Patents Examined by Sang Paik
  • Patent number: 8534188
    Abstract: A cheesecake pan system having a bottom plate, a pan rim having a side wall and a hollow center, a lip on an inner surface, the bottom plate temporarily rests atop the lip, a water base having a bottom surface and a side wall that together form an enclosure for holding water, the side wall has a top and bottom edge, a locking means allow the water base and the pan rim to engage each other, a vapor hole in the side wall, a vacuum mount base removably attached to the bottom edge of the side wall a distance below the bottom surface of the water base, the bottom surface, the side wall, and the vacuum mount base together form a bottom cavity, and a vacuum locking means to secure the vacuum mount base to the water base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventor: Barbara A. Winfield
  • Patent number: 8530797
    Abstract: A cooking appliance (1) includes a lower casing (2), a lower food-contacting heating plate (3), and an upper bell-shaped body (4) which is movably mounted on the lower casing (2) so as to be movable to and from a closed position. An upper food-contacting heating plate (5) is located inside the bell-shaped body (4) so as to be positioned, when the bell-shaped body (4) is in the closed position, over the lower heating plate (3). The upper food-contacting heating plate (5) is connected to the bell-shaped body (4) to move freely inside the bell-shaped body (4) in a direction (d0) substantially perpendicular to the reference laying plane of the upper heating plate (5). A heating-plate locking device (14) selectively impairs movement of the upper heating plate (5) in the moving direction (d0), and a control unit (9) controls the heating-plate locking device (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Electrolux Professional S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Tassan-Mangina, Alessandro Canova, Omero Tuzzi, Marino Fadelli
  • Patent number: 8530782
    Abstract: A body structure for rolling stock is disclosed. The body structure may include an outside sheathing of a side construction, and a plurality of reinforcement members joined to said outside sheathing interiorly of said outside sheathing. Each of said plurality of reinforcement members may include a U-shaped part which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and two fitting flange parts extending continuously from end edges of the U-shaped part in opposite directions. The fitting flange parts may be joined to said outside sheathing by laser welding, and the U-shaped part of at least one of said plurality of reinforcement members may be smaller in width than the U-shaped part of another of said plurality of reinforcement members provided on another part of said outside sheathing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Komaki, Toshiyuki Hirashima, Takayuki Murata, Takeo Marutani
  • Patent number: 8530803
    Abstract: There is disclosed a honeycomb structure including a honeycomb structure section, and a pair of band-like electrode sections arranged on a side surface of the honeycomb structure section, an electrical resistivity of the honeycomb structure section is from 1 to 200 ?cm, in a cross section which is perpendicular to a cell extending direction, the one electrode section is disposed on an opposite side of the other electrode section via the center O, an angle which is 0.5 time as large as a central angle of the electrode section is from 15 to 65°, and each of the electrode sections is formed so as to become thinner from a center portion in a peripheral direction toward both ends in the peripheral direction, and in the cross section which is perpendicular to the extending direction of the cells, the whole outer peripheral shape is a round shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sakashita, Yoshimasa Omiya
  • Patent number: 8528464
    Abstract: A brewing facility for a coffee machine comprises a brewing cylinder (6) and an upper plunger (3) and a lower plunger (4) by means of which a brewing chamber is formed. The brewing cylinder (6) and the plungers (3 and 4) are held in a frame (2) such that they can be shifted, and can be driven by means of a driving facility. For adding the coffee powder, a coffee powder feed facility is provided which in turn is provided with a swivel-type funnel (14), which can be moved against a spring force from a filling position into a swiveled-away position, and vice versa. The swivel-type funnel (14) can be swiveled further from the swiveled-away position to a fully swiveled-out position and, in said fully swiveled-out position, can be locked by locking means (29) and unlocked by unlocking means (30). In this way, the swivel-type funnel (14) can be held in the fully swiveled-out position during the cleaning of, in particular, the upper plunger (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Schaerer AG
    Inventor: André Lüssi
  • Patent number: 8532474
    Abstract: An electrical liquid heating system and method of heating a liquid includes providing at least two spaced apart electrical conductors and applying an electrical energy source to the conductors. A liquid is directed into contact with the conductors thereby delivering electrical energy to the liquid. Electrical energy is delivered to the liquid at a power level that is sufficient to generate an electrical current to produce resistive heating of the liquid. The electrical energy may be delivered to the liquid at a power level that is sufficient to break at least some molecular bonds of molecules defining the liquid. A regulator may be provided for regulating delivery of electrical energy to the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Inventor: Mark E. Campbell
  • Patent number: 8525071
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object (3) by applying and solidifying a powdery constituent material (3a) layer by layer at positions corresponding to the respective cross sectional area of the object (3) in the respective layer by exposure to a laser (7) or another energy source comprises a heating or cooling element (22) supplying heat to or removing heat away from the constituent material (3a) applied layer by layer. For smoothing the temperature distribution, an intermediate layer (23) having a highly anisotropic heat conductivity is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
    Inventor: Martin Leuterer
  • Patent number: 8525084
    Abstract: An electrical device includes a compound material. The compound material includes a mixture of an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulative material. The conductive material is aligned within the compound material, such that the resistivity of the compound material in a first direction is different from the resistivity of the compound material in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Heat Trace Limited
    Inventor: Jason Daniel Harold O'Connor
  • Patent number: 8516951
    Abstract: A cooking vessel top according to the present invention is presented in that at least the contact surfaces of the cooking vessel top with the different cooking vessels are formed from an elastic material, especially silicone, that the passage opening or passage openings have at least one flat closure part connected to the cooking vessel top, which in the rest state not in contact with the boiling or foaming liquid essentially closes the passage opening or passage openings allocated to it and can be moved into an opening position by the opening force that develops on contact with the boiling or foaming liquid, in which the passage opening or passage openings are at least partially released and is configured and connected to the cooking vessel top so that it offers a slight resistance to the opening movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Inventor: Armin Harecker
  • Patent number: 8519300
    Abstract: A method of attaching a hub such as a breakaway hub to a catheter shaft includes inserting the catheter shaft into a strain relief component of the hub having one or more bosses extending radially away from the strain relief component of the hub. One or more polymeric sleeves are disposed over the strain relief component and are heat shrunk into place, followed by a laser welding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Romanowski, Mike Sterud, Peter Hirshman, Anh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8502113
    Abstract: A method of preparing an apparatus for material processing by generating optical breakthroughs in an object. The apparatus includes a variable focus adjustment device. A contact element is mounted to the apparatus, the contact element has a curved contact surface having a previously known shape. The position of the contact surface is determined prior to processing the object, by focusing measurement laser radiation near or on the surface by the variable focus adjustment device, and the focus position is adjusted in a measurement surface intersecting the expected position of the contact surface. Radiation from the focus of the measurement laser radiation is confocally detected. The position of points of intersection between the measurement surface and the contact surface is determined from the confocally detected radiation to determine the position of the contact surface from the position of the points of intersection and the previously known shape of the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Mark Bischoff, Gregor Stobrawa
  • Patent number: 8498524
    Abstract: A vaporizer device of the type which is connected to the electric mains by a plug (1), incorporating a single container (6) equipped with a body of two or more independent receptacles (8) which hold different liquid fragrances in which respective wicks (2) are immersed and a lid (9) which closes the body (7) and renders the receptacles (8) independent. The lid (9) comes with openings (10) in correspondence with the positions of the wicks (2) for the egress and vaporization of the fragrance by actuation of one or more resistance elements (3), located in opposition to the openings (10), either with use of a manual pushbutton (4) or automatically in accordance with a pre-established program, diffusing the fragrances in a sequential or combined manner during predetermined intervals of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Zobele Espana, S.A.
    Inventors: Julio C Ruiz Ballesteros, Jose A Munoz Martinez, Cedric Morhain, Ruben Garcia Fabrega, Jordi Farre Albaladejo, Andrea Caserta
  • Patent number: 8487215
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for welding include initiating a pulse welding process includes initiating a welding arc by providing CC type welding power, maintaining the arc by providing CV type power. Then, pulse type welding power is provided. The method and system can be used to start short circuit, or other welding processes by providing short circuit power, or welding power of a given mode, instead of providing pulse power. Also, in one alternative, a method and system of initiating a pulse, short circuit, or given welding process includes initiating a welding arc by providing CC type welding power at least until a pseudo-equilibrium for the arc is established. Then, providing welding power in a pulse, short circuit, or the given mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Todd E. Holverson, James L. Uecker, Robert R. Davidson, Richard M. Hutchison
  • Patent number: 8487209
    Abstract: A laser welding apparatus and method reduce the effect of the fume resulting from a weld. An air injecting nozzle is installed at a laser processing head. The injecting direction of air from the air injecting nozzle is set such that the air flows across a laser beam irradiated from the laser processing head while the air flow avoids direct contact with the laser irradiating point on the work piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sakamoto, Kazuya Okada, Yasushi Morikawa, Takahisa Hasegawa, Atsushi Saito, Junichi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8483552
    Abstract: A removable heater assembly 20 is provided for a vaporizer 10 by which to easily mechanically and electrically connect and disconnect the heater assembly 20 from a base 22 for removal and/or replacement thereof without requiring tools or specialized skills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: West Coast Gifts, Inc.
    Inventor: Niklaus R. Durisek
  • Patent number: 8481894
    Abstract: An electrical cooking apparatus comprises a base, a cooking plate separable from the base, an electrical heating resistance integral with the cooking plate, and electrical connectors borne by the base and adapted to be connected to electrical heating resistance. The base bears an extracting member movable between a rest position and an extraction position, and adapted to cause the disconnection of electrical resistance from connectors and the release of the cooking plate from the base when displaced from the rest position to the extraction position. The cooking plate is movable from a cooking position in which electrical resistance is connected to connectors, and a released position in which electrical resistance is disconnected therefrom, and the extracting member is adapted to move the cooking plate from the cooking position to the released position thereof when moved from its rest position to its extraction position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Robin, Christophe Gouthiere
  • Patent number: 8481896
    Abstract: A heater plate is constructed with an embedded thermal diffusion layer of pyrolytic graphite to provide increased temperature uniformity in a critical heating surface. The heater has first and second metal plates with a heater element contained within the first plate and a core of the pyrolytic graphite diffusion layer sandwiched between the heater element and the second metal plate. The diffusion layer may be sputter metal coated to improve bonding of the layer to the plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Inventor: Phillip G. Quinton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8471181
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device and in particular to an element of a floor heating device. Known floor heating devices comprise heating means which are arranged underneath floor coverings, for example, below stone plates, tiles, parquet elements or laminated panels. Those heating means can be made of electrically heatable films which are arranged close to the surface of a covering in order to directly heat the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Kronoplus Technical AG
    Inventors: Dieter Döhring, Heinz Zorn, Gerhard Kremer, David Macher
  • Patent number: 8461495
    Abstract: The present invention places an electronic controller and/or a triac in a frame, a cover, a chase, or a mounting member of a heated glass panel assembly, where the panel has a conductive coating dispose on it. By placing the controller in the panel frame, the cover, the chase, or the mounting member, field wiring of the panel assembly is greatly reduced, wire lengths are standardized, production glazing, wiring, and pre-testing are facilitated, and installation time and complexity are minimized. By placing the triac in thermal contact with the panel frame, the cover, the chase, or the mounting member, the heat from the triac may be used to complement the heat supplied by the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Engineered Glass Products, LLC.
    Inventor: Peter F. Gerhardinger
  • Patent number: RE44312
    Abstract: An evaporation device is disclosed for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics of a type having a housing containing a heating block with a heating element, a container for a volatile substance to be evaporated, a wick having a wick end protruding out of the container into a wick opening in the heating block, a switching device for the activation and deactivation of the heating device, and an adjusting device for the adjustment of the degree of evaporation. Preferably, two heating elements with different heating capacity are carried by the heating block. The heating elements are operatively connected to the switching device to adjust the heat output of the heating device and the degree of evaporation of the volatile substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Pedro Queiroz Vieira