Patents Examined by Brandi N Hopkins
  • Patent number: 11885299
    Abstract: A method for testing a rotor blade of a wind turbine may include predefining a setpoint bending moment distribution. At least two active load-introducing means may be provided which each engage on a load frame. A first of the at least two active load-introducing means may be configured for introducing load in a pivot direction of the rotor blade and a second of the at least two active load-introducing means may be configured for introducing load in an impact direction of the rotor blade. Also provided is at least one passive load-introducing means. A cyclic introduction of load is effected by the at least two active load-introducing means, where a load introduction frequency of the first active load-introducing means and a load introduction frequency of the second active load-introducing means are selected such that the ratio thereof is rational. A testing device for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Moritz Batge, Malo Rosemeier, Bernd Haller, Kwangtae Ha, Willi Wroblewski, Florian Sayer
  • Patent number: 11885697
    Abstract: A sensor device including a deformable substrate and a plurality of sensing elements formed on or in the deformable substrate, each of the plurality of sensing elements including at least one of a plurality of strain sensitive lines radially extending with respect to a center of the sensor device and a plurality of strain sensitive lines extending along a circular section with respect to the center of the sensor device, and one or more electrically conducting vias formed in the deformable substrate for electrically connecting between one or more of the sensing elements formed on the first side of the deformable substrate and one or more of the sensing elements formed on the second side of the deformable substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: EZMEMS LTD.
    Inventors: Tsvi Shmilovich, Nicola Molinazzi
  • Patent number: 11885772
    Abstract: Disclosed example material testing systems include: a material testing apparatus configured to receive an electrical supply, wherein the material testing apparatus comprises: guide means; sample holding means configured for holding a sample; force means configured for applying force to the sample; and a crosshead arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding means and the force means, wherein the crosshead is moveable about the guide means; a three phase switched-mode power supply unit arranged to provide the electrical supply to the material testing apparatus; and one or more blocking means connected with a power output of the three phase switched-mode power supply unit, wherein the blocking means is arranged to prevent an electrical current at the power output of the three phase switched-mode power supply unit from flowing in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Kirby
  • Patent number: 11885705
    Abstract: Pressure sensors include stacking of sensor capacitors on top of reference capacitors. A pressure cavity may be extended below a bottom electrode. The pressure sensors may include a mechanical link of a top membrane with the bottom electrode in order to form a dual membrane, or a mechanical link of the top membrane, the bottom electrode and an intermediate electrode within a cavity. A pressure sensor includes a first and second pressure sensing portions, each including a first and second rigid electrodes, and a deflectable membrane structure. The second rigid electrode is between the first rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure arranged in a vertical configuration. The first and second rigid electrodes of the first and second pressure sensing portions form respective reference capacitors, and the second rigid electrodes and the deflectable membrane structures form respective sensing capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Bernhard Winkler
  • Patent number: 11885691
    Abstract: A method and system for the wireless interrogation of a body immersed in a circulatory bath or a tank for heating. More specifically, the system may include a probe having multiple sensors for gauging a core temperature associated with the immersed body in combination with one or more wireless connections leading to a controller (on a circulator or a user interface) such that the user can determine temperature information (e.g., core temperature) of the body being immersed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Preston Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Preston, Walter Raczynski, Charles Zimnicki
  • Patent number: 11879772
    Abstract: A structure deterioration detection system includes an optical fiber cable that is placed along the longitudinal direction of a structure and continuously detects any vibration along the longitudinal direction of the structure, and a signal processing unit including a vibration measurement unit that measures the strength of a detected vibration, a per unit time integration unit that integrates the vibration strength for a specified period of time, an information storage unit that stores the integrated vibration strength, and a deterioration determination unit that makes a determination about whether deterioration of the structure has occurred by comparing the integrated vibration strengths at different times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Tanaka, Tomoyuki Hino, Chaitanya Prasad Narisetty
  • Patent number: 11879786
    Abstract: A heat flux sensor, comprising: a ceramic heat sink; a sensitive element made of a single-crystal material and fixed to the ceramic heat sink through a thermally conductive and electrically insulative adhesive; a heat absorption layer arranged on an upper surface of the sensitive element; a first metal electrode and a second metal electrode arranged on the upper surface of the sensitive element; a third metal electrode arranged on the upper surface of the sensitive element; a fourth metal electrode arranged on a lower surface of the sensitive element; and a fifth metal electrode arranged on an upper surface of the ceramic heat sink; wherein a voltage signal between the first metal electrode and the second metal element is a transverse voltage Ux, and a voltage signal between the third metal electrode and the fourth metal electrode is a longitudinal voltage Uz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHANDONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Yahui Huang, Wentao Zou, Hui Sun, Kunlun Wang
  • Patent number: 11879794
    Abstract: Described is a compression apparatus for a testing system having a load cell. The disclosed compression apparatus ensures proper seating relative to the load cell to yield accurate compression friction (CF) measurements. The disclosed compression apparatus includes a compression rod and at least one mechanical fastener. The compression rod has a first portion at a distal end and a second portion that defines a threaded bore at a proximal end. The first portion is configured to contact a specimen and the second portion is configured to couple to the load cell. The mechanical fastener is configured to mate with the threaded bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Riddick, Daniel Chouinard, Brian Salem, Christopher Hines
  • Patent number: 11879758
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a linear motor including: a housing body with a containment space; a vibrator assembly suspended in the containment space by an elastic member for vibrating along a vibration direction; a stator assembly fixedly connected to the housing body and having a magnetic axis along the vibration direction; and two magnets located on both sides of the magnetic axis and spaced from the stator assembly, including a first magnet section and a second magnet section located on both sides of the first magnet section. A magnetic field strength of the first magnet section along the magnetic axis is greater than a magnetic field strength of the second magnet section along the magnetic axis. The configuration of the invention can effectively reduce the static attraction force of the magnetic circuit, and increase the overall rigidity of the linear motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: AAC Acoustic Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Bai, Yanxin Chen, Rui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11879878
    Abstract: A gas separation system includes a separation column for separating components contained in sample gas, a sample gas supplier fluidly connected to an inlet of the separation column for supplying sample gas to the separation column, a detector fluidly connected to an outlet of the separation column, a collection tube filled with an adsorbent having a property of adsorbing a target component in the sample gas under a condition of a first temperature or less and desorbing the adsorbed target component under a condition of a second temperature or more higher than the first temperature, a temperature adjuster for adjusting a temperature of the collection tube, a collection container for collecting the target component, and a switching mechanism for switching between a state in which the collection tube is connected to an outlet of the detector and a state in which the collection tube is connected to the collection container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tasuku Murata, Mitsuru Nishishita, Shigeo Yasui
  • Patent number: 11879873
    Abstract: A flexural-rigidity measuring apparatus includes an ultrasonic device including an oscillating unit that oscillates an ultrasonic wave toward a sheet and a receiving unit that receives the ultrasonic wave that has passed through the sheet, an electromagnetic induction device including an electromagnetic induction unit that generates electromagnetic induction with respect to a sheet, and a near-infrared spectroscopic device including a light-emitting unit that emits near-infrared light toward a sheet and a light-receiving unit that receives the near-infrared light that has passed through the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Masao Omori
  • Patent number: 11879872
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a deformation and control simulation test system for a tunnel engineering supporting structure, including a follow-up hoisting platform, actuators, a control system. It is horizontal structure. The follow-up hoisting platform reduces the friction caused by the weight of testing sample and facilitates experimental operations. Each actuator fixed on an annular box body reaction frame can move independently through a control system in form of force control or displacement control mode, and can achieve circumferential contraction loading through its gomphodont configuration. The hinged and curved design of the cushion blocks of actuators can adapt to the circumferential contraction deformation of a test sample and maintain a close fit with them during the loading process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF ROCK AND SOIL MECHANICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Weizhong Chen, Xianjun Tan, Chaoxuan Zhang, Hongming Tian, Yunlong Gu, Xiaomei Wang, Zhengrong Shi
  • Patent number: 11872552
    Abstract: A pipetting device is disclosed. The pipetting device can include a piston with a stepped profile. The piston can be inserted into a barrel and can have at least two seal elements. The pipetting device can operate in a low volume dispense mode and a high volume dispense mode. The pipetting device can allow for high volumes of liquids to be transferred and also provide for the ability to transfer low volumes of liquids with high precision and accuracy without the need for two or more separate pipettor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Beckman Coulter, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Neese, Matthew S. Davis
  • Patent number: 11874192
    Abstract: An elongate force sensor assembly for measuring a force applied in a force application direction and a method of manufacturing the assembly, the force sensor assembly including an extruded elongate force responsive beam element (EFRB) extending along a longitudinal axis which is generally perpendicular to the force application direction, the EFRB having a hollow and generally rectangular cross-section generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and being formed with a throughgoing longitudinal bore along the longitudinal axis, the throughgoing longitudinal bore being formed together with the EFRB and a strain engine extending along a transverse axis, generally perpendicular to both the force application direction and to the longitudinal axis; at least one strain gauge affixed to the EFRB, each strain gauge generating an output in response to the force, and a plurality of circuit elements operative to convert the output into a force indication, indicating a magnitude of the force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: VISHAY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Tal Rahav, Rafi Ouzan
  • Patent number: 11874146
    Abstract: A distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system based on random fiber lasing amplification (RFLA) and a Rayleigh scattering enhanced fiber (RSEF), and relates to the field of distributed optical fiber sensing. The system comprises a DAS demodulation unit, a high-order RFLA unit and a RSEF. The present disclosure adopt the high-order RFLA technology to replace the traditional high-order distributed Raman amplification technology, and it does not need to use a plurality of pumps with different wavelength, and only needs a high-order random fiber laser pump and a broadband reflector to provide feedback for cascaded random fiber lasings to perform distributed amplification on signal light. By using high-order RFLA combined with the RSEF, high-efficiency and low-threshold RFLA can be achieved, and the signal-to-noise ratio and performances of a DAS system can be further improved, which enables realization of long-distance and high-performance distributed acoustic sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG LAB
    Inventors: Yunjiang Rao, Bing Han, Yang Liu, Shisheng Dong, Lingmei Ma, Caiyun Li
  • Patent number: 11874210
    Abstract: A sample analysis substrate capable of holding a plurality of liquids. The sample analysis substrate has a microchannel structure for transferring a liquid through rotary motion, the sample analysis substrate including: a substrate body having a rotation axis; a first and a second container holding a first and a second liquid therein; a first and a second accommodating section accommodating the first and the second container; and a cap having a first and second projection and movably supported on the substrate body. As the cap moves, the first drive projection and the second drive projection move the first container and the second container with staggered timing, thereby releasing the first and the second liquid accommodated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fusatoshi Okamoto, Kazuya Kondoh
  • Patent number: 11874187
    Abstract: A miniaturized fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation system may comprise a light source, a FBG sensor, and a photodetector. The FBG sensor may be configured to receive an optical signal from the light source, interact with a transmitted spectrum of the light source over a discriminating spectral domain, and generate a reflected optical signal representative of a change in a physical signal sensed by the FBG sensor. Additionally, the system may include a power management unit configured to reduce power consumption in order to prolong the lifespan of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: CHELAK MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Jie Cheng, Siu Chun M. Ho, Dhanunjaya R. Lakkireddy, Chen Chen
  • Patent number: 11865877
    Abstract: A tire information acquisition device includes: a sensor unit including a sensor configured to acquire tire information; a sensor holder formed in a cylindrical shape holding the sensor unit, and composed of a non-metallic material having flexibility and air permeability; and a band having a band circumferential length adjustable by a fastening portion provided at one end and configured to reversibly fasten an other end, and the band is fastened to a rim in a state where the band is inserted into the sensor holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Kanenari
  • Patent number: 11867579
    Abstract: A method for detecting an error state when aspirating a liquid to identify whether a pre-determined volume of liquid was aspirated. The method including: immersing a tip of an aspiration needle in the liquid, aspirating a predetermined partial volume of the liquid in the aspiration needle, continuously acquiring a sensor signal curve, which indicates a pressure in the aspiration needle, during an overall time period, detecting the error state in the case that the sensor signal falls below a first threshold value during the predetermined time period, characterized by providing a reference signal curve, determining a deviation measure, which indicates a deviation of the sensor signal curve from the reference signal curve during the further time period, providing a predetermined second threshold value, detecting the error state as a function of the deviation measure and the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG
    Inventors: Danny Farell, Anna Katharina Laarmann
  • Patent number: 11867598
    Abstract: An automatic sampling system (100) and an automated sampling method take samples of a rubber strip after shaping and while scrolling in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Thierry Ablonet