Patents by Inventor Joseph Kuo

Joseph Kuo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140271988
    Abstract: Generally described are extracts and beverages with enhanced nutrients, flavors and textures and methods of making the same. Some embodiments relate to extracts and beverages produced through filtration techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: STARBUCKS CORPORATION D/B/A STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY
    Inventors: Urano A. Robinson, J. Marcio Da Cruz, Dien Van Vu, Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20140272077
    Abstract: Generally described are extracts and beverages with enhanced nutrients, flavors and textures and methods of making the same. Some embodiments relate to extracts and beverages produced through filtration techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Starbucks Corporation D/B/A Starbucks Coffee Company
    Inventors: Urano A. Robinson, J. Marcio Da Cruz, Dien Van Vu, Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20130177672
    Abstract: Generally described are extracts and beverages with enhanced nutrients, flavors and textures and methods of making the same. Some embodiments relate to extracts and beverages produced through high pressure extraction techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: STARBUCKS CORPORATION D/B/A STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY
    Inventors: Urano A. Robinson, J. Marcio Da Cruz, Dien Van Vu, Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20060049092
    Abstract: A membrane bioreactor includes a tank, a porous pre-filtering element mounted in the tank for conducting a primary filtration of wastewater, at least one membrane module mounted in the tank and disposed downstream of the porous pre-filtering element for conducting a secondary filtration of the wastewater, and a turbulent flow-forming unit. The membrane module cooperates with the porous pre-filtering element or another membrane module to define a compartment therebetween for receiving the wastewater pretreated by the porous pre-filtering element. The turbulent flow-forming unit is associated with the compartment for generating turbulent flow in the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Joseph Kuo, Ben Chang
  • Publication number: 20050161390
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes a plurality of superposed support units disposed between top and bottom covers. Each adjacent pair of the top cover, the support units, and the bottom cover define a filter-receiving space for receiving a filter unit therein. Each of the support units is comprised of annular inner and outer supporting members that confine a stirring member therebetween. Each of the stirring members has an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of ribs interconnecting the inner and outer rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Patent number: 6866777
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes superposed annular plates. A filter unit is disposed between each adjacent pair of the annular plates. The annular plates include a top plate, a bottom plate, a plurality of intermediate plates, and at least one flow-guiding plate sandwiched between two of the intermediate plates. Each of the top plate, the intermediate plates, and the bottom plate has an annular outer passage unit in fluid communication with a curved outer passage unit in the flow-guiding plate. Dirty water is introduced into two side openings in the top plate, and flows into central holes in the annular plates via the filter units so as to form filtered water. Solid particles in the dirty water are guided into two side openings in the bottom plate via the annular outer passage units and the curved outer passage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20050040096
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes a top plate, an intermediate plate, and a bottom plate, which are annular. Each of the top and intermediate plates has a bottom surface with an annular lower groove. Each of the intermediate and bottom plates has a top surface with an annular upper groove. Each adjacent pair of the upper and lower grooves in the top, intermediate, and bottom plates constitute a filter-receiving chamber for receiving a filter unit, which includes two filtering films disposed between two rotatable nets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20040238343
    Abstract: A membrane distillation method includes the steps of preparing a membrane distillation module that includes a hydrophobic porous membrane which is permeable to gas or vapor and impermeable to the solution, and injecting a body of the solution into the membrane distillation module and forming nano-grade gas bubbles of inert gas in the solution in the membrane distillation module in such a manner that the solution is emulsified with the nano-grade gas bubbles and that the thus formed nano-grade gas bubbles are allowed to pass through the membrane from one side to the other side of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph Kuo, Chen-Chang Chang
  • Patent number: 6613226
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes a top plate, a bottom plate and a plurality of superposed intermediate plates disposed between the top and bottom plates. Each adjacent pair of the top, intermediate and bottom plates are interconnected removably, and define an accommodating space therebetween, within which a filter unit is received fittingly. Each of the top and bottom plates has a central hole which is in fluid communication with central holes in the intermediate plates, and two side openings which are in fluid communication with a plurality of annular outer passages units in the intermediate plates that are in fluid communication with the accommodating spaces. Each of the filter units includes two filter films interconnected fixedly along outer peripheries thereof, and a filter net disposed between the films so as to define an annular filtered-water passage between the films that is fluid communication with the central holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Kintech Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Patent number: 6602409
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying deozonized ozone sterilized water includes a first UV lamp unit received in an ozone-containing gas generating member to irradiate oxygen-containing gas flowing through the gas generating member to produce ozone-containing gas. The ozone-containing gas is entrained in water flowing in a water supplying conduit for sterilizing the water. A cooling system can cool the gas generating member during the UV radiation for maintaining the ozone concentration entrained in the water. The ozone sterilized water in the conduit is deozonized by a second UV lamp unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20030136744
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying deozonized ozone sterilized water includes a first UV lamp unit received in an ozone-containing gas generating member to irradiate oxygen-containing gas flowing through the gas generating member to produce ozone-containing gas. The ozone-containing gas is entrained in water flowing in a water supplying conduit for sterilizing the water. A cooling system can cool the gas generating member during the UV radiation for maintaining the ozone concentration entrained in the water. The ozone sterilized water in the conduit is deozonized by a second UV lamp unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20030075492
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes superposed annular plates. A filter unit is disposed between each adjacent pair of the annular plates. The annular plates include a top plate, a bottom plate, a plurality of intermediate plates, and at least one flow-guiding plate sandwiched between two of the intermediate plates. Each of the top plate, the intermediate plates, and the bottom plate has an annular outer passage unit in fluid communication with a curved outer passage unit in the flow-guiding plate. Dirty water is introduced into two side openings in the top plate, and flows into central holes in the annular plates via the filter units so as to form filtered water. Solid particles in the dirty water are guided into two side openings in the bottom plate via the annular outer passage units and the curved outer passage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20030034287
    Abstract: A laminated modular water filter includes a top plate, a bottom plate and a plurality of superposed intermediate plates disposed between the top and bottom plates. Each adjacent pair of the top, intermediate and bottom plates are interconnected removably, and define an accommodating space therebetween, within which a filter unit is received fittingly. Each of the top and bottom plates has a central hole which is in fluid communication with central holes in the intermediate plates, and two side openings which are in fluid communication with a plurality of annular outer passages units in the intermediate plates that are in fluid communication with the accommodating spaces. Each of the filter units includes two filter films interconnected fixedly along outer peripheries thereof, and a filter net disposed between the films so as to define an annular filtered-water passage between the films that is fluid communication with the central holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: Kintech Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Publication number: 20020166806
    Abstract: A waste water treatment system includes an electrodialysis reactor, a negative electrode plate immersed in waste water in the reactor, an anion-selective membrane unit defining a compartment and immersed in the waste water in the reactor for selectively permitting negative ions in the waste water to enter into an interior of the compartment, and a reverse osmosis membrane unit for periodically receiving the waste water from the reactor to separate the waste water into a stream of concentrated solution and a stream of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: KINTECH TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo
  • Patent number: 6342155
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing, a filter assembly, a water storage tank, a circulating unit connected to the storage tank for receiving water from the storage tank and for returning the water from the circulating unit to the storage tank, a UV sterilizing unit connected to the circulating unit and adapted to sterilize the water flowing through the circulating unit, a fluoridating unit connected to the circulating unit and adapted to add fluorine to the water flowing through the circulating unit, and a water supply part connected to the circulating unit adapted to supply the sterilized and fluoridated drinking water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Kintech Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph Kuo