Patents Represented by Attorney Michael D. Kilpatrick & Cody Bednarek
  • Patent number: 5586359
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner that includes a stationary blade that acts also as a bearing in a suction pipe connected with a fan in the axial line of rotation shaft of the fan. A transmission shaft supported by the bearing extends from the fan rotation shaft of the fan and through the bearing. A rotary blade is mounted at the end of the transmission shaft that extends through the bearing and cooperates with the stationary blade to chop the sucked material finely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventor: Giichi Iida
  • Patent number: 5586195
    Abstract: A body-acoustic device is provided which comprises a housing (1), a diaphragm (4) dividing an inner space of the housing into a first chamber (5) and a second chamber (6), and a loudspeaker (7) mounted to an opening provided in the diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm is made of a transversely vibratory member and/or has a perimetric edge supported by an inner surface of the housing via an elastic member (10), and wherein the diaphragm (4) is further provided with a port (9) for air movement between the first and second chambers (5), (6). When the loudspeaker (7) is operated, the diaphragm vibrates with a cone paper (8) to generate sufficient heavy bass sound with high sound clarity as if the diameter of the loudspeaker had increased. The port provided in the vibrating diaphragm facilitates the vibration of the diaphragm, further increasesing the sound pressure created by the diaphragm vibration due a sound throttling effect caused by the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Capcom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitomi Ishigaki, Masako Tamura
  • Patent number: 5584626
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening element with a torque-limiting function, comprising on the one hand a fastening member (2, 2') with working threads (4), that is to say threads which are active for the fastening function of the element, and on the other hand a gripping member (3, 3') which is arranged so as to be capable of being turned with the aid of a spanner, wrench, screwdriver or other tool for attaching the fastening element (1, 1') and connected or connectable to the fastening member (2, 2') via a torque-transmitting threaded connection (5, 6/17, 18) with sufficient strength in order to be capable of transmitting to the fastening member torque of the size for which the fastening element is intended, and in which the gripping member is arranged to be unscrewed and turned relative to the fastening member, on attachment of the fastening element, only when the torque exceeds a given predetermined torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Excelsior Development Inc.
    Inventor: Jarl Assmundson
  • Patent number: 5583740
    Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor is provided which comprises a capacitor element and a safety fuse. The anode of the capacitor element is electrically connected to an anode lead, whereas the cathode of the capacitor element is electrically connected to a cathode lead through the safety fuse. A resin package encloses the capacitor element, the fuse, a part of the anode lead, and a part of the cathode lead. The resin package has a recess which is formed with a port extending toward the fuse. An elastic closure member is fitted in the recess of the resin package to close the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujino
  • Patent number: 5582459
    Abstract: A chair is provided which comprises a support, a seat arranged above the support, and a seat back tiltably connected to the support behind the seat. The seat back has an upper back supporting portion and a lower waist supporting portion. The chair further comprises a mechanism for deforming the waist supporting portion forward until the seat back tilts rearward to a predetermined intermediate tilt angle but for retarding or stopping such forward deformation when the seat back tilts rearward beyond this intermediate tilt angle. The seat may be made to move rearward as the seat back tilts rearward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Itoki Crebio Corporation
    Inventors: Katsunori Hama, Hiroshi Iwabuchi, Shunichi Takamatsu, Masaru Nakaseko
  • Patent number: 5580190
    Abstract: A soil-holding device for holding soil dressing on a slope utilizes a water-permeable net paved on the slope. Also provided are a plurality of rows of ground-standing piles fixed on the slope for fastening the water-permeable net and a plurality of rows of soil-holding nets provided on the water-permeable net and correspondingly supported by the ground-standing piles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignees: Woody Yang, Shin-Tsung Yang, Sheh-Ching Young
    Inventor: Yu-Lien Hsu
  • Patent number: 5578773
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-speed steel which is manufactured powder-metallurgically and has the following chemical composition: 2.2-2.7 C, from traces to max 1.0 Si, from traces to max 1.0 Mn, 3.5-4.5 Cr, 2.5-4.5 Mo, 2.5-4.5 W, 7.5-9.5 V, with the balance being substantially iron and incidental impurities and accessory elements. The steel is suitable particularly for tools having a high wear resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Erasteel Kloster Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Henry Wisell
  • Patent number: 5577413
    Abstract: A bicycle speed change operation assembly wherein a speed change operation can be performed during a braking operation, and the speed change can be made in an optimum way in response to various running situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Mory Suntour Inc.
    Inventors: Koichi Tagawa, Akira Nakatani, Toshimasa Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 5576922
    Abstract: A surge absorbing structure capable of effectively utilizing the gaseous discharge is intended without a complicated structural configuration such as using the conventional discharge tube. To implement this, a porous layer 1 is formed by a non-conductive material to provide many holes, and sandwiched between a pair of electrodes 2a and 2b to allow the electrodes to be conducted by the gaseous discharge generated through the holes 3 in this porous layer to execute surge absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Iriso Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yujiro Sugaya, Michitoshi Mitani
  • Patent number: 5576547
    Abstract: For accurate position calculation of scintillation events in a gamma camera, photodetector signals are processed based on small groups of photodetectors surrounding the scintillations. Relative position correction and energy correction is carried out based on rough position values relative to the group of photodetectors, taking into consideration the number of the center photodetector and the sum of all photodetector signals in the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Park Medical Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Abel Ferreira, Vuk Bartulovic, Miljenko Lucic
  • Patent number: 5573718
    Abstract: .alpha.-Alumina fibers are produced by a sol-gel process using aluminum nitrate as a starting material. A reaction mixture including aluminum nitrate, water and aluminum particles is refluxed until the aluminum particles are completely dissolved to obtain an aluminum hydroxide sol. The aluminum hydroxide sol is then aged to increase the viscosity thereof, spun, dried and sintered to obtain .alpha.-alumina crystalline fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Inventors: Han-Chang Shih, Yuan-Horng Chiou, Mu-Tsuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 5570012
    Abstract: A semiconductor device under test (DUT) is checked, particularly for its wirebond integrity, by comparison with an identical reference device which is known good. Each of the DUT and reference device equally has pins. A current is selectively supplied to each pin of the reference device to provide a reference voltage drop at the reference device. Similarly, an identical current is selectively supplied to each pin of the DUT to measure a voltage drop at the DUT. The voltage drop at the DUT is compared with the reference voltage drop to provide a difference. Finally, determination is made as to whether the difference is within a tolerable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Rohm Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Lester R. Orense
  • Patent number: 5564594
    Abstract: Automatic hot food dispenser comprising storage columns (11; 45; 65) dimensionnally adjustable for receiving commestible products (14; 42; 79), fixed in the upper portion of the dispenser; in the frame middle portion (16) of the dispenser, one or more hoppers (17, 18; 40, 47; 68) located under the columns (11; 45; 65) collect the commestible products (14; 42; 79) and route them to an access hatch (19, 20; 43, 80) of one of the microwave ovens (21, 22; 44, 48; 90, 91); said microwave oven is provided with an ejection system (23, 24; 51, 61); the commestible product (14; 42; 79) is evacuated on a conveyor (25; 71) to the receptacle (5; 88) for the consumer; the cutlery ejector (89) evacuates a cutlery box (97) into the receptacle (5; 88); the lower portion of the dispenser comprises an automat (27) and an electronic panel (73).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Inventor: Andre Monfredo
  • Patent number: 5564836
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing which includes a carrier and a plurality of bearing pads circumferentially-spaced about the carrier. The pads may have a modular construction whereby pad portions are releasably secured to support portions. The pads may also be releasably secured to the carrier. Various bearing pad constructions, are contemplated including constructions in which the secondary support portion includes a membrane and the primary support portion includes a cylindrical member extending between the membrane and the bearing pads. A continuous bearing pad ring may be substituted for the discrete bearing pads. The carrier may be provided with locator pins in the pad receiving bores to orient the pads properly. The carrier may have cuts and grooves formed therein to provide a flexible or even beam mounted support for the bearing pads. The bearing may also have a multimode configuration and may include smart structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: KMC, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell D. Ide, Fouad Y. Zeidan
  • Patent number: 5562668
    Abstract: A screw tensioning device is proposed for holding at least one end of a ligament graft. The device has a thimble (1) which locates in the mouth of a drilling through bone, a nut (2) captively seated in the thimble, and an anchorage element (3) with a screw threaded stud (12) which can engage the nut. Different forms of anchorage elements are provided for different grafts, but each is adapted to securely hold one end of a ligament graft. The anchorage element (3) with a ligament attached is drawn through the drilling from the opposite side to the thimble (1) until the stud (12) engages the nut (2). The nut is then turned by a tool (19) until the required tension is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: David P. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5562531
    Abstract: An abrasive blasting apparatus is provided which comprises a blast nozzle arranged in a blast chamber for blasting, toward a workpiece, two different kinds of abrasive particles separately supplied from a first abrasive container and a second abrasive container. The abrasive particles falling to the bottom of the blast chamber are collected by an abrasive collector, and the collected abrasive particles are separated by an abrasive separating system into those of the first abrasive material and those of the second abrasive material. The two different portions of the abrasive particles are returned separately to the first and second abrasive containers through feedback conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: Eikichi Yamaharu
  • Patent number: 5560371
    Abstract: An instrument for measuring the peak flow during an exhalation, which can be quickly and simply assembled and disassembled manually, so that a simple and cost effective production is possible, on the one hand, and a complete cleaning of the instrument is possible on the other hand, so that a hygienic use is guaranteed. The case of the instrument consists of two halves (12 and 22). The first half (12) of the case is equipped with a projection (18), which locks into a recess (24) in the second half (22) of the case when the case is assembled. The two halves of the case (12 and 22) are furthermore both equipped with an extension piece (22 or 26, respectively), with the two extension pieces resting on each other when the case is assembled. For the assembly, the projection (18) installed on the second half (22) of the case is rotated into the recess (24) in the second half of the case, so that the two halves (12 and 22) of the case are joined and the two extension pieces (20 and 26) rest on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Jedermann & Pohl GmbH
    Inventor: Jose Carvalho da Silva
  • Patent number: 5558444
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic thrust, journal or combined radial and thrust bearing and methods of manufacturing the same. The bearing includes a bearing pad structure that may change shape and move in any direction (six degrees of freedom) to optimize formation of a converging wedge for hydrodynamic operation, equalization of load on the bearing pads in thrust bearings and to adjust for any shaft misalignment. The bearing pad may be formed so as to contact the shaft in the installed state and to deflect under fluid film pressure. The shape of the pads may be altered to achieve desired deformations under load. The pads are supported by a support structure which can include one or more beam-like members. The support structure preferably includes a primary support portion, a secondary support portion and a tertiary support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Inventor: Russell D. Ide
  • Patent number: 5559383
    Abstract: An elongated electric motor having an annular stator with laminations and a segmented rotor on a shaft bearing assemblies provided between the rotor segments support the shaft and rotor. The bearing assemblies include a sleeve for supporting the shaft and a support portion adjacent the stator. The outer-periphery of the support portion is made resilient, preferably by the provision of resilient elements about its periphery. For example, a plurality of wheels may be disposed on the outer periphery. The wheels inhibit rotation of the bearing while at the same time permitting easy longitudinal movement of the bearing relating to the stator. The wheels are provided with a spring characteristic by mounting on an axle which is supported for deflection or supported in elastomeric bushings or, alternatively, the axle is supported in a cantilever fashion. Wheels may also be formed of a compressible elastomeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Inventor: Russell D. Ide
  • Patent number: D376869
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Modern Royal Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Ichikawa Makoto