Patents Assigned to Arichell Technologies, Inc.
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Patent number: 6755204Abstract: A land (56) on an index member (32) disposed in the interior chamber of a manifold (38) is aligned with an actuating member (34) and thereby holds open a check valve (36) through which fluid flows into the manifold's interior chamber, through a control valve (12), and out a manifold outlet (74). At the same time, another actuating pin (42) is so aligned with a recess (58) in the indexing member (32) as to permit another check valve (44) to prevent flow through itself into the manifold chamber. When the control valve is closed, flow stops, and pressure builds up in the manifold chamber. The index member (32) is accordingly driven against the force of a bias spring (48) to a lower position, in which a lower cam-follower surface (82) engages a lower cam surface (84). That engagement rotates the index member to a position in which it permits pressure to be communicated through both check valves (36 and 44) into the manifold chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2002Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kay Herbert, Natan E. Parsons, Fatih Guler
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Patent number: 6752371Abstract: A solenoid plunger (36) is disposed for reciprocation in a plunger pocket that is formed by the stationary parts of a solenoid-type actuator (10). A flexible diaphragm (22) closes the plunger pocket's open mouth and is deformed by movement of a plunger (36) between an open position, in which it is displaced from a valve seat (20), and a closed position, in which it is seated on the valve seat and thereby prevents flow from a valve inlet (16) to a valve outlet (18). The diaphragm thereby isolates the plunger from the fluid thereby being controlled, but a separate, incompressible fluid fills the chamber in which the plunger reciprocates. A through-plunger passage (44, 56) provides a low-flow-resistance path for the incompressible fluid to flow into and out of the portion (52) of the plunger chamber behind the plunger as the plunger moves. This reduces actuation time and thus the energy required for an actuation.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2002Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kay Herbert, Fatih Guler, Natan E. Parsons
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Patent number: 6748968Abstract: A combination junction provides a fluid, electrical-power and control-signal connections. A combination tap comprises a flow probe that pierces a main conduit when it is attached to it. It thereby provides fluid communication between a tap conduit and the main conduit. The combination tap also includes one or more tap electrical conductors to tap electrical conductors embedded in the main-conduit wall.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2000Date of Patent: June 15, 2004Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, David W. Hadley
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Publication number: 20040046137Abstract: An actuator base, bobbin, and pole piece form a pocket for an armature that a flexible membrane encloses to form an armature chamber filled with an incompressible fluid. The membrane protects the armature from exposure to corrosive fluids flowing in a conduit. Conduit flow can be stopped by driving the membrane against a valve seat. Pressure from the controlled fluid in the conduit is transmitted through the membrane to the fluid within the armature chamber so that the armature does not need to counteract force applied to the membrane by the conduit fluid's pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2003Publication date: March 11, 2004Applicant: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kay Herbert, Natan E. Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo
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Patent number: 6691979Abstract: An automatic flusher employs an infrared-light-type object sensor to provide an output on the basis of which a control circuit decides whether to flush a toilet. After each pulse of transmitted radiation, the control circuit pushes a new entry onto stack if the resultant percentage of reflected radiation differs significantly from the last, and it includes in that entry's direction field an indication of whether the percentage change was positive or negative. Otherwise, the control circuit increments the existing top entry's duration field. From the numbers of entries in a row having a given direction and the sums of the values in their duration fields, the control circuit determines whether a user has approached the facility and then withdrawn from it, and it operates the flusher's valve accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: February 17, 2004Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo
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Publication number: 20040025238Abstract: A tank-type flusher includes an intake valve, i.e., a fill valve, a diaphragm-operated flush valve, and a pressure control mechanism. The intake valve is connected to an external water source and is constructed to close water flow to a water storage tank at about a predefined water level in the water tank. The diaphragm-operated flush valve is constructed to control a flush valve member between a seated state and an unseated state allowing water discharge from the water tank into a toilet bowl. There is a diaphragm, separating a flush-valve chamber and a pilot chamber, arranged to seal the flush-valve chamber and thereby maintain pressure forcing the flush valve member to the seated state preventing the water discharge from the water storage tank to the toilet bowl.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2003Publication date: February 12, 2004Applicant: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Fatih Guler, Kay Herbert, David Hadley, Robert Shamitz
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Patent number: 6685158Abstract: A solenoid-controlled pilot-operated valve includes an operator assembly containing a solenoid that operates a pilot valve. The pilot valve in turn controls a pressure-relief opening from a chamber whose pressure tends to hold a main valve closed until the pressure is relieved. The pilot-valve body, which forms the pilot-valve inlet, outlet, and seat is secured to the operator assembly's stationary part, and the resultant structure is only then assembled together with the main valve. This enhances positioning repeatability and thus consistency in valve timing.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Natan E. Parsons
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Patent number: 6643853Abstract: A toilet room flush valve for use in flushing toilets and urinals includes a valve body having a water inlet and a water outlet. There is a valve within the body for controlling flow between the inlet and the outlet. A handle is mounted on the valve body for pivotal movement about a handle axis to operate the valve. There is an assembly mounted on the valve body for causing sensor initiated movement of the handle, which assembly includes a motor driven handle interface pivotally mounted on the valve body for movement about the handle axis and having a portion thereof positioned to contact and pivotally move the handle. A drive motor is mounted on the valve body and connected to the interface to cause pivotal movement thereof. A battery for operating the drive motor is connected to a sensor mounted on the valve body, with the sensor being connected to cause the application of battery power to the drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2001Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignees: Sloan Valve Company, Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: John R. Wilson, Fatih Guler
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Publication number: 20030196706Abstract: A valve device and a method for operating at least two valves is actuated by an actuator and arranged for controlling fluid flow in at least two separate fluid lines. The two valves are preferably diaphragm operated valves, but may be also piston valves. The valve device includes a pressure release mechanism constructed to change pressure in a diaphragm chamber of each diaphragm operated valve and thereby open or close the valve. The pressure release mechanism may include a fluid passage in communication with each diaphragm chamber, where it is simultaneously controlled by a movement of a single sealing member actuated by a single actuator. The valve device may also include a manual actuator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2003Publication date: October 23, 2003Applicant: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, David Hadley, Robert Shamitz, Kay Herbert
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Patent number: 6619320Abstract: An electronic faucet has a housing adapted to seat against a support surface and defining an internal barrel having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top. There is at least one fluid inlet extending through the bottom wall into the barrel, a fluid outlet in the side wall of the barrel, and a valve cartridge seated in the barrel. The cartridge includes a main valve for controlling fluid flow between the at least one inlet and the outlet, a pilot valve and a solenoid operator for opening and closing the pilot valve. A faucet head removably mounted to the housing covers the open top of the barrel, the faucet head including an activator which produces an output signal of a selected duration when approached by a user, and a control circuit which responds to the signal by activating the solenoid operator so as to open the pilot valve which thereupon opens the main valve.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Natan E. Parsons
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Patent number: 6619614Abstract: An automatic flusher includes an object sensor. When the object sensor detects a target meeting certain criteria, battery-powered control circuitry causes the flusher's valve to open. By pressing a push button, a user can make the circuit open the flusher's valve. If the circuit has been pressed continually for an extended period, the control circuit assumes a sleep mode, in which its power consumption is negligible. A button actuator in the flusher's container keeps the button pressed while the container is closed. As a consequence, the flusher can be packed with the control circuit's batteries installed without draining those batteries significantly during shipping and storage.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2001Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo
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Patent number: 6609698Abstract: An actuator base (16), bobbin (14), and pole piece (24) form a pocket for an armature (30) that a flexible membrane (40) encloses to form an armature chamber filled with an incompressible fluid. The membrane (40) protects the armature (30) from exposure to corrosive fluids flowing in a conduit (44). Conduit flow can be stopped by driving the membrane (40) against a valve seat (54). Pressure from the fluid in the conduit (44) is transmitted though the membrane to the fluid within the armature chamber so that the armature does not need to counteract force applied to the membrane (40) by the conduit fluid's pressure.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2000Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Kay Herbert
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Patent number: 6508272Abstract: Disclosed is a valve device and a method for operating at least two valves actuated by an actuator and arranged for controlling fluid flow in at least two separate fluid lines. The valve device can simultaneously control at least two diaphragm operated valves using a single actuator. The valve device includes a pressure release mechanism constructed to change pressure in a diaphragm chamber of each diaphragm operated valve and thereby open or close the diaphragm operated valve.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2000Date of Patent: January 21, 2003Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, David Hadley, Robert Shamitz
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Patent number: 6453479Abstract: A tank-type flusher including an intake valve, a diaphragm-operated flush valve, a pressure control mechanism. The intake valve is connected to an external water source and constructed to close water flow to a water storage tank at about a predefined water level in the water tank. The diaphragm-operated flush valve is constructed to control a flush valve member between a seated state and an unseated state that allows water discharge from the water tank into a toilet bowl. The diaphragm separates a pressure chamber and a pilot chamber. The diaphragm is arranged to seal the pressure chamber to maintain pressure forcing the flush valve member to the seated state thereby preventing the water discharge from the water storage tank to the toilet bowl. The pressure control mechanism is constructed an arranged, upon actuation, to reduce pressure in the pilot chamber of the diaphragm-operated flush valve thereby reduce pressure in the pressure chamber causing the water discharge.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2001Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Kay Herbert
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Patent number: 6450478Abstract: A latching-valve system (10) includes a piezoelectric transducer (44) mounted on its housing (16). To change the valve's state, a microcontroller (54) causes a valve driver (58) to drive current through the actuator's coil (12). It continues driving current through the coil (12) until the transducer's output reaches a magnitude characteristic of the disturbance that typically results when the actuator's armature (22) reaches the end of its travel. At that point, the microcontroller (54) stops driving current through the coil. If the characteristic sound does not occur within a predetermined duration, the microcontroller (54) causes a voltage-multiplier circuit (Q1, L1, D1) to increase the voltage that the valve driver (58) applies to the coil.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Xiaoxiong Mo
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Patent number: 6425145Abstract: By depressing a push button (13), a user deforms a flexible diaphragm (30) and thereby causes an incompressible fluid to flow from a first actuation-chamber segment (42) through openings (48) in a divider wall (46) and into a second chamber segment (44). That flow deforms a second flexible diaphragm (40), which accordingly causes an actuator shaft (58) to break the seal formed by an O-ring (57) and thereby permit flow from a main valve inlet (11) through a main valve outlet (12). When the user releases the push button (13), an actuator check valve (50) prevents the incompressible fluid from returning through the divider-wall openings (48) to the first chamber segment (42). The actuator therefore returns only slowly, through a bleed orifice (72). A pressurizer conduit (86) communicates the valve's outlet pressure to a stop chamber (82) and thereby causes the position of a stop member (76) to be dependent on that pressure.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2001Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Robert S. Shamitz, Kay Herbert
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Patent number: 6386403Abstract: An object sensor (18) detects an object such as a hand (20) and operates a valve (52) that permits liquid soap (86) to flow from a disposable soap container (12). The liquid soap is typically quite viscous but tends to be expelled because of pressure applied from a carbon-dioxide cartridge (32). A pressure-regulator assembly (40) permits gas from the carbon dioxide cartridge (32) to enter the soap container (28) only so long as the soap container's internal pressure is less than a predetermined maximum.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2001Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Emanuel C. Ebner, Jr.
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Patent number: 6370707Abstract: A remote valve (46) controls relief of pressure by way from a pilot-valve chamber (38) whose pressure in turn controls pressure relief pressure chamber (24) by which a pressurized-water source holds a flush valve (12) seated in a flush opening at the base of a toilet tank (18). An actuator chamber defined by a housing (74) and flexible diaphragms (72) and (94) contains an incompressible fluid, and the user's depression of a push button (44) causes that fluid to be displaced through a check valve (100) so as to displace a valve member (102), which is coupled to one of the flexible diaphragms, from a sealing position to an unsealing position, where it permits flow from a valve inlet (104) to a valve outlet (48). This relieves the pressure that holds the flush valve (12) closed. A spring (101) biases the valve member (102) to a rest position, to which it tends to return when the user releases the push button (44).Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2001Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Kay Herbert, Robert S. Shamitz
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Patent number: 6321395Abstract: By depressing a push button (42), a toilet user opens a valve (44) that permits pressure holding a flush valve (12) seated to be exhausted through a pressure-relief line (48). The pressure in the flow path by which liquid thereby leaves the outlet (46) of the remote valve (44) tends to hold that remote valve's valve member (100) open after the user releases the push button (42). But pressure from the pressure-relief line (48) slowly builds up in a seating-pressure chamber (110) by fluid flow through a high-flow-resistance path provided by a passage containing a fluted pin (114). After a resultant delay sufficient to permit the toilet's tank (16) to empty through the outlet (22) controlled by the flush valve (12), the pressure within the seating-pressure chamber (80) reaches a point at which the force exerted by it on the valve member (110) exceeds the flow-path-pressure force tending to keep that valve member unseated.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2000Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Natan E. Parsons, Fatih Guler
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Patent number: D470226Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2002Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Arichell Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Kay Herbert