Patents Examined by John A. Jeffery
  • Patent number: 7034253
    Abstract: A heater including: a rod-shaped ceramic heater including: a ceramic heater body extending in an axial direction and having a heating-element at its leading end portion for generating heat when energized; and first and second energizing lead terminals extending from the heating element and exposed to an outer circumference of a trailing end side of the ceramic heater body; a cylindrical outer cylinder for holding the ceramic heater while protruding a leading end portion and a trailing end portion of the ceramic heater; and a core rod arranged on said trailing end side of the ceramic heater in an axial direction and connected electrically with the first lead terminal, wherein the heater further includes: a ring member including: a ring leading end portion fixed by a tight fitting on an outer circumference of a trailing end side of the ceramic heater and connected electrically with the first lead terminal; and a ring trailing end portion protruding backward from a trailing end of the ceramic heater; and a metal
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Yoshikawa, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Shinsuke Ito, Shinya Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 7035532
    Abstract: A heat storage apparatus comprises a heat storage material accommodation cell for accommodating therein a heat storage material having an electricity conductive characteristic and configured to be electrically heated, and a fluid passageway for allowing a heat exchanging fluid to flow therethrough, the fluid passageway being adjacent to the heat storage material accommodation cell via a bulkhead. The heat storage material accommodation cell and the fluid passageway are put in a spiral configuration together with the bulkhead in a heat storage main body of the heat storage apparatus. Heat held in the heat storage material is transferred to the heat exchanging fluid so as to be taken out of the heat storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohide Kudo
  • Patent number: 7030339
    Abstract: A soldering iron tip having a copper or copper alloy core and a metal particle sintered member connected to the core to transfer heat therefrom to form a working soldering tip. The sintered member can be manufactured by powder metallurgy from a base material (iron, nickel and/or cobalt particles) and an additive (silicon, copper, silver, tin, boron and/or carbon particles) where needed. The sintered member can be formed as a cap which is fitted onto the working tip with a silver paste sandwiched therebetween, a brazing filler metal ring is positioned between an abutment shoulder and the cap, flux applied to the joint and the cap brazed into place. A metal, cermet or ceramic coating sprayed on the outer surface of the core, except for the (masked) working tip end, is not wettable by solder. An Ag—Al—Cu alloy coating layer in the rearwardly-disposed cavity improves heat conduction from the heater therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Hakko Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nagase, Takashi Uetani, Yoshimoto Teraoka, Takanori Naito, Norihisa Sekimori, Masayuki Miyabe
  • Patent number: 7020388
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat transfer system, the heat emanating from a regular light bulb wherein the heat generated by the filament within the glass of the light bulb is generally wasted by exposure to the environment. The regular light bulb is surrounded by a metallic heat shield in close proximity to the light bulb. The heat shield itself is surrounded by a coiled tubing having a medium that will heat because of the influence of the heat from the light bulb. The heated medium will be transferred to another location to heat another medium such as water, for example. The light will also be transferred to another light emitting source to light a predetermined area. The light transfer may be accomplished by a glass fiber optic cable which will transfer the light energy from the initial light source, the light bulb, to a new source of a light receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Inventor: Marcus A Mills
  • Patent number: 7019260
    Abstract: An automotive glazing panel has an electrically heatable solar control coating layer, spaced first and second bus bars positioned respectively adjacent a first and a second side edge of the glazing panel and adapted to relay electrical power to the coating layer and a data transmission window positioned adjacent the top edge of the glazing. This arrangement may be used to alleviate or reduce perturbations to heating of the glazing panel caused by the presence of the data transmission window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Glavarbel
    Inventors: Etienne Degand, Christophe Maza
  • Patent number: 7015431
    Abstract: In a heating apparatus in which a plurality of heating bodies are provided and a ratio of an electrical amounts supplied to the respective heating bodies can be changed, two or more phase electrical power supplying devices for supplying electrical power to the heating bodies in accordance with a phase of AC voltage are provided, and a heating ratio of the heating body is changed by thinning, at a predetermined rate, phase wave forms for supplying an electrical power to one of the heating bodies among combinations of the heating body and the phase electrical power supplying devices, thereby preventing increase in terminal noise voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shotaro Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7013079
    Abstract: In a hybrid hot air heater according to the present invention, a chassis having first and second outlets 13 on its front face and first and second inlets 12 on its rear face incorporates therein a gas heater unit 2 comprised of a gas burner 20 and a first air-blowing fan 21 and an electric heater unit 3 comprised of an electric heater 33 and a second air-blowing fan 30 in such a manner that the air blowing systems for the respective two heaters may be independent of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Ito, Yoshinori Fujisawa, Yukihiko Shimonoma, Yoshimune Yamada
  • Patent number: 7013080
    Abstract: A radiant electric space heater is provided with a halogen light source which provides light to the same general area to which radiant electric energy is transmitted by the heating elements. The halogen light source is located behind a grill that covers a window located at the front of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: The W. B. Marvin Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kostas Kaplanis, Charles M. Wagner
  • Patent number: 7009156
    Abstract: The invention concerns a laminated glass pane (1) with at least a rigid pane and a flat electrically controlled functional element (2) as well as at least a thin electrically conductive coat (5), wherein, in accordance with the invention, the coat (5) also constitutes a flat electrode of the functional element, the coat being capable of being heated by being powered with an electric voltage, independently of the power supply of the functional element (2). Thus, unwanted variations of the optical properties of the functional elements are reduced when such a laminated glass pane is used at highly fluctuating temperatures, in particular at low temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventor: Helmut Maeuser
  • Patent number: 7005617
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally cycling samples of a biological material including a thermal block assembly including a plurality of sample holders for receiving samples of biological material; a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermal block assembly, the heat sink transferring heat away from the thermal block assembly to ambient air in contact with the heat sink; a first heat source thermally coupled to the thermal block assembly to provide heat to the thermal block assembly; and a second heat source thermally coupled to the first heat source and configured to provide heat to a portion of the first heat source. The arrangement of the heat sink, first heat source and second heat source can provide substantial temperature uniformity among the plurality of sample holders. The invention also includes a method for thermally cycling samples of biological material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Stratagene California
    Inventor: Larry Richard Brown
  • Patent number: 7006763
    Abstract: An infrared welder for thermoplastic materials comprising the combination of a halogen lamp producing illumination in the infrared band located at the focal point of a first parabolic reflector. The parabolic reflector is joined in a substantially continuous fashion with a non-imaging lower reflector such as a Winston cone or a “CPC” having a lower aperture through which essentially all of the radiation from the source is directed. The aperture defines the shape and size of the weld area. The lower reflector may be brought into contact with the thermoplastic materials during the welding operation. Alternatively, a selectively operable press device may be used. Several embodiments are disclosed including embodiments which produce circular spot welds, linear welds, curved welds and corner welds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Extol, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Miller, Andrew Van Klompenberg
  • Patent number: 7003218
    Abstract: An incubator hood for an incubator for premature and newborn babies as well as to a process for regulating the temperature of an incubator hood are provided. The problem frequently occurring in incubator hoods is that the incubator hoods lead to heat losses at the premature and newborn babies and that water of condensation precipitates on the inside of the incubator in such incubator hoods, and this water of condensation obstructs the view and facilitates the growth of microorganisms in the incubator. This can be counteracted by a heated incubator hood. The comparatively complicated regulation processes, which requires the installation of temperature sensors in the incubator hood is avoided by the use of interior heating wires (1) in which temperature-dependent electric resistors (3), preferably PTC resistors with a nominal response temperature of about 37° C., are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Wolf-Dieter Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7002106
    Abstract: A process and device for controlling the heating of the glow plugs of a diesel engine. To be able to take into consideration the thermal behavior of the glow plugs while controlling the current supply of the glow plugs (3) of a diesel engine, the thermal behavior of the glow plugs (3) is emulated via a physical model. Formed on the corresponding output signal of the model (4), which is proportional to the glow plug temperature, is a reference signal, which as a control value, lies on the electronic control (12) controlling the heating flow of the glow plugs (3), which accordingly controls the heating of the glow plugs (3) using the actual glow plug temperature determined from emulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Beru AG
    Inventors: Olaf Toedter, Heinz-Georg Schmitz
  • Patent number: 7003217
    Abstract: The present invention relates to heating systems for umbrella-shaped structures. The heating system may include a shroud or umbrella-shaped structure defining an inner volume, and a plurality of electrical infrared heating elements positioned generally downward facing in the inner volume of the shroud. The shroud may include radially extending support structures to which the heating elements are mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: HON Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Bachinski, Douglas Mark Holm
  • Patent number: 6996433
    Abstract: A biopsy site marker comprises small bodies or pellets of gelatin which enclose substantially in their interior a radio (X-ray) opaque object. The gelatin pellets are deposited into the biopsy site, typically a cylindrical opening in the tissue created by the recent use of a vacuum assisted large core biopsy device, by an applicator device that includes an elongated cylindrical body that forms a flexible tube and a piston slidable in the tube. One end of the tube is placed into the biopsy site. Typically, several gelatin pellets, only some of which typically do, but all of which may contain the radio opaque object, are deposited sequentially into the site through the tube. The radio opaque objects contained in the gelatin bodies are of a non-biological configuration and readily identifiable as man-made object, so that in observation by typical mammography equipment they do not assume the shape of a line, whereby they are readily distinguishable from granules and lines of calcification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: SenoRx, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred H. Burbank, Paul Lubock, Michael L. Jones, Nancy Forcier
  • Patent number: 6993253
    Abstract: A heating apparatus has a spectral selective type heat radiating material having a high emissivity in a specific wavelength region. A film of the spectral selective type heat radiating material is formed on a surface of a heat radiant while leaving at least one region of the surface of the heat radiant with nothing formed thereon. The film is applied so it is possible to identify whether or not the heating apparatus is operating and to prevent the temperature of a surface of the heat radiant from rising excessively. The spectral selectivity of spectral emissivity is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the film of the spectral selective type heat radiating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventor: Masato Tazawa
  • Patent number: 6992267
    Abstract: A kind of low-temperature steam electric iron, includes ironing plate, temperature-adjusting plate and temperature adjustable circuit, steam room and its temperature auto-adjusting circuit. A heat insulation layer is positioned between the temperature-adjusting plate and the steam room. A steam passage is formed between the temperature adjusting plate and the ironing plate. The temperature auto-adjusting circuit in the steam room can immediately sense and adjust the temperature variation in the steam room and make sure that the water in the steam room can be fully evaporated, so the low-temperature fabric material can be ironed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Elec-Tech International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Donglei Wang
  • Patent number: 6989511
    Abstract: A soldering iron includes a handle, a heater, a soldering tip, a power cable and a separator. The heater is connected with the handle. The heater includes two leads extending from one end thereof. The soldering tip is connected with the heater. The power cable includes two wires connected with the leads of the heater. The separator is put in the handle. The separator is used for separating the wires from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Inventor: Jung-Fa Tsai
  • Patent number: 6987928
    Abstract: A recirculated heated air mat system melts snow and ice from driveways or roofs, preventing its accumulation. The driveway sized, hollow mat of tough, pliable rubber, plastic is resistant to tearing and abrasion. A recirculating air electric heater provides heated air to the mat. The mat contains baffles directing heated air sinuously through the substantial portion of the mat, and an internal wall forms a cooled air return path along the upper end for recirculating the air to the heater. For a two-car garage, two pads are provided. The second pad may be identical to the first pad. Heated air is directed between the first and second mats and returned through the cooled air return path by separate removable ducts between heating air paths and cooled air return paths. The system may be modular, being assembled from identical mats and ducts. A large single mat for a roof is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Inventor: Chris Shields
  • Patent number: 6972396
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heating device having a elongated body to heat an electric part for soldering or desoldering the electric part. The heating device includes a tip through which the heat is applied to the part, a heater for heating the tip and a temperature sensor for detecting temperature at the tip. The heater and the temperature sensor are longitudinally distant from each other. The temperature sensor is located in a forward portion of the body to be close to the tip. The heater includes a heater core of high heat conductive material, and a heating coil wound around the heater core, with heat being conducted through the heater core in the longitudinal direction of the body to the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Hakko Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiko Miyazaki