Author: claimsbot

1. A plate for a fuel cell comprising:
a plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels having a hydrophilic coating deposited therein and defining a plurality of lands disposed therebetween, the plurality of lands being free of the hydrophilic coating, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is substantially constant along a length of the active surface and an edge of the hydrophilic coating adjacent the plurality of lands is substantially continuous.
2. The plate of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is greater than about 120 nm.
3. The plate of claim 1, wherein the substantially continuous edge is substantially free of fissures.
4. A PEM fuel cell comprising:
a bipolar plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels having a hydrophilic coating deposited therein and defining a plurality of lands disposed therebetween, the plurality of lands being free of the hydrophilic coating, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is substantially constant along a length of the active surface and an edge of the hydrophilic coating adjacent the plurality of lands is substantially continuous; and
a porous gas diffusion medium in contact with the plurality of lands, wherein a contact resistance between the bipolar plate and the gas diffusion medium is less than about 20 mOhm-cm2 at a contact pressure of at least about 50 psi.
5. The PEM fuel cell of claim 4, wherein the contact resistance between the bipolar plate and the gas diffusion medium is less than about 10 mOhm-cm at a contact pressure of at least about 200 psi.
6. A method for coating a fuel cell bipolar plate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the bipolar plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels defining a plurality of lands therebetween;
applying a hydrophilic coating to the active surface of the bipolar plate;
absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands; and
finishing the hydrophilic coating disposed in the plurality of flow channels.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic coating includes a slurry solution including a quantity of hydrophilic nanoparticles and a solvent.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating includes submerging the bipolar plate in a bath including a hydrophilic material.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating further includes removing the bipolar plate from the bath including the hydrophilic material, wherein the hydrophilic coating is applied to the active surface.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating includes a spraying of the hydrophilic coating onto the active surface.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein the absorbing the hydrophilic coating includes applying an absorbent body to the active surface at a vertical pressure and a time sufficient to absorb the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vertical pressure is less than about 25 psi.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the absorbent body includes a carbon paper.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the absorbent body includes a non-woven polyester material.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of cleaning the absorbent body after the hydrophilic coating is absorbed.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the absorbent body is cleaned after absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands at least 10 times.
17. The method of claim 6, wherein the steps of applying the hydrophilic coating to the active surface and absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands are repeated to provide a hydrophilic coating in the plurality of flow channels having a desired thickness.
18. The method of claim 6, wherein the finishing of the hydrophilic coating includes a drying of the hydrophilic coating.
19. The method of claim 6, wherein the finishing of the hydrophilic coating includes a curing of the hydrophilic coating.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the curing includes heating the hydrophilic coating to about 150\xb0 C. for about 10 minutes.

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 rechargeable battery pack with integrated battery (s) and universal serial bus (USB) capable of adapting various receptacle configurations.
2. The conventional battery pack of claim 1, with integrated step down converter circuit, and high speed timing control circuit; and with integrated high speed control signals and an Integrated converter circuit with digital regulated power signals.

1. A protective garment comprising:
an outer shell; and
a harness assembly configured to be generally positioned between said outer shell and a wearer of said garment when said garment is worn, said harness assembly including a wrap-around portion and a shoulder portion configured to fit about the shoulders of a wearer, said wrap-around portion being movable between a retracted position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally positioned adjacent to a back of said garment and an extended position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally spaced away from said back and passable around or over the crotch of a wearer, said harness assembly including an attachment portion configured to be attached, at a position on a front of said wearer, to said harness assembly, or to said outer shell, or to a component.
2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said attachment portion is positioned at or adjacent to a portion said wrap-around portion configured to be passed around or over the crotch of the wearer.
3. The garment of claim 1 wherein said attachment portion includes a patch of hook-and-loop fastener material.
4. The garment of claim 1 wherein said garment includes an inner liner, and wherein said harness assembly is generally positioned between said outer shell and said inner liner.
5. The garment of claim 1 wherein said outer shell includes an opening formed through a rear portion thereof, and wherein said wrap-around portion is configured to pass through said opening when said wrap-around portion is moved between said retracted position and said extended position.
6. The garment of claim 5 wherein part of said wrap-around portion protrudes through said opening when said wrap-around portion is in said retracted position.
7. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is substantially entirely contained within said outer shell when said wrap-around portion is in said retracted position.
8. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is substantially entirely positioned outside of said outer shell when said wrap-around portion is in said extended position.
9. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is generally aligned with a sagittal plane of the wearer when said wrap-around portion is in said extended position.
10. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion includes a single strap generally aligned with a sagittal plane of said wearer when said wrap-around portion is in said extended position.
11. The garment of claim 1 wherein at least part of said wrap-around portion extends generally downwardly and away from said back of said outer shell when said wrap-around portion is in said extended position.
12. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is directly coupled to said shoulder portion.
13. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is slidingly coupled to said shoulder portion.
14. The garment of claim 1 wherein said shoulder portion is generally configured as a loop having a pair of opposed ends, each end defining one of said shoulder portions.
15. The garment of claim 1 wherein said shoulder portion is entirely positioned within a perimeter of said outer shell and is a continuous one-piece strap of material.
16. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion includes a central strap which is directly coupled to said shoulder portion at a single location.
17. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion includes a central strap and a connecting portion coupled at or adjacent to an upper end of said central strap, said connecting portion being coupled to at least two spaced apart locations on said shoulder portion.
18. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is in said extended position, extends around and over the crotch of a wearer, and is coupled, at a position on said front of said wearer, to said harness assembly, or to said outer shell, or to a component.
19. The garment of claim 1 wherein said wrap-around portion is in said extended position, extends around and over the crotch of a wearer, and is coupled to said component in the form of an anchor strap positioned on a front of said wearer.
20. The garment of claim 19 further comprising said anchor strap, wherein said anchor strap is positioned on an outer surface of said outer shell such that said outer shell is positioned between said anchor strap and said wearer.
21. The garment of claim 20 wherein said anchor strap is a transversely-extending strap coupled to or part of a SCBA system.
22. The garment of claim 1 wherein said outer shell is a coat configured to cover the torso and arms of a wearer.
23. The garment of claim 1 wherein said garment conforms with National Fire Protection Association 1971 Standards for Protective Firefighting Garments.
24. The garment of claim 1 wherein said outer shell resists igniting, burning, melting, dripping or separation when exposed to a temperature of 500\xb0 F. for at least five minutes.
25. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a thermal barrier located generally inside said outer shell such that said thermal barrier is positioned between said outer shell and a wearer when said garment is worn, wherein said thermal barrier has a thermal protection performance of at least about twenty.
26. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a moisture barrier located generally inside said outer shell such that said moisture barrier is positioned between said outer shell and a wearer when said garment is worn, said moisture barrier being generally liquid impermeable and generally moisture vapor permeable.
27. A protective garment comprising:
an outer shell; and
a harness assembly configured to be generally positioned between said outer shell and a wearer of said garment when said garment is worn, said harness assembly including a wrap-around strap and shoulder portion configured to fit about the shoulders of a wearer, said wrap-around strap being movable between a retracted position wherein said wrap-around strap is generally positioned within a back of said garment and an extended position wherein said wrap-around strap is generally spaced away from said back and passable around or over the crotch of a wearer such that said wrap-around strap is generally aligned with a central axis of said garment.
28. A protective garment assembly comprising:
an outer shell; and
a harness assembly coupled to said outer shell and including wrap-around portion extending from a position on a back of said garment, extending around or over the crotch of a wearer, and attached to an anchor strap positioned on a front of said wearer.
29. The assembly of claim 28 wherein at least part of said harness assembly is generally positioned between said outer shell and a wearer of said garment.
30. The garment of claim 28 wherein said wrap-around strap is generally aligned with a sagittal plane of the wearer.
31. The garment of claim 28 further comprising said anchor strap, and wherein said anchor strap is a transversely-extending strap coupled to or part of a SCBA system.
32. The assembly of claim 28 wherein said harness assembly includes shoulder portion positioned about the shoulders of a wearer.
33. The assembly of claim 28 wherein said wrap-around portion is movable between a retracted position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally entirely positioned adjacent to a back of said garment and an extended position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally spaced away from said back and extendable around or over the crotch of a wearer.
34. A method for manipulating a protective garment comprising:
accessing a protective garment having an outer shell and a harness assembly, said harness assembly including a wrap-around portion and shoulder portion;
donning said protective garment such that said harness assembly is generally positioned between said outer shell and a wearer of said garment, said shoulder portion is generally positioned about the shoulders of a wearer, and said wrap-around portion is in a retracted position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally entirely positioned within said outer shell;
moving said wrap-around portion to an extended position wherein at least part of said wrap-around portion is extended away from said outer shell;
passing said wrap-around portion around or over the crotch of the wearer; and
manipulating said wrap-around portion such that said wrap-around portion is secured on a front of said garment.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein an anchor strap, that is coupled to or part of a SCBA system, is positioned on said front portion of said garment, and wherein said manipulating step includes securing said wrap-around portion to said anchor strap.
36. A method for manipulating a protective garment comprising:
accessing a protective garment having an outer shell and a harness assembly configured to be generally positioned between said outer shell and a wearer of said garment when said garment is worn, said harness assembly including a shoulder portion configured to fit about the shoulders of a wearer;
incorporating a wrap-around portion into said harness assembly, said wrap-around portion being movable between a retracted position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally positioned adjacent to a back of said garment and an extended position wherein said wrap-around portion is generally spaced away from said back and passable around or over the crotch of a wearer, said harness assembly including an attachment portion configured to be attached, at a position on a front of said wearer, to said harness assembly, or to said outer shell, or to a component.

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 container for holding a concentrated chemistry within a dispenser that dispenses a diluted volume of the concentrated chemistry, the container comprising:
a front wall that faces outwardly when the container is mounted to a housing of the dispenser and includes upper and lower portions that taper inwardly toward a waist segment defined therebetween, wherein the waist segment is narrower than the top and bottom portions;
upper and lower walls extending from the upper and lower portions of the front wall, respectively;
a locking receptacle extending into each of the upper and lower walls;
wherein an upper locking receptacle extends into the upper wall and defines a semi-circular perimeter shape when the container is viewed from a front elevation;
wherein a lower locking receptacle extends into the lower wall and includes a ramped surface that extends angularly into the lower wall of the container; and
further comprising a channel extending angularly between a back wall of the container and the lower wall of the container.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper locking receptacle extends through the front wall and the lower locking receptacle extends through a back wall of the container.
3. The container of claim 1, further comprising a panel that extends from the front wall, wherein the panel is relatively flatter than the remainder of the front wall.
4. The container of claim 1, further comprising an inner support extending in a transverse direction between the front wall and a back wall of the container, wherein the inner support maintains the front and back walls a generally constant distance from each other.