Patents Examined by Kevin Butler
  • Patent number: 9651442
    Abstract: A fluid 10 is contained within a chamber 12. The chamber wall 14 has an inner surface 16 exposed to the fluid 10 and an outer surface 18 separated from the inner surface 18 by the material 20 of the wall 14. Ultrasound 22 is introduced into the material 20. Measurement of the time of flight of the ultrasound 22 through the body 20 allows a measurement to be made of the pressure of the fluid 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: The Lubrizol Corporation
    Inventors: Oliver Smith, Michael R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9632473
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a drive mechanism, a rotating member, an urging member, and a retracting system. The retracting system includes first and second retracting mechanisms. The first retracting mechanism includes a first gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at one end in an axial direction by moving the first gap-maintaining member and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the first gap-maintaining member. The second retracting mechanism includes a second gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at the other end by enabling the rotating member to be rotated by the image carrier, moving the second gap-maintaining member, and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the second gap-maintaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kobayashi, Osamu Iida
  • Patent number: 9625297
    Abstract: A flow meter includes: a measuring portion having rotors and provided on a pair of shafts positioned horizontally; a sensor that measures a pressure and a temperature within a flow path of the measuring portion; a front side panel that supports front side components of the measuring portion; a front cover that covers the front side components of the measuring portion; a main substrate that is installed in the front cover and collects a signal from the sensor; and a counter displaying portion that displays the signal from the sensor outputted from the main substrate. The sensor is assembled in the tip end of a cylindrical sensor case, the sensor case is inserted into the front side panel through an insertion opening formed in the front cover, the sensor is installed within the front cover, and the sensor and the main substrate are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: AZBIL KIMMON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nakayama, Jun Ishizeki
  • Patent number: 9625427
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and an arrangement for selective solvent evaporation from a liquid feed, the feed comprising one or more components diluted in at least a first solvent or a solvent blend, comprising: a) a first tubular vessel having a distal end or a channel suitable for the formation of a droplet of a first volume, at an inflow rate n, at the tip or in the lumen of the tubular vessel, and b) means for subjecting the droplet to a solvent removal step at an evaporation rate r2 to evaporate at least part of the first solvent or solvent blend, to accumulate the components in the feed in the droplet during the evaporation process at an accumulation rate r3, to obtain a concentrated feed volume in a concentrated droplet, wherein the evaporation and/or inflow rates are continuously adjusted to achieve a desired accumulation rate. The invention further relates to a method for selective solvent removal from an analyte mixture obtained in a chromatographic separation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
    Inventors: Thomas Hankemeier, Jan-Willem Schoonen, Heiko Jan Van Der Linden, Paul Vulto
  • Patent number: 9621788
    Abstract: A focus control device includes an acquisition unit that acquires image data of a plurality of first frames, each of the plurality of first frames being captured at each of positions of a lens in an optical axis direction, the positions being different each other; and a movement unit that, when a focusing position of the lens is not determined based on contrast evaluation values for an area to be focused on in the plurality of first frames, determines a direction for moving the area, based on a magnitude of a contrast evaluation value within the area and a position of an area with the contrast evaluation value larger than or equal to a given threshold in each piece of image data of the plurality of first frames or a plurality of second frames newly acquired by the acquisition unit, and moves the area in the determined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takuma Tsuji
  • Patent number: 9612548
    Abstract: A cartridge includes: a casing for accommodating developer; a rotatable body rotatably provided at the casing; a pivot member; and a biasing member. The rotatable body is rotatable about a rotational axis, the rotatable body having an outer circumference defining a rotational path during rotation. The pivot member is disposed at the rotatable body at a position offset from the rotational axis and is pivotable about a pivot fulcrum extending in a direction parallel to a tangential direction of the rotational path. The pivot member being pivotably movable between an erect position in which the pivot member erects to form a first angle relative to the rotatable body and a collapsed position in which the pivot member pivots toward the rotatable body to form a second angle smaller than the first angle relative to the rotational body. The biasing member biases the pivot member toward the erect position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Labushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Shiraki, Yasuo Fukamachi
  • Patent number: 9604237
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a control system are described for controlling one or more operations of a sprayer vehicle with a tilt-detection mechanism, a tank, and a tank fill-volume sensor. The tilt-detection mechanism is utilized to determine a tilt indicator. A tilt value is determined based upon the tilt indicator. A tank fill-volume indicator is determined based upon information from the tank fill-volume sensor. A tilt-corrected fill-volume of the tank is determined based upon the tilt value and the tank fill-volume indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. Hanson, Richard A. Humpal, Bradley J. Hitchler, Matthew T. Martin
  • Patent number: 9606479
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and a transfer roller. A support body supports the image carrier in a main body opposite to the transfer roller. A holding member positioned in the support body holds the transfer roller. The holding member includes at least one groove in a portion of the holding member that holds the transfer roller. At least one conductive member is positioned in, and protruding from, the at least one groove so that a part of the conductive member makes electrical contact with the transfer roller when the transfer roller is held in the holding member. A power supply section applies transfer bias between the image carrier and the transfer roller through the conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norio Kouzu
  • Patent number: 9599653
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing an internal fault of an oil-immersed transformer by analyzing the composition ratio of dissolved gas in oil that is caused when an internal fault of the oil-immersed transformer occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HYOSUNG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sung-Wook Kim, Hwang-Dong Seo, Sung-Jik Kim
  • Patent number: 9599933
    Abstract: In the structure of a shutter moving mechanism, if the inclination angle of an elongated hole with respect to a sliding direction of a shutter is increased, it is necessary to increase the size of a movement plate for moving the shutter. On the other hand, if the inclination angle of the elongated hole with respect to the sliding direction of the shutter is decreased, an urging force with which a user urges the door against an image forming apparatus when shutting the door is increased. A shutter moving mechanism includes a rotation mechanism and moves the shutter by rotation of the rotation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Aruga
  • Patent number: 9599493
    Abstract: A vortex flowmeter has first and second process connections with a meter inlet and outlet, respectively, therein. The first and second process connections are configured to connect, respectively, to upstream and downstream segments of a fluid pipeline. A fluid conveyance system conveys fluid from the inlet to the outlet and divides the fluid into separate fluid streams that flow through separate passages. Each of the passages has its own vortex metering unit configured to generate and detect vortices in the respective fluid stream. A processing system is configured to calculate a sum of the flow rates through all of the fluid streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Invensys Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Dessert, Wade M. Mattar
  • Patent number: 9599926
    Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing container, a developing sleeve, a developer regulating member, and a magnetic field generating portion. The magnetic field generating portion includes a drawing-up pole and a cut pole. In addition, in a peak-to-peak area, the magnetic field generating portion includes at least one of an Fr flat area in which Fr is substantially constant and an Fr attenuation area in which Fr attenuates toward the cut pole side from the drawing-up pole side, and is configured that F? is oriented toward the same direction as a direction of rotation of the developing sleeve in the entire peak-to-peak area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Ishida, Katsuya Nose, Kosuke Takeuchi, Toshihisa Yago, Fumiyoshi Saito, Naoki Mugita
  • Patent number: 9599922
    Abstract: Provided are a light scanning apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same. The light scanning apparatus includes a housing, which includes a space therein; a light source module, which is installed at the housing and emits a light beam; a light deflector, which is installed on the bottom surface of the housing and deflects the light beam emitted by the light source module; an image forming optical system, which is installed in the space inside the housing and forms an image of the light beam deflected by the light deflector on a surface to be scanned; a flow restricting unit, which is arranged in the space inside the housing and restricts air flows formed as the light deflector is driven; and a cover, which covers the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chul-hyun Park, In-sung Lee
  • Patent number: 9594006
    Abstract: A passive dry deposit (Pas-DD) air sampling device and method for sampling volatile, semi-volatile, or particulate matter in air. The Pas-DD device comprises a top cover plate, a bottom plate connected to and spaced a distance apart from the top cover plate, and at least one sampling media supported by the bottom plate and positioned within the device in an orientation accessible for collecting particles in the environment. The top cover plate and bottom plate may be oriented in parallel, and spaced apart a distanced that can be optimized for air sampling a broad size-range of depositing particles. The passive air sampling device and method disclosed are particularly useful for sampling air in regions where access to electricity is difficult, and for estimating atmospheric loadings of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other semi-volatile compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT
    Inventor: Tomasz Harner
  • Patent number: 9581447
    Abstract: A motor drive loop circuit for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope is provided. The motor drive loop circuit includes a motor configured to drive a proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope and a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter. The motor is configured to cause the proof mass to oscillate at a primary-proof-mass mode. The a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter is configured to: provide a minus 90 degree phase at a motor resonance frequency equal to the primary-proof-mass mode; suppress resonance at undesired mechanical modes of the motor during a startup of the motor; and provide gain at the motor resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Ackerman
  • Patent number: 9565997
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: David D. Scott, David C. Shafer, Dominique Brichard, Peter M. Herzlinger
  • Patent number: 9568351
    Abstract: Disclosed is fluid meter housing technology comprising removable covers where such covers are associated with meter housings without using bolts. The water meters are further designed with a “weakest link” component configured to fail under overpressure conditions to minimize damage to more expensive metering components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Lee Gregory, Johnathan Scott Ratliff, Travis Sparks
  • Patent number: 9551920
    Abstract: A projection screen assembly is disclosed including a projection screen and a projection screen frame. The projection screen frame includes a plurality of projection screen frame modules that may be coupled together to provide a projection frame for projection screens of different sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Draper, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth M. Risher
  • Patent number: 9547020
    Abstract: The invention relates to a capacitive micromechanical sensor structure comprising a stator structure rigidly anchored to a substrate and a rotor structure movably anchored by means of spring structures to the substrate. The stator structure has a plurality of stator finger support beams and the rotor structure has a plurality of rotor finger support beams. Stator fingers along the stator finger support beam of the stator structure extend into rotor gaps along the rotor finger support beam of the rotor structure, and rotor fingers along the rotor finger support beam of the rotor structure extend into stator gaps along the stator finger support beam of the stator structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Matti Liukku, Ville Pekka Rytkönen
  • Patent number: 9547275
    Abstract: An imaging device, including a locking assembly connected to the frame of the imaging device and selectively engaged with the fuser assembly thereof when the fuser assembly is mounted to the frame. The locking assembly includes a lock member slidingly coupled to the frame between a first position in which the lock member engages with the fuser assembly for locking the fuser assembly to the frame and a second position in which the lock member is disengaged from the fuser assembly to allow the fuser assembly to be disconnected and removed from the frame. A lever mechanism is movably coupled to the frame and coupled to the lock member, wherein actuation of the lever mechanism moves the lock member between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Allen Blair, Richard Gordon Boyatt, III, Darin Michael Gettelfinger, Alexander Johannes Geyling, Edward Lawrence Kiely