1. A test strip container for providing ease of access to test strips comprising:
a lower housing having an outer and an inner surface which define a cavity for containing the test strips, the lower housing comprising an aperture defined by the lower housing through which the plurality of test strips may extend;
an upper housing having surfaces which abut with the surfaces of the lower housing for enclosing the cavity;
a retaining member connected to the lower housing within the cavity and configured to releasably retain the test strips in a nested configuration wherein such of the test strips extends radially outward from the retaining member, said retaining member comprising a radial paddle structure having a plurality of members which extend radially outward from the center axle, wherein the spaces between the plurality of members form a plurality of compartments such that the test strips may be placed within the plurality of compartments; and
a center axle which is substantially normal to the lower housing and which extends through the retaining member in the lower housing, wherein rotation of the center axle may result in rotation of the retaining member configured to releasably retain the test strips in a nested configuration, such that the test strips may be rotated and accessed through the aperture, wherein the test strip container has an open configuration and a closed configuration, in which:
the open configuration comprises the upper housing being separated from the lower housing wherein such of the test strips in the nested configuration are accessible in the cavity of the lower housing, and
the closed configuration comprises the surfaces of the upper housing and the lower housing abutting to conceal the test strips within the test strip container.
2. The test strip container of claim 1, wherein the lower housing is substantially circular and the upper housing is substantially semi-circular such that it coordinates with the lower housing to form a substantially circular test strip container.
3. The test strip container of claim 2, wherein access through the aperture defined by the lower housing to the test strips may be improved by angling the aperture defined by the lower housing such that the test strips may extend through a larger area.
4. The test strip container of claim 3, wherein the rotation of the center axle is restricted to one direction by the addition of a unidirectional advancement mechanism.
5. The test strip container of claim 3, wherein the plurality of compartments may be sealed by adding a sealing material to the inner surface of the lower housing which the plurality of members contact.
6. The test strip container of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of compartments may be sealed by over molding TPE.
7. The test strip container of claim 3, wherein the test strips may be retained within the radial paddle structure by the addition of a leaf spring to each of the plurality of compartments.
8. A method of providing easy access to test strips which comprises utilizing the test strip container of claim 1.
9. A test strip container for providing ease of access to test strips comprising:
a lower housing having an outer and an inner surface which define a cavity for containing the test strips, the lower housing comprising an aperture defined by the lower housing through which the plurality of test strips may extend;
an upper housing having surfaces which abut with the surfaces of the lower housing for enclosing the cavity;
a retaining member connected to the lower housing within the cavity and configured to releasably retain the test strips in a nested configuration wherein such of the test strips extends radially outward from the retaining member, said retaining member comprising a test strip carrier structure comprising a disc and a center axle; and
a center axle which is substantially normal to the lower housing and which extends through the retaining member in the lower housing, wherein rotation of the center axle may result in rotation of the retaining member configured to releasably retain the test strips in a nested configuration, such that the test strips may be rotated and accessed through the aperture, wherein the test strip container has an open configuration and a closed configuration, in which:
the open configuration comprises the upper housing being separated from the lower housing wherein such of the test strips in the nested configuration are accessible in the cavity of the lower housing, and
the closed configuration comprises the surfaces of the upper housing and the lower housing abutting to conceal the test strips within the test strip container.
10. The test strip container of claim 9, wherein the disc is substantially planar and has a diameter smaller than the length of the test strips, and is arranged within the cavity of the lower housing such that the disc is substantially parallel to the inner surface of the lower housing wherein the test strips may be adhered.
11. The test strip container of claim 9, wherein a multiplicity of test strip carrier structures may be stacked within the cavity in the lower housing.
12. The test strip container of claim 9, wherein the test strips are adhered to the disc with a light adhesive.
13. The test strip container of claim 9, wherein the test strips are adhered to the disc with a clip.
14. A method of providing easy access to test strips which comprises utilizing the test strip container of claim 9.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of operating a DC (\u2018Direct Current\u2019)-DC converter, the DC-DC converter comprising:
a directly coupled inductor comprising a first coil element and a second coil element, the first coil element and second coil element coupled to an output filter and a load; and
a plurality of power-switching phases comprising:
a first power-switching phase comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the high-side switch of the first power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple a voltage source to the first coil element and the low-side switch of the first power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the first coil element to a ground voltage; and
a second power-switching phase comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the voltage source to the second coil element and the low-side switch of the second power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the second coil element to the ground voltage; wherein the method comprises:
alternatively activating each switch, wherein no two switches are activated at the same time.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein alternatively activating each switch further comprises:
activating the high-side switch of the first power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the first coil element, energizing a magnetic core of the directly coupled inductor, and providing, via the first coil element, output current to the filter and load;
activating the low-side switch of the first power-switching phase, including coupling the first coil element to the ground voltage and providing, via the second coil element and the energized magnetic core, output current to the filter and load;
activating the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the second coil element, re-energizing the magnetic core of the directly coupled inductor, and providing, via the second coil element, output current to the filter and load; and
activating the low-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the second coil element to the ground voltage and providing, via the first coil element and the energized magnetic core, output current to the filter and load.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein alternatively activating each switch further comprises:
activating each high-side switch for a period of time according to:
D
N
where D represents a duty cycle and N represents the number of power-switching phases; and
activating each low-side switch for a period of time according to:
(
1
–
D
)
N
.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of phases is inversely proportional to the duty cycle of activating the switches and thereby inversely proportional to the inductance of the directly coupled inductor.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein current ripple experienced by the filter and the load comprises:
1
f
*
L
OL
*
(
1
–
V
OUT
V
IN
\ue89e
)
*
V
OUT
N
,
where f represents the frequency of alternatively activating each switch, LOL represents the open loop inductance of the directly coupled inductor, N represents the number of power-switching phases, VIN represents the voltage of the voltage source and VOUT represents the voltage experienced at the filter and load.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein each high-side switch and each low-side switch comprises a Field Effect Transistor.
7. An apparatus for operating a DC (\u2018Direct Current\u2019)-DC converter, the DC-DC converter comprising:
a directly coupled inductor comprising a first coil element and a second coil element, the first coil element and second coil element coupled to an output filter and a load; and
a plurality of power-switching phases comprising:
a first power-switching phase comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the high-side switch of the first power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple a voltage source to the first coil element and the low-side switch of the first power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the first coil element to a ground voltage; and
a second power-switching phase comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the voltage source to the second coil element and the low-side switch of the second power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple the second coil element to the ground voltage; wherein the method comprises:
the apparatus comprising a controller configured for alternatively activating each switch, wherein no two switches are activated at the same time.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein alternatively activating each switch further comprises:
activating the high-side switch of the first power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the first coil element, energizing a magnetic core of the directly coupled inductor, and providing, via the first coil element, output current to the filter and load;
activating the low-side switch of the first power-switching phase, including coupling the first coil element to the ground voltage and providing, via the second coil element and the energized magnetic core, output current to the filter and load;
activating the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the second coil element, re-energizing the magnetic core of the directly coupled inductor, and providing, via the second coil element, output current to the filter and load; and
activating the low-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the second coil element to the ground voltage and providing, via the first coil element and the energized magnetic core, output current to the filter and load.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein alternatively activating each switch further comprises:
activating each high-side switch for a period of time according to:
D
N
where D represents a duty cycle and N represents the number of power-switching phases; and
activating each low-side switch for a period of time according to:
(
1
–
D
)
N
.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the number of phases is inversely proportional to the duty cycle of activating the switches and thereby inversely proportional to the inductance of the directly coupled inductor.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein current ripple experienced by the filter and the load comprises:
1
f
*
L
OL
*
(
1
–
V
OUT
V
IN
\ue89e
)
*
V
OUT
N
,
where f represents the frequency of alternatively activating each switch, LOL represents the open loop inductance of the directly coupled inductor, N represents the number of power-switching phases, VIN represents the voltage of the voltage source and VOUT represents the voltage experienced at the filter and load.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each high-side switch and each low-side switch comprises a Field Effect Transistor.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises a power supply for a computer.