Author: claimsbot

1. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket including a socket body having at least one internal cavity therein;
an electrically conductive contact terminal disposed within the cavity for establishing an electrical connection between the electrical power supply wiring and the socket, the contact terminal having a portion thereof captured between internal surfaces of the socket body to hold the contact terminal in a fixed position without the need for fasteners;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having at least one male connector electrically connected to the fixture and engageable with the contact terminal within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power wiring; and,
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support, the releasable latch including a pin centrally positioned through the plug and socket.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the socket includes a cover on the socket body overlying the cavity and engaging the contact terminal portion.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the socket body includes a ledge within the cavity, and medial portions of the contact terminal are supported by the ledge.
4. The device of claim 1, including a spring member seated within the cavity for biasing the contact terminal toward the male connector to assure positive electrical contact with the male connector.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact terminal includes a flexible leg engageable with and displaceable by the male connector.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact terminal includes an upper extremity provided with a pair of closely spaced legs defining a slot within which an end of the electrical power supply wiring may be inserted and frictionally captured.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact terminal includes an upper extremity provided with a pair of closely spaced legs defining a first and second, angularly offset slots within either of which an end of the electrical power supply wiring may be inserted and frictionally captured.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the socket includes first and second openings therein through either of which the supply wiring may be passed for connection to the contact terminal.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact terminal includes a pair of spaced apart, lateral walls engaging internal surface areas of the socket body within the cavity, the lateral walls functioning to restrain the contact terminal against lateral movement within the cavity.
10. The device of claim 1, including:
a plurality of spaced apart cavities in the socket body,
a plurality of contact terminals respectively associated with and fixed within the cavities without the need for fasteners, and,
a plurality of male connectors on the plug for respectively engaging and making electrical contact with the contact terminals.
11. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket including a socket body having at least one internal cavity therein;
an electrically conductive contact terminal disposed within the cavity for establishing an electrical connection between the electrical power supply wiring and the socket, the contact terminal having a portion thereof captured between internal surfaces of the socket body to hold the contact terminal in a fixed position without the need for fasteners;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having at least one male connector electrically connected to the fixture and engageable with the contact terminal within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power wiring;
a spring member seated within the cavity for biasing the contact terminal toward the male connector to assure positive electrical contact with the male connector and,
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support,
wherein the socket includes a cover on the socket body overlying the cavity, and the spring is a compression spring captured between one end of the contact terminal and the cover.
12. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket including a socket body having a plurality of separated concentric circular internal cavities therein;
a plurality of electrically conductive contact terminals respectively disposed within the cavities for establishing electrical connections between the power supply wiring and the socket, the contact terminals each having a flexible contact portion;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having a plurality of male connectors electrically connected to the fixture and respectively engageable with the contact terminals within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power supply wiring;
a plurality of spring members respectively mounted within the socket body cavities for biasing the flexible contact portions into engagement with the corresponding male connectors, and,
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support, the releasable latch including a pin centrally positioned through the plug and socket.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the spring members is a compression spring.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein:
the socket includes a cover secured to the socket body and overlying the cavities, and each of the compression springs is trapped between the cover and a corresponding one of the flexible contact portions.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein each of the flexible contact portions includes a spring retainer on an extremity thereof for retaining one end of the compression spring.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the cover includes a plurality of spring retaining elements formed on the inside thereof for retaining the other end of the compression springs.
17. The device of claim 15, wherein the spring retainer passes through the flexible contact portion and includes a contact member engageable with a corresponding one of the male connectors.
18. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the contact terminals having a portion thereof captured between internal surfaces of the socket body to hold the contact terminal in a fixed position without the need for fasteners.
19. The device of claim 12, wherein the socket body includes a ledge within each of the cavities, and medial portions of each of the corresponding contact terminals are supported by the ledge.
20. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power suppy wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket including a socket body having at least one internal cavity therein, and having first and second ends connected by a side wall;
an electrically conductive contact terminal disposed within the cavity for establishing an electrical connection between the power supply wiring and the socket;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into second end of the socket, the plug having at least one male connector electrically connected to the fixture and engageable with the contact terminal within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power supply wiring;
at least one access opening in the first end of the socket communicating with the cavity, the access opening allowing the power supply wiring to be inserted threrethrouh into the cavity and connected with the contact terminal;
at least a second access opening in the sidewall of the socket body for allowing the power supply wiring to be inserted threrethrough into the cavity and connected with the contact terminal; and
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support.
21. The device of claim 20, wherein the contact terminal includes at least a first slot therein facing the first access opening for receiving and gripping the end of the power supply wiring.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein the contact terminal includes a second slot therein facing the second access opening for receiving and gripping the end of the power supply wiring.
23. The device of claim 20, wherein the socket includes a cover on the first end of the socket body overlying the cavity, and the first access opening is formed in the cover.
24. The device of claim 22, wherein the contact terminal is of unitary construction and includes a bifurcated end defining the first and second slots.
25. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket;
an electrically conductive contact terminal disposed within the socket for establishing an electrical connection between the power supply wiring and the socket, the contact terminal having first and second angularly offset slots therein for receiving and gripping an end of the power supply wiring, the first and second slots providing choices for inserting the power supply wiring into the socket from either of two different locations on the socket;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having at least one male connector electrically connected to the fixture and engageable with the contact terminal within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical power supply wiring; and,
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support.
26. The device of claim 25 wherein the socket includes at least one cavity therein and the contact terminal is disposed within the cavity.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein the socket includes a ledge within the cavity, and medial portions of the contact terminal are supported by the ledge.
28. The device of claim 26 including a spring member seated within the cavity for biasing the contact terminal toward the male connector to assure positive electrical contact with the male connector.
29. The device of claim 25 wherein the socket includes:
an end wall,
a side wall, and
first and second wire access openings respectively in the end wall and the side wall, the first and second wire access openings being aligned with the first and second slots respectively, and allowing an end of the power supply wiring to passed therethrough and inserted to the corresponding slot.
30. Apparatus for providing an electrical fixture connection on a flat surface such as a wall or ceiling, comprising:
a socket having a cylindrically shaped body and including a plurality of separated concentric circular internal cavities therein, the socket being recessed into the surface; and
a cover for covering the socket when a fixture is not installed on the socket, the cover including a ring shaped portion which may be sleeved over the cylindrical outside wall of the socket and in tight frictional engagement therewith so as to removably mount the cover on the socket, the cover extending laterally from the socket and visually covering the socket from view.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the cover includes a raised peripheral edge on one side thereof engaging the flat surface.
32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the cover is essentially flat.
33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the cover is of one, unitary construction.
34. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a flat wall or ceiling, comprising:
a cylindrical socket having first and second ends connected by a cylindrical sidewall;
electrically conductive contact terminals within the socket for establishing an electrical connection between the power supply wiring and the socket;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having male connectors electrically connected to the fixture and engageable with the contact terminals within the socket to establish a circuit between the electrical fixture and the electrical supply wiring;
a releasable latch carried on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support, the releasable latch including a centrally positioned through the plug and socket; and,
an assembly for mounting the socket on wall or ceiling, including a flat plate secured to the first side of the socket, and a fastener passing through the plate for fastening the socket to the wall or ceiling, the plate being essentially completely concealed behind the socket and hidden from view when the socket is mounted on the wall or ceiling.
35. The device of claim 34 wherein the plate is secured to the first side of the socket by screws.
36. A device for connecting an electrical fixture with electrical power supply wiring, and for mounting the fixture on a support, comprising:
a socket connected with the power supply wiring;
a plug rigidly fixed to the fixture and insertable into the socket, the plug having a male connector for establishing an electrical connection between the fixture and the socket;
a releasable latch centrally located on the combination of the plug and the socket for releasably mounting the fixture on the support, the latch including a central push rod for latching and releasing the latch; and,
an actuator assembly for controlling the operation of the push rod from location laterally spaced from the central axis of the push rod.
37. The device of claim 36 wherein the actuator assembly includes:
an extension lever secured to and extending laterally from the push rod, and
a mounting assembly for mounting extension the lever on the combination of the latch and the plug.
38. The device of claim 37 wherein the mounting assembly includes:
a laterally extending support member carried on the combination of the latch and the plug,
a spacer for spacing the extension lever from the support member, and,
an extension rod secured to and extending outwardly from one end of the extension lever,
wherein displacement of the extension rod moves the extension lever to shift the push rod between latching and released positions.
39. The device of claim 38 wherein the extension lever is flexible about its other end.

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. An electrically operated hair removing device, such as shaver, hairbeard clipper, epilation device or the like, having an operating systemconnected to a housingfor clipping andor plucking hair, which system has at least two operating elements which are movable relative to one another and at least one of which is driven, and having at least one illumination device for illuminating or transilluminating the operating system, characterized in that at least one illumination device is integrated in at least one of the operating elements.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the illumination device is provided in a moved operating element.
3. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination device has at least one optical wave guide.
4. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination device comprises at least one optical wave guide, which is arranged on one operating element which is movable relative to another operating element andor to the housing, and at least one light source, which is arranged on a housing section and whose light beams couple into the optical wave guide.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the light beams of the light source are coupled contactlessly via an air gap.
6. The device as claimed in either of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the light source is formed by at least one light-emitting diode.
7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination device emits stroboscopically pulsed light signals.
8. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two different colors can be represented by means of the illumination device.
9. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating system is a clipping system with a clipping foil and a lower blade which is movable relative to said system.
10. The device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the lower blade is driven in rotary fashion.
11. The device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the lower blade is driven in translatory fashion.
12. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the operating system is a clipping system with two clipping combs which are movable relative to one another.
13. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the operating system is an epilation system with tweezers which are movable relative to one another.
14. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination device or at least part of it has defined reproducible aging properties which are coordinated with the wear behavior of the device.
15. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a light collector is used as the light source.

1. An arrangement for reducing the effects of relative intensity noise (RIN) associated with an optical pump source in a Raman fiber amplifier, the arrangement comprising:
a pump source for supplying a first optical pump signal capable of generating gain in an optical information signal propagating along the Raman fiber amplifier;
a compensating, low power laser source for providing a second optical pump signal input to said Raman fiber amplifier; and
a power monitoring arrangement responsive to a portion of the output signal from the pump source for generating therefrom an intensity-modulated bias current input for said compensating, low power laser, said low power laser thus exhibiting an output power controlled by said modulating bias current to stabilize the net gain provided to the optical information signal propagating along said Raman fiber amplifier and minimize the effects of RIN associated with said pump source.
2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the compensating, low power laser source comprises a semiconductor laser diode device.
3. An arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the arrangement further comprises
a signal tap for removing a portion of the first optical pump signal output from the pump source and applying the tapped-out portion as an input to the power monitoring arrangement;
a first coupler for multiplexing the second optical pump signal output signal from the low power laser source with the first optical pump signal output from said pump source; and
a second coupler for coupling the multiplexed first and second pump signals with the optical information signal propagating along a second fiber, and introducing the coupled signals into a fiber span of the Raman fiber amplifier.
4. An arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein the first and second couplers comprise wavelength division multiplexers.
5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the power monitoring arrangement comprises
a photodetector for recovering a portion of the first optical pump signal output from the pump source and converting said first optical pump signal output into an electrical representation;
an inverting amplifier coupled to the output of the photodetector for generating a phase-matched \u201cdifference\u201d signal output indicative of power fluctuations in the pump source output signal;
a constant current source of a bias current I; and
a summing amplifier, receiving as a first input the difference signal output from the inverting amplifier and as a second input the bias current from the constant current source, providing as an output an intensity-modulated bias current that varies as a function of power fluctuations monitored in the pump source, the bias current applied as an input to the compensating low power laser source.
6. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the pump source comprises a Raman fiber laser.
7. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the Raman fiber amplifier comprises a second-order amplifier, with the low power compensating laser source comprising a seed laser source, operating at a wavelength different from the pump source, said seed laser source thus generating as an output a seed compensating signal for reducing RIN transfer between the pump and the optical information signal.
8. The arrangement as defined in claim 7 wherein the pump source operates at a wavelength of approximately 1365 nm and power of 1 W, the seed laser source operates at a wavelength of approximately 1455 nm and the optical input signal operates at a wavelength of approximately 1550 nm.
9. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the Raman fiber amplifier comprises a higher-order amplifier, with a plurality of low power compensating laser sources used to generate the required Stokes shifts.
10. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the low power compensating laser source operates at essentially the same wavelength as the pump source, said compensating laser source thus generating as an output a compensation signal for essentially removing the RIN present in the pump signal prior to supplying said pump signal as an input to the fiber in the Raman fiber amplifier.
11. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the pump source and the low power compensating laser source propagate in the same direction as the optical input signal through the Raman fiber amplifier.
12. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the pump source and the low power compensating laser source propagate in the opposite direction as the optical input signal.
13. An arrangement for reducing relative intensity noise in an optical pump source for a Raman fiber amplifier, the arrangement comprising
an optical tap for removing a portion of the output signal from the optical pump source to form a tapped-off monitoring signal;
an optical signal splitter responsive to the tapped-off monitoring signal to form a first optical monitoring signal and a second optical monitoring signal;
an optical-to-electrical converter responsive to the first optical monitoring signal to generate an electrical bias current representative of the power fluctuations present in the output signal from the optical pump source;
a variable optical attenuator responsive to both the second optical monitoring signal and the electrical bias current to generate as an output a compensation signal representative of power fluctuations in the optical pump output signal; and
a signal coupler for combining the pump source output signal and the compensation signal to form a stabilized optical pump signal with reduced relative intensity noise.
14. The arrangement as defined in claim 13 wherein the variable optical attenuator comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

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 sound absorber comprising:
at least one elongated gas channel, through which a flowing gas passes in operation of the sound absorber; and
at least one helical fixture mounted in at least one longitudinal section of the at least one gas channel,
wherein the at least one helical fixture defines a helical gas passage through the at least one longitudinal section of the gas channel; and
wherein the at least one helical fixture defines at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator within the gas channel which is excited by sound waves propagating in the flowing gas passing through the at least one gas channel.
2. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator comprises a longitudinal cavity within the at least one gas channel, which is delimited by opposite impedance steps for the sound waves longitudinally propagating in the gas passing through the at least one gas channel.
3. The sound absorber of claim 2, wherein the opposite impedance steps are provided by opposite changes of at least one of the pitch and of the diameter of the at least one helical fixture.
4. The sound absorber of claim 3, wherein the at least one helical fixture and an outer wall enclosing the at least one gas channel in the at least one longitudinal section comprise at least one local radial contraction.
5. The sound absorber of claim 3, wherein the at least one helical fixture and an outer wall enclosing the at least one gas channel in the at least one longitudinal section comprise at least one local radial expansion.
6. The sound absorber of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal cavity is essentially free of any helical fixture.
7. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one gas channel has a circular cross-sectional area which is spanned by the at least one helical fixture by means of a double helix.
8. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one gas channel comprises a ring-shaped cross-sectional area which is spanned by the at least one helical fixture by means of at least one helix.
9. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein gas passing through the sound absorber is distributed over the at least one gas channel and at least one further gas channel which is connected in parallel to the at least one gas channel.
10. The sound absorber of claim 9, wherein at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz resonator is defined in the at least one further gas channel by at least one further helical fixture mounted in the at least one further gas channel.
11. The sound absorber of claim 10, wherein that the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator and the at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz resonator are tuned to a same resonant frequency.
12. The sound absorber of claim 10, wherein that the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator is constructed as an acoustic parallel circuit and the at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz resonator is constructed as an acoustic series circuit.
13. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz are longitudinally connected in series within the at least one gas channel.
14. The sound absorber of claim 13, wherein that the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator and the at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz resonator are tuned to a same resonant frequency.
15. The sound absorber of claim 13, wherein that the at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator and the at least one further longitudinal Helmholtz resonator are tuned to different resonant frequencies which are equal to discrete sound frequencies of the sound waves propagating in the gas passing through the at least one gas channel.
16. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one helical fixture is actively deformable.
17. The sound absorber of claim 16, wherein the at least one helical fixture comprises at least one functional material.
18. The sound absorber of claim 1, wherein the at least one helical fixture comprises at least one longitudinal end region in which an outer diameter of the at least one helical fixture tapers and gets away from a wall circumferentially enclosing the at least one gas channel.
19. A sound absorber comprising:
at least one elongated gas channel, through which a flowing gas passes in operation of the sound absorber; and
at least two helical fixture mounted at a longitudinal distance in at least one longitudinal section of the at least one gas channel,
wherein the at least two helical fixture define helical gas passages through the at least one longitudinal section of the gas channel;
wherein the at least two helical fixture define between them at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator cavity within the gas channel which is excited by sound waves propagating in the gas passing through the at least one gas channel; and
wherein the at least two helical fixtures comprise longitudinal end regions at their far ends in which outer diameters of the at least two helical fixture taper and get away from a wall circumferentially enclosing the at least one gas channel.
20. A system comprising:
at least one of an engine and of a pump; and
a tube including a sound absorber, the sound absorber comprising:
at least one elongated gas channel, through which a gas passes in operation of the sound absorber; and
at least one helical fixture mounted in at least one longitudinal section of the at least one gas channel,
wherein the at least one helical fixture defines a helical gas passage through the at least one longitudinal section of the gas channel; and
wherein the at least one helical fixture defines at least one longitudinal Helmholtz resonator within the gas channel which is excited by sound waves propagating in the