Patents Examined by Kevin Murphy
  • Patent number: 10302202
    Abstract: A valve assembly for modulating flow of a fluid through a valve may include a plunger, a flange with an orifice, a first disc with an orifice, a second disc, a gasket in contact with both the flange and the first disc, three bearing members disposed between the first disc and the flange. The three bearing members define a position and orientation of the first disc with respect to the flange, and separate the first disc from the flange, thereby defining a gap between the flange and said disc. The plunger displaces the second disc surfaces from a first position to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Dominik Eggert, Joerg Evertz
  • Patent number: 10240679
    Abstract: A high conductance valve for use in fluid delivery systems is comprised of a flat non-circular orifice ridge adjacent to which a control plate having a planar control surface is proximally positioned to adjust the valve effective opening area and thereby the conductance of the valve. The length of the non-circular orifice ridge periphery is substantially greater than the circumference of a similarly sized circular orifice and therefore the realized effective opening area is also substantially greater despite having a similar footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kim Ngoc Vu
  • Patent number: 10234043
    Abstract: A plumbing fitting that includes: a fitting body having a plurality of ends; and a cover element joined to the body with a weld in proximity to and spaced from an interface in contact with a potable or non-potable aqueous medium. The body and the cover element are fabricated from a lead-free or low lead, copper or copper-silicon alloy having a thermal conductivity of ?45 W/(m*K). Further, the weld has a centerline that is ?6.4 mm from the interface and/or a heat affected zone that has an average width ?400 ?m and is spaced from the interface. The plumbing fittings include but are not limited to ball valves, gate valves, elbows, check valves and other fittings without stems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NIBCO INC.
    Inventors: Keith Yoder, Benjamin L. Lawrence, David Andrew Bobo, Matthew J. Krazit
  • Patent number: 10234040
    Abstract: A seat ring for a butterfly valve provided at an inner circumferential surface of a valve body so as to create a seal between the inner circumferential surface of a valve body and the valve disc when closing the valve, and a sealing projection continuously protruding inwardly provided between a pair of bosses formed around a pair of opposite valve stem holes for inserting valve stems positioned radially outwardly of a flow passage direction. The sealing projection consists of a contact surface and an adjacent semi-elliptic surface, wherein the contact line of the contact surface and top portion of the adjacent semi-elliptic surface is a semi-elliptic edge displaced by an offset “h” from a plane defined by a vertical valve centerline and a transversal valve centerline in disc closing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Inventor: Rami Al- Khoury
  • Patent number: 10228065
    Abstract: A system includes a ball valve. The ball valve includes a housing, a ball, and a first valve seat assembly. The housing includes a chamber, a first fluid passage intersecting the chamber, and a second fluid passage intersecting the chamber. The ball is disposed in the chamber and is configured to control fluid flow between the first and second fluid passages. The first valve seat assembly is disposed between the ball and the housing. The first valve seat assembly includes a first seat configured to seat against the ball both above and below a pressure threshold, and a second seat configured to seat against the ball only above the pressure threshold, wherein the second seat has a coefficient of friction that is lower than the first seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Edy Gaburri, Augusto Arcelaschi
  • Patent number: 10228077
    Abstract: A fluidizing butterfly valve. The fluidizing butterfly valve includes a valve body and a fluidizing valve disk or member configured to fluidize material located above the butterfly valve and/or material moving through the butterfly valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: THE YOUNG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Richard W. Ambs, Joseph Anthony Hauser
  • Patent number: 10226777
    Abstract: A showerhead bracket having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a valve and a valve housing. The valve may be operably connected between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The valve includes a valve inlet port, a low flow exit port and a high flow exit port. The valve housing is disposed between the fluid inlet and the valve inlet port. The valve can selectively rotate within the valve housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Quinn, Leland C. Leber, Harold A. Luettgen, Ryan Saunders
  • Patent number: 10221998
    Abstract: A vehicular air supply system includes: a first air operation mechanism which is operated at an air pressure of a first pressure value or less; a second air operation mechanism which is operated at an air pressure of a second pressure value or less, the second pressure value being lower than the first pressure value; a compressed air generator which generates compressed air to be supplied to the first air operation mechanism and the second air operation mechanism; and a first discharge air supply unit which supplies air discharged from the first air operation mechanism to the second air operation mechanism when a pressure value of the air discharged from the first air operation mechanism is higher than a pressure value of the air supplied from the compressed air generator to the second air operation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Masuda
  • Patent number: 10221004
    Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a valve for extracting, by pumping, a fluid contained in a space, said valve comprising: a) a main body having a first opening for the passage of said fluid during pumping, and b) an indicator means configured to indicate whether or not the fluid is passing through the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: CIE EUROPE
    Inventors: Giulio Epicureo, Chun Chi Liu
  • Patent number: 10221084
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a headworks and dewatering component coupled to an inlet and disposed above a base of the basin, the headworks and dewatering component to include a filtration element to define a flow restriction for solid materials, dewater the solid materials from the wastewater influent, and pass a remainder of the wastewater influent (e.g., to another compartment of a host WWTP container). In one embodiment, the headworks and dewatering component comprises a box shape (i.e., orthogonal polyhedral). In other embodiments, said component may comprise a circular or free-form shape. In one embodiment, the filtration element defines a flow restriction for solid materials based, at least in part, on dimensions of the solid materials. Said filtration element may comprise fabric netting, or metal mesh netting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Liberty Evans, LLC
    Inventors: James P. Reilly, Victoria Jelderks
  • Patent number: 10197189
    Abstract: A microfluidic valve includes: a first structural layer and a second structural layer; a microfluidic circuit having a first microfluidic conduit and a second microfluidic conduit, which are defined in a superficial portion of the first structural layer, are adjacent, and are separated by a wall; a membrane set between the first structural layer and the second structural layer and delimiting the microfluidic circuit on one side; and a recess containing a gaseous fluid in the second structural layer. The membrane is movable in response to an actuation stimulus between a closed position, in which the first and second microfluidic conduits are fluidly decoupled, and an open position, in which the membrane is at least in part retracted into the recess and the first and second microfluidic conduits are fluidly coupled by means of a fluidic passage defined between the wall and the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Marco Pugliese, Francesco Ferrara
  • Patent number: 10190498
    Abstract: A valve member cooling arrangement for a valve having at least one housing with sets of working fluid inlet/outlet ports and coolant supply/return ports. A valve member movably disposed within a valve chamber has a valve head configured to control flow between the working fluid ports. The valve member has valve member inlet/outlet openings and defines an internal valve member cooling passage uniting the valve openings. At least one coolant sleeve is disposed about the valve member. The coolant sleeve(s) have inflow and outflow ports separated inflow from outflow by at least one seal. During static and dynamic positioning of the valve member, the valve member inlet(s) are in communication with inflow port(s) of the coolant sleeve, and the valve member outlet(s) are in communication with outflow port(s) of the coolant sleeve(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: JANSEN'S AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS CONTROLS, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin W. Deutscher, Todd M. Meyer, Rickie P. Western
  • Patent number: 10189457
    Abstract: A drain valve for a compressed air brake system of a vehicle comprises a valve housing defining a valve chamber open at one end and a drain aperture at the opposite end. A poppet has a poppet body at least partially received in the valve chamber and provided with a seal. The poppet is slidable between a closed position in which the poppet and the seal contact the inner wall of the valve housing around the drain aperture thereby closing the drain aperture, and an open position moved away from the drain aperture. A spring urges the poppet to the closed position. The poppet and the seal are incorporated in a single multi-component injection molded plastic part comprising at least two components. The poppet body is formed of a first plastic component and the seal is formed of a second plastic component partially embedded in the first plastic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Kongsberg Automotive AS
    Inventors: Kjell Villanger, Sture Sörli, Henning Rud
  • Patent number: 10183574
    Abstract: A draining device for draining fuel from a fuel vapor system into a fuel tank is provided, the draining device comprising a port configured to be coupled to a fuel vapor accessory and a sealing member displaceable between a closed position in which the port is closed by the sealing member and an open position in which fuel from the fuel vapor accessory can be drained into the tank, wherein the sealing member is displaced into the open position when pressure in the tank is substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure and the fuel level in the tank is below the fuel level in the fuel vapor accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: RAVAL A.C.S. LTD.
    Inventors: Omer Vulkan, Vladimir Olshanetsky, Denis Kleyman
  • Patent number: 10184584
    Abstract: A magnetic valve device includes a valve receiving device and a valve insert of a magnetic valve which is received in the valve receiving device. A high pressure resistance is obtained in one of the modes of embodiment. The magnetic valve device includes either a pressure mechanism configured to press the valve insert against the valve receiving element or a sealing element arranged in a notch in the valve insert or a sealing element arranged between an axial filter and the valve insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Heyer, Frank Kaestner, Erich Ludewig, Massimiliano Ambrosi, Fakheredine Keyrouz, Rene Schepp, Norbert Alaze
  • Patent number: 10179882
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for injecting liquid odorant into a natural gas pipe, the system comprising: a tank containing the odorant in liquid form; a high-pressure pump connected to the tank; a common injection manifold fed with liquid odorant by the high-pressure pump; a plurality of odorant injectors fed with liquid odorant under pressure by the common injection manifold for the purpose of injecting the odorant into the gas pipe so as to cause it to be atomized in the gas pipe; and an electronic injection computer for controlling the injectors and the high-pressure pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: ENGIE
    Inventors: Francois Cagnon, Mohamed Kameche
  • Patent number: 10180204
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a handheld element and a remote control. The handheld element has a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal flow conduit. The internal flow conduit extends between the proximal and distal ends. The internal flow conduit is configured to be in fluid communication with a hose. The remote control is integrated with the handheld element. The remote control is configured to transmit wireless data signals for controlling a device associated with the hose. The device may include a reel, a valve system, a valve unit, and/or a plurality of valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: GREAT STUFF, INC.
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, James E. Burke, Jr., Roy Paul Prosise, Christian Okonsky
  • Patent number: 10173521
    Abstract: A tube extends through an attachment section and defines a vapor passageway. A housing is supported to the attachment section for movement between several positions relative to the attachment section. The housing defines a float chamber below the tube. A valve seat portion is located within the float chamber and has an engagement part, a sleeve part and a seat surface. The engagement part is connected to the housing. The sleeve part telescopically engages the tube and is movable along the tube with the housing. The valve seat portion defines a central bore open to the vapor passageway and the seat surface. The float moves within the float chamber. When to fluid enters the float chamber the float floats up against the seat surface closing off the central bore and the vapor passageway. In the absence of fluid the float moves downward exposing the seat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Flynn, Jason Easter
  • Patent number: 10167977
    Abstract: A bellows assembly mounts between a movable valve structure and a stationary valve structure of a valve assembly. The bellows assembly includes a bellows and a spacer. The bellows compresses until a gap is closed relative to the spacer. The bellows assembly bears a load through the bellows before the gap is closed, and the bellows assembly bears the load through the bellows and the spacer after the gap is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Augusto Arcelaschi, Edy Gaburri
  • Patent number: 10167958
    Abstract: A vacuum pressure control apparatus includes an annular elastic seal member formed with a valve seat, and a doubly eccentric butterfly valve element configured to come into contact or separate from the valve seat. The vacuum pressure control apparatus is to be placed on a pipe connecting a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump. The vacuum pressure control apparatus is configured to rotate the butterfly valve element in a first direction from a first valve closed position corresponding to an initial state to change vacuum pressure in the vacuum chamber. The vacuum pressure control apparatus further includes a control unit configured to rotate the butterfly valve element in a direction opposite to a first direction so that the butterfly valve element is moved to a second valve closed position different from the first valve closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Nishimura, Masayuki Watanabe, Seiji Hashiguchi