Patents Examined by Christina Russell
  • Patent number: 9038774
    Abstract: Embodiments of thermal-acoustic sections for an aircraft for reducing noise along an acoustic path produced from an acoustic source are provided herein. The thermal-acoustic section comprises a first porous layer having a first characteristic acoustic impedance. A second porous layer is disposed adjacent to the first porous layer and has a second characteristic acoustic impedance that is greater than the first characteristic acoustic impedance. The thermal-acoustic section is configured to be positioned along the acoustic path such that at least a portion of the noise from the acoustic source is directed through the first porous layer to the second porous layer to promote absorption of the noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Tongan Wang, John Maxon, Andrew Foose, David Charles Hornick, Josef Fila
  • Patent number: 8975502
    Abstract: A very efficient guitar design, light weight and having a body-mounted tuning system to assist with performance is disclosed. The guitar comprises two main components: an acoustic body and a housing. This separation is intended so that the acoustic body is isolated from the housing and free to vibrate. The guitar further optionally comprises seven strings, twelve-strings, a vibrato system and a retractable built-in stand attached to the back of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventor: Rodulfo Delgado
  • Patent number: 8962955
    Abstract: A music box includes a plurality of star wheels, a plurality of sun wheels, a drive unit, a plurality of anchoring members, a plurality of vibration valves, a rotating disk, a detection unit, and a control unit. Each of the plurality of anchoring members is configured to engage one of a plurality of protruding parts of the plurality of star wheels. The rotating disk is configured to rotate according to a rotation of an axis. The rotating disk is formed with a plurality of slits arrayed in a circumferential direction of the rotating disk. The detection unit is configured to detect a passage of one or more of the plurality of slits. The control unit is configured to control one or more of the plurality of anchoring members to disengage one of the plurality of protruding parts, based on a detection result of the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8940986
    Abstract: A tremolo device for a stringed instrument is described in which a base plate is configured for surface mounting to a body of the instrument. A pivot plate is pivotally coupled to the base plate along an edge of the pivot plate. Each string is associated with a string seat. The string is threaded through the string seat receiving a terminal end of the string. The string seat includes a keyed portion that slidably attaches the string seat to the pivot plate in a keyed slot provided in a bottom surface of the pivot plate. A spring disposed between the base plate and the pivot plate maintains the pivot plate in a first position relative to the base plate until a user provides an action to pivot the pivot plate relative to said base plate. The spring returns the pivot plate to the first position when the user action is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Inventor: Nole F. Edwards
  • Patent number: 8919495
    Abstract: A method for producing a double-layer or triple-layer sound-absorbing panel (10) is specified, said panel consisting of a support panel (20) and at least one cover panel or coating (30, 35) of the support panel (20), the cover panel or coating (30, 35) being fixedly connected to the support panel (20). In this case, an open-pore (121) support panel is provided as the support panel (20) and the sound-absorbing panel (10) is arranged on each side (12, 13) provided with a cover panel or coating (30, 35) with a device opposing said side emitting a laser beam, the upper face (12) of said panel (10) being subjected to the laser beam, which is designed to burn away material from the cover panel or coating (30, 35) facing said laser beam over the depth in the direction of the laser beam in a plurality of holes (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Akustik & Innovation GmbH
    Inventor: Marco Mäder
  • Patent number: 8907190
    Abstract: The present invention includes a first rotating operation unit which is arranged in one end section of an instrument main body such that a portion thereof protrudes from the top surface of the instrument main body, and switch-operated by the protruding portion being rotated by the thumb of a left hand, and a second rotating operation unit which is arranged posterior to the first rotating operation unit such that a portion thereof is exposed on a side surface side of the end section, and switch-operated by the exposed portion being rotated by a finger other than the thumb. Accordingly, when the left hand is placed on the end section, the thumb is placed corresponding to the first rotating operation unit, and the other finger is placed corresponding to the second rotating operation unit, whereby these rotating operation units can be rotated separately by only the left hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nakamura, Akira Sakashita
  • Patent number: 8895829
    Abstract: A music playing movement display device includes CPU displaying a music playing movement image on a display unit based on music playing information, movement information, and structural data stored in RAM. the CPU determines whether to perform display of a music playing technique based on a music playing technique flag of the music playing information stored in the RAM, and, when determining to perform the display of the music playing technique, allows to change a display mode of the image corresponding to the music playing technique, compared to a display mode of a image corresponding to that of a case of not displaying the music playing technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichiro Soejima
  • Patent number: 8891793
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides systems and methods for remotely controlling a hearing assistance device, including using a personal wireless device such as a cellular telephone. One embodiment includes a communication system for controlling a hearing assistance device. The system includes a personal wireless device including a short range radio transmitter. The short range radio transmitter is programmed to transmit instructions to the hearing assistance device by conversion of inputs to the personal wireless device into control signals for the hearing assistance device using on/off keying of the short range radio transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Karl Sacha, Wei Li Lin, Jay Ashwin Shah
  • Patent number: 8878039
    Abstract: A drumstick holder, comprising: a member providing a surface; one or more retaining members (for example clips arranged to grip a drumstick) arranged to prevent or restrict free movement of a drumstick across the surface; a plurality of protrusions from the member; wherein the drumstick holder is adapted for fitting to a rim of a drum or further comprises means for fitting the member to a rim of a drum (for example a clamp); and when the drumstick holder is fitted to a drum rim, each respective protrusion engages a drum at a different respective position around a circumference of a drum rim. The surface may be substantially planar. The drum may be a bass drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: The Stageworks Gear Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Ian Chambers, Matthew Douglas Chambers
  • Patent number: 8863894
    Abstract: In a silencer, holes are disposed in one row with intervals to each other along one direction, holes forming the one row are disposed in a plurality of rows in a direction perpendicular to the one direction, and positions of the holes in adjacent rows are shifted in the one direction and disposed in a zigzag pattern. A disposition interval of the holes of an outer edge hole row forming one row in at least two sides opposite to each other in the silencing porous plate is set to be larger than a disposition interval of the holes of a row inside the outer edge hole row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eigo Kato, Toyosei Aota, Hideyuki Morita
  • Patent number: 8863893
    Abstract: An inlet for an aircraft engine nacelle having an acoustic barrel panel, a septum buried or sandwiched within the acoustic barrel panel, and a perforated face sheet. The inlet may be located forward of an engine and/or an engine fan housed within the aircraft engine nacelle. Both the septum and the perforated face sheet may have perforations or holes therein of varying sizes and varying distances apart from each other. The smaller the area of the perforations or holes and the further apart they are from each other, the higher the impedance of a given area of the septum or the perforated face sheet. The impedance of the septum and/or the perforated face sheet may progressively increase in a direction away from the engine fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Everet Sternberger, Judith Marie Gallman
  • Patent number: 8859866
    Abstract: In a predetermined sound generation mode, a drive signal having a frequency characteristic corresponding to an operated key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. In response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit, the soundboard is vibrated so as to generate an acoustic vibration sound corresponding to the operated key. The excitation unit is supported by a supporting unit such that less or no load of the excitation unit except a vibration member vibrated in response to the drive signal is applied to the soundboard. Thus, only a load of the vibration member which is a very light portion of the excitation unit is applied to the soundboard, thereby vibration characteristics of the soundboard being hardly affected. When a sound damping mode is selected, a stopper is permitted to prevent a hammer from striking a sounding body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Onishi, Rokurouta Mantani
  • Patent number: 8831269
    Abstract: A bobbin includes a stratiform composite structure. The stratiform composite structure includes an amorphous carbon structure and a carbon nanotube film structure composited with the amorphous carbon structure. The amorphous carbon structure and the carbon nanotube film structure are combined by van der Waals attractive force and covalent bonds therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Liang Liu, Jia-Ping Wang
  • Patent number: 8820472
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for the passive reduction of the sound vibrations in a liquid resulting from a sound source arranged below the liquid level of a body of water, the device comprising an elongate tube which can be arranged over the sound source, the tube comprising an outer wall and inner wall, wherein the tube is designed to maintain a certain desired pressure in the intermediate space between the inner and outer wall. In this case, the pressure is reduced with respect to the ambient pressure. As a result of the reduced pressure, the sound vibrations will less readily travel to the outside and the noise level in the area around the tube is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: IHC Holland IE B.V.
    Inventors: Boudewijn Casper Jung, Jan Albert Westerbeek
  • Patent number: 8820470
    Abstract: An adjustably attenuating ear plug adapted for use in an ear canal, includes a flexible body, and a valve assembly further comprising a disk and knob translatable relative to the disk, wherein the knob defines at least one inlet, the disk alternately defines at least one shield and hole, and the inlet is alternatively aligned with the hole and shield to varying degrees, so as to selectively and variably expose the canal to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Brown
  • Patent number: 8820476
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an assembly wall having improved sound absorption/insulation performance and an assembly structure thereof. The assembly wall includes plate members separated from each other to face each other and each forming at least one layer; stud members alternately placed on different inner surfaces of the plate members and comprising a web formed with a plurality of first perforated holes having at least one diameter; an insulation member interposed in a space defined between the plate members and the stud members; and a sheet member adjoining an outer surface of the insulation member and being formed with a plurality of second perforated holes having at least one diameter. With this structure, the assembly wall has excellent sound absorption and insulation performance over various frequency bands including a low frequency band without increasing wall thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: LG Hausys, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Woo Nam, Seong-Moon Jung, Jun-Yup Kim, Heon-Sung Kang
  • Patent number: 8813907
    Abstract: A noise reduction system with a chamber includes a chamber (17) which is provided at a portion of a supply path connecting a flow path in an upstream side of a combustor in a jet engine to a plurality of microjet nozzles which is provided at an exhaust side peripheral edge of a main nozzle of the jet engine, wherein the supply path is configured to supply part of compressed air from the flow path into the chamber (17), and the chamber (17) is configured to inject the compressed air through the plurality of the microjet nozzles (63) to a jet flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomi Tanaka, Shinya Kusuda, Tsutomu Oishi, Yoshinori Oba
  • Patent number: 8813906
    Abstract: A damper speaker includes a fiber cloth woven by fibers, each of the fibers is formed by a single fiber strand or several fiber strands. The fiber strand includes a first fiber, which is one or a combination of cotton, polyester and aramid fiber. When the first fiber is the combination of cotton, polyester and aramid fiber, the weight ratio of any one to the fiber cloth is 0˜100%, and the weight ratio of the other two is adjusted. When the weight ratio of the first fiber to the fiber cloth is less than 100%, the fiber cloth includes a second fiber, which is one or a combination of rayon, silk, flax, acrylic, rubber and synthetic fiber. The speaker damper includes a layer of resin, which is absorbed by and combined with the fiber cloth. The fiber cloth is then cut into a predetermined shape through a molding means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ohara
  • Patent number: 8807275
    Abstract: A sound absorbent barrier has a sound absorbent layer disposed between a porous first cover and a second cover. The barrier also has a waterproof sound-permeable membrane between the first cover and the sound absorbent layer. The sound absorbent layer is thus protected from damage by the first and second covers and water ingress is prevented by the sound permeable membrane. The second cover may be non-porous to reflect sound waves which have passed through the sound absorbent layer back through the sound absorbent layer. Alternatively, the second cover may be porous to enable absorption of sound from two directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Echo Barrier Limited
    Inventors: Peter Wilson, Andrew Murphy
  • Patent number: 8809666
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic drum induction structure, and more particularly to a structure eliminating noise generated from a drumhead of an electronic drum so as to transmit electronic induction sound only. The electronic drum induction structure of the present invention is mainly formed by combining an induction ring with a woven net, where the induction ring is an annular foam, inside which an induction sheet is sandwiched, and an induction signal line is connected; the woven net is formed by weaving resin fibers, and an induction ring is attached on the rear face of the woven net at the inner diameter of the circumference thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Inventor: Tzu-Chen Liu