Abstract:
The disclosure includes a system for indicating wear of a brake pad attached to a vehicle. The system can include a pad holder, a brake pad mechanically coupled to the pad holder, and a sensing device coupled to the brake pad and located at least partially within the cavity. The sensing device can include a first electrode and a second electrode embedded within the sensing device. The first electrode and the second electrode can measure electrical resistivity of an electrically conductive material located within the sensing device. The electrical resistivity can indicate a thickness of the internal portion of the brake pad after the internal portion has been eroded by the rotating portion of the wheel.
Abstract:
A document holder system can include a thin surface elongate along a first direction and a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The document holder system can include a first adhesive portion disposed on a back side along a top portion of the thin surface. Additionally, the document holder system can include a second adhesive portion disposed on a front side along at least one of the top portion and a middle portion of the thin surface.
Abstract:
A system can be used to indicate wear of a brake pad. The system can include a brake housing, a brake pad mechanically coupled to the brake housing, and a sensor mechanically coupled to the brake pad. The sensor can determine when the brake pad has been worn to a predetermined location. The system can also include an electronic module electrically coupled to the sensor and mechanically coupled to the vehicle. The electronic module can include a radio frequency antenna configured to wirelessly transmit radio frequency information to an external receiver, a battery, memory, and an internal transmitter coupled to the battery. The internal transmitter can be configured to wirelessly transmit information from the sensor and the memory to the external receiver via the radio frequency antenna.
Abstract:
A system can be used to indicate wear of a brake pad. The system can include a brake housing, a brake pad mechanically coupled to the brake housing, and a sensor mechanically coupled to the brake pad. The sensor can determine when the brake pad has been worn to a predetermined location by a rotating portion of a wheel. The system can also include an electronic module electrically coupled to the sensor and mechanically coupled to the brake housing. The electronic module can include a radio frequency antenna configured to wirelessly receive radio frequency energy from an external radio frequency transmitter, and an energy converter electrically coupled to the radio frequency antenna. The electronic module can include an internal transmitter electrically coupled to the energy converter and the radio frequency antenna.
Abstract:
A monitoring device is described for multiple chemical reactions in multiple test containers. Each container contains chemical reagents and at least one fluorescence dye indicator capable of changing its fluorescent characteristics due to the chemical reaction. A single cylindrical ultraviolet (UV) cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) tube is utilized. Multiple test containers (e.g., 8) are placed along the tube of the CCFL. The UV light emerging from the CCFL interacts with the dye indicator in each of the containers to yield interactive light beams that can be detected by signal photo sensors. In order to compensate for the light variations occurring along the tube, a reference photo sensor is placed for each container location along the tube to directly detect the signal from the CCFL. By normalizing the signal generated by the signal photo sensor to the signal of the corresponding reference photo sensor, the value of the normalized signal is independent of any light source variations along the tube due to CCFL aging and repetitious power switching. Consequently, the normalized signals only correspond to chemical variations occurring in the test containers.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for proportional sampling of particulate material present in the exhaust gas emitted from an engine, in order to measure the mass of particulate material present in the exhaust gas, utilizes a mixing chamber (18) for mixing a portion of the exhaust gas with a dilution gas. A flow control (20) controls the flow rate of the portion of the exhaust gas as a function of exhaust gas flow by activating individual ones of a parallel array of solenoid valves (30), each defining a flow restriction (34).
Abstract:
A system is provided for detecting a presence or amount of an analyte in a sample. The system may include a detection device detecting a characteristic of a fluid in communication with the sample to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the characteristic of the fluid and a processor coupled to the detection device and determining at least one property relating to the analyte, based on the electrical signal. The system may also include a telephone interface device. The telephone interface device may be coupled to the processor and responsive to the processor to transmit an alarm message indicating the property of the analyte to at least one telephone communication device.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for measuring vehicle exhaust emission includes sampling vehicle exhaust and a dilute mixture of vehicle exhaust and ambient air. A first analyzer measures concentrations of gas components of undiluted vehicle exhaust. A second analyzer measures concentration of at least one exhaust gas component present in the dilute mixture gas component. The at least one dilute mixture gas component is a particular exhaust gas component measured by the first analyzer which is also present in ambient air in substantial quantity. Flow rate of the dilute mixture, the concentration of the at least one dilute mixture gas component and undiluted gas concentration are analyzed by a microprocessor to produce mass emissions of the vehicle exhaust gas components.
Abstract:
A container (10) adapted for use in the detection of aerobic microorganisms in a sample includes a non-toxic insert (22) disposed within the container (10) for supporting microorganisms adhered thereto and for increasing microbial exposure to oxygenated growth media to enhance microbial metabolism. A method for making the container (10) includes the steps of inserting a non-toxic insert (22) into the container (10) and adding growth media (14). Also, a method of detecting aerobic microbiological growth in a sealed sample container (10) having a headspace (16) and which contains a sample which may contain an unknown microorganism includes the steps of providing a sealed sample container (10) having a headspace (16) and non-toxic insert (22) saturated with microbiological growth media (24), inoculating the insert (22) within the sealed sample container (10), and monitoring metabolism in the container (10) as an indicator of the presence of microorganisms to detect microorganisms in the sample.