Rails - Dec 2012 - Searching database in Rails with multiple optional parameters

I have a Rails app with following schema:

User (id, username, user_type, master_id) Item ( id,itemname,master_id) 
Repairs (id, in_date, out_date, user_id, item_id)

The app is small so I have tried keeping db as simple as possible. A user 
can be Admin, Dealer or Manager. A manager can have many dealers under 
him(Both stored in same user table).

An Item can be a ''master item'' like a computer(with many sub
items like
keyboard,mouse) or it can be just a small sub item. So a master item can 
have many sub items under it.

A repair is Repair history for item. A repair has an item and user 
associated with it.

I have a search for with following parameters ( ALl optional)

   - Manager Name
   - Dealer Name
   - Master Item
   - Sub Item
   - In date
   - Out date

If no ''Dealer Name'' is specified I want results to have all
Dealers under
the specified ''manager name'' included in results, if no
''Sub Item'' is
specified I want all items under ''Master Item'' to be in the
results.

How should the search controller be defined so as to keep code simple and 
maintainable? I dont really want to do an ''if'' for each
condition.

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