Patents Examined by Thomas J Ward
  • Patent number: 11979967
    Abstract: A combined ventilation and microwave oven system includes an external enclosure with a top portion defining recirculation vent outlets, a cooling air inlet, a cooling air outlet, and an outside vent outlet, first and second side portions, and a bottom portion defining a vent inlet. The vent inlet is connected with the recirculation vent outlets and the outside vent outlet via airflow pathways. A hood assembly is disposed within the external enclosure and includes a first hood fan disposed between the cooking cavity and the first side portion and a second hood fan disposed between the cooking cavity and the second side portion. The hood assembly is configured to direct air through the vent inlet and through an interior of the external enclosure. A cooling fan is disposed between the cooking cavity and the second side portion to direct air through the cooling air inlet and the cooling air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Owen (XunCai) Zhang, Michael A. Ledford, Stephen Zheng, Xiangxu Liu
  • Patent number: 11979965
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a susceptor for chemical vapor deposition comprising a horizontal component with a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is configured to support one or more wafers; a vertical component extending from the bottom surface of the horizontal component along a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal component; and a hollow region within the vertical component. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a susceptor for chemical vapor deposition comprising a horizontal plate with a top surface configured to support one or more wafers, a vertical rod integrated with and perpendicular to the horizontal plate, and a hollow region within the vertical rod for promoting temperature uniformity across the top surface of the horizontal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Xiaohang Li, Kuang-Hui Li, Hamad Saud Alotaibi
  • Patent number: 11971195
    Abstract: The disclosed technology includes a liquid storage tank having a heating element, an inlet for receiving unheated liquid, an outlet for outputting heated liquid, and a partition configured to divide the tank into a first portion and a second portion. The partition can have an aperture such that the first portion and the second portion are in fluid communication. The liquid storage tank can include an actuator in mechanical communication with the partition and configured to linearly move at least a portion of the partition based at least in part on the temperature of liquid within the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Harsha Satyanarayana, Christopher M. Hayden, Abigail McMonigal
  • Patent number: 11958133
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a method includes selecting a cemented carbide substrate from a plurality of cemented carbide substrates in a substrate inventory. Each of the plurality of cemented carbide substrates have a substantially planar top surface. The method also includes emitting a plurality of laser pulses from a laser towards at least the substantially planar top surface of the cemented carbide substrate to ablate selected regions of the cemented carbide substrate thereby forming the cemented carbide substrate into a selected shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul Douglas Jones, Benjamin Michael Spencer, Brent Richard Eddy, Mark Pehrson Chapman
  • Patent number: 11950349
    Abstract: A combined ventilation and microwave oven system includes an external enclosure with a top portion defining recirculation vent outlets, a cooling air inlet, a cooling air outlet, and an outside vent outlet, first and second side portions, and a bottom portion defining a vent inlet. The vent inlet is connected with the recirculation vent outlets and the outside vent outlet via airflow pathways. A hood assembly is disposed within the external enclosure and includes a first hood fan disposed between the cooking cavity and the first side portion and a second hood fan disposed between the cooking cavity and the second side portion. The hood assembly is configured to direct air through the vent inlet and through an interior of the external enclosure. A cooling fan is disposed between the cooking cavity and the second side portion to direct air through the cooling air inlet and the cooling air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Owen (XunCai) Zhang, Michael A. Ledford, Stephen Zheng, Xiangxu Liu
  • Patent number: 11924952
    Abstract: A system and method for annealing a target substrate such as a semiconductor using industrial microwave heating and parallel plate reaction. Using a uniform microwave field, with the target substrate located between parallel plates controls application of eddy currents to the target substrate. The system may include a uniform microwave field generator, support elements, two plates held in parallel to each other, and a turntable device configured to rotate the two plates and the target substrate within the uniform microwave field. The rotating of the plates and target substrate in the uniform microwave field creates a periodic change in polarity of the microwaves applied to the target substrate. The eddy currents in the uniform microwave field react by flowing perpendicular to the plates, and not parallel to the surface as in traditional microwave reactions of metals. This redirection of the eddy currents provides even heating of the target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DSGI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Edward Kowalski
  • Patent number: 11911853
    Abstract: Provided is a welding information providing apparatus capable of providing a high-definition image allowing easy identification of welding surroundings in addition to a portion adjacent to welding light by synthesizing photographs taken through various imaging conditions; improving welding quality by providing efficient guiding to the worker regarding a current welding status; checking what is happening in the surroundings even during a welding operation; and easily performing welding even in an environment where it is difficult to perform welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: OTOS WING.CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moon Young Huh, Sung Won Huh
  • Patent number: 11897237
    Abstract: A chamber can be a pathogen control device, which can include a body having at least one internal wall defining an internal chamber, and a layer of a two dimensional material on at least a portion of the at least one internal wall. The two-dimensional material can have at least one edge protruding from the at least one internal wall. A pathogen control system can include the chamber and at least one pressure source operably coupled with an inlet of the internal chamber, and optionally include a depressurization vessel. A method of processing a fluid, such as for controlling pathogens, can include providing the chamber, and flowing a fluid with or without pressurized carbon dioxide or processing fluid through the internal chamber of the chamber to contact an edge of the two-dimensional material. The flow through the chamber can be conducted until at least one pathogen is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: PepsiCo, Inc.
    Inventor: Ezekiel Kruglick
  • Patent number: 11878374
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to welding gas compositions used as shielding gases in an electric arc welding process. More particularly, the invention is directed a shielding gas compositions used in gas metal or tungsten metal arc welding processes for welding aluminum or aluminum alloy containing work pieces. The compositions comprise from 200 to less than 400 ppm oxygen; from 200 to less than 400 ppm of a second gas selected from nitrous oxide, nitrogen, and combinations thereof; and the remainder being an inert gas preferably selected from argon, helium, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Philip L. Miller, Kevin A. Lyttle, Jeremy B. Neff, Douglas A. Steyer, Keith G. Pierce
  • Patent number: 11856656
    Abstract: A cooking appliance apparatus, in particular an oven apparatus, includes a muffle which defines a cooking chamber, and a heating element to heat the cooking chamber at least partially. A switching unit connects the heating element to a first supply voltage in a first operating state and to a second supply voltage in a second operating state, with the second supply voltage being different from the first supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Juan Jose Galindo Perez, Sergio Llorente Gil, Carlos Obon Abadia, Jose Manuel Palacios Gasos, Edgar Jorge Ramirez Laboreo, Alvaro Rigual Iturria, Fernando Sanz Serrano, Rebeca Soria Ruiz
  • Patent number: 11844354
    Abstract: Thermal mold for baking halves of an edible container, including a first heated plate having a recess that replicates an outer surface of a baked half of the edible container; a second heated plate that has at least one protrusion that replicates an inner surface of the baked half. The protrusion mates to the recess with a gap therebetween. The plates are brought together with an offset forming a horizontal surface around the recess and form the gap such that baked dough forms a tray. Second plate has teeth located along the horizontal surface, the teeth are inward and below the horizontal surface for forming cavities on an inner surface of the baked half. The second plate has cavities between the teeth and inward and above the horizontal surface for forming teeth on the inner surface of the baked half. Heater is around the recess and protrusion in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventor: Evgeniy Nickolaevich Nefedov
  • Patent number: 11812890
    Abstract: A compact brewing assembly and method is described. The compact brewing assembly includes a vessel, a filter component, an exterior sleeve and a cap. The vessel includes a vessel top and a vessel bottom, wherein the vessel top includes a fastening component. The filter component is removably coupled to the fastening component of the vessel top. The exterior sleeve includes a top exterior sleeve and a bottom exterior sleeve slidably coupled to the filter component. The cap is removably coupled to the top exterior sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventor: Ralph William Backstrom
  • Patent number: 11780022
    Abstract: A solder ball bonding (SBB) tool includes a rotatable feed plate for transporting solder balls from a translatable solder ball reservoir to a nozzle unit, which is a position at which a laser light source can irradiate and thus melt the solder balls. The SBB tool includes a gap between the reservoir and the feed plate positioned over the reservoir, and a feed mechanism coupled with the reservoir, where the feed mechanism is driven by a pressurized gas to translate the reservoir upward across at least a portion of the gap in preparation for movement of a solder ball to the feed plate and downward in preparation for rotation of the feed plate after a solder ball is moved to the feed plate. The gap may have a maximum size that exceeds a nominal size of the solder balls contained in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsumoto, Kenichi Murata
  • Patent number: 11771853
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for generating and delivering an inhalable vapor or aerosol. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are used to generate and deliver a vapor or aerosol containing tobacco for use in, for example, traditional smoking or, for example, to deliver a smoking cessation therapy. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are used for generating and delivering a vapor or aerosol comprising a medicament. For example, in some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are used to deliver an inhalable medicament to the lungs of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Michael Edward Breede
  • Patent number: 11772182
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for pretreating a wire that is used in a welding operation to reduce the amount of hydrogen introduced into a weld. Using embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein, one passes a wire through a pre-treatment chamber in which a wire is treated to release hydrogen and/or other contaminants, and provides a gas flow through the pre-treatment chamber so that the contaminants that are released from the wire are taken up by the gas. The gas exiting the pre-treatment chamber may be isolated from the shielding gas utilized during a welding operation. For instance, the pretreatment gas may be directed away from the distal end of the welding torch, thereby preventing released contaminants from being transported into a weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Michael V. Hoeger, Joseph C. Schneider
  • Patent number: 11764100
    Abstract: A plurality of substrate support pins are provided upright on a holding plate so as to contact a position on which no stress is exerted in a lower surface of a semiconductor wafer when an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with flash light emitted from a flash lamp and thus reaches a maximum temperature. When the application of the flash light causes the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer to warp such that the upper surface becomes raised, stress concentration does not occur in the contact position of the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer that contacts the plurality of substrate support pins. The semiconductor wafer can be prevented from breaking during the application of the flash light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Fuse
  • Patent number: 11732895
    Abstract: In an aspect, data characterizing an instruction for an activation of an igniter and an operating mode of a smoke generator that includes the igniter can be received. A first amount of energy required for an ignition of a fuel source by the igniter can be determined based on the operating mode characterized by the received data. The igniter can be caused to activate based on the received data. A second amount of energy, output by the igniter over a period of time during which the igniter is activated, can be determined. A determination of whether the second amount of energy exceeds the first amount of energy can be made. The igniter can be caused to deactivate in response to a determination that the second amount of energy exceeds the first amount of energy. Related systems, apparatus, techniques, and articles are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Chow, Blake Hishmeh, Christopher T. Martin
  • Patent number: 11723486
    Abstract: A beverage dispensing system that can dispense both cold and hot drinks from either cold drink capsules or hot drink capsules. The cold or hot drink capsule is inserted into the system, and the lid is manually closed. if a cold drink capsule has been inserted, a mechanism cracks the capsule along a predetermined seam, injects cold mixing fluid into the capsule, and then rotates the capsule to pour out or further flush out the cold drink into a cup. If a hot drink capsule has been inserted, the lid is closed, and a rotating needle pierces the top of the capsule. The capsule is then punctured from the bottom. Hot water can then be injected into the top of the capsule, and the hot drink can be removed from the bottom into a cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: LaVit Technology LLC
    Inventors: Gian Matteo Lo Faro, Alan M. Crosby, George Kingman Bonnoitt, David Preston Adams, Alan Kenneth Stratton
  • Patent number: 11712751
    Abstract: Fabricating a capacitor includes performing an oxide formation operation on a sheet of material. The oxide formation operation forms an anode metal oxide on an anode metal. A thermal compression is performed on the sheet of material after the oxide formation operation is performed. The thermal compression applies thermal energy to the sheet of material while applying pressure to the sheet of material. After the thermal compression, the capacitor is assembled such that at least one electrode in the capacitor includes at least a portion of the sheet of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Pacesetter. Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt J. Erickson, Jeffrey Jon Allison, John Moore, Thomas F. Strange, David R. Bowen
  • Patent number: 11702802
    Abstract: A deicing system may include one or more walkway cassettes, a temperature control element, and a control unit. Each walkway cassette may include a casing and a heat tracing; cable in good thermal contact with the casing. The temperature control element may include a comparatively smaller casing and a heat tracing cable in good thermal contact with the casing, and may exhibit similar heat loss characteristics to the walkway cassettes. The temperature control element may include a temperature sensor on a top surface of its casing, which may generate temperature data and send the temperature data to the control unit. The control unit may provide power to the temperature control element and the walkway cassette(s) in parallel based on the temperature data. The temperature control element may be placed in proximity to the walkway cassette(s), and may be exposed to substantially the same environmental conditions as the walkway cassettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: nVent Services GmbH
    Inventor: Wesley Dong