Patents Examined by Monica S Young
  • Patent number: 10520476
    Abstract: A system and method directed to inspecting a high density polyethylene pipe. The system includes a pipe inspection tool that is positioned about a fused polyethylene pipe joint. The inspection tool may include search units, a pipe carriage, a pulser and a phased array testing instrument programmed to adjust an amplitude response signal from the search units based on a vertically established time corrected gain curve. The inspection tool is rotated around the high density polyethylene pipe joint while propagating acoustical waves at various patterns and angles through the polyethylene pipe joint. Prior to the joint inspection, the inspection tool is calibrated using a calibration tool which includes a block having an array of equal sized bores positioned along different axis' through the block's depth. The block is constructed of the same material type and grade as the pipes that were fused together to form the polyethylene pipe joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Loenbro Inspection, LLC
    Inventor: Parrish Alan Furr
  • Patent number: 10508963
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for knock recognition of an internal combustion engine, which device Fourier-transforms, weights in frequency-dependent fashion, and sums a signal of a knock sensor in order to produce a first knock signal. Here, from a multiplicity of first knock signals, a concentration point of the multiplicity of the first knock signals is determined, and a first offset value is subtracted from the first knock signal in order to form a second knock signal, the first offset value being ascertained from the concentration point of the multiplicity of the first knock signals, and a second knock signal that has a value below zero being set to the value zero. The further-processed second knock signal is then evaluated as knocking or non-knocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Biehl, Carsten Kluth, Jasmin Dieringer
  • Patent number: 10502613
    Abstract: In a dynamic scale and control method for flat goods transported on their sides, use an input-side first assembly for thickness measurement, a transport device having transport belts arranged on a weighing plate. A control processor starts a length measurement and the driving of the transport belts, and starts a thickness measurement and implement a dynamic weighing process during the transport of a first flat good. A next flat good is supplied to the input of the dynamic scale if a valid weight measurement result is present for the predecessor good, and ejection of the predecessor good or end of the weight measurement occur if a third sensor at the input of a takeoff device of the dynamic scale detects the leading edge of the predecessor good, and a check yields that no valid weight measurement result is present for the predecessor good.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Geserich
  • Patent number: 10502711
    Abstract: A sensor (10, 80) for monitoring health of an associated article (A) (e.g., a fluid connector) including a sensing element (12, 84, 86) disposed along a length of an outer surface of the associated article, wherein the sensing element is configured to detect at least one physical property of the associated article and output an electrical signal in proportion to an amount of the physical property applied to the sensing element; and a mounting mechanism (14, 88) configured to secure the force sensing element to at least a portion of the outer surface of associated article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Xiangdong Zhu, Peter V. Buca, Isaac Shilad, Jay Lee
  • Patent number: 10478749
    Abstract: An apparatus introduces a sample into a separation unit of a chromatography system with a mobile phase, including first and second mobile phase components. The apparatus includes first and second pump systems, and an injection unit. The first pump system provides the first mobile phase component, first and second portions of the first mobile phase component flowing through first and second branches, respectively. The second pump system provides the second mobile phase component, a first portion of the second mobile phase component flowing through a third branch. The injection unit receives a combined stream of the first portions of the first and second mobile phase components provided via the first and third branches, respectively, and injects the sample into the combined stream to form a sample-containing stream, which is subsequently combined with the second portion of the first mobile phase component to form a diluted sample-containing stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin E. Wikfors
  • Patent number: 10458825
    Abstract: A thermal flow-rate sensor includes: a first temperature sensor that detects the temperature at a specified location of the outer-wall surface of a pipe; a heat-transfer element that is arranged on the outer-wall surface of the pipe in a state separated from the first temperature sensor, and that exchanges heat with a measurement medium by heating or cooling the outer-wall surface of the pipe; a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a portion of the outer-wall surface of the pipe that is heated or cooled by the heat-transfer element; and a control unit that performs specified processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukikatsu Ozaki, Hirohito Matsui, Toshikazu Harada
  • Patent number: 10444352
    Abstract: A Sodar apparatus is disclosed for sounding the atmosphere. The apparatus includes a transducer for converting an electrical signal to an acoustic wave and/or vice-versa and transferring means associated with the transducer for transferring the acoustic wave towards the atmosphere and/or for transferring a reflected acoustic wave from the atmosphere. The apparatus further includes isolating means or structure for isolating or attenuating the acoustic wave such that energy of the acoustic wave transferred in a substantially horizontal direction is reduced below energy of the acoustic wave transferred in a substantially vertical direction by a factor of at least 45 dB and more preferably by a factor of at least 70 dB. A method for sounding the atmosphere is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Windbidco Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Andrew L. Martin
  • Patent number: 10444061
    Abstract: Provided is an overload prevention mechanism including a load receiving part provided with a flange having at least three ribs on the upper surface of the flange; a pedestal located below the load receiving part; an elastic body which has one end in contact with the load receiving part and the other end in contact with the pedestal, and which biases the load receiving part and the pedestal in such a direction that the load receiving part and the pedestal are separated from each other; and a connection member having on the lower surface thereof recessed grooves which engage with the ribs. The three or more ribs are disposed so as to restrict inclination and rattling of the load receiving part due to a load applied to the load receiving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: A&D COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yutaka Dodate, Naoto Izumo
  • Patent number: 10436688
    Abstract: Heating arrangement for a materials testing device, the materials testing device comprising at least one surface measurement probe adapted to be brought into contact with a surface of a sample, the heating arrangement comprising a probe heater comprising: an infrared emitting element adapted to emit infrared radiation; a reflector having a reflective surface arranged to direct said infrared radiation towards a distal end of said surface measurement probe. According to the invention, the reflector comprises a first focal point and a second focal point, the infrared emitting element being situated substantially at said first focal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ANTON PAAR TRITEC SA
    Inventors: Bertrand Bellaton, Marcello Conte
  • Patent number: 10436631
    Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric voice recognition sensor, which includes a flexible thin film, a piezoelectric material layer laminated on the flexible thin film, and an electrode laminated on the piezoelectric material layer, wherein the electrode includes a plurality of frequency separation channels arranged in a row, and the plurality of frequency separation channels have different lengths from each other. The piezoelectric voice recognition sensor separates a voice, recognized using a plurality of frequency separation channels having a trapezoidal shape, through the plurality of channels depending on frequencies, and simultaneously converts the separated voice signals from mechanical vibration signals into electric signals by means of the flexible piezoelectric element so that the converted electric signals are recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Keon Jae Lee, Jae Hyun Han, Daniel Joe
  • Patent number: 10429235
    Abstract: An optical fiber sensor system includes a light source, a modulation unit, an optical coupler, a polarization separator, a first polarization controller optically coupled to the polarization separator, and a first detection unit that includes a first optical detector that receives the first component, converts the first component into a first electrical signal, and detects stress. The first polarization controller controls a polarization state of light input to the polarization separator so that the first electrical signal exhibits a first-order response to the stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takafumi Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 10422709
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating tension of a chain of a scraper conveyor, belonging to a method for estimating chain tension. The method comprises the following steps: embedding strain sensors in a plurality of scrapers of a scraper conveyor to measure the tension of weak coupling points between the scrapers and chains, converting acquired sensor signals into data signals through an A/D conversion unit, transmitting the data signals to a data control center using a wireless transmission module, further processing the tension data information of the weak coupling points through the data control center, establishing a chain tension distribution model, and determining an the estimated tension of the chain of the scraper conveyor. The method provided by the present invention is simple, efficient and practical, and the estimation of tension of the whole continuous moving chain is completed by the tension measurement at limited positions of the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Zhencai Zhu, Wei Li, Xing Zhang, Jiang Fan, Gongbo Zhou, Yuxing Peng, Guohua Cao
  • Patent number: 10416120
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a system and methods for testing sensitization of alloy nondestructively. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and methods for determining the sensitization of an alloy by measuring ultrasonic parameters of the alloy using ultrasonic techniques, and correlating the measured ultrasonic parameters. In certain embodiments, the ultrasonic measuring techniques include pulse-echo and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Certain embodiments use ultrasonic measuring techniques to measure shear-wave velocity, compressional-wave velocity, and attenuation coefficient of compressional waves. One preferred embodiment correlates measured ultrasonic parameters including shear-wave velocity, compressional-wave velocity, and attenuation coefficient of compressional waves to determine the sensitization of alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    Inventor: Gabriela Petculescu
  • Patent number: 10401251
    Abstract: The invention relates to a film chamber for receiving a test object to be tested for the presence of a leak, including at least two film layers and at least two frame elements, each of which has a sealing surface so that the two frame elements lie against each other in a gas-tight manner in order to hermetically seal the film chamber. Each of the two film layers has at least one retaining profile in a wall region, and each of the two frame elements has at least one retaining groove in the frame element sealing surface in order to receive a retaining profile such that the two film layers are held between the two frame elements substantially by a formfitting connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: INFICON GmbH
    Inventors: Hendrik Van Triest, Michael Dauenhauer
  • Patent number: 10401252
    Abstract: A pneumatic test plug for clean-out tees and a method of testing a pipeline are disclosed. The pneumatic test plug includes a cap and a bladder. The cap has an inflation inlet and a testing fluid inlet. The testing fluid inlet provides a conduit for a testing fluid. The testing fluid may be a liquid or a gas. The bladder is in fluid connection with the inflation inlet. The bladder has an open end and a closed end. The open end receives air from the inflation inlet. The closed end is opposite the open end. The testing fluid inlet provides testing fluid through the cap and outside of the bladder. The inflation inlet provides a passageway to the bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: OATEY CO.
    Inventors: Eric G. Hull, Dennis R. Young, Aaron Lorkowski, Paul R. Metcalfe, Scott E. Urban
  • Patent number: 10393706
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a housing, a driving device, and a detecting device. The housing internally includes an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit, the housing sealing ultrasonic propagation liquid. The driving device includes a driving motor and an intermediate member. The driving device is configured to transmit a rotary driving force from the driving motor to swing the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The detecting device includes a detecting member and is configured to detect an origin position serving as a reference in control of the swing of the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The driving device is configured to transmit the rotary driving force to the intermediate member, extract a rotation of the intermediate member, decelerate the rotation of the intermediate member and transmit the rotation to the detecting member thereof in a route different from the driving device, and detect the rotation of the detecting member by a sensor to detect an origin position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoji Naka
  • Patent number: 10386261
    Abstract: An intelligent utility monitoring method and system for monitoring a network of utility lines can include a data collector configured to receive acoustic data based on real-time measurements of the utility line, an events historian configured store the acoustic data, an alarm and events (A&E) manager, a server, and an interface. The A&E manager can be configured to store alarm and even data. The A&E data can be based on analysis of the acoustic data. The interface can be configured to provide output based on the acoustic data and on the A&E data. The server can be configured to store the acoustic data and the A&E data. The server can further be configured to provide a computer network for at least the events historian, the A&E manager, and the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Osama Mohammad Al-Sayed Wahba
  • Patent number: 10386337
    Abstract: Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) is applied to diamonds (both cut/polished gemstones and rough diamonds) to yield a digital fingerprint from which the stone may be authenticated and sorted according to the structural quality. Diamonds are mined as rough stones from which they undergo examination to determine their value as being gem, or of two different industrial qualities. Fewer than 25% of mined diamonds are worthy of cutting and polishing to yield gems for jewelry. About 40% of the remaining population still have value as industrial diamonds for machine tools, and the rest is ground into dust to provide coatings for grinding applications. Rough stones exist in two conditions being coated and uncoated. The coated stones have a layer of polycrystalline diamond, different from the predominant crystal structure, rendering them opaque. This interferes with optical inspection, as any cracks, or inclusions can't be seen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, INC. (GIA)
    Inventor: George Wyatt Rhodes
  • Patent number: 10386270
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for simulating real impact test of vehicle wheels, and the method is implemented using a system as follows: the system includes a vehicle used in wheel simulating real impact test, a road surface, a high-frequency lighting facility, a standard obstacle block, a high-speed camera, and a traction motor and steel cable. The method for simulating real impact test of vehicle wheels of the invention has the advantages that: the need for testing various types of wheels using one set of equipment can be satisfied by using a general type collision trolley, thereby avoiding the use of a corresponding real vehicle for each type of wheels in the test. This greatly reduces the test cost, ensures that the test condition is similar to the real vehicle condition, and can well simulate the performance of a real vehicle when meeting an obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chunhai Liu, Qiang Liu, Shide Li, Zhigao Yin
  • Patent number: 10378950
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring device for measuring the mass of a weight, comprising a main frame, a main beam supported on the main frame and comprising a central knife and two side knives parallel with the central knife; a balancing system loaded on one end of the main beam and comprising a set of counterweights; a weighting system loaded on the other end of the main beam; a weight transportation system capable of transporting and loading a standard weight or a test weight into the weighting system and capable of unloading and transporting them away from the weighting system; and a control system. The central knife and the two side knives are made from metal with a high temperature-cryogenic cycling process. The central knife and the two side knives are configured to be adjusted in parallelism with a three-coordinates measuring machine. The control system is adapted to control the balancing system and the weighting system to synchronously load or unload the balancing system and the weighting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY
    Inventors: Jian Wang, Changqing Cai, Xiaoping Ren, Tao Li, Manhong Hu, Xiaolei Wang, Honglei Ji, Xiang Wang, Ping Chen