time reaction monitoring may optionally be used.

A sheet folding path for performing folding processing on a sequentially fed sheet to carry to the downstream side is made small and compact. An apparatus for performing folding processing on a sheet from a carry-in entrance 2 to guide to a carrying-out exit is provided with a first transport path 4 for guiding a sheet from the carry-in entrance to the carrying-out exit without performing folding processing, a second transport path 5 for performing folding processing on a sheet from the carry-in entrance 2 to guide to the carrying-out exit, folding processing means 8 disposed in the second transport path 5 to fold the sheet from the carry-in entrance 2, and control means for controlling driving of sheet transport means disposed in the first transport path 4 and the second transport path 5. Then, the second transport path 5 is configured so that a path end portion 5b for positioning the sheet from the carry-in entrance in a folding position 8x of the folding processing means 8 and the first transport path cross each other.

A focusing and leveling device calculates an amount of defocus and/or tilt of a substrate and includes an illumination unit, projection-side mark plate with projection-side slit mark, projection-side imaging group, deflection prism, beam splitter, detection unit and signal processing unit. A light beam emitted from the illumination unit passes through the projection-side mark plate and is trimmed into a probe beam directed by the projection-side imaging group onto a substrate surface. The prism deflects the probe beam reflected by the surface of the substrate for a first time so that it is incident on the substrate surface and reflected for a second time onto the projection-side imaging group. The beam splitter directs the probe beam that travelled through the projection-side imaging group onto the detection unit. The signal processing unit calculates the amount of defocus and/or tilt based on a measurement spot detected by the detection unit.