Patents Examined by Thomas McKenzie
  • Patent number: 8460556
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a bacterial eliminator suitable for reduction in size or lowering of cost. A UV filament lamp is preheated by a control section even when water is not flowing. Consequently, the UV filament lamp can be lit immediately upon flow of water. The lamp can thereby be kept unlit when water is not flowing. Consequently, the lamp is unlikely to overheat easily when water is not flowing. Also, power consumption is reduced and lifespan of the lamp can be prolonged. If the lamp overheats and unheated water flows in, there is a possibility of the lamp being damaged. In order to avoid such damage, a special structure or material is normally required. Since overheating of the lamp can be avoided with the invention, a special structure or material for avoiding damage to the lamp due to unheated water are not necessary, or the structure can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Inventor: Youichi Nishioka
  • Patent number: 8449726
    Abstract: A solar thermal system for the partial desalination of sea water and for generating electricity includes a mass of black top material such as asphalt or the like used in paving roadways, parking lots and the like. The system also includes a network of interconnected conductive conduits such as a serpentine array of copper tubing and a pump for pumping seawater through the copper tubing that is in contact with or surrounded by the black top or asphalt portion of a roadway. The asphalt layer acts as a black body for absorbing heat from the sun and converts solar energy to thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventor: Fahad Alawadi
  • Patent number: 8449661
    Abstract: To connect and disconnect a filter in a gas flow system, a filter unit has a filter housing wherein an adsorption/absorption filter is movably arranged. The filter housing has two tube connectors for connecting the filter unit in a gas conducting passage. The filter unit also has a shifting element which is movable from a first to at least a second position. The first position allows the filter to substantially fill the gas conducting passage in a way that forces the gas in the gas flow system to pass through the filter, whereas the second position substantially removes the filter from the gas conducting passage, allowing the gas to pass through the filter unit without passing the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Maquet Critical Care AB
    Inventor: Stefan Broborg
  • Patent number: 8439996
    Abstract: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes: a casing (10); an indoor fan (21); an air filter (30); an inlet port (24) in which the air filter (30) is attached, and a divider plate (25) for dividing space in the casing (10) into a room upstream of air passing through the air filter (30) and a room downstream of air passing through the air filter (30). The indoor unit conditions room air sucked into the casing (0) through the air filter (30). The indoor unit includes a rotating brush (51) for removing dust trapped on the air filter (30), and a dust container (90) for containing the removed dust. An access opening (70) which allows for checking of an electrical component box (72) in the casing (10) is formed in the divider plate (25), and an access lid (71) for closing the access opening (70) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Sakashita, Morimichi Okada
  • Patent number: 8431187
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of producing a filter medium for treating medium and high temperature exhaust gas using foam coating and a filter medium produced using the method. The filter medium has excellent heat resistance and heat contraction resistance, and exhibits partial dust collection efficiency of 99% or more by weight, total dust collection efficiency of 99.999% or more by weight, and high dust removal efficiency, for all dust particle sizes. Further, the filter media can be efficiently used to treat medium and high temperature exhaust gas because pores having an average pore size of 30 ?m or less are uniformly distributed on the surface of the filter media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Industrial Technology
    Inventors: Gyung Soo Kim, Sang Bum Kim, Myong-Hwa Lee, Young-Chun Kim, Seung Je Lee, Byung Hyun Park
  • Patent number: 8425644
    Abstract: A V-bank air filter having a high air flow rate with low pressure drop is provided. In one embodiment, a V-bank filter includes a housing having a first pair and a second pair of pleated filter elements arranged in a vee configuration and comprising a unitary disposable filter. A centerline defined by the first pair of pleated filter elements defines an acute angle with a centerline defined by the second pair of pleated filter elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventors: Anders Sundvik, Daniel Runefelt
  • Patent number: 8425671
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for mounting filters. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for mounting one or more filters in a housing with a tubesheet, an intermediate support, and a directional mount. The method can include providing a filter with a first filter section, manipulating the first filter section with respect to the intermediate support, and manipulating the first filter second end with respect to the intermediate support, where the first filter second end maintains its relative position with respect to the intermediate support, and the intermediate support is operable to engage with a second end of the directional mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Mann, Abhijeet Kulkarni, Peter McGuigan
  • Patent number: 8419903
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling, manually or automatically, the composition or quality of one or more products removed from the head, the sump or a lateral removal point of the distillation column having a built-in heat-exchanger. The method is characterized in that, by changing the pressure in the column, in the region of the product removal, the new boiling temperature of the product is determined from the vapor pressure curve of the product at said pressure and the temperature of the distillation removal is adjusted to said new boiling temperature by means of the modified coolant flowing through the heat-exchanger, preferably in the counter direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Inventor: Frank Bahr
  • Patent number: 8414745
    Abstract: The scarcity of fresh water for human consumption and agricultural irrigation is an ongoing problem affecting billions of people. This problem is only getting worse with growing human populations, pollution and global warming. Relying on underground sources of fresh water is not a viable long-term solution. I propose to solve the problem of fresh water scarcity with a new kind of desalination method. This desalination method is comprised of recycled materials thereby reducing the amount of pollution in the world. This desalination method uses no other power sources other than solar energy. The usage of recycled materials and renewable energy sources thereby ensures that this desalination method is a low cost way of transporting seawater and converting it into fresh water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Inventor: Caroline Richards Cormier
  • Patent number: 8414672
    Abstract: A ventilation member (100) of the invention includes a tubular part (11), a gas permeable filter (19), and a cover part (31). In an attached state where the tubular part (11) is fit into the cover part (31), gaps functioning as gas passages (AR2 and AR3) are formed between a bottom portion (35) of the cover part (31) and the gas permeable filter (19) and between a side wall portion (39) of the cover part (31) and a body portion (17) of the tubular part (11). The opening area (S2) of a filter-end opening (15) with respect to an in-plane direction (WL) perpendicular to the thickness direction of the gas permeable filter (19) is larger than the opening area (S1) of a connection-end opening (13) with respect to the in-plane direction (WL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Furuyama, Toshiki Yanagi
  • Patent number: 8398752
    Abstract: A non-woven textile based filter media is produced from polyester fiber generated using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles, and that non-woven textile based filter media is used to make an air filter. By controlling the diameters and lengths of the PET derived polyester fibers, a non-woven textile based filter media that exhibits a natural Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of about 8 (without requiring electrostatic treatment) and a pressure drop of 2.9 PSI or less can be achieved. A related exemplary embodiment is an air filter fabricated entirely from recycled materials, including a recycled cardboard frame, the non-woven textile based filter media made from recycled PET derived polyester fibers, and a support structure made of recycled plastic or metal wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventors: Jerry M. Brownstein, Kathy R. Brownstein
  • Patent number: 8398737
    Abstract: A mat member includes an inorganic fiber, an organic binder, and a material which expands at a temperature of approximately 130° C. to approximately 200° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Sugino, Hideki Furusawa
  • Patent number: 8394157
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a filter for a gas generator, by which a filter having a good shape retaining property can be obtained, is provided. A method of manufacturing a filter for a gas generator in which a tubular material is formed by knitting copper-plated iron wires, molten plated copper is adhered to an intersecting portion of the iron wire to fix the intersecting portion, wherein the method comprises a molding step for producing a tubular material by knitting the copper-plated iron wires, and a heat processing step in which the above tubular material is kept at a temperature not less than a melting point of copper but less than the temperature of sintering of the iron, and is then cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignees: Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., Fuji Filter Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Koyama, Naoki Matsuda, Eiichi Ryobo, Masayuki Yamazaki, Chiharu Shiomi, Yuka Shiomi, Chika Shiomi
  • Patent number: 8388855
    Abstract: Novel solvents and methods of use for the removal of CO2 from flue gas, natural gas, hydrogen gas, synthesis gas, and other process and waste gas streams are provided. The solvent contains an alkali salt such as potassium carbonate and a polyamine such as piperazine (PZ) where the polyamine concentration is at least 1.5 equivalents/Kg H2O and the alkali salt concentration is at least 0.5 equivalents/Kg H2O. The preferred alkali salt/polyamine ratio is from approximately 1:2 to 2:1, and no additional alcohol is required for solubilizing the PZ. This chemical solvent and method of use provides efficient and effective removal of CO2 from gaseous streams and other sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
    Inventors: Gary T. Rochelle, John Cullinane
  • Patent number: 8382869
    Abstract: A particulate filtration reverse pulse cleaning system is disclosed. The system comprising a housing, a tubesheet disposed within the housing, a filter for fluid communication with a tubesheet aperture, a support frame connectable with the tubesheet, and a cleaning system associated with the support frame. A filter cleaning system is also disclosed, the support frame comprising a plurality of hollow support legs comprising at least one cleaning aperture and a cleaning system associated with the plurality of hollow support legs. A method for cleaning a filter is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Etienne René Jarrier, Simon Charles Larcombe
  • Patent number: 8382961
    Abstract: The invention disclosed is an apparatus and method for the recovery of acetic acid, azeotropic agent, extraction agent, re-usable water and other reaction products such as p-toluic acid, from an aqueous stream generated during a terephthalic acid production process, having superior energy efficiency and reduced water consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: AMT International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Young Jang, Kuang-Yeu Wu, Ming-Mou Yang
  • Patent number: 8382887
    Abstract: The system for decontaminating industrial output gases may process both particulate and gaseous emissions from industrial facilities. The system may be located with or adjacent to an industrial facility or at some distance from the facility. In one embodiment the system includes a subsystem of alternating active and inactive filters, and a wash subsystem cleaning the inactive filters during the cycle. The wash water is captured in a basin for further processing of the chemical particulates therein. Fans located downstream of the filters draw the gaseous industrial output through the filters. Remaining vapor passes to a classification plant where the gases are separated into their constituent elements or compounds. Gases that to are allowed to escape may be burned, and the resulting gases recirculated through the system. Another embodiment is adapted for processing steam, and cools the steam for use as liquid water, rather than allowing it to escape as vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Inventor: Abdulreidha A. T. A. Alsaffar
  • Patent number: 8372175
    Abstract: A pleated filter is made from a monocomponent monolayer nonwoven web containing a bimodal mass fraction/fiber size mixture of intermingled larger size and smaller size continuous monocomponent polymeric fibers of the same polymeric composition. Rows of pleats are formed in the nonwoven web, and the pleated web is cut to a desired size and shape to provide a filter element containing a self-supporting porous monocomponent monolayer matrix of fibers bonded to one another at least some points of fiber intersection and having an average initial submicron efficiency of at least 15% at a 1.52 meters/sec face velocity. The filter element is deformation resistant without requiring stiffening layers, bicomponent fibers or other reinforcing measures in the filter media layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew R. Fox, John D. Stelter, Seyed A. Angadjivand, Timothy J. Lindquist, John M. Brandner, James E. Springett
  • Patent number: 8357220
    Abstract: Multi-phase filter media, as well as related articles, components, filter elements, and methods, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hollingsworth & Vose Company
    Inventors: Douglas M. Guimond, Mark Snyder
  • Patent number: 8349057
    Abstract: Air filters comprising thin-walled textile filter bodies have to be cleaned periodically. According to a method known to this purpose, the filtered material is loosened using pressure pulses in a flushing air flow. According to the invention, for generating the pressure pulses a plurality of small, quick-acting valves are in each case briefly opened, the opening moments being adapted to one another in such a way that partial pulses released thereby arrive simultaneously at the inlet of a flushing line common thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Balcke-Durr GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holten, Arnold Kalka, Miroslav Podhorsky, Horst Hoffmann, Friedel Kordas