Patents Examined by David T. Fidei
  • Patent number: 8662336
    Abstract: There is a bag scaffold configured to support a flexible bag in an upright and open configuration. The bag scaffold includes a first wall member having a first end and a second end. The first wall member includes a plurality of panels coupled to each other in series by an integral leaf spring. The first wall member includes a first coupling structure and a second coupling structure and is configured to be able to selectably couple to the first coupling structure. The bag scaffold includes a second wall member that is substantially identical to the first wall member and is selectably coupled thereto at their respective first and second coupling structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: Zane Stowers
  • Patent number: 8622207
    Abstract: A carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier has at least one bottom panel, at least one top panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels. The at least one top panel is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. The at least one top panel has a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier and a retaining portion having container receiving openings for retaining the containers in the carrier. The carrier has a retention flap foldably connected to the top panel for retaining the carrier in an assembled position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Smalley
  • Patent number: 8616403
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel filler port device that is of a fuel tank for a straddled vehicle and that can utilize the upper space of the fuel tank without leading to an increase in size of a fuel filler guide tube. The fuel filler port device (60) of a fuel tank for a straddled vehicle is provided with: a fuel filler guide tube (61) that extends from the fuel filler port (53) provided to the upper wall of the fuel tank (16) to the interior of the fuel tank (16), and a flame arrester (62) that is disposed at the bottom of the fuel filler guide tube (61); and the flame arrester (62) is provided in a manner allowing a nozzle (N) of a fuel gun inserted from the fuel filler port (53) to be inserted lower than the upper end of the flame arrester (62).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Hisadomi, Hiroyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8608001
    Abstract: A two shot dispensing closure wherein the spout and base component of the closure is molded in a first molding step and a repositionable cap is molded over at least the spout of the closure in a second molding step. The cap may be molded in the closed position over the spout to provide a fluidic seal between the cap and spout. The cap is repositionable between a closed position closing off an aperture of the spout and an open position thereby opening the aperture of the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas C. Stoneberg, William C. Schmeisser
  • Patent number: 8608002
    Abstract: A closure for sealing a container comprising a cap having an outer cap surface and an inner cap surface, wherein said cap is capable of being removably attached to the container, and a wall having a first wall edge, a second wall edge, an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Frederique Hennebelle
  • Patent number: 8464866
    Abstract: A package for holding a plurality of containers. The package has a top panel and side panels. The package has retention features for retaining the containers and reinforcement features for reinforcing the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Sutherland, Colin P. Ford
  • Patent number: 8348060
    Abstract: An air enclosure is provided. An air filling passageway for filling air into the first and second air cylinders is formed between two inner films. A plurality of first air cylinders and at least one second air cylinder are formed between two outer films. The second air cylinder includes an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. The upper section, middle section, and lower section are isolated from each other. At least one tiny tube, connected with the upper and lower section is disposed at the middle section. The air is filled into the first air cylinders, as well as the upper section and the lower section, while the middle section remains flat. Because second air cylinder includes expanded upper section, lower section, and flat middle section, an accepting space with different shapes can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventors: Chian Hua Liao, Yao Sin Liao, Bo Xin Jian
  • Patent number: 8328019
    Abstract: A dual purpose waste receptacle and toilet tissue roll storage device in which the toilet tissue storage area is arranged below the waste receptacle and provides a base on which the dual purpose device stands in use. A flanged top provides for convenient handling. The device may be made in one or two pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Inventor: Mario Dermo
  • Patent number: 8328014
    Abstract: A consumer packaged good includes a case, a plurality of translucent vessels vertically stacked within the case, a beverage stored in each of the plurality of the vessels and a barrier sealed to each vessel for containing the beverage in the respective vessel. The case includes a base wall and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base wall. The plurality of translucent vessels are surrounded by the sidewall. Each vessel includes an opening for drinking from the vessel and a base surface for supporting the vessel on an associated support surface. The barrier seals to each vessel for covering the opening and containing the beverage in the respective vessel. The barrier is peelable from the vessel without destroying the vessel to provide access to the beverage stored in the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Nottingham Spirk Partners LLC
    Inventors: Craig Saunders, John Evan Spirk, Jeffrey Kalman, Jens P. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8313002
    Abstract: A lid for a beverage container includes a top wall. The top wall has a drink opening with a communicating hole and an aroma opening disposed near the drink opening. The aroma opening has a vertical aroma hole that is a through hole extending along a vertical plane essentially perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the top wall. The vertical aroma hole emits aroma of the beverage in the container to an outside, while preventing the beverage from splattering to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Inventor: Shintaro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 8297441
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for protecting the surfaces and labels of beverage containers are disclosed. The invention includes a beverage tray having a floor and walls extending from the floor. The beverage tray includes a plurality of dividing sections that divide the beverage tray into beverage sections. Each beverage section may hold a single beverage container. The beverage tray may include a plurality of contact strips positioned within the beverage tray and configured to contact the surface of the beverage container. The contact strips may be placed on the walls of the beverage tray or on the dividing sections of the beverage tray. The contact strips may be applied to existing beverage trays to protect the surfaces and labels of beverage bottles from being damaged by the surface of the beverage trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Pepsico, Inc.
    Inventor: Cherie Eugui
  • Patent number: 8292074
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stabilizer suitable for stabilizing disks of a heat pack, wherein the stabilizer includes at least two elongate parallel pushers of height compatible with the height of the heat pack, each movable in a direction perpendicular to the pushers, the pushers being associated with an irreversible driver system enabling the pushers to be moved apart or towards each other, the pushers extending in service so as to face an inside diameter of the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Messier-Bugatti-Dowty
    Inventor: Michel Fiore
  • Patent number: 8286820
    Abstract: A protective device for a wall region to be protected, includes a collar which has recesses penetrating the collar and is disposed around the wall region to be protected in an intended configuration of the protective device. A protective cap includes a base and a casing, which extends from the base substantially perpendicularly up to a casing edge and has recesses penetrating the casing. The casing recesses extend from the casing edge in the direction of the base of the protective cap. Casing sections are formed between the recesses. In the intended configuration of the protective device, the casing is disposed between the collar and the wall region to be protected, and one of the casing sections is disposed between each collar recess and the wall region to be protected so that a free linear connection is prevented between the respective collar recess and the wall region to be protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ian Trevor Williams
  • Patent number: 8191710
    Abstract: A container (12) suitable for use in packaging pharmaceutical products such as tablets and capsules. The container (12) can be withdrawn from a box or sleeve (14) in a first direction X to a fully extended position whereby a user can remove any item stored by the container (12). The container (12) has a base (32) which includes an end portion (40) that remains substantially within the box or sleeve (14) when in the fully extended position. The base (32) carries at least one chamber formation (42) for containing an item to be removed by the user. The base (32) also has at least one stabilizing formation (44) on the end portion (40) that interacts with the box or sleeve (14) when in the fully extended position to resist pivoting of the container (12) relative to the box or sleeve (14). The or each stabilizing formation (44) differs in size and/or shape to the or each chamber formation (42), and has a length in the first direction X that is greater than or equal to its width in a second direction Y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Duff Design Limited
    Inventor: Tim Clarke
  • Patent number: 8079466
    Abstract: The present invention is a packaging article that includes a first chamber defined by a sealed connection between a first film and a second film, a second chamber defined by a sealed connection between a third film and a fourth film, where the third film at least partially abuts the second film, and a third chamber defined by a sealed connection between the first film and the fourth film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignees: 3M Innovatice Properties Company, 3M ESPE AG
    Inventors: Robert Lee, Brian A. Shukla, Robert W. Petrich, Arno Hohmann, Marc Peuker, John W. Dubbe
  • Patent number: 8066177
    Abstract: A receptacle includes a first panel, a second panel opposite the first panel, and a third panel contiguous with the first and second panels on different sides. An opening is formed between a first side of the first panel and a second side of the second panel. A lid covers the opening. A first portion of the lid is contiguous with the first side of the first panel and with a second portion of the lid that folds into an interior of the receptacle. One of the first and second panels has a perforation extending from a first end of the second side of the one of the first and second panels to a second end of the second side of the one of the first and second panels. A portion of the perforation is positioned away from the second side of the one of the first and second panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Miki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8021049
    Abstract: A bag of a heat shrinkable, gas-barrier thermoplastic film for packaging an item comprises a first seal adjacent a bottom edge and connecting first and second side edges, and defining an area between it, the side edges and a top edge for receiving the item, a second seal along the bottom edge or between the bottom edge and the first seal and connecting the side edges, and having a shaped portion adjacent a corner of the bag at the first side edge and the bottom edge which projects towards the top edge, and a precut extending from the bottom edge towards an apex of the shaped portion, the first seal extending from the second side edge towards the shaped portion at a level below the apex and around the shaped portion to the first side edge, and a manually graspable tab being formed between the first side edge, the first and second seals adjacent the first side edge and the shaped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Cryovac, Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian Maxwell William Smith
  • Patent number: 8011499
    Abstract: A novel suture tray package is disclosed. The package has a floor member and a plurality of curvilinear walls extending up from the top of the floor member and forming suture tracks. The walls extend in a spiral manner from the central section of the floor member to the periphery. Extending radially outwardly about the periphery are platform sections in communication with the tracks and optionally containing needle park members and pledget park members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Meredith McHugh Karow, Robert Cerwin, John P. Harrison
  • Patent number: 8011501
    Abstract: A package (1) of tobacco articles, having a group (2) of tobacco articles; a collar (16) surrounding the group (2) of tobacco articles and having a number of lateral walls (17, 18, 19, 20); and an outer package (3) surrounding the group (2) of tobacco articles and the collar (16), and having a top wall (12), a bottom wall (13) parallel to the top wall (12), and a number of lateral walls (8, 9, 10, 11) which are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls (12, 13), and are parallel to and rest on respective lateral walls (17, 18, 19, 20) of the collar (16). A lateral joining wall (8; 10) of the outer package (3) is defined by two panels (8?, 8?; 10?, 10?), which are separate, coplanar, and side by side with no overlap, and are both glued to an underlying lateral joining wall (17; 19) of the collar (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: G.D Societa'per Azioni
    Inventors: Andrea Biondi, Paolo Cremonini, Ivanoe Bertuzzi, Roberto Polloni
  • Patent number: 8006466
    Abstract: A portable or disposable package of tissues includes a reflective surface. The surface may be directly associated with the package. In another embodiment, the reflective surface is associated with another body which is connected to the package. That body may be removable from the package, so that it may be used with successive packages after the tissues in prior packages have been exhausted and the package disposed of.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Inventor: Rick Rowe