Patents by Inventor William D. Homberg

William D. Homberg 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).

  • Patent number: 10471422
    Abstract: A pipette home position locating mechanism and a manual pipette equipped with such a home position locating mechanism. The home position locating mechanism is spring-biased but compressible in a proximal-to-distal direction. The spring preload force of the home position locating mechanism is selected to be greater than force of exerted by a stroke spring of the pipette to which the home position locating mechanism is attached while the stroke spring is at its blowout position, but less than the combined force exerted by the stroke spring at its blowout position and a blowout spring of the pipette in its preload position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Rainin, LLC
    Inventors: James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Publication number: 20190001319
    Abstract: A pipette home position locating mechanism and a manual pipette equipped with such a home position locating mechanism. The home position locating mechanism is spring-biased but compressible in a proximal-to-distal direction. The spring preload force of the home position locating mechanism is selected to be greater than force of exerted by a stroke spring of the pipette to which the home position locating mechanism is attached while the stroke spring is at its blowout position, but less than the combined force exerted by the stroke spring at its blowout position and a blowout spring of the pipette in its preload position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 8871157
    Abstract: A handheld electronic pipette including several features aimed at improving ease of use, including a color dot matrix display, an intuitive thumb-operated two-axis controller, and multifunction soft buttons adjacent to the display. A simple and consistent user interface facilitates easy access to various modes of operation, including a manual pipetting mode and a remote mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: William D. Homberg, Michael C. Schmittdiel, Haakon T. Magnussen, Andrew Vainshtein, Thomas Allen Bell, Vintory L. Blake Moore
  • Patent number: 8397593
    Abstract: A volume adjustable pipette, comprising a plunger mounted for movement in a housing to and from a stop to aspirate a fluid into and dispense the fluid from a tip extending from the housing. The movement of the plunger is damped to reduce sudden plunger movements. An axially moveable volume setting member in the housing defines the stop and a volume setting for the pipette and is axially moveable by a user turnable volume setting member. Turning of the volume adjusting member also controls a coarse volume setting means and a fine volume setting means, the course volume setting means being responsive to a relatively small turning of the volume adjusting member for moving the volume setting member a relatively large axial distance and the fine volume setting means being responsive to a relatively large turning of the volume adjusting member for moving the volume setting member a relatively small axial distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: James S. Petrek, Michael C. Schmittdiel, William D. Homberg
  • Publication number: 20120291567
    Abstract: A handheld electronic pipette including several features aimed at improving ease of use, including a color dot matrix display, an intuitive thumb-operated two-axis controller, and multifunction soft buttons adjacent to the display. A simple and consistent user interface facilitates easy access to various modes of operation, including a manual pipetting mode and a remote mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: William D. Homberg, Michael C. Schmittdiel, Haakon T. Magnussen, Andrew Vainshtein, Thomas Allen Bell, Vintory L. Blake Moore
  • Publication number: 20110036185
    Abstract: A volume adjustable pipette, comprising a plunger mounted for movement in a housing to and from a stop to aspirate a fluid into and dispense the fluid from a tip extending from the housing. The movement of the plunger is damped to reduce sudden plunger movements. An axially moveable volume setting member in the housing defines the stop and a volume setting for the pipette and is axially moveable by a user turnable volume setting member. Turning of the volume adjusting member also controls a coarse volume setting means and a fine volume setting means, the course volume setting means being responsive to a relatively small turning of the volume adjusting member for moving the volume setting member a relatively large axial distance and the fine volume setting means being responsive to a relatively large turning of the volume adjusting member for moving the volume setting member a relatively small axial distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: RAININ INSTRUMENT, LLC
    Inventors: James S. Petrek, Michael C. Schmittdiel, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 7819030
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 7788986
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg, Christian K. Apple
  • Publication number: 20100199789
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: RAININ INSTRUMENT, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, Andrew Vainshtein, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 7770475
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg, Andrew Vainshtein, Christian K. Apple
  • Patent number: 7726212
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, Andrew Vainshtein, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Publication number: 20090000402
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg, Christian K. Apple
  • Publication number: 20090000403
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, Andrew Vainshtein, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Publication number: 20090000350
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg, Andrew Vainshtein, Christian K. Apple
  • Patent number: 6645433
    Abstract: An ergonomic, manually precisely controllable return springless air displacement pipette relying upon the friction of a piston seal to maintain a plunger unit of the pipette in any axial location established by a user of the pipette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: William D. Homberg, James S. Petrek, Kenneth Rainin
  • Patent number: 6428750
    Abstract: A volume adjustable manual pipette having a hand-holdable housing supporting (i) an electronic digital display and associated position sensing and control circuitry, (ii) a plunger unit and (iii) a quick set volume adjustment mechanism for simultaneously controlling the volume setting of the pipette and the electronic display, the quick set volume adjustment mechanism comprising a pipette volume setting member for limiting upward movement of the plunger unit within the housing to define the volume setting for the pipette and the volume setting member being supported for axial movement on the plunger unit and releasably secured relative to the housing by a pipette user operable locking mechanism. When released from the housing, the volume setting member is axially moveable on and with the plunger unit to quickly set the volume for the pipette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Rainin, Haakon T. Magnussen, Jr., Phillip Yee, William D. Homberg, James S. Petrek
  • Publication number: 20020081234
    Abstract: An ergonomic, manually precisely controllable return springless air displacement pipette relying upon the friction of a piston seal to maintain a plunger unit of the pipette in any axial location established by a user of the pipette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: Rainin Instrument LLC.
    Inventors: William D. Homberg, James S. Petrek, Kenneth Rainin
  • Patent number: 6365110
    Abstract: A blowout springless manual air displacement pipette including a mechanical assist for generating a mechanical force opposing a return spring force on a plunger unit to aid a pipette user in locating and maintaining the plunger unit at a “home” position within a pipette body and ready for immersion of a pipette tip in a liquid to be drawn into the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument
    Inventors: Kenneth Rainin, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 6352673
    Abstract: An ergonomic, manually precisely controllable return springless air displacement pipette relying on the friction of a piston seal to maintain a plunger unit of the pipette in any axial location established by a user of the pipette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument
    Inventors: Kenneth Rainin, William D. Homberg
  • Patent number: 6254832
    Abstract: A battery powered, microprocessor controlled portable electronic pipette, comprising a hand holdable housing supporting a battery, a linear actuator for driving a plunger lengthwise in a cylinder to aspirate and dispense fluid into and from a pipette tip extending from the housing and a control circuit for the linear actuator. The linear actuator is powered by the battery and comprises a stepper motor with current receiving windings for electromagnetically driving a rotor to impart the lengthwise movement to the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Rainin, Christopher Kelly, Haakon T. Magnujssen, Jr., William D. Homberg