Patents Examined by Christy Green
  • Patent number: 6591557
    Abstract: The panel system is meant for construction of a panel fillet or a major panel surface to be mounted in a pitched roof or in a facade, comprising a number of fixed panels (1) together with a number of openable panels (2), each panel comprising a frame structure composed of frame members (13, 22) bordering a panelling element (32) between them, each frame member (13, 22) comprising a profile element (30) and at least a core element (35). The profile elements (30) are designed as uniform standard parts, and in that at least some frame members of the frame structure are provided with means to vary the moment of inertia, where the means can comprise at least one element (47) which is received in said core element (35) and which extend over essentially the entire length of the frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: VKR Holdings A/S
    Inventors: Morten Werner Thomsen, Hans Ove Pedersen, Lars Helmersen, Vagn Elnfeldt Jensen, Aage Mathiassen Wind, Niels Birkedal Kristiansen
  • Patent number: 6516821
    Abstract: A stageless adjusting/locating device for various kinds of sticks enables both right-handed user and left-handed users to conveniently stagelessly adjust the length of a stick. The stick is composed of multiple telescopic fitting tubes including mother fitting tubes and daughter fitting tubes nested in the mother fitting tubes. The adjusting/locating device is disposed at each of the mother and daughter fitting tubes. The adjusting/locating device includes a screw member formed by a threaded rod having outer threads and a locking member composed of two semicylindrical bodies mating with the threaded rod. A fastening ring is fixedly fitted around the locking member. The inner circumferential faces of the two semicylindrical bodies are formed with inner threads. An upper and a lower end of the inner threads are formed with thick sections converging from thin sections. The inner wall faces of the thick sections are formed with semielliptic arch faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: Shinichi Uemura
  • Patent number: 6502355
    Abstract: A storm cover for protecting a building's exterior glass includes a resiliently rigid protective storm panel connected directly to the glass so as to substantially cover the glass surface. The protective storm panel is connected to the glass by shock absorbing connectors positioned to hold the panel on the glass and spaced apart therefrom, to substantially protect the glass from impact by distributing the force of an impact. The protective storm panel is made of a substantially resiliently rigid material such as wood, plastic, or light gauge metal, and the exterior glass is preferably a glass window or glass door. The protective storm panel may be sized so as to overlap a frame surrounding the window or door to thereby provide added protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Inventor: Albert Bori
  • Patent number: 6497080
    Abstract: A structural member “(10)” comprises a generally Z-shaped cross section. Two flange members (14, 16) are bonded to opposite sides and opposite ends of a diagonal web “(12)”. Each flange member “(14, 16)” has one surface “(28)” which is bonded to the web “(12)” and at least two additional surfaces “(30, 32)” at right angles to one another. The cross section of the web is six sided, each end of the cross section including a side which is continuous with one of the right angled sides of its associated flange member and another side which acts as a side load bearing surface for the structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Inventor: Don Robin Brett Malcolm
  • Patent number: 6470634
    Abstract: A door guard for protecting a doorframe and including a deflecting member having a vertically-oriented, planar, and horizontally-elongate deflecting surface adapted for being positioned adjacent to a side of a doorframe and projecting outwardly therefrom at an oblique angle thereto for deflecting a colliding object away from the doorframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Inventor: Michael E. Bloom, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6449915
    Abstract: A wall panel structure for controlling humidity within a building having a panel assembly attachable to an inner wall surface of the building including: a first panel having a surface with a first predetermined porosity to moisture; and a second panel secured to said first panel with a space for accomodating airflow between the first and second panels, the second panel having a surface with a second predetermined porosity to moisture, the first perdetermined panel porosity being greater than the second predetermined porosity to thereby absorb moisture from air being circulated between the first and second panels; whereby humidity of an environment within the building is controllable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Time & Space Tech. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-Seok Park
  • Patent number: 6438919
    Abstract: The invention relates to flat and/or elongated building components (1, 2), preferably wooden, and a structure connecting these components (1, 2) in accordance with the groove and tongue principle. Two legs (3, 4) forming a groove (5) branch off from a front face of one of the components (1), and a tongue (6) branching off from a front face of the other component (2) can be inserted into the groove (5). Locking elements (7, 8) hold the components (1, 2) in an assembled position. In accordance with the invention, the locking elements are configured as triangular projections (7) and cavities (8) in facing or adjacent surfaces of the groove and/or tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: M. Kaindl
    Inventor: Franz Knauseder
  • Patent number: 6415553
    Abstract: A privacy screen assembly for work spaces of the type having spaced-apart partition panels forming an opening for user ingress and egress therethrough. The privacy screen assembly includes a privacy screen defining a lower edge, and at least one roller mounted adjacent the lower edge for movably supporting the privacy screen on a trackless floor surface. An attachment member is configured to movably interconnect the privacy screen with a first partition panel. The attachment member positions the privacy screen in an offset position relative to the first partition panel. The privacy screen is movable between an open position wherein the privacy screen is disposed alongside at least a portion of the first partition panel, and a closed position wherein the privacy screen closes off at least a substantial portion of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Krayer, Jr., Mark D. Swets, Troy A. Wyman, Joseph T. Graceffa, Jon D. Schiff
  • Patent number: 6408587
    Abstract: A structural member, e.g. a truss for erection of temporary structures, comprises a number of elongate elements disposed in spaced generally parallel relationship to one another with transversely extending elements therebetween, and an element extending longitudinally of the structural member has a formation extending lengthwise of it for engagement by an attachment member which is to be retained to the longitudinally extending element at any of a range of positions therealong. The attachment member may provide for connection of a safety element to the structural member, and be freely movable therealong in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Total Fabrications Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Patrick Noel Cronin, Neil Howard Darracott
  • Patent number: 6397550
    Abstract: A metal structural member having an elongate web member having a first side and a second side, a pair of flanges extending laterally from the first side of the web member, each of the flanges having an outer wall member and an end wall member, the end wall member being substantially parallel to the web member wherein one of the flanges further includes an inner wall member in spaced-apart relationship with the outer wall member and extending from the end wall member toward the web and terminating with a lip member formed parallel to and juxtaposed with the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventors: Steven H. Walker, Raymond C. Frobosilo
  • Patent number: 6393790
    Abstract: A construction block cap is used to cap the open end of a construction block in order to provide a generally air tight and water tight seal of the open end. The construction block cap has a body member with a top surface and a bottom surface and a raised portion extending upwardly from the top surface in spaced apart fashion with respect to the outer periphery of the body member. The body member is positioned so that the top surface rests on the edges of the open end and the outer surface of the raised portion abuts the interior surfaces of the faces and two of the side edges of the construction block. A channel can be located on the top surface on order to hold a desiccant tube. The bottom surface has a connection system to connect to a frame member, the connection system being either male or female in nature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Myles A. Fisher
  • Patent number: 6389763
    Abstract: A system and method for installing trim around a window in a construction application where the jambs of the window are not as wide as the wall in which the window is being installed. The system uses jamb mounting elements attached to the jambs of the window. Trim mounting elements are either attached to the trim or its functional equivalents milled into the wood of the trim. When the trim is mounted to the wall surrounding the window, the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements overlap, thereby eliminating any gaps between the trim and the jambs of the window. By overlapping the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements, these two elements can be adapted to fill in the gaps between the trim and the window jambs across a large range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Joseph Clauss