Patents Examined by Biniam Asmelash
  • Patent number: 10238230
    Abstract: Centrifugal brewing machine (1) for preparing a beverage comprising: a rotating brewing unit (2) configured for receiving a liquid and beverage ingredients, a collector (11) disposed around the brewing unit (2) for collecting the brewed liquid projected outwardly as result of the centrifugation forces obtained from the rotation of the brewing unit, wherein a thin annular liquid projection gap (38) is provided between at least one outlet wall (43) of the rotating brewing unit comprising at least one outlet (40) and the collector (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Stefan Etter, Manuela Rothacher Etter, Alexandre Perentes, Christian Jarisch
  • Patent number: 10201243
    Abstract: A brewing unit includes a brewing chamber with first and second brewing chamber portions movable one with respect to the other, and a water heater. Further, the brewing unit includes a structural frame supporting the two brewing chamber portions, and on which forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during brewing are discharged. The structural frame includes two side components arranged sideways of the brewing chamber, and two end components mechanically constrained to the side components. One of the two end components includes the first brewing chamber portion. Further, the side components and the end components form a closed structure, whereto the water heater is in turn constrained independently, with separate constraining members, from the first brewing chamber portion and adjacent thereto, outside the closed structure. The forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during brewing are also discharged on the water heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Massimo Baldo, Marco Santini
  • Patent number: 10189186
    Abstract: A method for forming a tool for creating a formed component includes providing a forming tool having a core and cavity with respective core and cavity shutoff bands. Core and cavity finished parting planes are determined, wherein the engagement of the core and cavity finished parting planes defines a forming cavity. Rough portions of the core and cavity shutoff bands are removed to define respective rough parting planes. The respective rough parting planes are offset by approximately 130 microns from the respective core and cavity finished parting planes. The core and cavity are semi-finished to relieve stress within the core and cavity. The core and cavity shutoff bands are fine cut so that outer surfaces of the core and cavity shutoff bands are equal to the respective finished parting planes. The engagement between the core and cavity outer surfaces is substantially free of gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steve Norman Bazinski, Warwick J. Smith, Satyanarayana Raju Vemulapati
  • Patent number: 10154748
    Abstract: The invention concerns a regeneration household machine (10) for regenerating packaged cooked and subsequently cooled to chilled, ambient or frozen temperatures portions of food. The machine (10) comprises at least one compartment (16, 18) adapted to receive, preferably when it is empty, at least one packaged cooked and subsequently cooled to chilled, ambient or frozen temperatures portion of food to be regenerated and at least one conduct (65, 65b, 65c, 68a, 69, 69a, 69b) for feeding a heating fluid into said at least one compartment (16, 18), heating means (72) being provided at said at least one conduct in order to heat said heating fluid at a desired temperature depending on the recipe of the food of said at least one packaged cooked and subsequently cooled to chilled, ambient or frozen temperatures portion of food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Nutresia SA
    Inventor: Jonathan Pennella
  • Patent number: 10149490
    Abstract: Popcorn machines having fan assemblies and heat sources are described herein. The fan assemblies and the heat sources can be configured to provide heat to unpopped corn kernels to produce popcorn without the use of cooking oil. The popcorn machines can be configured for commercial use and can be mounted onto support structures that allow operators to rotate the popcorn machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: C. Cretors & Company
    Inventor: Nenad Vidojevic
  • Patent number: 10125761
    Abstract: System for supplying a pressurized liquid for machines for preparing beverages comprising a first cylinder (2a) and plunger (2b) assembly (2), said plunger (2b) defining inside its cylinder (2a) a chamber (5) for housing said liquid, said plunger (2b) being able to accumulate, in an active position, potential energy from the compression force applied to a fluid, said potential energy being susceptible of being transmitted as a pressure to the liquid inside said chamber (5), and it is characterized in that it comprises a second cylinder (3a) and plunger (3b) assembly (3), said second plunger (3b) defining inside its cylinder (3a) a chamber (4) for housing said fluid, said first (2) and second (3) assemblies of plunger (2b, 3b) and cylinder (2a, 3a) being associated so that the plunger (2b) of the first assembly (2) is susceptible of accumulating, in its active position, potential energy from the compression force applied to the fluid housed inside the second assembly (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MINIMMA ESPRESSO, S.L.
    Inventors: Xavier Samso Besora, Angel Marquez Zamora
  • Patent number: 10098361
    Abstract: A device has an inner wall with a plurality of flow openings and defining a smoking chamber. A solid outer wall surrounds the inner wall to define a flow gap between the inner wall and outer wall. A top cover extends to enclose the smoking chamber and the flow gap from the top. Openings may be provided for air flow into and out of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: W.C. Bradley Co.
    Inventor: Mallik Ahmed
  • Patent number: 10086457
    Abstract: Provided is a power supply unit, which is to be used for a multi-wire electrical discharge machining apparatus arranged to slice a material to be machined by an electrical discharge generated between a wire group including a plurality of turns of a wire arranged in parallel and the material to be machined, and to which a power supply terminal to be brought into contact with the wire group at a time to supply a voltage to the wire group is mounted, the power supply unit including: a mounting portion to which the power supply terminal to be brought into contact with the wire group at a time is mounted; and an adjusting portion arranged to adjust an inclination of the mounting portion in a direction crossing a running direction of the wire group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignees: Canon Marketing Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Makino Milling Machine Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Haruya Kurihara
  • Patent number: 10085309
    Abstract: A drawer-type microwave oven includes: an oven body, defining an oven cavity therein, and provided with a first microswitch, a second microswitch and a locking engagement component thereon; a drawer, connected to the oven body, disposed in the oven cavity and between a closed position and an opened position in a push-pull way, provided with a door at an end of the drawer for driving the door to open or close the oven cavity, and provided with a locking component rested against the first microswitch removably and a limiting component rested against the second microswitch removably; a drawer driving device, connected to the drawer; and a controller configured to control the drawer driving device to drive the drawer to be pushed into or pulled out of the oven cavity by monitoring state changes of the first microswitch and the second microswitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: GUANGDONG MIDEA KITCHEN APPLIANCES MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianyi Zhou, Yongzhong Zhang, Jian Long
  • Patent number: 10058104
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a device for smoking and cooking food. The device may include a food enclosure and a smoke distribution manifold operatively connected to the food enclosure, the smoke distribution manifold configured to operatively connect to a smoke providing device, such as a customized smoker box or a conventional smoking device. The quality of the smoke is determined by a value from a sensor, such as a lux sensor, and the smoke distribution manifold may prevent bad quality smoke from contaminating the food in the food enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Inventor: Michael Leroy Mann
  • Patent number: 10028616
    Abstract: Provided is a household appliance for food preparation, comprising a working container having a bottom receiving a rotary tool that is rotatably driven by a motor and an open upper end via which ingredients can be inserted into the working container, a heating device for heating the contents of the working container, and a steam-cooking basket that lies in the working container, above the rotary tool, wherein said rotary tool can be removed from the working container and wherein said basket comprises a bottom having an opening for the passage of a body that grips the rotary tool when the basket is arranged in the working container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Johan Nespoux, Jean-Louis Deshayes, Damien Maunoury
  • Patent number: 9942947
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heater comprising a PTC heating resistor based on barium titanate. The PTC heating resistor is printed onto a substrate. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing such a heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Anthony Maher, Katherine O'Sullivan, Steven Sweeney, William O'Connor
  • Patent number: 9908199
    Abstract: A programmable polarity module that permits rapid on-demand control of the polarities assigned to the welding electrodes retained on a welding gun is disclosed. The programmable polarity module is electrically connectable to the welding gun and a direct current power supply unit to provide direct current to the welding electrodes for exchange during spot welding. A first interchangeable polarity output lug and a second interchangeable polarity output lug of the programmable polarity module permit the polarities of the welding electrodes to be switched without having to electrically disconnect the module from the welding gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Karagoulis, David R. Sigler
  • Patent number: 9895766
    Abstract: An all-in-one jigless projection loading system for a vehicle is adapted to load and assemble a body component to a vehicle body. The all-in-one jigless projection loading system may include: a fixing bracket fixed to an arm of a robot; a position adjusting member rotatably mounted to the fixing bracket; a gripper mounted to the fixing bracket to be movable backward and forward, and gripping the body component; an array unit mounted to the position adjusting member, and arraying the body component; and a welding unit mounted to the fixing bracket, and projection-welding the body component to a vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sung Phil Ryu
  • Patent number: 9808108
    Abstract: A device for making and dispensing pasta comprises: a pressure cooking vessel; and a ball valve assembly comprising: i) a valve body coupled to a top opening of the vessel, and ii) a rotatable ball securely located within the valve body and rotatable between an open position and a closed position, the ball having a bore, wherein in the open position the bore provides access to the top opening of the vessel, and in the closed position the ball hermetically seals the top opening. The device also includes a means for dropping pasta through the bore and into the vessel; a means for rotating the ball to the closed position; a means for heating the interior volume of the vessel to cook the pasta; and a means for providing egress of the pasta from the device after the vessel has cooked the pasta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HEADING USA, INC.
    Inventor: Fausto Leonetti
  • Patent number: 9775459
    Abstract: A cooking device comprising a first interior chamber, a second interior chamber being fluidly connected with the first interior chamber via a drain and comprising a first water reservoir, the drain and the first water reservoir forming a first air trap, and a device outlet downstream of the second interior chamber, whereby said air trap is adapted to be opened or closed by lowering or lifting the first water reservoir between the first interior chamber and the second interior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Convotherm Elektrogeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Wurdinger, Hannes Laessig, Lutz Riefenstein
  • Patent number: 9764404
    Abstract: An erosion device and a corresponding method are disclosed for machining a hollow-cylindrical workpiece, wherein the device is elongated and/or formed in the manner of a tube or cylinder and is characterized in that at least two rotationally acting drives (A1, A2), each with a drive shaft (AW1, AW2), and also an erosion electrode (E), interacting with the drives (A1, A2) and formed in the manner of a ring or disc, are provided. The drives (A1, A2) and the electrode (E) are adapted in size and extent to the internal diameter of the workpiece (W) to be machined, so that the device can be introduced into the respective hollow-cylindrical workpiece (W) and can be positioned at the location respectively to be machined or the region to be machined in the workpiece (W), and the erosion electrode (E) can be pivoted or can be rotated by a coupled pivoting or rotating movement of the at least two drives (A1, A2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Marko Eckert
  • Patent number: 9750269
    Abstract: A popcorn popping unit has a heating element and a blower fan, and a cooking surface adapted to receive kernels of corn. The popping unit is configurable for two flow paths of pressurized air through the popping unit. In the first path, pressurized air is configured to flow over the heating element, flow over the cooking surface, cook the kernels of corn, and move the cooked kernels of corn to a serving dispenser. In a second path, pressurized air is configured to flow over the cooking surface, and move un-popped seeds into a seed collection bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GREENFIELD WORLD TRADE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. Mastroianni, Rong Liu, Bikram Sohi, William A. Bucklew
  • Patent number: 9731385
    Abstract: A welding system for applying a weld to a workpiece, the welding system including a frame, a welding torch mounted on the frame, the welding torch including an electrode; a wire guide adapted to direct a wire toward the electrode; a wire alignment assembly including a fixture frame having a wire guide holder mounted thereon, the wire guide being supported on the wire guide holder, wherein the wire alignment assembly includes multiple degrees of freedom for adjusting the position of the wire guide as needed for a given welding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Miller, Jamil Snead
  • Patent number: 9726399
    Abstract: The invention describes a tank comprising a solution, dispersion or emulsion for selective catalytic reduction in combustion engines. The tank comprises an electrical resistive heating element immersed in the tank. The electrical resistive heating element comprises at least one heating cord. The heating cord comprises metal filaments. The metal filaments •comprise a copper layer or a layer in a copper alloy, and comprise a surrounding layer in stainless steel, •or comprise a steel layer, surrounded by a layer in copper or in a copper alloy, surrounded by a nickel, zinc or tin layer or a layer of alloys comprising such metals; •or comprise a layer of low carbon or high carbon steel, and comprise a surrounding nickel, zinc or tin layer or layer of alloys comprising such metals, and the heating cord comprises a polymer coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NV BEKAERT SA
    Inventors: Steve Verstraeten, Filip Lanckmans, Inge Schildermans, Veerle Van Wassenhove, Lieven Tack