Patents Examined by Sara Clarke
  • Patent number: 6918758
    Abstract: A childproof safety disposable lighter includes a casing, a supporting frame detachably mounted on the casing, an ignition unit which is supported by the supporting frame and includes a striker wheel mounted between two driving wheels, and a pair of safety shells, which are coaxially positioned with the striker wheel and facing two outer sides of the two driving wheels respectively, being integrally, upwardly, and rearwardly extended from two supporting walls of the supporting frame respectively, wherein each of the safety shells is in circular shape having an outer smooth surface and a radius slightly larger than that of the driving wheels so that the two safety shells encircle the outer sides of the two driving wheels respectively to form two physical barriers of the driving wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Inventor: John Jiin Chung Yang
  • Patent number: 6916170
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling gas valves in a gas drier is provided. The apparatus includes an igniter, a closed flame detection switch and a sustaining relay. The igniter, which starts a flame, connects to a first terminal which provides a power signal with respect to a neutral terminal. The closed flame detection switch is connected between the igniter and the neutral terminal thereby receiving the power signal via the igniter. The closed flame detection switch also detects a flame by opening. The sustaining relay provides an alternative path of conduction with respect to the closed flame detection switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Doo Kim, Jae Suk Yang
  • Patent number: 6916174
    Abstract: A burner having an elongate, generally tubular sheet metal body having an inlet end, a closed distal end and a tubular segment extending between the ends. The inlet end is formed to define a gas orifice holder which is adapted to mount a gas orifice element. The inlet end is further formed to define at least one primary air opening arranged to admit primary air from a source of primary air. Rows of flame ports are defined in the tubular segment and are arranged to create a desired predetermined flame pattern. When used as a fireplace burner the flame ports may be slot-like in construction and include tabs which determine the effective size of the ports. In a fireplace application, flame ports located below a crossover log, are eliminated and/or formed of reduced size, thus providing a flame of lower height and/or less intensity, thus substantially eliminating sooting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Beckett Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. O'Donnell, Terrance C. Slaby, Frank T. Szucs, Jr., Jim Bedford, Wayne Hollingshead
  • Patent number: 6913012
    Abstract: A domestic cooking appliance that includes a cabinet, and at least one oven. Air space is provided between the cabinet and the oven. The cooking appliance includes venting to allow air to enter and exit the air space and an exhaust passage connecting the oven with the air space. Means to clean air and a fan are located in the exhaust passage. A controller controls the operation of the appliance including activation of the fan and air cleaning means during operational modes of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited
    Inventors: Timothy Andrew Divett, Deborah Eden Byrom, Karen Marie O'Neill, Dennis Mervyn Wai
  • Patent number: 6913013
    Abstract: An improved charcoal igniter having utility with a charcoal cooking apparatus includes a tubular housing having open upper and lower ends, a grate releasably-mounted within the tubular housing for movement from a supporting position to a releasing position, and an actuator for releasing the grate so that the grate moves from the supporting position to the releasing position. Charcoal briquettes supported within the tubular housing by the grate in the supporting position are released from the grate and fall through the open lower end of the tubular housing when the grate moves to the releasing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Inventor: Charlie Mize
  • Patent number: 6904904
    Abstract: A cooking oven includes a heatable oven chamber (6) that can be loaded with product from the outside area (A) through a loading port (8). An oven door (10) serves to close off the loading port (8) of the oven chamber (6) from the outside area (A). An inner pane (50) faces the oven chamber (6), an outer pane (48) faces the outside area (A), and one or several intermediate panes (52) are positioned between the inner pane (50) and the outer pane (48). An outer cavity (54) is between the outer pane (48) and the neighboring intermediate pane (52) and an inner cavity space (56) is between the inner pane (50) and the neighboring intermediate pane (52). A cooling system moves cooling air (K1) through the outer cavity (54) while thermally insulating air (I) can be held stationary in the inner cavity (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Walther, Harald Porner, Vladmir Pelic, Robert McKechnie, Patrice Murguet, Dietmar Hildner
  • Patent number: 6902391
    Abstract: A temperature-controlled fuel valve, especially for a fuel-operated heating burner of a vehicle heating system has at least one valve member (40) that is adjustable as a function of a temperature in the area of a heating burner (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Bauer, Walter Blaschke
  • Patent number: 6901925
    Abstract: A fireplace including a fire box having a means for producing flames, a trough positioned in front of or around the fire box, and a hood positioned above the fire box and extending out from the fireplace beyond a front opening in the fire box. Positioned in the trough is a plumbing assembly having a pump and piping for transporting water from the trough upward and through an opening in the hood positioned above the fire box. The hood extends outward beyond the fire box such that water will fall freely in front of the fire box containing the flames and into the trough. One or more nozzles may be connected to the piping near one or more openings in the hood to adjust the trajectory of the water as it falls from the hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Inventor: David P. Coughlin
  • Patent number: 6899094
    Abstract: A cooking assembly includes a first tube formed with two diametric openings, and a second gas tube extending into the first tube and having an annular groove aligned with the openings in the first tube. A retaining clip includes a U-shaped segment disposed at one side of the first tube, two clamping segments extending respectively from two opposite ends of the U-shaped segment through the openings in the first tube and the groove in the second tube in such a manner that the clamping segments engage releasably the groove in the second tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Shuan Li
  • Patent number: 6899098
    Abstract: A portable solar heater (10) is provided for use with a window (12) of an enclosed space (14) of a building structure or vehicle (16). The portable solar heater (10) includes a sheet metal body (30) and a releasable support (32) to mount the sheet metal body (30) relative to an interior surface (20) of the window (12). The sheet metal body (30) includes a pair of oppositely facing surfaces (34,36) separated by a thickness t of the sheet metal. One of the surfaces (34,36) is a window facing surface (34) and is a highly solar energy absorptive surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventor: Ricky L. Durbin
  • Patent number: 6893255
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to produce a spray burner, starting from a conventional spray burner, for the atomisation and combustion of sulphur-containing residues, comprising a residue nozzle, for the introduction of sulphur-containing residue, which is surrounded by an outer nozzle, for the introduction of an atomising agent, whereby said burner is suitable for a method in which oxygen can be introduced in the cracking oven as additional oxidising agent to increase the capacity and improve the economic efficiency without the above disadvantages and limitations and is also optimised for a variable throughput of residue for atomising. Said aim is achieved whereby the residue nozzle comprises a multiplicity of individual nozzles which may be switched on and off, connected to an input for the residue, an inlet for fuel is provided and the outer nozzle is connected to an inlet for an oxygen-enriched gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignees: Messer Griesheim GmbH, Roehm GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Gerhard Grob, Heinz Gruning
  • Patent number: 6883515
    Abstract: A cooking device with a muffle bounding a cooking space, a linear door for closing a muffle opening and a drive device for moving the linear door to open or close the cooking space. In order to increase the operational reliability the cooking device has an anti-trapping device which detects an object outside the muffle opening between the inside of the linear door and a front face of the muffle frame. The anti-trapping device prevents trapping of the object between the linear door and the front face of the muffle frame when the object is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte, GmbH
    Inventor: Edmund Kuttalek
  • Patent number: 6877978
    Abstract: A miniature combustor comprising a combustion chamber having at least one critical dimension that is sub-centimeter. Combustion is confined within the chamber by injecting a liquid fuel as a film over substantially the entire area of the chamber walls. In a preferred embodiment, a swirl or vortex generator may be included at the entrance of the chamber to cause the in-flowing oxidizing gases to swirl within the chamber. The liquid fuel may be applied as a film through one or more orifices or a porous wall material, or may be applied by spraying the fuel on a surface within the chamber. The liquid fuel may be augmented with an inert liquid such as water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: William A. Sirignano, Derek Dunn-Rankin
  • Patent number: 6872071
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the mixture of oxidation agent/fuel in the feeding pipe (22) of a burner. Said device comprises means (32, 12) for changing the composition of the oxidation agent/fuel mixture and a measuring instrument (2) for detecting the condition of the oxidation agent/fuel mixture and a circuit (28) for controlling said means (32, 12) for changing the composition on the basis of the condition detected by the measuring instrument. The invention is characterized in that the measuring instrument detects the condition of at least one partial mixture of the oxidation agent/fuel mixture via the viscosity or a function therefore before the combustion and that it is located upstream, in terms of the direction of flow, of the means (32, 12) for changing the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Gesellschaft zur Verwertung der Gasartenerkennungstechnik in Brennersystemen (GVGB)
    Inventor: Franz Durst
  • Patent number: 6868849
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus for use in cooking over an open fire. Specifically, the invention discloses a tripod having a grill suspended therefrom. The tripod includes an elongate adjustment rod with a distantly situated handle. By attaching the suspension line, holding the grill to the handle, which is slidingly affixed to one leg of the tripod, the height of the grill over the fire can be changed. This arrangement allows the grill to be adjusted over the fire to accommodate the heat of the fire or to provide a preferred cooking temperature for the articles on the grill without adjusting the grill directly or having to touch the hot surfaces near the fire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Inventor: Jerry Endres
  • Patent number: 6854458
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber that can be closed by a door having a multi-pane structure, including at least one inner pane and one front pane. The invention configures the cooking appliance such that the surface temperature on the outer side of the front pane is as low as possible. To this end, the inner pane is embodied in a tray-like manner and is fixed to the front pane by holding elements that are disposed on the inner side of the front pane inside the circumferential edge of the inner pane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH
    Inventor: Karl Herzer
  • Patent number: 6851947
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrogen combustion heater. This heater includes (a) a passage for allowing hydrogen gas and air to flow therethrough; (b) a first catalyst provided in the passage, the first catalyst being heated, when electricity is applied thereto, thereby starting a first combustion of a first mixture of the hydrogen gas and the air in the first catalyst; and (c) a heat exchanger provided downstream of the first catalyst in the passage, the heat exchanger being adapted to transfer heat generated by the first combustion to a heating medium of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Calsonic Kanei Corporation
    Inventors: Tamotsu Sugimoto, Shigeho Shimada
  • Patent number: 6851420
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes burners having ports that are aligned in a defined alignment with respect to an adjacent structure of a burner body or the cooking appliance within a piloting zone so that the adjacent structure guides the formation of a flame kernel at an outlet of the port. The adjacent structure may be ports which also form flame kernels withing the piloting zone of the burner port outlet, a structural portion of the burner body such as an extended lip protruding beyond the burner port or a separate structure such as a flame rod or other target that stabilizes the flame kernels at the burner port outlet. Such structures provide a method for improving the turndown ratio of burners by preventing lifting or backlash of the flame kernels generated at the burner port outlets by aligning the ports in conjunction with an adjacent structure within a piloting zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph Ernest Jennings
  • Patent number: 6851421
    Abstract: An exhaust hood (125, 225, 325, 425) captures and contains a thermal plume (170, 370, 470) with a minimum of exhaust air by defining a short-throw vertical curtain jet (150, 350, 453) around a protected perimeter. The jet augments the formation of a vortex (135, 335) within the hood which extends beyond the hood protected by the curtain jet. The effect is the extension of the buffer volume of the hood recess. This reduces the fluid strain that generates the turbulent eddies that cause breach of containment. Also, the curtain jet augments the vortical flow which is stable and contains less fluid strain than would otherwise occur. The hood recess is shaped to assist in defining the above vortex in terms of both its shape and its size. For example, the recess may be made smooth-walled according to an aspect of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Halton Company
    Inventors: Andrey Livchak, Philip Meredith
  • Patent number: 6843650
    Abstract: A cigarette lighter includes a shell, a nozzle, an ignition device, a button, a cap and a linkage. The shell includes a reservoir for fuel. The nozzle is in communication with the reservoir through a pipe. The ignition device includes a wire extending to the vicinity of the nozzle. The button is connected with the ignition device. The button is movable between a locking position, a first operative position and a second operative position. The cap is mounted on the shell for covering the nozzle. The linkage is connected between the button and the cap. The linkage locks the cap in the locking position. The linkage releases the cap in the first operative position. The ignition device creates electric arcs between a free end of the wire and the nozzle in the second operative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Inventor: Hwai-Tay Lin