A pool cover for above ground swimming pools includes a cover with an elevated central area, a plurality of rods to support the cover, and a plurality of clip assemblies to couple the rods to the swimming pool. The cover is a waterproof textile having a plurality of sleeve members allowing for insertion of the support rods to secure and support the cover. Each clip assembly includes hook which removably attaches to an upper perimeter edge of the pool and a pocket to receive an end of the support rod. When assembled, the support rods form a dome-like structure circularly arranged about the edge of the pool.

The invention relates to a drain (1'), in particular for floor level showers, the drain comprising a pot shaped drain housing (1.1) including a shell or pot shaped base component (1.2) without a pipe connection, a laterally disposed pipe connection (1.5) and an inlet opening (1.3) at a top side of the base component, and an immersion pipe (2) which is insertable into the drain housing through the inlet opening (1.3) and defines a stench trap with the drain housing. In order to be able to adapt such a drain to various installation conditions in a flexible manner, so that the installation height, water lock height and drain output of the drain is variable, the invention provides a solution wherein the base component (1.2) is connected in an elevation-adjustable and liquid-tight manner with the drain housing (1.1).

Provided is a device for use in a shower system and a related method. The device may include an appliance for adding a medium to shower water. The appliance may be designed such that it works according to the principle of a water jet pump. Advantageously, the medium added to the shower water may contain one or more fragrance media.

Various embodiments of a device for regulating a fluid flow are described that can include first and second downwardly-sloping valves that are biased in a closed position to prevent odors from escaping the device. The device can also include first and second downwardly-sloping valve seats, and configured such that an end portion of the first valve can be seated beneath the first valve seat and an end portion of the second valve can be seated beneath the second valve seat when the first and second valves are in a closed position, respectively.

A toilet training device includes an odor remediation system for absorbing or masking odors that may be created during toilet training. The odor remediation system may include a modular odor remediating insert that may be releasably positioned within a recess that is provided within the toilet training device. The odor remediating insert may include an odor absorbing substance such as sodium bicarbonate, an odor masking substance such as a fragrance or a combination of an odor absorbing substance and an odor masking substance. The toilet training device also includes a system for dispensing wipes that may utilize a recess that is defined in a side wall of the main body portion of the toilet training device. A wipes cartridge is designed so that it can be used to conveniently dispense wipes regardless of whether it is separated from the toilet training device or mounted within the recess of the toilet training device.

Provided is a pool spring cover having an elongate tubular member with openings on first and second sides, respectively. The first and second sides span a longitudinal axis. An attachment member extends generally along the longitudinal axis from a first portion of the second side to a free end. A fastener comprised of a first fastener element and a second fastener element is provided. The first fastener element is associated with the attachment member at the free end and the second fastener element is associated with the tubular member at a second portion of the second side. The first and second fastener elements are adapted to fasten to each other such that the attachment member forms a loop. The first fastener element and the second fastener element may form a one-time use fastener. Also provided are related systems and methods.

A lever control mechanism of a drain valve of a toilet tank has a lever assembly assembled in the wall of the toilet tank and a lever linked to the revolving shaft of the lever assembly. The lever assembly is connected to a deviator, which is disposed with a drive arm; the drive arm is connected to the revolving shaft. The deviator is disposed with a joint portion and at least a leading hole to limit the lever revolving vertically. One end of the lever is run through the leading hole to rotationally connect to the joint portion; the drive arm is revolved by the driving of the revolving shaft to drive the lever revolved in the fan shaped vertical surface limited formed by the joint portion and the leading hole.

There are provided a valve control system, a bidet using the same, and a valve control method. The valve control system includes a latch valve controlling a stream of water in a pipe; a flow rate sensor measuring a flow rate in the pipe; and a valve control device controlling the operation of the latch valve. The valve control device determines whether or not the latch valve is malfunctioning upon analyzing a flow rate measured by the flow rate sensor. When the latch valve is malfunctioning, the valve control device controls the latch valve to re-operate.

A sink covering assembly for selectively concealing the contents of a sink includes a screen with a peripheral edge. A plurality of suction cups is coupled to the screen adjacent to the peripheral edge of the screen. Each of the suction cups is configured for engaging a surface adjacent to a sink whereby the screen extends over and covers the sink.

A waste collection unit includes a motor supported by a housing. A fan is coupled to the motor by a first member configured to provide a rotational input speed. A liquid-gas separator is coupled to a second member configured to provide a rotational output speed. A speed reduction device is coupled to the first and second members. The speed reduction device is configured to provide a rotational output speed that is less than the rotational input speed. In another embodiment, the fan is arranged in the housing and is directly coupled to the motor by the first member. The fan includes first and second sides respectively including first and second pumping elements. A first waste collection line fluidly connects a urinal to the first side. A second waste collection line fluidly connects a fecal storage container to the second side.

A kit for calibrating an amount of water required by a toilet with an amount of water to be supplied to the toilet has a first recorder for determining an amount of water in a toilet bowl, a second recorder for determining an amount of water in a toilet tank if the water in the toilet bowl reaches a determined level, and a valve for setting an amount of water delivered to the tank if the water reaches a determined level in the tank.

This integrally formed water and space saving lavatory-toilet fixture enables hand washing with potable water from an existing toilet, recycles effluent completely, and provides sanitary, seamless, one-piece, full perimeter tank closure. A flexible hose re-directs supply away from the overflow through an interior fixture cavity and top cast opening toward a basin, that drains back into the reservoir as effluent; supplementing the required volume of water to complete one flush cycle. A cast sidewall basin opening is formed allowing potential drainage to flow through an internal hollow cavity directly into the tank reservoir below. The integrally formed fixture also includes a sloped front wall allowing additional hand washing space, vertically aligned space saving side and rear walls, and, an integrally formed perimeter rim conforming to the shape of the toilet tank edging below, providing hygienic, continuous tank containment and secure, detachable mounting.

In an apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire and controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery, there is provided with a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space so as to divide the operating area into a plurality of parts and vehicle running is controlled to be prohibited from going across the turn-back portion.

An electromotive drive device of an electric motor-driven mini-excavator, which is capable of lengthening its operating time, includes an electric power storage device, a motor-generator, a hydraulic pump, a plurality of directional control valves which respectively control the flow of pressurized fluid, and a plurality of operating devices which respectively operate the plurality of directional control valves. The electromotive drive device is provided with a bidirectional converter which decelerates the motor-generator to an idle revolution speed when X seconds have elapsed in a state in which the plurality of directional control valves are all not operated. The bidirectional converter performs regenerative control to convert an inertial force of a rotor of the motor-generator to power and charge the electric power storage device when it decelerates the motor-generator from a standard revolution speed to the idle revolution speed.

A system and method for controlling a load on an agricultural harvester (100) comprising a first sensor (124, 126, 128, 130) to sense a first load, a second sensor (132, 134, 136, 138) to sense a second load, an electronic control unit (200) coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the electronic control unit (200) being configured to determine a difference between the first load and the second load, and to either (a) raise a harvesting head (102) or (b) stop the agricultural harvester (100), or (c) both, when the difference exceeds a threshold load.

An agricultural harvester (100) comprises a self-propelled vehicle (102); a feederhouse (104); a driveshaft (114) supported on the feederhouse (104), the driveshaft (114) having a first coupler (116) fixed to one end of the driveshaft (114), the first coupler (116) comprising a coupler body (420), a piston (416) disposed in the coupler body (420), and a first key (302) mechanically coupled to the piston (416) to be extended or retracted by the piston (416) to engage a mating coupler on a second driveshaft (120) of an agricultural harvesting head (106) that is supported on the feederhouse (104).

A drive arrangement for driving a first sickle bar section (42) and a second sickle bar section (36) of a harvesting platform (20) comprises a first gearbox (54) and the second gearbox (74) having an output drivingly connected to a respective first end of a respective sickle bar section (36, 42). Drive trains connect the first gearbox (54) and the second gearbox (74) to an input drive shaft (24). At least one of the drive trains comprises a belt drive. A synchronization transmission (82) is coupled to the second ends of the sickle bar sections (36, 42) and couples them in opposite movement directions.

An agricultural work vehicle includes a vehicle body having longitudinally extending sides. An enclosed engine compartment is configured within the vehicle body. An air inlet is defined in side of the vehicle body for intake of air into the engine compartment. A grain bin forward of the engine compartment includes a grain bin extension skirt mounted above the grain bin. An intake housing is mounted over the air inlet in the vehicle body side and includes a forwardly extending portion mounted alongside the grain bin extension with an inlet opening oriented so as draw air primarily from an area forward of the engine compartment and above the vehicle body.

A harvesting system and method providing a row insensitive plant cutting and gathering capability, suitable for harvesting tall, stalky plants such as sweet sorghum, cane, and the like, in high volume, which also billet cuts the harvested plants. Multiple plants are cut simultaneously on a continuous basis at any locations across a header of the system, and the cut plants are gathered into a continuous overlapping flow having a vertical extent or thickness of several stalks or canes and their associated foliage. The flow is then vertically compacted into a mat of reduced thickness while being conveyed into a billet cutter, which cuts the stalks or canes into billets of a desired length and discharges the billets to a desired location, all while the harvester is moving through a field harvesting. The system can be incorporated into a conventional sugarcane harvester in place of conventional base cutters and row dividers.

A harvesting header includes a cutter bed having a plurality of cutting elements arranged transverse to the header and a crop chopping and conditioning region having a crop chopping device and a crop conditioning device. The crop chopping device is configured to chop crop cut by the cutter bed into smaller lengths and the crop conditioning device is configured to crimp the crop to aid in drying. The first chopping roller has a tubular, cylindrically-shaped body and a plurality of parallel knife-mounting lugs extending radially outward along substantially the full length of the body. A plurality of chopping knives are attached to the knife-mounting lugs and arranged around the body, each chopping knife having a length that is shorter than the length of the knife-mounting lug to which it is attached such that each chopping knife covers only a portion of the lateral length of the first chopping roller.

A huller device for hulling bunches of grapes after a harvest or other fruits harvested in bunches by separating the fruit from the stalks, includes two shaking units disposed side by side and defining a vertical space into which the harvest is intended to be directed by gravity. A device for collecting the fruits and the stalks is disposed under the shaking units.

A work vehicle includes wheels and a mower unit that are driven by power from an engine, and a mower driving detecting section for detecting power transmission condition to the mower unit. An isochronous controlling section controls the engine in an isochronous control mode for maintaining an engine rotational speed at a predetermined fixed value, independently of an engine load. A droop controlling section controls the engine in a droop control mode for varying the engine rotational speed in dependence on the engine load. If power is transmitted to the mower unit, the isochronous control mode is selected.

A conditioning device for a forage harvester is equipped with a first roller, profiled in the axial direction, and a second roller, also profiled in the axial direction. The two rollers are rotated, around their axes, in opposite directions and are aligned parallel to one another. An element, profiled, in the axial direction, in a manner complementary to the profile of the first roller and adjacent to the circumference of the first roller, for the removal of crop residues from the roller, extends in a circular arc over a part of the circumference of the first roller.

The present invention relates to a baler ejection system that may be used with an agricultural harvester, such as a round baler, waste baler, combine, or cotton harvester. More particularly, the bale ejection system uses the motion of two pairs of parallel arms that extend transversely from the sidewalls of a bale chamber at two sets of distinct pivot points. When activated by the operator of the bale ejection system, the two pairs of parallel arms raise simultaneously to expose an outlet through which the bale may be ejected. The bale ejection system is designed to allow a larger outlet for the bale evacuation as compared to existing bale ejection systems that employ circular motion to expose the bale outlet. A formed bale may become ejected by one or more conveyer belts that exert a rearward force on the bale within the bale chamber.

A grass cutting machine with two cutting units mounted on opposite sides of the chassis has an inclinometer monitoring the left/right inclination of the chassis. If the inclination value exceeds a defined threshold, the higher of the two cutting units is lifted to improve stability.

An agricultural working machine has a one control/regulating unit designed to adjust and monitor working parameters, quality parameters or both of the agricultural working machine that influence a harvesting process. The adjusting and monitoring are carried out in an automatable manner by the control/regulating unit using stored families of characteristics. The agricultural working machine also has at least one display device for depicting setpoint values and actual values of the working parameters, quality parameters or both. The control/regulating unit actuates defined measurement points in the stored families of characteristics and the specifically actuated measurement points are located in the boundary regions of the family of characteristics or outside the active working region of the particular family of characteristics.

A mower carrying a rotary cutting deck has a height of cut system for adjusting the vertical position of the deck relative to the mower frame for changing or adjusting the height of cut. The height of cut system comprises a pair of parallel cross shafts that carry a plurality of pivotal suspension linkages that connect to the deck, the cross shafts and linkages pivoting jointly with one another and with a pivotal control lever. One of the cross shafts carries a torsion spring to counterbalance the weight of the deck. The control lever is maintained in a plurality of adjusted pivotal positions by a height selection bracket fixed to the frame with the height selection bracket being capable of having its position changed or adjusted relative to the frame by a single adjustment bolt. Each suspension linkage has its effective length adjusted by turning a threaded adjuster carried at the upper end of a connecting rod that is part of each linkage to allow the deck to be leveled relative to a reference plane. The adjustment of the height selection bracket is accomplished without affecting the length adjustments previously made to any of the suspension linkages.

A harvesting machine for threshing crop materials includes a platform supported in front of a chassis, an erecting device having a number pairs of guiding bars attached to the platform and having a channel formed between two bar members of each pair of guiding bars, a guiding element disposed between every two adjacent pairs of guiding bars for guiding a stalk of the crop materials into the channel of the guiding bars, a number of pawls extended into the channel for sending the stalk of the crop materials into the channel, and a cutting device having two or more cutting elements for cutting the stalk into a lower base segment that carries no grain and an upper straw segment that carries grains.

A stalk reducer bar and an assembly that supports, transports, and rotatably drives a stalk reducer bar in typical environments in which an area of vegetation is to be trimmed are provided. The stalk reducer bar reduces the size of cut stalk segments such as grass stalks segments generated during a lawn mowing operation and includes a carrier body. The carrier body includes a further working portion having a plurality of projections and angular movement of the carrier body in the cutting plane operates to bring the first blade section into stalk cutting engagement with stalks extending from the surface supporting organic matter thereon and operates to bring the plurality of projections of the further working portion into shredding engagement with cut stalks.

The present invention provides a method for measuring reflective intensity of display surface, including: obtaining a luminance value of a first display and a luminance value of a second display when displaying, the first display and the second display having the same observed luminance, the peripheral of the surface of the first display being surrounded by light-shielding object, the first display and the second display being placed side by side; and obtaining the reflective intensity of the display surface in the ambient based on the luminance value of the first display and the luminance values of the second display when displaying. As such, the present invention provides convenient and accurate means to measure the reflective intensity of display surface.

A riding lawn mower may include a cutting deck coupled to a cutting blade, an engine, a deck drive coupled to the engine to receive power for operating the cutting blade, a ground drive coupled to the engine to receive power for movement of the riding lawn mower over ground, and a friction drive coupling the deck drive to the engine.

A combine harvester is provided that separates grain material from material other than grain using multiple processing areas, including a harvesting area, a feederhouse area, a threshing area, a cleaning area, and a grain delivery area. In a location at or prior to entering one of the processing areas, the material may be collected and held until a collection threshold is reached. Once it is determined that the collection threshold is reached, the material forming a first group of material may be transported from the location to the processing area or a subsequent processing area. The first group of material is transported from the location to the processing area or the subsequent processing area substantially simultaneously and thus simulates the gathering of a large amount of crop material even when small plots are involved. In this way, reduced cycle times may be achieved, and the efficiency benefits of large-plot harvesting may be extended to small-plot applications.

A vehicle and a method of controlling a dynamometer mode operation of a vehicle that includes requesting the dynamometer mode; monitoring for at least one non-dynamometer vehicle operating condition; if at least one of the non-dynamometer vehicle operating conditions is detected, prohibiting dynamometer mode; and if none of the non-dynamometer vehicle operating conditions is detected, operating the vehicle in dynamometer mode.

A harvester having one or more cutting blades for cutting leafy vegetables with a rotating brush for sweeping harvested leaves into a basket or enclosure. The blades are driven by an oscillatory drive mechanism. The brush may have limp bristles. The harvester may be hand-carried and operated by a motor, which drives both the brush and the cutting blades.

A corn harvesting header comprises a knife bar extending along a front lower edge of a cutting header, with triangular knife sections attached along the bar and a plurality of guards with guard fingers extending forward. Pointed divider pans extend forward from the header such that a slot is formed between adjacent pans. A mounting bracket extends down from a rear of each pan and is attached to forward end portions of a pair of adjacent guard fingers, leaving rear portions of these guard fingers exposed. The divider pans are attached to alternating pairs of guard fingers such that a pair of bare guard fingers extends forward under and laterally adjacent to edges of each slot. The bottom surface of each seed pan is above the guard fingers an elevated distance that is greater than a spacing distance between the guard fingers. The header cuts the corn rows at angle.

A corn header has a row unit frame and an auger sweeping ears of corn toward a center of the corn header. A corn row divider assembly has a snout and gatherer hood hingeably coupled to, and aft of, the snout. An aft end of the gatherer hood is located beneath and to the rear of the fore end of the auger in an operational configuration of the divider assembly. The divider assembly further has a four-point hinge assembly coupling the aft end of the gatherer hood to the row unit frame. The four-point hinge assembly is configured to pivot the gatherer hood between the operational configuration and a non-operational configuration in which the gatherer hood is in a raised condition. The four-point hinge assembly moves the aft end of the gatherer hood forward so that the gatherer hood clears the auger when pivoting to the non-operational configuration.

A windrow merger includes at least one pickup head member and an internal drive assembly disposed within a longitudinal aperture defined internal to the at least one pickup head member, the drive assembly being for imparting a rotational motion to a plurality of tines by means of a drive shaft operably coupled thereto, the drive shaft extending in opposed directions from the drive assembly. A method of forming the windrow merger is further included.

A rotary implement includes a metallic body that is rotatable around an axis. The metallic body includes a tapered leading edge having an interface surface and an opposite, free surface. The metallic body has a first composition. A metallic layer has a first side surface that is attached to the interface surface and a free, second side surface opposite from the first side surface. The metallic layer has a second, different composition from the first composition. A rotary machine can include an actuator and the rotary implement operably coupled to the actuator. A method for making a rotary implement includes providing the metallic body that has the tapered leading edge having the interface surface and the opposite, free surface. The metallic layer is then attached to the interface surface of the metallic body.

A semiconductor device has a plurality of semiconductor die. A first prefabricated insulating film is disposed over the semiconductor die. A conductive layer is formed over the first prefabricated insulating film. An interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die and first prefabricated insulating film. The first prefabricated insulating film is laminated over the semiconductor die. The first prefabricated insulating film includes glass cloth, glass fiber, or glass fillers. The semiconductor die is embedded within the first prefabricated insulating film with the first prefabricated insulating film covering first and side surfaces of the semiconductor die. The interconnect structure is formed over a second surface of the semiconductor die opposite the first surface. A portion of the first prefabricated insulating film is removed after disposing the first prefabricated insulating film over the semiconductor die. A second prefabricated insulating film is disposed over the first prefabricated insulating film.

An example method includes providing a packaging device includes a substrate having an integrated circuit die mounting region. A plurality of microstructures, each including an outer insulating layer over a conductive material, are disposed proximate a side of the integrated circuit die mounting region. An underfill material is disposed between the substrate and the integrated circuit die, the microstructures preventing spread of the underfill. In another example method, a via can be formed in a substrate and the substrate etched to form a bump or pillar from the via. An insulating material can be formed over the bump or pillar. In another example method, a photoresist deposited over a seed layer and patterned to form openings. A conductive material is plated in the openings, forming a plurality of pillars or bumps. The photoresist and exposed seed layer are removed. The conductive material is oxidized to form an insulating material.

A semiconductor device includes a first moisture-resistant ring disposed in a peripheral region surrounding a circuit region on a semiconductor substrate in such a way as to surround the circuit region and a second moisture-resistant ring disposed in the peripheral region in such a way as to surround the first moisture-resistant ring.

Presented herein are an interconnect structure and method for forming the same. The interconnect structure includes a contact pad disposed over a substrate and a connector disposed over the substrate and spaced apart from the contact pad. A passivation layer is disposed over the contact pad and over connector, the passivation layer having a contact pad opening, a connector opening, and a mounting pad opening. A post passivation layer including a trace and a mounting pad is disposed over the passivation layer. The trace may be disposed in the contact pad opening and contacting the mounting pad, and further disposed in the connector opening and contacting the connector. The mounting pad may be disposed in the mounting pad opening and contacting the opening. The mounting pad may be separated from the trace by a trace gap, which may optionally be at least 10 μm.

A method for wafer-level packaging includes providing a substrate having a conductive metal pad formed on the surface of the substrate; forming a metal core on the top of the conductive metal pad with the metal core protruding from the surface of the substrate; then, forming an under bump metal layer on the top surface and the side surface of the metal core; and finally, forming a bump structure on the top of the under bump metal layer.

A system for determining thickness variation values of a semiconductor substrate comprises a substrate vacuumed to a pedestal that defines a reference plane for measuring the substrate. A measurement probe assembly determines substrate CTV and BTV values, and defines a substrate slope angle. A thermal bonding assembly attaches a die to the substrate at a bonding angle congruent with the substrate slope angle. A plurality of substrates are measured using the same reference plane on the pedestal. Associated methods and processes are disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a trench; a gate dielectric layer formed over a surface of the trench; a gate electrode positioned at a level lower than a top surface of the substrate, and comprising a lower buried portion embedded in a lower portion of the trench over the gate dielectric layer and an upper buried portion positioned over the lower buried portion; and a dielectric work function adjusting liner positioned between the lower buried portion and the gate dielectric layer; and a dipole formed between the dielectric work function adjusting liner and the gate dielectric layer.

A method for forming a V-NAND device is disclosed. Specifically, the method involves deposition of at least one of semiconductive material, conductive material, or dielectric material to form a channel for the V-NAND device. In addition, the method may involve a pretreatment step where ALD, CVD, or other cyclical deposition processes may be used to improve adhesion of the material in the channel.

Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a stack structure including insulating layers and sacrificial layers which are alternately and repeatedly stacked on a substrate. A first photoresist pattern is formed on the stack structure. A first part of the stack structure is etched to form a stepwise structure using the first photoresist pattern as an etch mask. The first photoresist pattern includes a copolymer including a plurality of units represented by at least one of the following chemical formulas 1 to 3, wherein “R1”, “R2”, “R3”, “p”, “q” and “r” are the same as defined in the description.

A performance of a semiconductor device is improved. A film, which is made of silicon, is formed in a resistance element formation region on a semiconductor substrate, and an impurity, which is at least one type of elements selected from a group including a group 14 element and a group 18 element, is ion-implanted into the film, and a film portion which is formed of the film of a portion into which the impurity is ion-implanted is formed. Next, an insulating film with a charge storage portion therein is formed in a memory formation region on the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive film is formed on the insulating film.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes forming a first film including a first metal above a processing target member. The method includes forming a second film including two or more types of element out of a second metal, carbon, and boron above the first film. The method includes forming a third film including the first metal above the second film. The method includes forming a mask film by providing an opening part to a stacked film including the first film, the second film and the third film. The method includes processing the processing target member by performing etching using the mask film as a mask.

Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a stack structure by alternately and repeatedly stacking insulating layers and sacrificial layers on a substrate, sequentially forming a first lower layer and a first photoresist pattern on the stack structure, etching the first lower layer using the first photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form a first lower pattern. A first part of the stack structure is etched to form a stepwise structure using the first lower pattern as an etch mask. The first lower layer includes a novolac-based organic polymer, and the first photoresist pattern includes a polymer including silicon.