Patents by Inventor Thomas E. McConnell

Thomas E. McConnell 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: 20170081116
    Abstract: A waste disposal system comprising an isolated top chamber having a guiding structure, a chute, or a pair of parabolic top door members, any or the combination of which is capable of guiding a falling object to fall towards a center vertical axis of the waste disposal system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Patent number: 9555963
    Abstract: A diaper pail having a top chamber with top transparent doors, and a transparent outer casing, allowing a user to see the rotating inner barrel as it spins within the transparent outer casing. The inner barrel holds a disposable bag and as it rotates the inner barrel untwists the neck of the bag, thus opening the bag for a soiled diaper to fall into the bag from the top chamber, and then the bag returns to its original twisted closed configuration. The soiled diaper falls into the bag while the doors of the top chamber remain shut, keeping malodorous gas from escaping. The visual spectacles provided by this diaper pail also act to change infant and toddler behavior by associating diaper change with a fun and fascinating event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20160265788
    Abstract: A wipe warmer having a container to receive liquid and sponge pad therein, where the container is placed under the wipes to keep the wipes moist. The container has a top and a support plate within, both of which are perforated allowing moisture to pass through. These perforations offset each other to facilitate efficient saturation of the sponge pad, when the sponge pad is placed between the perforated top and the perforated plate. Further, the container can be a removable basket-like structure. Alternatively, all or part of the container can be an integral part of the wipe warmer. While the wipes can be placed on top of the container, an alternative design is to place the wipes and the container side-by-side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Patent number: 9434537
    Abstract: A diaper pail having a top chamber with top transparent doors, and a transparent outer casing, allowing a user to see the rotating inner barrel as it spins within the transparent outer casing. The inner barrel holds a disposable bag and as it rotates the inner barrel untwists a neck of bag, thus opens the bag for a dirty diaper to fall into the bag from the top chamber. The dirty diaper falls into the bag while the doors of the top chamber remain shut, keeping malodorous gas from escaping. The visual spectacles provided by this diaper pail also act to change infant and toddler behavior by associating diaper change to a fun and fascinating event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E McConnell
  • Patent number: 9409616
    Abstract: A children's ride-on vehicle with a self-straightening mechanism/feature directed to self-correct or self-straighten the steering of the vehicle as it crosses varying types and conditions of terrain. The vehicle includes a main body, a front shaft connector to connect at least one wheel to the main body, a rear shaft connector to connect at least one rear wheel to the main body; and providing a spring piece to resiliently bias at least one of said front and rear shaft connector into a specified position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Yafei Lu, Jing Jing Pi, Thomas E McConnell
  • Publication number: 20160060027
    Abstract: A diaper pail having a top chamber with top transparent doors, and a transparent outer casing, allowing a user to see the rotating inner barrel as it spins within the transparent outer casing. The inner barrel holds a disposable bag and as it rotates the inner barrel untwists a neck of bag, thus opens the bag for a dirty diaper to fall into the bag from the top chamber. The dirty diaper falls into the bag while the doors of the top chamber remain shut, keeping malodorous gas from escaping. The visual spectacles provided by this diaper pail also act to change infant and toddler behavior by associating diaper change to a fun and fascinating event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20160060029
    Abstract: A bag for holding trash, diaper, and any item that needs to be contained. The bag can have an enclosure body and a mouth opening where the opening is lined with a foldable frame. The foldable frame can fold out to keep the mouth opening in an open configuration, and can collapse upon itself to keep the mouth opening in a closed configuration. The foldable frame can optionally have a locking notch, a finger, or both, all of which can be used to attach to some part of the enclosure body thereby keeping the neck of the bag twisted closed. The bag can optionally have attachment points such as apertures, sleeves, strips, and loops for securing to the locking notch. In some embodiments, the collar need not be foldable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20160060026
    Abstract: A method of quick and easy diaper management by providing a collar ring on the upper rim of a garbage bag, such that the collar ring snugly fits over a diaper pail. Further, the garbage bag has attachments points on its body portion so the body portion can be anchored to the diaper pail. The ring collar has receiving structures such as a notch so that a user may seal tie the garbage bag by simply twisting its neck and then insert the twisted neck into the receiving structure on the collar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20160060028
    Abstract: A diaper pail having a top chamber with top transparent doors, and a transparent outer casing, allowing a user to see the rotating inner barrel as it spins within the transparent outer casing. The inner barrel holds a disposable bag and as it rotates the inner barrel untwists the neck of the bag, thus opening the bag for a soiled diaper to fall into the bag from the top chamber, and then the bag returns to its original twisted closed configuration. The soiled diaper falls into the bag while the doors of the top chamber remain shut, keeping malodorous gas from escaping. The visual spectacles provided by this diaper pail also act to change infant and toddler behavior by associating diaper change with a fun and fascinating event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20140312587
    Abstract: A children's ride-on vehicle with a self-straightening mechanism/feature directed to self-correct or self-straighten the steering of the vehicle as it crosses varying types and conditions of terrain. The vehicle includes a main body, a front shaft connector to connect at least one wheel to the main body, a rear shaft connector to connect at least one rear wheel to the main body; and providing a spring piece to resiliently bias at least one of said front and rear shaft connector into a specified position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Yafei Lu, Jing Jing Pi, Thomas E. McConnell
  • Patent number: 8522771
    Abstract: An edge guard for use adjacent an edge. The edge guard comprises a cushion member and an edge attachment. The cushion member includes a first face, a second face, and a cushion edge portion disposed between them. Both faces have inner portions extending away from the cushion edge portion towards end portions. The inner portions are positioned adjacent surfaces surrounding the edge. The edge attachment includes an upper surface, an attached end, and a distal end. The attached end is attached to one of the end portions of the cushion member. The edge attachment is stiffer than the cushion member. The upper surface of the edge attachment is separated a distance from the surface it is positioned adjacent that tapers from a larger distance at the attached end to a smaller distance at the distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Francois P. Hacquard
  • Patent number: 8458873
    Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Michael E. Henley
  • Publication number: 20120038189
    Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: PRINCE LIONHEART, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Michael E. Henley
  • Patent number: 8042241
    Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Michael E. Henley
  • Publication number: 20110197876
    Abstract: An edge guard for use adjacent an edge. The edge guard comprises a cushion member and an edge attachment. The cushion member includes a first face, a second face, and a cushion edge portion disposed between them. Both faces have inner portions extending away from the cushion edge portion towards end portions. The inner portions are positioned adjacent surfaces surrounding the edge. The edge attachment includes an upper surface, an attached end, and a distal end. The attached end is attached to one of the end portions of the cushion member. The edge attachment is stiffer than the cushion member. The upper surface of the edge attachment is separated a distance from the surface it is positioned adjacent that tapers from a larger distance at the attached end to a smaller distance at the distal end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Francois P. Hacquard
  • Patent number: 7886737
    Abstract: An edge guard for use adjacent an edge. The edge guard comprises a cushion member and an edge attachment. The cushion member includes a first face, a second face, and a cushion edge portion disposed between them. Both faces have inner portions extending away from the cushion edge portion towards end portions. The inner portions are positioned adjacent surfaces surrounding the edge. The edge attachment includes an upper surface, an attached end, and a distal end. The attached end is attached to one of the end portions of the cushion member. The edge attachment is stiffer than the cushion member. The upper surface of the edge attachment is separated a distance from the surface it is positioned adjacent that tapers from a larger distance at the attached end to a smaller distance at the distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Francois P. Hacquard
  • Publication number: 20100187869
    Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Michael E. Henley
  • Patent number: 7681292
    Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Prince Lionheart, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. McConnell, Michael E. Henley
  • Patent number: D732609
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: PRINCE LIONHEART, INC.
    Inventors: Yafei Lu, Jing Jing Pi, Thomas E McConnell
  • Patent number: D792964
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas E. McConnell