Abstract:
A method of curing a photosensitive material (10) having a critical electrical field amplitude (Ic) at which photoinitiation occurs. The method includes contacting the photosensitive material, e.g., a photoinitiator/monomer resin system, with a substrate (18) having surface (22), such as an optical element, so as to form an interface (20) between the photosensitive material and the substrate surface. A light beam (12) from source (14) is directed into the substrate, such that the light beam is totally internally reflected from the interface within the substrate, so that an evanescent wave is created in the photosensitive material with amplitude (I). In order for curing to occur in photoinitiation region (16) to depth (I), the electric field amplitude (Io) of the evanescent wave at the interface must be least equal to the critical electric field amplitude of the photosensitive material.
Abstract:
A magnetic on-off robotic attachment device (MOORAD) (100, 300, 400, 624', 660, 678, 804) is used to make a number of systems, such as a mobile apparatus (608, 644, 668, 700, 700'), a belt mechanism (800) and a sensor device (504, 508, 656). The MOORAD allows the respective system to be removably magnetically attached to a ferromagnetic structure/object (228, 420, 604', 720A-B, 720A'-B', 848). Each MOORAD generally includes a dipole magnet (104, 304A-B, 404) movable relative to first and second ferromagnetic portions (112, 116, 316A-D, 408, 412) that are separated by corresponding magnetically insulating portions (120, 320A-C, 416) so as to change that MOORAD between off and on states.
Abstract:
A thermoelectric device (100, 342) that includes at least one thermoelectric couple (118, 304) that contains a thermoelectric junction (156) between two dissimilar materials (P, N) that allow exploitation of either the Seebeck effect or Peltier effect of the junction. The thermoelectric couple includes two thermoelements (120, 124, 324, 326) that extend between the hot side (104) and cold side (108) of the device. Each thermoelement has a thermally insulating region (128, 132) that insulates the hot side from the cold side and an electrical energy storage device (136, 138, 308, 310) that stores electrical energy. When operating in a Seebeck mode, each storage device may be periodically discharged by harvesting circuitry (200, 300) so as to harvest the energy stored therein. When operating in a Peltier mode, each storage device may be periodically charged by charging circuitry (900, 1000) so as to induce a temperature change at the thermoelectric junction.
Abstract:
A method of curing a photosensitive material (10) having a critical electrical field amplitude (Ic) at which photoinitiation occurs. The method includes contacting the photosensitive material, e.g., a photoinitiator/monomer resin system, with a substrate (18) having surface (22), such as an optical element, so as to form an interface (20) between the photosensitive material and the substrate surface. A light beam (12) from source (14) is directed into the substrate, such that the light beam is totally internally reflected from the interface within the substrate, so that an evanescent wave is created in the photosensitive material with amplitude (I). In order for curing to occur in photoinitiation region (16) to depth (I), the electric field amplitude (Io) of the evanescent wave at the interface must be least equal to the critical electric field amplitude of the photosensitive material.
Abstract:
A method of curing a photosensitive material (10) having a critical electrical field amplitude at which photoinitiation occurs. The method includes contacting the photosensitive material, e.g., a photoinitiator/monomer resin system, with a substrate (18), such as an optical element, so as to form an interface (20) between the photosensitive material and the substrate. A light beam (12) is directed into the substrate such that the light beam is totally internally reflected from the interface within the substrate so that an evanescent wave is created in the photosensitive material. In order for curing to occur, the electric field amplitude of the evanescent wave at the interface must be at least equal to the critical electric field amplitude of the photosensitive material.