Patents Examined by Philip R. Coe
  • Patent number: 6539957
    Abstract: An eyewear cleaning apparatus for removing particles from the lenses of eyewear includes a housing having a bottom wall, and an outer wall including a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. A compartment is positioned in the housing adjacent to the first end wall. A pump is positioned in the compartment. A container is positioned in the compartment and is fluidly coupled to the pump. A delivery pipe is fluidly coupled, to the pump and extends around the interior of the housing. A first pair of nozzles is in communication with the delivery pipe and extend toward the second end wall. A second pair of nozzles is in communication with the delivery pipe and extend toward the first end wall. A first mount is positioned in the housing and is adapted for receiving a bridge portion of eyewear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Inventor: Abel Morales, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6539956
    Abstract: In a method for drying substrates, in particular, semiconductor wafers, an especially residue-free drying of the substrates results when, during removal of the substrates from a liquid, a meniscus of the liquid forming at the transition between the substrate surface and the liquid surface is heated. A device for performing the method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Steag Microtech GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Wolke, Martin Weber
  • Patent number: 6536453
    Abstract: Apparatus comprising first and second containers for holding contact lens care compositions and contact lens cases, respectively. The first container defines a chamber adapted to hold contact lens care composition. The second container defines a compartment and is adapted to be removably secured to the first container such that the second container extends outwardly away from the first container with the second container removably secured to the first container. The second container is adapted to accommodated one or more contact lens accessory items in a side-by-side relationship. The contact lens accessory items are preferably selected from the group consisting of a contact lens holder, a supply of enzyme tablets and an information pamphlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Vanden Dries, Rodney J. Terwilliger, Jr., William Gordon Beecroft
  • Patent number: 6530100
    Abstract: A washing machine spin balancing control includes a sensor for sensing vibration of the washing machine cabinet. The floor permits the cabinet to vibrate during the rotation of the basket, the controller senses this vibration and reduces the speed of the basket in response to the vibration caused by imperfections in the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Conrath
  • Patent number: 6508085
    Abstract: A door for a horizontal axis laundry appliance that includes an inner panel that closes the appliance and an outer panel spaced from the inner panel. The inner and outer panels are connected adjacent their upper edges by an upper panel. The inner panel includes a first window in the form of a wide-angle lens. The upper panel includes a second window. Light-transmissive devices including a negative mirror are disposed between the inner and outer panels so as to direct light received through the lens upwardly and outwardly through the second window. The interior of the appliance is illuminated by low-voltage halogen lights mounted on the inner panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: American Trim, LLC
    Inventor: Robert M. Byrne
  • Patent number: 6499321
    Abstract: A laundry machine has a wash enclosure to which a supply of water is admitted through a hot water valve and a cold water valve. A temperature sensor senses the temperature of the combined water flow from the hot and cold valves or the temperature of the water collected in the water enclosure. The hot and cold water valves are preferably controlled in accordance with a programme executed on a microprocessor. In a wash operation the controller opens the hot water valve and monitors the temperature indicated by the temperature sensor. The controller only opens the cold valve once the sensed temperature has reached or exceeded a threshold temperature. The effect of the cold water contained in the hot water pipes of a household water supply on wash temperature or wash volume is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Limited
    Inventors: David Charles Rhodes, Adam John Darby
  • Patent number: 6485526
    Abstract: The method of continuous thermal treatment of a textile product with steam simultaneously provides optimum dye fixing and drying of a product web treated with a dye solution. This method includes applying a water solution of a dye to a product web to form a moist product web with the applied dye solution; transporting the moist product web with the applied dye solution through at least one treatment chamber in which the heat treatment takes place; bringing the moist product web with the applied dye solution into contact with a treatment gas including hot steam, preferably at 160-230° C., for preferably from 10 to 30 seconds, to simultaneously perform drying and dye fixing, so that the residual moisture content of the moist product web is less than or equal to its equilibrium moisture content under normal conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Babcock-Textilmaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Marc-Aurel Voth
  • Patent number: 6477868
    Abstract: A washing machine with a balancer is provided which is capable of improving the balancing capacity of the balancer with respect to conventional devices, preventing the balancer from being damaged due to thermal expansion, and simplifying the manufacture and assembly of the balancer. The washing machine includes an outer tab for accommodating washing water. An inner tub is rotatably mounted in the outer tab for washing and spin-drying the laundry. A balancer is mounted to the inner tub to be opened at one side. The balancer accommodates water to balance the inner tub. Water supply means supplies washing water to the balancer. A cabinet encloses the components of the washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Won Chang
  • Patent number: 6470898
    Abstract: Baffle plates 9 extending in a peripheral direction along an internal surface of an air-permeable and water-permeable drum 1 are spacedly arranged in an axial direction, and paper stock cleaning zones 10 are formed between the every adjacent pair of baffle plates 9. Raking plates 12 for raking up paper stock liquid in the cleaning zones 10 in a direction of rotation of the drum are spacedly arranged in the peripheral direction between the adjacent baffle plates 9. The raking plates 12 are allowed to project from internal edges of the baffle plates 9. The paper stock moves, zone by zone, through the cleaning zones 10 formed between the baffle plates 9 and reaches a paper stock outlet port 5. The paper stock, when in the paper stock cleaning zones 10, is raked up in the peripheral direction by the raking plates 12 in accordance with rotation of the air-permeable and water-permeable drum 1 and falls by force of gravity, repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sakee Kohki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiichi Kamo
  • Patent number: 6471729
    Abstract: The continuous treatment of a textile product web with steam includes subjecting a moist product web with the reactive dye applied on it to a steam treatment by bringing the moist product web with the reactive dye on it in contact with overheated water steam having a temperature of 130-230° C. for a steam treatment time of preferably 5 to 60 seconds; transporting the moist product web during the steam treatment at least partially horizontally through at least one treatment chamber; and blowing the hot steam into the at least one treatment chamber onto the moist product web by nozzle boxes arranged above and below the product web. The device for performing this method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Babcock-Textilmaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Marc-Aurel Voth, Thorsten Behring
  • Patent number: 6463766
    Abstract: A washing machine includes a wash tub, a water-supply mechanism for supplying water into the wash tub, and a disposition section in which a solid antimicrobial agent containing an organic compound having a nitrogen-halogen atomic combination is disposed. The disposition section is provided in the water-supply mechanism. The antimicrobial agent is brought into contact with water thereby to release hypohalogenous acid into the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tooru Kubota, Takayoshi Iwai, Tsutomu Hatayama, Kenji Kojima, Tadaaki Koketsu
  • Patent number: 6460553
    Abstract: A tank-cleaning device, having a housing (1) insertable into an opening of a tank, which housing has a rotationally fixed housing part (2) communicating with an ink for the cleaning fluid and a nozzle holder (4) rotatable relative to the rotationally fixed housing part (2) about a first pivot axis (5), and having at least one nozzle assembly with four nozzles (8, 9, 10, 11) that is disposed on the nozzle holder (4) rotatably about a second pivot axis (7), while having a simple structure, enables thorough cleaning of tanks with narrow tank openings, if two nozzles at a time (8, 9; 10, 11) of the nozzle assembly (6) are disposed at an acute angle (12) to one another in the form of respective V-formations (13, 14), and the two V-formations (13, 14) have essentially opposed directions (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Alfa Laval LKM A/S
    Inventors: Robert A. Owens, Poul Anton Daugaard
  • Patent number: 6453916
    Abstract: An edge bead removal system and method is provided that employs a nozzle for applying edge bead removal solvent to an edge bead of a photoresist material layer disposed on a wafer. The nozzle eliminates solvent splash by lowering the angle of dispense to less than 20° as well as providing more degrees of freedom to the nozzle arm adjustments. Adjustment screws and a built-in protractor provide precision in setting the application angle. The nozzle includes a clamp design having a nozzle body clamp which holds the nozzle and a main shaft with a protractor assembly for up and down angle adjustments. A support bracket is coupled to the protractor assembly and allows for pivoting and side to side movement of the protractor assembly and the support bracket with respect to one another. A clamp connects a main arm structure that moves the entire edge bead removal nozzle assembly over the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Quang Tran, Khoi Phan
  • Patent number: 6450185
    Abstract: A roller cover washer is provided, including a hollow pipe handle connected by a swivel-type adaptor to a water supply. The handle terminates in a water outlet end including a threaded end coupled to a T-connector and having pipe extensions perpendicular to the handle and capped at their ends. The water outlet end is covered by a cylindrical housing partly closed at each end by semicircular splash shields. Each pipe extension includes a plurality of apertures adapted to direct a fanned spray of water at an angle onto the roller's circumference. A roller cover on a roller assembly can be inserted into the housing pipe through either of the openings at the ends. When in use, the roller spins rapidly as paint is diluted and forced from the cover both by the water spray and by the centrifugal force induced from the spinning roller. Paint and water are ejected from the cover and drain into the housing and out the open ends of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventor: Robert A. Sallinen
  • Patent number: 6446659
    Abstract: An aseptic product dispensing system generally includes a sanitary connection assembly interposed in fluid communication with a substantially conventional aseptic product source and a substantially conventional product dispenser. The sanitary connection assembly is provided with an automated cleaning system whereby a combination of pressurized gas, flushing fluid and/or sanitizing solution may be injected into, and thereafter evacuated from, the sanitary connection assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Lancer Partnership
    Inventor: Alfred A. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 6427495
    Abstract: A compact machine for the treatment of cord fabrics, in particular for dyeing, is made up of a container of any shape, in one top part of which is set at least one motor-driven reel for moving the cord fabric, a device for jet-dyeing by the spraying of dye on the fabric set on at least one side of the at least one reel, and a device for overflow-dyeing of the fabric, which is set on the other side of the at least one reel, there being set underneath said at least one reel and underneath said devices a reservoir, which is designed to contain the fabric and the treatment liquid bath and which can move basically crosswise with respect to the direction of displacement of the cord fabric in order to fold the cord fabric in the reservoir itself. The displacement of the reservoir inside the container is simply crosswise in a rectilinear or oscillating fashion, or else is a motion made up of both types of motion, and the speed of the reservoir is fixed, or else variable in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Inventor: Lorenzo Berlendis
  • Patent number: 6425407
    Abstract: A vehicle loading system for the wash bay of an automatic vehicle wash system that eliminates the use of a floor-mounted target to capture the front tire of the vehicle to be washed. The vehicle wash system includes a pair of side position sensors that detect and create a side profile of the vehicle as the vehicle enters into the wash bay. The vehicle wash system includes a front sensor array that includes a plurality of through-beam sensors that detect the front bumper of a vehicle and signal the vehicle operator to stop when the front bumper is in the correct position. An overhead sensor contained on the overhead gantry detects the top profile of the vehicle positioned within the open wash bay. A control unit receives the information from the variety of sensors and operates the overhead gantry based upon the detected parameters of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen S. Jones, Mark Cuddeback
  • Patent number: 6408863
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer is set forth. The apparatus comprises a processing bowl that defines a processing chamber. The processing bowl is in fixed alignment with a frame. A wafer support structure adapted to support at least one wafer is mounted for rotation within the processing chamber. A motor drive assembly is disposed exterior to the processing chamber and connected to rotate the wafer support. The motor drive assembly includes an electrically driven motor and at least one shock absorbing member connected between the electrically driven motor and the frame. The electrically driven motor preferably includes a rotor shaft that rotates about an axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Semitool, Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksander Owczarz
  • Patent number: 6398879
    Abstract: An apparatus for a treatment is provided, the apparatus comprising a vessel for recovering a treatment liquid flowing out or flying out when the object is treated, cleaning means for cleaning an inner wall surface of the vessel by supplying a cleaning liquid into the vessel, and a circulation system for recovering a discharged liquid discharged from the vessel when the inner wall surface of the vessel is cleaned by the cleaning means and supplying the recovered liquid to the cleaning means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Kimio Motoda, Yoshitaka Matsuda
  • Patent number: RE37830
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a manifold which includes a foam generating zone having means for receiving a foamable solution and air therethrough to produce a foam, a streaming discharge zone wherein the streaming discharge zone includes a first plurality of aperture surfaces of a first diameter and a second plurality of aperture surfaces of a second diameter larger than said first diameter and a buffer zone operably communicably associated with the foam generating zone and streaming discharge zone with means for impeding flow of the foam therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventor: Steven Andrew Chase