Patents Examined by Azy Kokabi
  • Patent number: 6712290
    Abstract: A skin cleaner includes a lower container, and an upper bowl having a rim defining an opening for receiving the face of users. The container has a chamber for containing a first liquid while the bowl has a cup located in the opening for containing a second liquid. A heater is provided for heating and converting the second liquid into vapor, which is then discharged from the cup into the opening of the bowl. The skin cleaner further includes a nozzle disposed in the bowl, and a pump for pumping the first liquid to the nozzle and spurting the first liquid from the nozzle over the face received in the bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Yen Sun Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Ghen-Jung Chien
  • Patent number: 6709434
    Abstract: A spinal osteosynthesis device comprising a bone anchorage element, a vertebral rod, a connector for interconnecting the rod and the anchorage element so that the anchorage element is capable of being angularly oriented in a polyaxial manner relative to the rod. A fixation element is provided for fixing the position of the connector in translation and in rotation relative to the rod. A clamp element is provided for clamping the bone anchorage element to the connector in a predetermined angular position independent of the fixation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sofamor S.N.C.
    Inventors: Jose Gournay, Serge Governatori
  • Patent number: 6694541
    Abstract: A fitting for connecting to an end of tubing. The fitting includes a fitting body having a generally tubular construction with a first end adapted for leakproof connection to another component. A second end has a socket connector with tapered interior sidewall portions forming a truncated conical shape such that an end of a tube can be inserted into the socket connector and tightly wedged therein to form a leakproof seal. At least a portion of the fitting body is made of a light-transmitting material such that material lodged within the fitting body is visible from the exterior of the fitting body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sherwood-Templeton Coal Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Nameche
  • Patent number: 6691339
    Abstract: A molded tub and surround which is formed of a multiple of portions. Wall portions meet at a joint which is secured by wall clamps which bias a partially arcuate portion of a second wall portion against the visible surface of a first wall portion. The first wall portion sandwiched between the wall clamps and the partially arcuate portion. A multiple of tub clamps extend from a lower edge of the wall portions to fit upon a flange extending from a tub portion. The wall clamps and tub clamps assure an easily assembled and watertight molded tub and surround.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Aqua Glass Corporation
    Inventor: Brent Thomas
  • Patent number: 6691328
    Abstract: A bottle used to dispense a fluid for cleaning a toilet bowl is configured to provide for refilling the bottle. Such a bottle includes a reservoir, a metering portion, and a cover, which is removable to expose an opening within the reservoir for refilling. The cover may include the metering portion, or it may be formed as a cap at an end of the reservoir opposite the metering portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Inventor: Nicholas A. Delfino
  • Patent number: 6687922
    Abstract: A stainless steel toilet resistant to corrosion by sea water. The toilet has a toilet bowl portion which is butt-welded to a rim. The welding is carried out while the inside surface of the weld line is flushed with argon gas. Similarly, a P-trap is butt-welded to an exit opening at the bottom of the bowl portion. A flush ring assembly is supported below the rim member. The result is a toilet which can be operated with sea water without corrosion for a period of years.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Acorn Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Keith D. Marshall, Carlos J. Galeazzi, Darryl M. Boeltl
  • Patent number: 6681418
    Abstract: A water flow control valve (10) designed to be installed externally on a toilet tank (108) or as an integral element of a toilet ballcock (110). The valve (10) incorporates a diaphragm (46), a spring (62), a poppet assembly (70), and an inlet port (38) that is connected to a utility water supply (100) and an outlet port (42) that is connected through a pipe (102) to a fitting (106) on the the toilet tank (108). The valve functions by sensing the pressure at the inlet port (38). When no large demands are placed on the water supply (100), the valve (10) remains open, thus allowing the toilet tank (108) to fill. When a shower is turned on, the water pressure drops which reduces the upward force on the diaphragm (46), thus allowing the spring (62) to place the poppet (70) in a closed position which prevents the toilet tank (108) from filling. When the water demand ceases, the water pressure opens the valve (10), which allows the toilet tank (108) to fill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Inventors: Gary D. Bierend, Paul H. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 6671897
    Abstract: A lift assisting device and a stabilizing device for a bather and a showerer, respectively. The device includes a rope and a plurality of rungs. The rope is suspended from a ceiling. The plurality of rungs are operatively connected to the rope for grasping by the bather to assist in lifting and the showerer for stabilizing. The plurality of rungs are molded around the rope so as to form an integral unit therewith. The rope is one-piece for integrity and passes through the plurality of rungs to define a path that is double-helix-like that prevents the bather and the showerer from falling if one of the plurality of rungs fails since double lengths of the rope pass through each of the plurality of rungs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Inventor: Alfred M. Votypka
  • Patent number: 6668392
    Abstract: An enclosure for a portable toilet comprises at least two sections, one of which has a door opening and a door mounted thereon. The enclosure door is moveable between a closed position and an opened position. Each enclosure section includes a first end and a second end. A tab having a hole extends from the first and a hole is formed in the second end of each enclosure section. When assembled, the first end of one section abuts the second end of the adjacent section. To ensure a substantially smooth seam or junction between the two sections, the tab extends from the inner surface of one section, across the junction between the two sections, to lie against the inner surface of the adjacent section. The tabs are aligned with the holes, and are sized such that the tab holes align with the section holes. A fastener is passed through the section hole and the tab hole to secure the two sections together. Mounting tabs are also provided at the bottom of the enclosure to secure the enclosure to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Inventor: Michael Mason
  • Patent number: 6668391
    Abstract: A water-saving toilet is disclosed. The water-saving toilet comprises: a toilet main body having an inlet orifice for introducing water from a water supply tube disposed at the outside of the main body, a toilet bowl for containing outside waste material and water supplied from the inlet orifice, and an outlet orifice for discharging the waster material and water in the toilet bowl; a discharge tube, one end of which is connected to the outlet orifice of the main body and the other end of which is connected to an outside outlet to serve as a discharge passage of waste material and water, including a curved portion which is movable up and down; means for moving the curved portion of the discharge tube up and down. With the water saving toilet, the waste material can be removed out of the toilet bowl with a minimum amount of water by the movement of the discharge tube. In addition, silent flushing operation is possible since open/close operation according to a siphon principle is not employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Korea Item Development Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Suk Lee, Kyeong Won Lee
  • Patent number: 6662385
    Abstract: A shower door track cushion is provided, which includes a material having a length. A slit is cut longitudinally along the length of the bottom of the material. The slit is adapted to fit over a shower door track and retain the material on the shower door track, which is located along a top edge of a bathtub. The material includes an extending rectangular section integral to the material at one end of the length of the material, which is adapted to fit between a first and a second shower door vertical support in order to retain the material between the first and second shower door vertical supports. The material can be made of polyethylene foam and can include a rounded top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Anthony J. Bayne
  • Patent number: 6662381
    Abstract: An automated toilet plunging apparatus for unclogging and unplugging a plugged toilet drain. The automated toilet plunging apparatus includes a toilet having a bowl and also having a drain disposed through a bottom of the bowl; and also includes a plunger housing assembly including a container being securely disposed in the bowl and having an open front side, and also including a door being hingedly attached to the container and being openly closed upon the open front side of the container; and further including a plunger member being removably disposed in the container for opening a plugged drain; and also including an assembly of actuating the plunger member; and also including a hose being attached to the plunger member and being adapted to be connected to a water supply for rinsing the bowl when the plunger member is positioned over the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventors: Elizabeth C. Powell, Latasha Powell
  • Patent number: 6659313
    Abstract: A combination container and applicator where the container has an outside surface and an interior and an extension tube which is magnetically attracted to the container outside surface such that when placed on the container the extension tube becomes releasably magnetically affixed to the outside surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventor: Alex MacMurdo
  • Patent number: 6658675
    Abstract: The pipes associated with an in-ground swimming pool can be supported by a support that includes a base and two telescopingly engaged tubular sections. A U-shaped element is located on one end of the tubular sections and has a pad on which the pipe rests. A lock connects the two tubular sections together once the height of the support is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventor: Michael T. Terry
  • Patent number: 6656193
    Abstract: An assembly for releasably attaching a buttress material onto a tissue clamping member of a surgical stapling device is disclosed. The assembly has a substantially rigid frame for connecting to a top surface of a tissue clamping member of a surgical stapling device when the assembly is disposed thereon. A buttress material is attached to first and second sides of the frame for abutting against a bottom surface of a tissue clamping member of a surgical stapling device when the assembly is disposed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Grant, Mark S. Zeiner, Geoff Hueil, Kenneth Wales, Dean L. Garner
  • Patent number: 6651266
    Abstract: A toilet flushing method causes high-pressure flush water, provided by a flow pipe, to spray along the baffle in the bottom of the trap of a toilet bowl and causes the flush water used for washing the toilet bowl to spray into the toilet bowl. The high-pressure flush water discharges the egesta with water in order to supply sealing water to the trap. A toilet, which uses components for improving the prior art toilet, carries out the flushing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignees: Beijing Zhonglian Huan-Jietong, Water-Saving Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng Liu, Bing Hua Chen, Sili He
  • Patent number: 6647568
    Abstract: A handle for controlling water temperature and/or water flow is mounted on the side of a bathtub and shaped such that the handle may be controlled by a bather's foot. The vanes of the handle are shaped to accommodate the shape of the foot and are spaced apart from each other to allow easy operation of the handle. An invertible port plate in the valve is provided for mounting the handle in both right sidewall and left sidewall versions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Inventor: Samuel Bayne Bentley
  • Patent number: 6647565
    Abstract: This application describes a method of constructing a surface for drainage, and a kit of parts forming components required to produce such a drainage surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Inventor: Gregory John Smale
  • Patent number: 6643850
    Abstract: An air filter assembly including a frame, a filter and an odor eliminator liquid. The frame forms an air flow channel. The filter is connected to the frame in the air flow channel. The filter includes at least one filter element. The odor eliminator liquid is located on a first one of the filter elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: HP Intellectual Corp.
    Inventors: James E. Chasen, David O'Connor, Don Sheelen, Paul J. Donoski, Eric J. Price, David Connery
  • Patent number: 6640352
    Abstract: A warm/cold double-circulation water filter system and swimming pool arrangement comprises, a swimming pool, a double-circulation water filter system, a water pipe system, a heater. The present invention concentrated the valves in order to convenient management and control, to reduce valves amount and to offer a multiform elevated temperature manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Inventor: Stone Huang