Author: claimsbot

1-13. (canceled)
14. A motor vehicle body comprising:
a structural element;
a B-pillar fastened to the structural element; and
a dissipation device having at least one torsion segment operably coupled to a lower end of the B-pillar, wherein displacement of the lower end of the B-pillar from a side impact event causes plastic torsion of the at least one torsion segment for dissipating energy.
15. The motor vehicle body according to claim 14, wherein the B-pillar comprises a fiber composite.
16. The motor vehicle body according to claim 14 wherein the dissipation device further comprises a lever joined with the lower end of the B-pillar and the structural element.
17. The motor vehicle body according to claim 16, wherein a flexural rigidity of the lever is no more than 75% of a flexural rigidity of the B-pillar.
18. The motor vehicle body according to claim 17, wherein the flexural rigidity of the lever is about 50% of the flexural rigidity of the B-pillar.
19. The motor vehicle body according to claim 16, wherein the lever comprises at least two legs and a yoke joining the legs, wherein the lower end of the B-pillar is joined with the yoke, and the structural element is joined with the legs.
20. The motor vehicle body according to claim 19, wherein at least one leg is bent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
21. The motor vehicle body according to claim 16, wherein the at least one torsion segment of the dissipation device is situated at a transition between the lever and structural element.
22. The motor vehicle body according to claim 14, wherein the at least one torsion segment of the dissipation device is spaced apart from the B-pillar in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by at least 25% of the length of the structural element.
23. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the at least one torsion segment of the dissipation device comprising a section having a locally reduced torsion rigidity.
24. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the structural element comprises a rocker panel.
25. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the B-pillar is configured to rotate around a roof structural element during the side impact event.
26. A motor vehicle in the form of a passenger car comprising the motor vehicle body according to claim 14.
27. A method for dissipating energy from a side impact of a motor vehicle according to claim 26 and further comprising rotating the lower end of the B-pillar thereby causing plastic torsion of the dissipation device.

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 toilet skirting device for inhibiting seepage of liquid from a bottom end of a toilet, said device comprising:
a plate being secured to a floor of a bathroom and having an opening extending therethrough being aligned with a waste pipe extending through the floor said plate receiving the toilet to inhibit seepage from the bottom end of the toilet from contacting the floor, said plate including;
a planar portion being positioned under the bottom end of the toilet, said planar portion extending outwardly from the toilet and being parallel to the floor;
a base portion upwardly extending from said planar portion, said base portion being annularly positioned around the waste pipe, said base portion extending into the bottom end of the toilet when the toilet is placed on said plate, a wax seal being positioned between said base portion and the bottom of the toilet, said base portion having a plurality of fastener apertures extending therethrough, said fastener apertures permitting bolts to extend through said base portion and through the toilet to secure the toilet to said base portion;
a plurality of raised portions, each of said raised portions being coupled to an upper surface of said base portion, one of said raised portions extending around each one of said fastener apertures and engaging the toilet to inhibit bending of said base portion when the toilet is secured to said base portion; and

a wax seal being positioned between said bottom end of the toilet and said plate, said wax seal forming a seal between the bottom end of the toilet and said plate to inhibit seepage of the liquid between the toilet and said plate.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plate includes an adhesive being coupled to a bottom surface of said planar portion, said adhesive adhering said plate to the floor to inhibit sliding of said plate along the floor.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plate includes a funnel portion being coupled to said raised portion and downwardly extending from an upper surface of said base portion, said funnel portion being inserted into an upper end of the waste pipe, said funnel portion being in fluid communication with the toilet to guide liquid flushed from the toilet into the waste pipe.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plate includes a lip upwardly extending from a top surface of said planar portion, said lip being positioned around said base portion to position the bottom end of the toilet between said base portion and said lip, said lip containing liquid seeping from the bottom end to inhibit the liquid from spreading further on said planar portion.
5. A toilet skirting device for inhibiting seepage of liquid from a bottom end of a toilet, said device comprising:
a plate being secured to a floor of a bathroom and having an opening extending therethrough being aligned with a waste pipe extending through the floor, said plate receiving the toilet to inhibit seepage from the bottom end of the toilet from contacting the floor, said plate comprising:
a planar portion being positioned under the bottom end of the toilet, said planar portion extending outwardly from the toilet and parallel to the floor;
an adhesive being coupled to a bottom surface of said planar portion, said adhesive adhering said plate to the floor to inhibit sliding of said plate along the floor;
a base portion upwardly extending from said planar portion, said base portion being annularly positioned around the waste pipe, said base portion extending into the bottom end of the toilet when the toilet is placed on said plate, said base portion having a plurality of fastener apertures extending therethrough, said fastener apertures permitting bolts to extend through said base portion and through the toilet to secure the toilet to said base portion;
a plurality of raised portions, each of said raised portions being coupled to an upper surface of said base portion, one of said raised portions extending around each of said fastener apertures and engaging the toilet to inhibit bending of said base portion when the toilet is secured to said base portion;
a funnel portion being coupled to said raised portion and downwardly extending from said upper surface of said base portion, said funnel portion being inserted into an upper end of the waste pipe, said funnel portion being in fluid communication with the toilet to guide liquid flushed from the toilet into the waste pipe;
a lip upwardly extending from a top surface of said planar portion, said lip being positioned around said base portion to position the bottom end of the toilet between said base portion and said lip, said lip containing liquid seeping from the bottom end to inhibit the liquid from spreading further on said planar portion; and

a wax seal being positioned between said bottom end of the toilet and said plate, said wax seal forming a seal between the bottom end of the toilet and said plate to inhibit seepage of the liquid between the toilet and said plate, said wax seal being positioned between said base portion and the bottom of the toilet.

1. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a control cycle of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors so that,
if total of the durations of outputting of the zero-voltage vectors in the control cycle is longer than a predetermined time that is longer than zero, the voltage-vector adjusting unit adjusts durations of outputting of the zero voltage vectors to a fixed time or longer, and,
if the total is shorter than the predetermined time, the voltage vector adjusting unit adjusts the durations of outputting of the zero voltage vectors to zero; and

a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage-vector adjusting unit adjusts the durations of outputting of the zero voltage vectors to the fixed time or longer without changing relative ratio between durations of outputting of non-zero voltage vectors, excluding the zero-voltage vectors.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the voltage-vector adjusting unit adjusts durations of outputting of non-zero voltage vectors, excluding the zero-voltage vectors, to another fixed time or longer, or to zero, if the voltage-vector adjusting unit adjusts the durations of outputting of the zero voltage vectors to zero.
4. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a plurality of control cycles of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors so that, if total of the durations of outputting of the zero-voltage vectors in the control cycles is shorter than a predetermined time, the voltage-vector adjusting unit adjusts durations of outputting of middle zero voltage vectors, between two adjacent control cycles, to zero, and distributes the durations of outputting of the middle zero-voltage vectors to duration of outputting of end zero-voltage vectors at ends of the two adjacent control cycles; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
5. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a plurality of control cycles of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors so that, if total of the durations of outputting of the zero-voltage vectors in the control cycles is shorter than a predetermined time, the voltage-vector adjusting unit groups durations of outputting identical voltage vectors in the control cycles into one; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
6. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a control cycle of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors so that, if total of durations of outputting the zero-voltage vectors is shorter than a predetermined value, upon receiving voltage vectors used for an adjustment in a previous control cycle, the voltage-vector adjusting unit, based on whether a voltage vector lastly output in the previous control cycle is a zero-voltage vector, adjusts a first duration of outpuffing one of the zero-voltage vectors in a current control cycle to zero and distributes an amount of the first duration to a second duration of outputting another of the zero-voltage vectors; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
7. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a control cycle of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors so that, upon receiving voltage vectors used for an adjustment in a previous control cycle, if a total of a third duration of outpuffing of a zero-voltage vector lastly adjusted in the previous control cycle and a fourth duration of outputting of a zero-voltage vector firstly received from the voltage-vector control unit in a current control cycle is shorter than a predetermined time, the voltage vector adjusting unit adjusts the fourth duration to a fifth duration which is obtained by subtracting the fourth duration from the predetermined time;
a delay unit that delays the voltage vectors output from the voltage-vector adjusting unit by one control cycle, and outputs the voltage vectors to the voltage-vector adjusting unit; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generate a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
8. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a control cycle of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that
adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors by calculating an error generated by an adjustment of the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors and by correcting the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors in a current control cycle with the error calculated in a previous control cycle, and
adjusts total of durations of the zero-voltage vectors to a fixed time or longer, if the total is longer than a predetermined time, and adjusts the total to zero, if the total is shorter than the predetermined time;

a delay unit that delays the voltage vectors output from the voltage-vector adjusting unit by one control cycle, and outputs the voltage vectors to the voltage-vector adjusting unit; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.
9. An apparatus for controlling a power converter in which an output voltage is controlled by pulse-width-modulation control, the apparatus comprising:
a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on a voltage instruction value for the power converter, voltage vectors, including zero-voltage vectors, output from the power converter in a control cycle of the pulse-width-modulation control and durations of outputting of the voltage vectors;
a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors by changing durations of outpuffing of the zero-voltage vectors to zero and replacing a first voltage vector firstly output in a current cycle with a last voltage vector lastly output in a previous control cycle, if the last voltage vector is different from the first voltage vector; and
a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off semiconductor switching elements included in the power converter, based on the durations of outputting of the voltage vectors, as adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for sweeping and collecting ball-like objects on a substantially horizontal surface, comprising, in combination:
frame means substantially perpendicular to said surface and having a generally concave shape for sweeping and collecting said objects, and
flexible means partially enclosing said concave shape for allowing entry and impeding exit of said objects.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, where said flexible means comprises a strap connected with said frame means and disposed at an acute angle with respect to said surface.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, where said ball-like objects have a substantially uniform nominal diameter and said frame means is spaced from said substantially horizontal surface by an amount greater than zero and less than one-half said nominal diameter.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, where said frame means contacts said rolling objects at a height above said substantially horizontal surface less than one-half said nominal diameter.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3, where said flexible means comprises a strap connected with said frame means.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, where said strap has a width substantially equal to said nominal diameter.
7. The apparatus according to claim 2, where said acute angle is between about 25 degrees and about 65 degrees.
8. The apparatus according to claim 3, further including roller means attached to said frame means for spacing said frame means from said horizontal surface.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further including handle means detachably connected with said frame means for propelling said apparatus.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, where said flexible means is held in tension by said frame means.