Patents Examined by Marc C Howell
  • Patent number: 11420169
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and a method for producing a play compound and the play compound itself which, in one embodiment is a compound which sufficiently fluid to be pliable and is typically cold and slimy to the touch. The apparatus and a method provide a powder and liquid to a user, which can be a non-skilled person and thereby allow the mixing of the powder and liquid together by that person to form the play compound outside of a factory environment whilst ensuring that the play compound which is formed has the desired characteristics. Most typically the user which performs the mixing can be the end user, such as a child, who will play with the compound and so the formation of the play compound forms a new part of the play experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: WeCool Toys Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Alber, Jeffrey Osnato
  • Patent number: 11420220
    Abstract: A mixing module includes two inlets, an integrator, and a valve member. The integrator has two chambers each having a near end and a far end, and the valve member is movable between two positions. One of the inlets is connected to the near end of one of the chambers and the other inlet is connected to the near end of the other chamber when the valve is in one position. When the valve is in the other position, one of the inlets is disconnected from the chambers and the near ends of the chambers are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Graco Minnesota Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Ingebrand, Stanley G. Karwoski
  • Patent number: 11396026
    Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal separator comprising a casing which delimits and seals off a space in which a rotor is arranged. The rotor forms a separation space which is sealed or isolated from the space, and in which separation space centrifugal separation of a higher density and a lower density component from a fluid takes place. An inlet extends into the rotor for introducing fluid to the separation space, and a first outlet extends from the rotor for discharge of a component separated from the fluid. The space is connected to a pump device which is arranged to remove gas, thereby maintaining negative pressure in said space. The rotor comprises at least one second outlet extending from the separation space to the space for discharge of at least one higher density component separated from the fluid. The invention also relates to a method in such a centrifugal separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Alfa Laval Corporate AB
    Inventors: Peter Thorwid, Roland Isaksson, Peter Hagqvist, Carl Häggmark, Lars Hillström
  • Patent number: 11395999
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method for producing a liposome which is capable of reducing the facility costs and also capable of rapid desolvation, and an apparatus for producing a liposome which is for use in the above-mentioned method. Provided is a method for producing a liposome, including a stirring step of stirring a mixed liquid containing an oil phase in which at least one lipid is dissolved in an organic solvent and a water phase, and an evaporating step of evaporating an organic solvent from the mixed liquid, in which the condensed organic solvent is removed by passing a gas having a temperature not higher than the dew point of the solvent in the evaporating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Sugiyama, Naoki Yamada, Shigehisa Sugiyama, Yohei Okubo, Takashi Sasaki, Tetsu Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 11395994
    Abstract: A powder transfer bag includes a balloon or a membrane sealing its mouth. A connector to be used with the bags allows the bag to connect to a hydration device. A method of hydrating material in a powder transfer bag is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: MEISSNER FILTRATION PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Govea, Katherine Conlin, Max Blomberg
  • Patent number: 11369927
    Abstract: A method for reducing gel in a polymer kneaded compound flowing in a polymer flow duct includes flowing a polymer kneaded compound in a polymer flow duct to a gel reduction mechanism including a gel reduction member having one or more through holes defining a squeezing flow path having a flow path cross-sectional area smaller than the polymer flow duct. The squeeze ratio S1/S2 of the squeezing flow path is 25 to 177.8, where S1 is a flow path cross-sectional area of the polymer flow duct and S2 is a sum total of flow path cross-sectional area of the squeezing flow path, to generate an extensional flow in the kneaded compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kuroda, Tsugushi Fukui, Kazuo Yamaguchi, Takaya Uda, Katsunori Takahashi, Sayaka Yamada
  • Patent number: 11369928
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for device for agitating a grill. The device includes a vibrational device, a power source, and a control circuit; wherein the control circuit controls the vibrational device and the power source provides power to the vibrational device. A pan of the grill houses one or more pieces of charcoal and the device is integrated into the pan. When turned on, the vibrational device vibrates at a high frequency. This vibration is translated into the pan and causes the pieces of charcoal to vibrate as well. The device is capable of withstanding a high temperature of the pan when the grill is cooking one or more pieces of food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: DABBLE VENTURES, LLC
    Inventor: Vahan Ghazarian
  • Patent number: 11364475
    Abstract: A mixing system typically for use in a container for mixing its contents, the mixing system including a cap unit, an extension unit and a magnetic mixing unit that is attached to the cap unit by the extension unit. The magnetic mixing unit can be folded to permit insertion and/or removal of the system via a mouth of the container. The extension unit and magnetic mixing unit connect via a hinge formed by upper and lower hinge portions that meet at a pivot point. The hinge portions extend from the pivot point along a first axis. The magnetic mixing unit includes a first magnetic elongate member that extends from the lower hinge portion along a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and a second magnetic elongate member that extends from the lower hinge portion along the second axis in the opposite direction relative to the first elongate member. The magnetic member(s) may be provided by a plastic coated magnetic stir bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SANI-TECH WEST, INC.
    Inventors: Richard J. Shor, Chris A. Ballew
  • Patent number: 11344160
    Abstract: A disposable mixing system includes a lid having an opening and configured to hold contents within a container, a strainer configured to couple with the container and the lid in a position between the container and the lid, where the strainer mixes the contents responsive to shaking the container, and a cap configured to cover the opening of the lid, where at least the lid and the strainer are formed in a unified piece. The system may be manufactured from a single sheet of plastic using thermoforming. The strainer may use flat surfaces and large triangular orifices for efficient mixing and manufacture, while the lid may have a spout sized to prevent clogging and pressure build-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: Adam Friedman
  • Patent number: 11325091
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method for producing a liposome which is capable of reducing the facility costs and also capable of rapid desolvation, and an apparatus for producing a liposome which is for use in the above-mentioned method. Provided is a method for producing a liposome, including a stirring step of stirring a mixed liquid containing an oil phase in which at least one lipid is dissolved in an organic solvent and a water phase, and an evaporating step of evaporating an organic solvent from the mixed liquid, in which the condensed organic solvent is removed by passing a gas having a temperature not higher than the dew point of the solvent in the evaporating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Sugiyama, Naoki Yamada, Shigehisa Sugiyama, Yohei Okubo, Takashi Sasaki, Tetsu Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 11318433
    Abstract: An atomization device 1 comprises a casing 2, a rotor 3 disposed rotatably with respect to the casing 2, and a stator 4 disposed on the same axis line with the rotor 3. The rotor 3 includes a first rotor cylinder portion 33 and a second rotor cylinder portion 34 which have a plurality of through-holes provided in peripheral walls thereof and which are disposed concentrically. The stator 4 includes a main-stator cylinder portion 42 and an inside sub-stator cylinder portion 43 which have a plurality of through-holes provided in peripheral walls thereof and which are disposed concentrically. The rotor 3 is fixedly positioned with respect to the casing 2. The stator 4 is movable by a lifting/lowering means 7 in the axial line L direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: MEIJI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsu Kamiya, Yoshinori Satake, Keigo Hanyu, Masashi Onozato
  • Patent number: 11312041
    Abstract: A dispersive mixing element for co-rotating twin screw extruder is disclosed. The element for co-rotating twin screw extruder comprises of a continuous flight helically formed thereon having a lead ‘L’, wherein either the flight transforms at least once from an integer lobe flight into a non-integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ and transforms back to an integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ or the flight transforms at least once from a non-integer lobe flight into an integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ and transforms back to a non-integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Steer Engineering Private Limited
    Inventor: Babu Padmanabhan
  • Patent number: 11297980
    Abstract: A blending device is shown and described. The blending device may include a blending container and a power source operatively connected to the blending container. The power source may be configured to supply power to the blending container. The blending container may also include a feature that is powered by the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Vita-Mix Management Corporation
    Inventor: David Kolar
  • Patent number: 11273596
    Abstract: A nozzle for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the nozzle comprising a nozzle body having an inlet end and a tip end offset longitudinally from the inlet end, a tip pipe for extruding a flowable material, an inner ring extending circumferentially around the tip pipe at the outlet end, an outer ring extending circumferentially around the inner ring, at least one annular recessed groove located circumferentially between the inner ring and the outer ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Swanson, Dominic F. Mannella, Kevin C. Johnson, Ronald G. Schloesser
  • Patent number: 11272810
    Abstract: One example food preparation appliance includes a base having a motor and an adaptor, a weight sensor coupled to the adaptor, and a communication component. The adaptor is configured to support a food preparation accessory. The weight sensor is configured to detect a weight applied to the adaptor. The communication component is configured to transmit data associated with a weight detected by the weight sensor. An example remote communication device includes a display device, a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor. The remote communication device is configured to display a first instruction on the display device, the first instruction including a first target weight of a first substance; receive a measurement from a food preparation appliance indicative of a weight applied to an adaptor of the food preparation appliance; and display a second instruction when the weight is substantially equal to the first target weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Rolando Antonio Cavazos Jimenez, Joseph V. Krebs, James Stuart Saunders, Emily Van Haren
  • Patent number: 11273462
    Abstract: A system includes an agitation system having a container configured to store a coating material, an agitator configured to agitate the coating material, and a sensor configured to sense conditions within the container and transmit the conditions. The system also includes an agitation control system having a controller configured to turn on the agitator, and change an intensity of agitation in response to an input received from the agitation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Carlisle Fluid Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy Earl Young, II
  • Patent number: 11266271
    Abstract: A blender system that includes a base that is selectively and operatively engaged with a container is shown and described herein. The blender system may include a container. The container may include a magnet and may be engagable with a blade base. The blade base may include a switch that responds to the magnet. The blender system may include a shield that shields the magnet and switch from a magnetic field generated by operation of a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Vita-Mix Management Corporation
    Inventors: Brenton Krivos, David Kolar, Eric Miller, Saifur Tareen
  • Patent number: 11267295
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire. A sipe includes, on each of a leading side edge and a trailing side edge, a chamfered portion and a non-chamfered region including no other chamfered portion. The maximum depth of the chamfered portion is shallower than the maximum depth of the sipe, and the sipe width is substantially constant. In a cross-sectional view, at least one chamfered portion includes a profile line that is convex inward in a tire radial direction with respect to a chamfer reference line connecting both ends of the chamfered portion; and a cross-sectional area of a chamfered region that is surrounded by the profile line, the sipe, and a tread contact surface of a tread portion is equal to or greater than a cross-sectional area of a reference region, the reference region being surrounded by the chamfer reference line, the sipe, and the tread contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventors: Tatsuro Shinzawa, Takayuki Shiraishi, Hiraku Kouda, Takanori Uemura
  • Patent number: 11261043
    Abstract: A sheet processing device sandwiches a sheet-shaped medium in a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlaid and partially bonded. The sheet processing device includes a separator, a conveyor, and a switching member. The separator separates the two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The conveyor is disposed downstream from the separator in a sheet conveyance direction and conveys the two-ply sheet. The switching member is disposed downstream from the conveyor in the sheet conveyance direction. The switching member switches a conveyance path of the two-ply sheet to convey the two-ply sheet to a fixing path on which fixing processing is performed on the two-ply sheet or a non-fixing path on which no fixing processing is performed on the two-ply sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshito Suzuki, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Wataru Takahashi, Sho Asano, Shinya Monma, Joji Akiyama, Wataru Nozaki, Yohsuke Haraguchi, Yuji Suzuki, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Takuya Morinaga
  • Patent number: 11260648
    Abstract: A screw having a longitudinal body and, around this longitudinal body, at least one flight extending in the shape of a helix, the flight including, over part of its length, internal partitioning delimiting a plurality of internal channels that extend in the shape of helices following the helix shape of the flight. The screw includes manifold-like cavities into which the ends of the interior canals open, the manifold-like cavities extending radially and opened into a longitudinal bore of the body at longitudinally spaced locations. This screw can be produced by additive manufacturing using laser-induced fusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Christophe Ougier, Arnaud Letocart