Patents Examined by Kuangyue Chen
  • Patent number: 11766151
    Abstract: According to one example, a system comprises a plurality of cooking device systems that are each operable to be used in cooking a food item during a cooking process; a heat source system comprising a plurality of heat sources that are each operable to provide an amount of energy to be used to cook the food item; and a sensor operable to detect information associated with the cooking process. The system further comprises a processor operable to determine an identity of a first cooking device system and determine an identity of a first heat source. The processor is further operable to receive an indication of the detected information; determine whether there is an error in the cooking process based on the indication; and following a determination that there is an error in the cooking process, transmit an indication of the error in the cooking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Inventors: Jonathan A. Jenkins, Brenden Duncombe-Smith, Darren Erik Vengroff
  • Patent number: 11766740
    Abstract: A device for determining a focus position of a laser beam in a laser machining system has a first optical element which is designed to reflect a portion of the laser beam in order to uncouple a first sub-beam of the laser beam, a second optical element which is designed to reflect another portion of the laser beam in order to uncouple a second sub-beam of the laser beam substantially coaxially to the first sub-beam, a spatially-resolving sensor to which the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam can be directed, and an evaluation unit which is designed to determine a focus position of the laser beam on the basis of the first and second sub-beams hitting the spatially-resolving sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Precitec GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: David Blazquez Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11765792
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a PTC heating module for heating a fluid and a method for producing such a PTC heating module. The PTC heating module includes a plurality of PTC thermistors having main surfaces disposed opposite to one another and spaced apart relative to one another in a thickness direction. The PTC thermistors are arranged between two contact plates next to one another transversely to the thickness direction and spaced apart relative to one another. The main surfaces of the PTC thermistors are electrically contacted with a contact surface of the two contact plates. At least one dielectric function element is arranged between the two contact plates and laterally sealingly engages about the respective PTC thermistors to at least partially fill a hollow space between the two contact plates and facilitate enlarging a creepage distance between the two contact plates within the hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventors: Alexander Daniel, Michael Kohl, Jonas Caspar Schwenzer, Wolfgang Seewald, Falk Viehrig
  • Patent number: 11744397
    Abstract: The invention relates to a beverage machine (1) having an external housing (10) and a plurality of movable beverage preparation modules (20, 30) that are configured to process a beverage and/or a beverage ingredient to be dispensed via at least one beverage dispensing outlet (25) to a user-cup or user-mug (2). The housing (10) has a front opening (10?) and forms a cavity (10?) for housing the modules (20, 30). The or each movable module (20, 30) is insertable as a unit into an operative position into the cavity (10?) and removable out of the cavity (10?) via the front opening (10?), such as movable along a substantially horizontal direction into and out of its operative position. The or each movable module (20, 30) is insertable as a unit into the cavity (10?) into its operative position and removable out of the cavity (10?) via the front opening (10?) independently of the presence inside the cavity (10?) of any other movable beverage preparation module (20, 30) in its operative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Chioda, Marco Restelli, Laurent Sache
  • Patent number: 11751291
    Abstract: An induction heating apparatus is provided. The induction heating apparatus includes a heating coil, an inverter, a current sensor configured to measure a driving current supplied from the inverter to the heating coil, and a controller configured to provide a drive signal to the inverter to allow the driving current to follow a target current based on a user input. The controller reduces a driving duty of the drive signal based on the driving current exceeding a predetermined reference current, and the controller provides a drive signal to the inverter to allow the driving current to follow a current less than the target current, based on the driving current being less than or equal to the predetermined reference current after reducing the driving duty of the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kanagawa, Masaki Ono, Masashi Sasagawa, Masayuki Otawara, Nobuhara Nishikoori, Taro Yoshida, Yutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 11738409
    Abstract: There is described a metal workpiece generally having a surface and an identifier marked on said surface. The identifier has cells each having a corresponding cell size, including bright cells corresponding to a first binary value and dark cells corresponding to a second binary value different from the first binary value. The dark cells include a center portion being recessed relative to the surface thereby leaving a recess bounded by a peripheral wall in the corresponding dark cell, the recess having a depth of at least 100 microns and having an opening with a width ranging between 400 microns and 1750 microns and representing between 30 percent and 99 percent of the corresponding cell size such that the corresponding dark cell appears dark to an optical reader. The depth, the width and the cell size of the dark cells provide a shot blast resistance to the laser-marked identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: LASERAX INC.
    Inventors: Alex Fraser, Julie Maltais, Xavier Pruneau Godmaire, Jérôme Landry, Jean-Michaël Deschenes
  • Patent number: 11737467
    Abstract: A method for cooking is disclosed. In response to an oven being selected to cook a food item, a determination is made whether or not any oven is being engaged in cooking. If no oven is being engaged in cooking, then temperature-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the selected oven. If one oven is currently being engaged in cooking, then another determination is made whether or not the total current demand by the two ovens to cook respective food items exceeds a predetermined current limitation under temperature-control mode. If the total current demand does not exceed the predetermined current limitation, then temperature-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the two ovens. If the total current demand exceeds the predetermined current limitation, then time-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the two ovens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Automation Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Andrew Podevels, Harold Hansen
  • Patent number: 11743977
    Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes a case, a cover plate that is connected to an upper end of the case and that has an upper surface configured to support an object to be heated, a working coil disposed inside the case, a thin layer disposed at the cover plate and configured to be heated by the working coil through induction, and a working coil cooling fan configured to blow air toward the working coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seongjun Kim, Wontae Kim, Seonghoon Hwang
  • Patent number: 11723487
    Abstract: Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a container assembly configured to receive beverage, such as a milk. The container assembly can be removably engaged with a base. The container assembly can be temporarily removed from the base to facilitate transport of the beverage residing therein. The container assembly can be configured to receive a flow of steam, air, or additional gasses and vapors when the container assembly is mounted on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Cummer, Izaak Koller
  • Patent number: 11717908
    Abstract: A welding unit for welding rails of a track has a unit lower edge forming a lower boundary of the welding unit, with regard to a vertical, and a shearing device provided for removing a weld bead. A rail base section of the shearing device is designed to be lowered, relative to the welding unit, by way of a drive from a rest position situated above the unit lower edge into a shearing position situated below the unit lower edge. Thus, the welding operation can be carried out without lifting the rails from the sleepers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Plasser & Theurer Export von Bahnbaumaschinen Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Heinz Muehlleitner
  • Patent number: 11708547
    Abstract: A beverage maker may include a tank in which a fluid, such as water may be stored, a tank case in which the tank may be separably accommodated, a lower rib that protrudes downward from a bottom surface of the tank, and at least one guide rib that protrudes upward from an inner bottom surface of the tank case. The at least one guide rib may be disposed radially outside of the lower rib. An upper end of the at least one guide rib may be inclined in a direction in which the at least one guide rib decreases in height toward an inside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Daewoong Lee, Jungmin Moon, Shic Yoon
  • Patent number: 11702619
    Abstract: A beer-making device according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a chamber; a keg containing wort and mounted in the chamber; a keg cap integrated with a yeast capsule, which closes the inside of the keg by being coupled to the keg and is provided with a wort discharge passage for discharging the wort contained in the keg, a gas discharge passage for discharging a gas inside the keg, and a wort hose coupled to a lower portion of the wort discharge passage and extended to the inner bottom surface of the keg, and in which a yeast capsule, containing yeast to be supplied to the wort contained in the keg, is mounted to the wort discharge passage; a coupler which is fixedly installed in the chamber, and is provided with a wort passage connected to the wort discharge passage when the keg cap is coupled, and a gas passage connected to the gas discharge passage when the keg cap is coupled; a passage unit for connecting the wort passage and the gas passage of the coupler; a pump connected to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: INTHEKEG, INC.
    Inventors: Won Seok Lee, Chang Hun Jeong, Taeil Kang, Byunggyu Kang, Seungchul Lee, Yoonsang Kim
  • Patent number: 11690143
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus is disclosed, which comprises a first housing provided with an inverter for induction heating; and a second housing including a working coil to which a current supplied from the inverter is transferred, heated as a container for receiving cooking food is arranged thereon, wherein the first housing and the second housing constitute spaces detached from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Wansoo Kim, Yangkyeong Kim, Byungkyu Park
  • Patent number: 11690141
    Abstract: An induction heating device includes a working coil and a resonance capacitor, an inverter that performs a switching operation to supply a resonance current to the working coil, a plurality of snubber capacitors electrically connected to the inverter, a direct current (DC) link capacitor electrically connected to the inverter, and a relay configured to electrically connect one of the plurality of snubber capacitors to the DC link capacitor or the resonance capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dooyong Oh, Byeong Wook Park, Seungbok Ok, Jae-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11684208
    Abstract: Disclosed are a split-type cooking appliance and a control method therefor. The control method includes acquiring state information of an identification device after a base is powered on; if the state information is a first state, forbidding the base from operating in an induction cooker operation mode and allowing the base to operate in an electric cooker operation mode; if the state information of the identification device is a second state, determining whether a wireless transmission coil circuit detects a feedback signal; if so, forbidding the base from operating in the induction cooker operation mode and allowing the base to operate in the electric cooker operation mode; and if not, allowing the base to operate in the induction cooker operation mode, and forbidding the base from operating in the electric cooker operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: FOSHAN SHUNDE MIDEA ELECTRICAL HEATING APPLIANCES MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yidong He
  • Patent number: 11683865
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance. A working coil is provided at a lower portion of the cooking appliance. The working coil heats a tray disposed in a cooking compartment in an IH mode. A receiver coil wirelessly receiving external power is stacked below the working coil. An electromagnetic shielding plate is installed between the working coil and the receiver coil to partition a space in which the two coils are installed. The electromagnetic shielding plate shields an electromagnetic field or electromagnetic waves such that the electromagnetic field or electromagnetic waves in one of the two partitioned spaces does not leak to the other space located across the electromagnetic shielding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hag Soo Kim, Eui Sung Kim, Sung Mun Yoon
  • Patent number: 11673210
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an axle housing of a vehicle axle, by means of integrally connecting an axle tube (1) to an axle shaft (2) which is positioned on the longitudinal axis (L) of the axle tube, is equipped with bearing surfaces (3) for mounting a vehicle wheel, and has a tube cross-section facing said axle tube (1) which is substantially the same as the tube cross-section of the axle tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: BPW Bergische Achsen KG
    Inventors: Heinrich Picker, Katarzyna Giantsios
  • Patent number: 11672378
    Abstract: A cooking assembly includes a grill rack having a peripheral portion defined by a plurality of laterally extending wires bound by a peripheral frame. An inner retention portion is defined by a plurality of laterally extending wires generally co-planar with the plurality of laterally extending wires of the peripheral portion. The inner retention portion includes a retention border adapted to removably engage the drip tray. A drip tray is configured to removably engage the retention border, thereby securing the drip tray laterally. One of a searing pan and a cooking stone is configured to be received in the drip tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Chatot, Christopher D. Cullen, Timothy A. Mayberry, Jason Schneemann, Mary A. Watson
  • Patent number: 11666171
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a pressure vessel, a lid, a locking mechanism having a locking member, and a resiliently compressible seal member. The cooking appliance is adapted to affect the locking mechanism into an inoperable state at an inner vessel pressure greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure when in a locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Marc Brun-Cosme-Gazot
  • Patent number: 11672053
    Abstract: Disclosed are an induction heating device and a vessel sensing method of the induction heating device. The induction heating device determines whether a vessel is present in a heating region corresponding to a working coil using two sensing methods. In more detail, the induction heating device determines whether a vessel is present in the heating region by sequentially performing first vessel sensing based on a resonance current value of the working coil and second vessel sensing based on a sensing value obtained by a vessel sensor. It is possible to precisely sense a vessel by applying the two sensing methods as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Shinjae Jeong