Patents Represented by Law Firm Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson
  • Patent number: 6047719
    Abstract: In a gas mixing system for producing high-precision, continuous streams of mixed gas consisting of a plurality of individually metered gas components, with an individual gas line including a pressure reducing element and, if desired, a precision pressure regulator for each gas component, precision is further improved by providing that each gas line lead to a separate valve which is timed by electronic control means, the valves being connected at the input side via a jointly vented system of lines for pressure equalization, and communicating at the output side via a mixed gas line with a mixing chamber downstream thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: AVL Medical Instruments AG
    Inventors: Horst Ruther, Roland Raith
  • Patent number: 6047895
    Abstract: A compact, quiet, electrically actuatable multiple-way valve, in particular for coolant circulation in an internal combustion engine, includes an inlet duct and at least two outlet ducts branching off from a collecting chamber, each outlet duct being respectively closable by a locking part. Each locking part is connected with an electrically triggerable actuating member which includes a temperature-sensitive, electrically heatable extensible material element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: TCG Unitech Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Harald Pastleitner, Joachim Strauch
  • Patent number: 6047592
    Abstract: In order to optimize combustion in a four-stroke spark-ignition engine with direct fuel injection, the conditions of charge flow are improved by providing the top surface of each piston with two longitudinal guiding ribs located at a distance from each other and a cross-guiding rib running transversely thereto, thus providing an H-shaped configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Wirth, Walter Piock
  • Patent number: 6047734
    Abstract: A retrofit tap valve assembly is disclosed for a tap having a tap housing, an axial flow valve seat in the tap housing, a tap spindle adapted to effect sealing engagement between a tap seal and the valve seat, and a spindle housing mounted in the tap housing and mounting the tap spindle for axial movement relative thereto to effect the sealing engagement, the retrofit tap valve assembly including:a longitudinally extending open-ended cylinder 15 member having a plurality of radially disposed apertures 17 extending longitudinally in the walls of the cylinder, the cylinder being adapted to sealingly engage the tap valve seat, anda piston member 16 adapted to be engaged by the tap spindle for axial movement therewith, the piston member including piston sealing means adapted to effect sealing engagement with the walls of the cylinder member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Inventor: Brian Anthony Robinson
  • Patent number: 6045008
    Abstract: A fluid pump dispenser has a pump body including a pump cylinder defining a pump chamber with a valve controlled product inlet passage leading to the chamber, a manually reciprocable pump plunger having a hollow stem defining a discharge passage leading from the chamber, a pump piston mounted on the inner end of the stem for relative sliding movement, the body having a plunger return spring for biasing the plunger into a raised position, the piston being limited for relative sliding movement between discharge open and closed positions, the piston having an annular projection defining a discharge valve seated in an annular groove of a plug element fixedly mounted to the stem at its inner end. A lost-motion effect is created between the piston and the stem which closes the discharge valve during the pressure stroke and opens the discharge during the intake stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Calmar-Monturas, S.A.
    Inventors: Xavier Gonzalez Fernandez, Pedro Pares Montaner, Victor Ribera Turro
  • Patent number: 6045713
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a 2-layered flexible substrate includes forming an underlying metal layer on an insulation film with a deposition layer formed by a dry plating method using at least one of nickel, copper-nickel alloy, chromium and chromium oxide and a copper deposition layer formed by a dry plating method on the noted deposition layer, then forming a primary electric copper plated deposition layer on the underlying metal layer, then applying a treatment using at least one alkaline solution selected from inorganic alkaline solutions and organic alkaline solutions, then forming an electroless copper plated deposition layer as an intermediate metal layer on the primary electric copper plated deposition layer and, finally, forming a secondary electric copper plated deposition layer on the intermediate metal layer, thereby finally forming a copper conductor layer of 1 to 35 .mu.m thickness on the insulation film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tamiya, Takehiko Sakurada, Toshinobu Takabatake, Takashi Sugiura
  • Patent number: 6046055
    Abstract: In a sensor layer for quantitative determination of at least one chemical component in a gaseous or liquid sample medium containing a chromophore which is directly or indirectly responsive to the component being determined by changing its absorption spectrum, and a luminophore which is not responsive to the component being determined, where there is an at least partial overlap between the emission spectrum of the luminophore and the absorption spectrum of the chromophore, and where the energy transfer between luminophore and chromophore produces a measurable change in at least one luminescence characteristic of the luminophore, the luminophore L and the chromophore .GAMMA. are ionic substances with differing electrical charges, which are incorporated in a matrix material that is permeable to the chemical component being determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: AVL Medical Instruments AG
    Inventors: Otto S. Wolfbeis, Tobias Werner, Ingo Klimant, Ute Kosch, Marco Jean-Pierre Leiner
  • Patent number: 6041479
    Abstract: The invention is a clasp for jewellery items comprising a female element suitable for housing a protruding element belonging to a male element. Said protruding element is provided with a pair of coupling elements, each one positioned at one end of a pair of shaped rods cooperating with operating means suitable for achieving the caliper-like movement of said rods around a pin that connects them to each other and to the body of said male element in order to obtain the connection or the disconnection of said coupling elements to or from corresponding check elements belonging to said female element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Colpo & Zilio Srl
    Inventor: Renzo Colpo
  • Patent number: 6041691
    Abstract: Two working cylinders are provided, a pressure medium connector being secured to a first cylinder and allowing fluid to flow to and from the first cylinder through the connector. A distributor is connected to the connector and has first and second ports through which pressure medium can flow. The second port is connected to the second cylinder. The first port is connected through the connector to the first working cylinder and is also connected to the second port. The first port is connected to a source of pressure medium and when pressure medium flows to or from the first port, pressure medium also flows through the connector to or from the first working cylinder as well as to or from the second port and the second working cylinder to cause the first and second working cylinders to operate simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Hydraulik GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Kladiwa
  • Patent number: 6042780
    Abstract: A method for producing high performance components by the consolidation of powdered materials under conditions of hot isostatic pressure. The method uses the inclusion of reactive materials mixed into pressure-transmitting mold materials and into the powder to be consolidated to contribute to in-situ materials modification including purification, chemical transformation, and reinforcement. The method also uses encapsulation of the mold in a sealed container to retain the mold material in position, and to exclude air and contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Inventor: Xiaodi Huang
  • Patent number: 6040190
    Abstract: For the purpose of determining the concentration c of an absorbing medium distributed homogeneously in a carrier, even if the film thickness d of the carrier is unknown, an absorbing medium is used whose measured absorption a(.lambda.) deviates from Lambert-Beer's law, in particular in the region of higher concentration, and n.gtoreq.2 model components of the absorbing medium are assumed, so thata(.lambda.)=(.epsilon..sub.1 (.lambda.).c.sub.1 +.epsilon..sub.2 (.lambda.).c.sub.2 + . . . .epsilon..sub.n (.lambda.).c.sub.n).d.The absorption a(.lambda..sub.i) is measured for at least n wavelengths, and the spectral absorption values .epsilon..sub.i (.lambda..sub.i) and concentrations c.sub.i of the model components are computed and the concentration c is determined from the functional relationship between the concentration c and concentrations c.sub.i of the model components c=f(c.sub.i), which relationship is obtained by calibrating measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: AVL Medical Instruments AG
    Inventor: Gerd Schweiger
  • Patent number: 6037178
    Abstract: Quality control of an analyzing system that includes a portable analyzer with insertable single-use cartridges whose sample chamber contains optical and/or electrochemical sensors is accomplished by bringing the sensors in the single-use cartridge into contact, or are in contact with, a calibrating and/or conditioning medium, the calibrating and/or conditioning medium exhibiting chemical and/or physical parameters which influence the characteristic of at least one of the sensors. Just before a sample is measured, the sensors are contacted with a quality control liquid which is identical with the calibrating and/or conditioning medium within a predetermined desired range of accuracy for the sample components to be measured, as regards the chemical and/or physical parameters influencing the characteristic of at least one sensor during calibration and/or conditioning. The instantaneous control values obtained on the basis of the calibration values are subsequently compared to known target control values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: AVL Medical Instruments AG
    Inventors: Marco Jean-Pierre Leiner, James K. Tusa
  • Patent number: 6036863
    Abstract: In a reactor for water treatment of the type that contains particle-like carriers on which a biofilm grows that generates a desired decomposition of the contamination, a forced current is created such that the water in another current flows downwardly. In a special embodiment the upwardly flowing current is created in a tube. The reactor proves to be exceptionally effective and can be utilized together with other water purification and water treatment equipment. It is a distinctive feature that the downflowing current tears air down thus causing an exceptionally high oxygen concentration in the water. The reactor can furthermore be used for denitrification. Among other things the invention provides a minibiological purification plant servicing a single or very few households. As micro film carriers are preferably used, particles having an outwardly open cell structure for increasing the total effective surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Inventor: Knud Peter Brockdorff
  • Patent number: 6035144
    Abstract: A still photo camera for film and electronic image recording selectively employs various media and media evaluation modes with selectable mechanical, optical and electronic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Sinar AG
    Inventor: Karl Gfeller
  • Patent number: 6032354
    Abstract: A device for manufacturing a rotor for an electric machine, for example, a permanent-magnet excited rotor for a high-speed a.c. machine, the rotor including an inner part constituting a rotor body and an outer part including a capsule tube which, when the rotor is completed, surrounds the rotor body with a shrinkage fit, the device including a counter-support (6) for fixing one of the first and second parts of the rotor in the vertical direction, and a guide channel (7) through which the other of the two parts moves due to gravity against the fixed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AB
    Inventors: Peter Chudi, .ANG.ke Jonsson, Leif nger
  • Patent number: 6035011
    Abstract: A reactor core for a boiling water nuclear reactor includes a plurality of fuel assemblies (40) with a plurality of vertical fuel rods (10) and possibly occasional vertical water-filled rods or channels (32, 48, 49, 50, 51) which are surrounded by a fuel channel (1). Between the fuel assemblies (40) there are arranged water gaps (37a, 37b). At least one fuel assembly (40) has at least one outer, reduced corner portion (41) facing a gap (37a, 37bb), and the number of fuel rods (10) in each such fuel assembly (40) is reduced by a number corresponding to the number of reduced corner portions (41) therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Atom AB
    Inventors: Sven-Birger Johannesson, Lars-Erik Johansson
  • Patent number: 6033373
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hinge for an orthopaedic knee brace comprising first and second hinge members rotatably connected together. The first hinge part is provided with an annular slot for receiving a pin provided on the second hinge member. First and second stop members are provided with opposed stop faces located in the region of the annular slot and are manually positionable circumferentially along the annular slot whereby to define a limited range of relative movement between the hinge members and a clamping member is provided for applying a clamping force to the stop members in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge members, the stop members and the first hinge member having inter-engaging projections and recesses whereby to clamp the stop members to the first hinge member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Directaid Limited
    Inventors: Peter Ian Davis, Kenneth Paul Davis
  • Patent number: 6033802
    Abstract: The invention discloses a sealing element (1; 100) for the poles (2) of electric accumulators consisting of a tubular body (10) which presents a through-hole (7; 70) lodging said pole (2) and which is provided with at least one collar (25; 125) matching by interference against the outer lateral surface (23) of said pole (2), in order to ensure the sealing when said tubular body (10) is externally coupled with said pole and internally with a seat (3) obtained in the lid (5) of the accumulator and peripherically to the hole (4) for the passage of said pole (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Inventor: Olimpio Stocchiero
  • Patent number: D422707
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Sonex International Corporation
    Inventor: Robert T. Bock
  • Patent number: D422878
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Fastec Industrial Corp.
    Inventors: Michael B. Marshall, Shigatoshi Wada