Patents Examined by Erin E McGrath
  • Patent number: 11136056
    Abstract: A planar carrier for mounting on a rim of a steering wheel without wrinkles, the planar carrier including a portion of planar flexible foil of roughly rectangular shape having two longitudinal sides and two lateral sides, wherein the length B of the lateral sides is 0.96 to 1.00 times the perimeter of the rim, and wherein N cut-outs per unit length are provided on each of the longitudinal sides. The cut-outs of one side are located in a staggered fashion relative to opposing cut-out portions on the opposite side. The optimum shape and size of the cut-outs may be determined as described. The planar carrier may be implemented as a heat carrier, a heating device and/or a sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A.
    Inventors: Thomas Wittkowski, Matthias Massing, Michael Olk, Baptiste Fagart
  • Patent number: 11135677
    Abstract: Methods of repair of a component or adding material to a component using laser welding are disclosed. One method may include repairing or adding material to the component by laser irradiating a wire material with a laser in an inert gas in a vicinity of the component. The laser irradiating the wire material includes modulated pulsing the laser through: a warm up phase during which an on-power of the laser is increased over time to a maximum target on-power, a melt and bond phase during which the wire material is melted and during which the on-power is less than the maximum target on-power, and a stress releasing phase during which the on-power of the laser is less than the on-power during the melt and bond phase. The laser irradiated wire material forms a weld material to repair a damaged area or add material to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fabrizio Mangano, Piero-Daniele Grasso, Norbert Lucke, Michael Seemann
  • Patent number: 11134545
    Abstract: A heater assembly includes a heater having a pair of heating terminals, an integrated module, the heater is mounted on a first side of the integrated module and the heating terminals extend from a second side of the integrated module opposite to the first side, a ground terminal mounted on the second side of the integrated module and grounding the integrated module, and a connecting housing having a receiving portion. The ground terminal is arranged in a row with the heating terminals. The heating terminals and the ground terminal are inserted into the receiving portion through a bottom wall of the receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Pan, Pai Rajendra
  • Patent number: 11123698
    Abstract: A fluid handling apparatus for ejecting fluid into a tank and draining fluid from the tank comprises: a fluid duct for draining/supplying fluid from/to the tank, the fluid duct configured for fluid communication with a tank opening at a tank bottom; a fluid inlet pipe for supplying fluid to the tank, the fluid inlet pipe extending at least partly through the fluid duct and configured to extend through the tank opening into the tank; a rotary fluid ejection device in fluid communication with the fluid inlet pipe; and a rotary drive shaft extending at least partly inside the fluid inlet pipe, the rotary drive shaft being rotatably connected to the rotary fluid ejection device. Also disclosed is a fluid tank system comprising a tank and a fluid handling apparatus, and a method for mixing beer or wort with solid hops material in a tank by a fluid handling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB
    Inventors: Christian Savstrup Marstrand, Henrik Falster Hansen, Denis Martin, Alyce Hartvigsen
  • Patent number: 11116353
    Abstract: A coffee machine includes a brewing unit, a grinding mechanism to process coffee beans into coffee grounds that are used by the brewing unit to brew coffee, and a container for coffee beans. The container has a bottom surface with an outlet opening that leads to the grinding mechanism. The bottom surface is inclined toward the outlet opening and includes ridges extending in a direction of the outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: MELITTA EUROPA GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Sachtleben, Markus Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11110532
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine having an auto wire feeding function includes: guide parts arranged on a wire feed path along which the wire electrode is fed so as to guide the feeding of the wire electrode; fluid paths formed with the guide parts to supply a compressed fluid to the wire feed path; a compressed fluid supply device to supply the compressed fluid to the fluid paths; a tension detector to detect the tension of the wire electrode; and a control device that controls the compressed fluid supply device so as to supply the compressed fluid to the fluid paths, and based on the detection result from the tension detector, determines whether or not the wire electrode has reached a supply position of one of the fluid paths on the wire feed path to which the fluid has been supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hikaru Yamane
  • Patent number: 11110009
    Abstract: A welding helmet for detecting arc data is provided. One embodiment of the welding helmet includes an arc detection system configured to detect one or more welding arcs that occur during one or more welding operations. The welding helmet also includes control circuitry configured to count a number of the one or more welding arcs detected by the arc detection system. The welding helmet includes a storage device configured to store the number of the one or more welding arcs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: William J. Becker, Kyle A. Pfeifer, Eric T. Sommers
  • Patent number: 11109599
    Abstract: An indoor smoker includes a smoking chamber fluidly coupled with an exhaust duct comprising a catalytic converter. A smoke regulating assembly selectively directs a flow of smoke through the smoking chamber and/or the exhaust duct. The smoke regulating assembly includes an outer housing defining an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture and a firebox positioned within the outer housing and defining a smoldering chamber. A control cylinder is rotatably mounted within the outer housing and around the firebox, the control cylinder defining a plurality of flow regulating apertures and being rotatable to selectively align the flow regulating apertures with the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture to regulate a flow of fresh air and the flow of smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomas Garces, Daniel Carballo
  • Patent number: 11097375
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus 10 includes a continuous-wave laser oscillator 12 for generating a continuous-wave laser beam, a condenser lens 18 for concentrating a continuous-wave laser beam onto a workpiece, and a delay time setting means for calculating an energy value for each processing by a continuous-wave laser beam irradiation on the basis of processing data and accumulating the calculated energy value, and setting a predetermined delay time between the processings when the accumulated energy value exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamagishi, Toshitaka Namba
  • Patent number: 11090754
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling arc welding including forward and reverse feeding periods alternately switched. By the method, a set of a short circuit period and an arc period is repeated, and the arc welding is controlled such that the reverse feeding period shifts to the forward feeding period when an arc occurs during the reverse feeding period, and that the forward feeding period shifts to the reverse feeding period when a short circuit occurs between the welding wire and the object during the forward feeding period. The reverse feeding period includes a reverse feeding deceleration period having a time length that is adjusted in accordance with the time length of the short circuit period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Ono, Toshiaki Nakamata, Kento Takada
  • Patent number: 11084130
    Abstract: A tool less method of connecting a welding-type power source with a cart is disclosed. In some examples, the cart may be configured to carry one or more gas bottles (and/or cylinders). In some examples, the power source housing and the cart may connect at interfacing ends and/or walls of the housing and cart. A connector, such as a clip for example, may span the interface to connect the power source housing and the cart. Catches (e.g. slots, holes, crevices, and/or protrusions) may be formed in and/or on the power supply housing and/or cart proximate to the interfacing ends and/or walls. In some examples, the catches may be aligned. In some examples, the cart and/or power source housing may include alignment surfaces to assist with alignment. The connector may engage the aligned catches to connect the welding-type power source and cart together at the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas James Dessart, Adam Richard Schmitz, Chris J. Roehl, Scott R. Rozmarynowski
  • Patent number: 11084125
    Abstract: A laser lap welding method is provided. The laser lap welding method includes linearly scanning one side surface of overlapped plural workpieces with a laser beam in a linear scanning range of from a welding start point of the one side surface to a welding end point thereof to weld the plural workpieces; controlling a power of the laser beam to gradually decrease until the laser beam reaches the welding end point when the laser beam reaches a laser power control point in the linear scanning range a predetermined time before the laser beam reaches the welding end point; and performing circular laser scanning using the laser beam around an axis extending in a depth direction of the plural workpieces through the welding end point after the laser beam reaches the welding end point to circularly melt and fluidize a portion of the plural workpieces around the welding end point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: H-ONE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takebe, Fumihiko Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11083329
    Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment, a flow-through fluid heating unit includes an annular member, and a heating element deposited on an inner surface of the annular member, the heating element including three sub-heating elements, each sub-heating element being connected to a separate conduit for receiving a separate phase of a three phase electrical power source. The heating unit may include a baffle core including at least one channel providing a fluid flow path, the baffle core being disposed within the annular member and proximate to the heating element. First and second end fittings may be disposed at each end of the annular member, each end fitting including a fluid port for allowing the fluid to flow through the annular member. One of the end fittings may be releasably connected to the annular member to provide access for removal of the baffle core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Luke E. Kelly, Brian P. Mills, Brian Rutherford, Stuart A. Dietz
  • Patent number: 11087980
    Abstract: A laser crystallization method includes exciting gas medium in an airtight container to generate laser beams; amplifying the laser beams by reflecting the laser beams between a high reflection mirror and a low reflection mirror respectively disposed facing opposite end portions of the airtight container, wherein a first transparent window and a second transparent window are fixed to respective end portions of the airtight container, and outputting the amplified laser beams; and disposing a cleaning mirror in a path of the laser beams that have propagated through the second transparent window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byung Soo So, Mee Jae Kang, Ho Seok Lee, Jae Gyun Lim, Sang Ho Jeon, Yeon Hee Jeon
  • Patent number: 11083229
    Abstract: A heating element for an e-vapor device includes a planar portion including at least one filament. The filament may define an air channel through the planar portion. The heating element may include first and second lead portions extending away from the planar portion. The planar portion, the first lead portion, and the second lead portion may be a unitary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Arie Holtz, Isaac Weigensberg
  • Patent number: 11078794
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an airfoil structure. The airfoil structure includes a plurality of airfoils, a support for supporting the airfoils, and a case for covering the airfoils. Each airfoil includes an airfoil body, and an airflow generator for producing induced airflow by generating plasma. The method includes a process of forming the airflow generator that includes a first electrode forming step of forming a first electrode on the airfoil body, a dielectric layer forming step of forming a dielectric layer on the airfoil body by forming ceramic powder into a film to cover the first electrode through room temperature impact consolidation, and a second electrode forming step of forming a second electrode on a surface of the dielectric layer, such that the second electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode, and an alternating-current voltage is applied to the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Asaumi, Nozomi Tanaka, Junya Kouwa, Kaoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 11072481
    Abstract: A metallic product compartment of a single-use, self-heating container has melted onto one or more of its surfaces and re-solidified a shaped fusible material containing a reaction suppressant. A method of manufacturing includes providing the product container, positioning the fusible material, as a solid, in contact with a metallic wall of the container, heating at least a portion of the metallic wall with an electromagnetic induction heater to at least partially melt a portion of the fusible material, and enabling the melted portion of the fusible material to cool and re-solidify, thereby adhering the fusible material to the metallic wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Tempra Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zbigniew R. Paul, Cullen M. Sabin, Michael Sheppard Bolmer
  • Patent number: 11064741
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating element includes first and second electrical connection terminals; a first electrical element being an aerosol-generator connected between the first and second electrical connection terminals; and a second electrical element connected between the first and second electrical connection terminals. A first barrier element is connected between the first electrical element and the second electrical connection terminal, and a second barrier element is connected between the second electrical element and the first electrical connection terminal. The first and second barrier elements have opposite asymmetric conductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventor: Tony Reevell
  • Patent number: 11059129
    Abstract: The invention, according to an aspect thereof, relates to a device (60) for laser micromachining a sample made of a given material, which includes a focusing module enabling a nondiffracting beam to be generated from a given incident beam, said nondiffracting beam being focused along a focusing cylinder that is oriented generally along the optical axis of the focusing module, means (601) for transmitting at least one first light pulse (11) suitable for generating, after said focusing module focuses in the sample, a plasma of free charges by multiphotonic absorption in a volume of the sample located on the side surface of said focusing cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-CNRS
    Inventors: François Courvoisier, Pierre-Ambroise Lacourt, Arnaud Couairon
  • Patent number: 11058251
    Abstract: A coffee machine having a water tank; at least one first pump; at least one first boiler for heating the water; a coffee brewing unit; and circuits to feed hot water and/or steam, with a first outlet for hot water or steam towards an emulsifying device which can be connected to a connection joint of the coffee machine; a second outlet for hot water and/or wash water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Stefano Tonelli, Cristiano Castelli