Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Weiner, Carrier, Burt & Esser, P.C.
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Patent number: 5755660Abstract: An apparatus and method of performing a cholecystectomy procedure through a 3-centimeter incision in the minimum stress triangle through the falciform ligament which provides for direct vertical view of the biliary ducts during dissection. Special tools are provided for this type and other types of surgical operations including obtuse-angled retractors having optionally fixed thereto lighting devices and/or suction devices.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1995Date of Patent: May 26, 1998Inventor: Narendra S. Tyagi
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Patent number: 5752575Abstract: A gearbox and two hydraulic clutches are disposed between left and right follower wheels of a vehicle. The torque transfer capacity of the hydraulic clutches is controlled to effect the distribution of a torque between the follower wheels. In a low lateral acceleration range, the torque transfer capacity is increased in accordance with an increase in lateral acceleration to enhance the turning performance and the high-speed stability performance. In a high lateral acceleration range, the torque transfer capacity is decreased in accordance with an increase in lateral acceleration, such that it does not exceed a largest frictional force of a wheel acting as an inner wheel during turning movement of the vehicle, thereby insuring a cornering force.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 1995Date of Patent: May 19, 1998Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshikazu Konishi, Tetsurou Hamada, Yoshihiro Kanamaru
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Patent number: 5749797Abstract: A ball or object ejecting device is disclosed which is useful as an automatic pitching machine. The device includes a support guide for supporting a ball to be ejected, a flexible impacting member for impacting against a supported ball at a large velocity for thereby forcibly ejecting the ball from the support guide, an actuating mechanism for cyclically actuating the impacting member in a predetermined cycle period, a mechanism for supplying a plurality of balls, one at a time, to the support means in the predetermined cycle period, and the actuating means also actuates the ball supplying mechanism simultaneously as it actuates the impacting member.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 1996Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Inventors: Robert Sunseri, Earl Sunseri
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Patent number: 5742123Abstract: A sealing structure for a light-emitting bulb assembly includes a closure, having a core which serves as an electrode for sealing an open end of a bulb. The closure includes a bulb-side region disposed adjacent to the open end of the bulb and made of a compositional ingredient having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is substantially the same as that of the bulb, a core-side region disposed adjacent to the core and made of a compositional ingredient having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is substantially the same as that of the core, and an intermediate region disposed between the bulb-side region and the core-side region and made of a compositional ingredient having compositional proportions adjusted such that a coefficient of thermal expansion thereof varies gradually from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the bulb-side region toward the coefficient of thermal expansion of the core-side region.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1997Date of Patent: April 21, 1998Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventor: Hiroyuki Nagayama
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Patent number: 5742240Abstract: A course travel judging device judges based on outputs from a map information outputting device and a subject vehicle position outputting device whether a subject vehicle is traveling on a course set by a course setting device. If the subject vehicle is traveling on the set course, a vehicle speed is controlled by a travel control device, so that the subject vehicle can safely pass through a curve ahead thereof. If the subject vehicle has deviated from the set course, an alarm is given to an occupant by an alarm device, and the control of vehicle speed by the travel control device is stopped. If a departing possibility judging device judges that there is a possibility of departing of the subject vehicle from the set course, a deviatable course is set by a deviatable course determining device, and the vehicle speed is controlled by the travel control device, so that the subject vehicle can safely pass through a curve having a severest passing condition on either of the set course or the deviatable course.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 1995Date of Patent: April 21, 1998Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobuyoshi Asanuma, Hiroshi Sekine
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Patent number: 5732484Abstract: A shoe cleat for an athletic shoe. The shoe cleat comprises a first end which removably attaches to the underside of a shoe; a second end which is connected to the first end of the shoe cleat and which includes a surface which engages with a ground surface when the shoe cleat is attached to a shoe; and wherein the ground-engaging surface of the second end of the shoe cleat includes an anti-slip surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1996Date of Patent: March 31, 1998Assignee: DI-Coat CorporationInventors: Zigmund R. Grutza, Hank Deutschendorf, Alan Davis, Theodore Grutza
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Patent number: 5720312Abstract: A collapsible and portable fishing shelter or survival unit for use in conjunction with a snowmobile. The snowmobile acts as the base for the unit, and adds stability to it. Structural members are releasably secured to the snowmobile, and a tarp covering is placed over the structural members to form the collapsible shelter. The seat or seats of the snowmobile form the seats of the collapsible shelter. The shelter may be erected at one location, and moved by the snowmobile to a new location.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1995Date of Patent: February 24, 1998Assignee: Chris ScheuermannInventor: Chris Scheuermann
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Patent number: 5714189Abstract: The invention pertains to a novel cooking utensil for use in cooking food together with a conventional cooking vessel such as a covered skillet. The cooking utensil comprises a thin, substantially planar food-supporting cooking member having a bottom surface shaped substantially identically to a lower, inner surface of the conventional cooking vessel so that the food supporting member will substantially completely cover the lower, inner surface of the cooking vessel in flush contact therewith when the food supporting member is placed in the vessel, and handle means integrally connected to a central portion of an upper surface of the food supporting member for lifting and handling the food supporting member. The food supporting member preferably has a uniform thickness significantly smaller than the thickness of a bottom wall portion of the cooking vessel, and a continuous surface so that fluid cannot pass therethrough during a cooking operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1995Date of Patent: February 3, 1998Inventor: Tchong Chin Mao
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Patent number: 5711592Abstract: A lamplight device for a vehicle which is inconspicuous when it is turned off is provided. The lamplight device comprises a reflection type or transmission type optical member installed on a predetermined place of a vehicle body either directly or through an appearance member, and is adapted to reflect or refract a light of a specific wave length, a light projecting mechanism for projecting a light of the specific wave length, and a light guiding mechanism for guiding the light projected from the light projecting mechanism to an outer surface or an reverse surface of the reflection type or transmission type optical member.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 1995Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoshihiko Hotta
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Patent number: 5709519Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for etching, ashing, or otherwise processing silicon wafers has a pair of spaced reaction chambers each for processing a silicon wafers in a plasma, a pair of spaced cassette table mechanisms each for supporting a wafer cassette which houses a plurality of wafers therein, and a transfer robot disposed between the pair of spaced reaction chambers and the pair of spaced cassette table mechanisms, for transferring the wafers, one at a time, between the wafer cassette supported by one of the workpiece table mechanisms and one of the reaction chambers. Each of the cassette table mechanisms has a turntable for placing the wafer thereon, the turntable being rotatable to orient the wafer cassette out of physical interference with the robot arm of the transfer robot.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1993Date of Patent: January 20, 1998Assignee: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Uehara, Mitsuaki Minato, Yoshitsugu Kawamura
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Patent number: 5707687Abstract: A suction chuck and an inner cup are rotated in unison with each other to spread a coating solution uniformly over a planar object in the inner cup under centrifugal forces. Vent holes defined in an outer cup lid which closes an outer cup are held out of communication with vent holes defined in a ring-shaped closure member, so that the interior space in the outer cup is kept out of communication with the exterior space around the outer cup. The concentration of a solvent in the outer cup remains so high that no mist is produced in the outer cup. After the planar object has been coated and before the outer cup lid is opened, the ring-shaped closure member is turned to align the vent holes in the outer cup lid with the vent holes in the ring-shaped closure member, breaking any vacuum in the outer cup with ambient air introduced through the vent holes into the outer cup. Thereafter, the outer and inner cup lids are opened, and the coated planar object is taken out.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 1996Date of Patent: January 13, 1998Assignee: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koji Ueda, Hiroki Endo, Hidenori Miyamoto
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Patent number: 5706930Abstract: When a carrier arm is retracted, a semiconductor wafer carried thereon passes between three light-emitting elements and three light-detecting elements associated therewith. At this time, a controller determines six points on the outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor wafer based on signals from sensors made up of the light-emitting elements and the light-detecting elements. The controller selects three of the determined points, determines the center of a circumscribed circle passing through the selected three points, and regards the determined center as the center of the semiconductor wafer. Then, the controller controls movement of the semiconductor wafer toward a rotary-cup coating device, an evacuating drying device, or an edge cleaning device based on the center of the semiconductor wafer.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 1996Date of Patent: January 13, 1998Assignee: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tsutomu Sahoda, Koji Ueda, Hidenori Miyamoto, Toru Arikawa
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Patent number: 5702125Abstract: A rear panel is provided in rear of a connecting wall rising upwardly from a rear end of a front floor panel, and a fuel tank supported within a subframe is disposed beneath a lower surface of the rear floor panel. A gas fume absorbing canister and a muffler are juxtaposed in a lateral direction of a vehicle body in a space which is surrounded by a rear surface of a middle cross-member secured to a rear surface of the connecting wall, a front surface of the fuel tank and the lower surface of the rear floor panel. Thus, it is possible to shorten a purge passage connected from the canister to an engine, to protect the canister from collision against a stepping stone or the like, to insure the volume of a trunk room and to enhance the purging efficiency of the canister utilizing a heat of the muffler by reasonably disposing the canister at a rear portion of the vehicle body.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 1995Date of Patent: December 30, 1997Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeaki Nakajima, Kazumi Yamazaki
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Patent number: 5703775Abstract: In a vehicle steering control system, an actuating torque is applied to steerable wheels according to a steering torque applied to a steering wheel in a conventional manner, and an additional actuating torque is applied to the steering wheel by an electric motor according to lateral dynamic conditions of the vehicle so as to control the lateral stability of the vehicle even in the presence of external interferences such as crosswind. Such external interferences are detected as a lateral dynamic condition of the vehicle such as the yaw rate of the vehicle, and the steering control system produces a steering reaction which counteracts such a lateral dynamic condition by applying the additional actuating torque to the steerable wheels so that the vehicle may maintain a straight course in spite of such external interferences without requiring any intentional efforts by the vehicle operator.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1995Date of Patent: December 30, 1997Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yorihisa Yamamoto, Yutaka Nishi, Takashi Nishimori, Hiroyuki Tokunaga, Hideki Machino
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Patent number: 5692345Abstract: A panel joining mechanism (1) has a post (10) composed of a flat rear wall (11) adapted to be positioned in confronting relation to an attachment (40) for being securely joined to the attachment (40), and a pair of side walls (12) extending from respective opposite ends of the flat rear wall (11) away from the attachment (40), the side walls (12) having respective ends bent inwardly into a pair of respective bent portions (13) with an opening defined therebetween, a panel joiner (20) having a substantially inverted .OMEGA.-shaped cross section and disposed between the bent portions (13), at least a pair of panels (30L, 30R) having respective elastic portions (34L, 34R) on respective marginal side edges thereof. The panel joiner is detachably fitted in the post (10) through the opening, and the panels (30L, 30R) are joined to the panel joiner (20) with corresponding ones of the elastic portions (34L, 34R) detachably fitted in the panel joiner (20).Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1995Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yukinori Mogaki, Shigieru Suzuki, Shunroku Seno
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Patent number: 5694116Abstract: A driver condition-monitoring apparatus for an automotive vehicle. determines the condition of a driver driving the automotive vehicle and voice information for the driver is generated. A voice uttered by the driver is recognized. The voice information for the driver is generated depending on a result of determination of the condition of the driver. Oral response of the driver to the voice drivers information is judged based on a result of recognition of the voice. At least one alarming measure of giving warning, giving advice to take a rest, and controlling operation of the automotive vehicle is carried out based on a result of judgement of the response of the driver to the voice information.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1996Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kouichi Kojima
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Patent number: 5691914Abstract: An apparatus for calculating fluid flow in a channel, comprising a probe member which detects fluid depth in the channel; a mechanism for measuring average fluid velocity in the channel; a mechanism for correcting the detected fluid depth based upon the measured average fluid velocity in order to account for drawdown; and a mechanism for calculating average flow rate based upon the average fluid velocity measurement and the corrected fluid depth value.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1996Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: American Sigma, Inc.Inventor: Gary Randolph
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Patent number: D392550Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1996Date of Patent: March 24, 1998Assignee: RTR Industries, Inc.Inventor: Stephen C. Rulison
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Patent number: D392592Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 1997Date of Patent: March 24, 1998Inventor: Joseph Majid, Jr.
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Patent number: D394579Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1996Date of Patent: May 26, 1998Inventor: Roger Kazanowski