Electrostatic Type Patents (Class 239/690)
  • Patent number: 11942317
    Abstract: A method for analyzing charged particles may include generating, in or into an ion source region, charged particles from a sample of particles, causing the charged particles to enter a mass spectrometer from the ion source region at each of a plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions in a range of physical and/or chemical conditions in which the sample particles undergo structural changes, controlling the mass spectrometer to measure at least the charge magnitudes of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions, determining, with a processor, an average charge magnitude of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions based on the measured charge magnitudes, and determining, with the processor, an average charge magnitude profile over the range of physical and/or chemical conditions based on the determined average charge magnitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: David E. Clemmer, Martin F. Jarrold, Tarick J. El-Baba, Corinne A. Lutomski
  • Patent number: 11889907
    Abstract: A discharge device includes a discharge electrode, a counter electrode that faces the discharge electrode in a first direction, and voltage application unit that applies an application voltage between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode. The counter electrode includes a dome-shaped electrode having a recessed inner surface recessed to a side opposite to the discharge electrode in the first direction, and a protruding electrode that protrudes in a second direction intersecting the first direction from an opening edge of an opening of the dome-shaped electrode, the opening being provided at an end opposite to the discharge electrode. The discharge device forms a discharge path having at least partial dielectric breakdown between the discharge electrode and the protruding electrode, when the discharge occurs. The discharge path includes a first dielectric breakdown region generated around the discharge electrode and a second dielectric breakdown region generated around the protruding electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Inoue, Yohei Ishigami, Masato Kinoshita, Aya Ishihara, Yasunori Matsui, Hayato Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11839732
    Abstract: A handheld portable electrostatic device for electrostatically applying a treatment solution to a treatment site of a patient, including a housing and a cartridge removably disposed in the housing. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing and a nozzle for applying the treatment solution. An electrostatic module is provided to electrostatically charge and ionize molecules of the treatment solution of the cartridge. The treatment solution is configured to flow toward the nozzle whereby at least one electrode electrically connected to the electrostatic module physically contacts the treatment solution as it flows therethrough and applies an electrical charge to the treatment solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Octet Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford A. Wright
  • Patent number: 11745357
    Abstract: A robotic arm capable of reducing the size while suppressing damage to a plurality of elongated members inserted therein, is provided. The robotic arm to which an end effector is attached, includes plurality of elongated members extending to end effector, cylindrical housing defining a periphery of internal space configured to be a passage of plurality of elongated members, and an attaching structure provided to a tip end of the internal space of the cylindrical housing so as to attach the end effector to a tip-end part of the cylindrical housing. The attaching structure includes insertion holes formed corresponding to plurality of elongated members so as to insert the plurality of elongated members therein, and fixing members configured to fix the plurality of elongated members to the insertion holes, respectively. The cylindrical housing is formed so that the inner diameter is larger at the tip-end part than at a base-end part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Demura, Masato Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 11697890
    Abstract: A portable, hand-held electrospinning or electrospraying apparatus and system, method, and portions thereof, comprised of a durable portion of the hand-held apparatus and a consumable portion of the hand-held apparatus. The consumable portion of the hand-held apparatus, which may contain the solution to be output in electrospin or electrospray fashion, may be replaced in whole or in part to provide additional or alternative solution. A base station may be provided, and can output high voltage and communication signals to the hand-held apparatus to enable the electrospin or electrospray operation by the hand-held apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Sugawara, Shinji Kodama, Michael Edward Philip Russell, Carl Gordon Hewett, Joe Antony Williams
  • Patent number: 11688999
    Abstract: The invention provides a nano water ion group generator, including: at least a pair of P/N-type semiconductor dies including P-type semiconductor dies and N-type semiconductor dies, with one end being a cooling end and the other end being a heating end; a heat absorption member for obtaining a cold energy generated by the cooling end and transferring the cold energy to a blocking member; the blocking member for conducting the cold energy to obtain moisture in a condensed water or an air with high relative humidity; an ionizing member to absorb, collect or accumulate moisture in the condensed water or the air with high relative humidity, and be electrically coupled to the high voltage power supply for further ionizing the air and the moisture around the ionizing member under the action of avalanche effect to obtain at least one nanometer-sized substance among charged particles and oxygen-containing radicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Hangzhou Dazn Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Feng Tang, Zebin Wu, Chao Yuan, Xingjie Dai
  • Patent number: 11400466
    Abstract: To improve actual coating efficiency, the present invention has a coating robot provided with a coating unit configured by a plurality of rotary atomizing type electrostatic coating machines horizontally arranged, and a coating control apparatus that controls the coating unit and the coating robot. A diameter of each of bells is 50 mm or less. The coating material discharge amount of each rotary atomizing type electrostatic coating machine is 400 cc/min or less. A coating distance between each bell and a surface to be coated of a workpiece is controlled between 50 mm to 150 mm. The coating material discharge amounts of the plurality of electrostatic coating machines are controlled for the respective coating machines. The control of the coating material discharge amounts includes a pause of coating material discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Akihiko Arichi, Tatsuya Tanikawa, Masato Miura, Osamu Yoshida, Yoshiji Yokomizo, Naohiro Masuda
  • Patent number: 11351402
    Abstract: A method for producing a film of the present invention includes the step of electrostatically spraying a liquid composition directly on the surface of skin using an electrostatic spray device to form a film on the skin. The electrostatic spray device includes a container capable of storing the liquid composition, a nozzle configured to eject the liquid composition, a power supply configured to apply a voltage to the nozzle, and a voltage stabilizer configured to stabilize the voltage applied by the power supply to the nozzle. The liquid composition contains component (a): one or more volatile substances selected from alcohols and ketones, and component (b): a polymer having film formability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Tojo, Ikuo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11203025
    Abstract: A portable, hand-held electrospinning or electrospraying device and system, method, and portions thereof are described. Such device can be for electrospinning or electrospraying a predetermined solution toward a deposit surface. The device can have a durable portion, a semi-durable portion, and a consumable portion. The consumable portion can be received and held by the semi-durable portion, and the semi-durable portion holding the consumable portion can be removably coupled to the durable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Sugawara, Ryan Forsthoefel, David Mefford, Brian Umstead
  • Patent number: 11167483
    Abstract: A 3D printing machine for fabricating high performance 3D integrated composite structures, where the machine includes a robot having a base portion, a robot arm and a rotatable connector secured to the arm opposite to the base portion, at least one source of an extrudable material, and an end-effector mounted to the rotatable connector and including at least one extruder module for extruding the extrudable material. The extruder module includes a nozzle assembly for extruding heated material out of the end-effector, and the end-effector is rotatable relative to the structure by the rotatable connector so that the nozzle assembly can be oriented normal to the part in different orientations without significantly changing a pose of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric G. Barnes, Pedro A. Gonzalez, Todd L. Szallay, Steven J. Floyd, Sung S. Park, Brett G. Morham, Cody J. Brown, Reese R. Allen, Ryan L. Bischoff
  • Patent number: 11133163
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for loading a sample into an analytical instrument using acoustic droplet ejection (“ADE”) in combination with a continuous flow sampling probe. An acoustic droplet ejector is used to eject small droplets of a fluid sample containing an analyte into the sampling tip of a continuous flow sampling probe, where the acoustically ejected droplet combines with a continuous, circulating flow stream of solvent within the flow probe. Fluid circulation within the probe transports the sample through a sample transport capillary to an outlet that directs the analyte away from the probe to an analytical instrument, e.g., a device that detects the presence, concentration quantity, and/or identity of the analyte. When the analytical instrument is a mass spectrometer or other type of device requiring the analyte to be in ionized form, the exiting droplets pass through an ionization region, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: LABCYTE, INC., DH TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT PTE. LTD
    Inventors: Sammy Datwani, Don W. Arnold, Lucien P. Ghislain, Chang Liu, Thomas Covey
  • Patent number: 11052542
    Abstract: A robot system and a control method of a robot are provided. A robot, a liquid application part, an application thickness measurement part and a control part are provided, the liquid application part being provided on the robot, the application thickness measurement part measuring an application thickness of a liquid applied by the liquid application part, the control part, in a case where the application thickness measured by the application thickness measurement part is greater than a predetermined thickness, driving the robot in a manner of moving the liquid application part closer to an application object, and in a case where the application thickness measured by the application thickness measurement part is less than the predetermined thickness, driving the robot in a manner of moving the liquid application part away from the application object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Takizawa
  • Patent number: 11016110
    Abstract: Reagent delivery systems, which can include a reagent trough and a pump system, are useful for delivering liquids to a laboratory workbench. Processing samples on the laboratory workbench can result in a large amount of liquid waste. Described herein are reagent troughs, pump systems, reagent delivery systems, waste management systems, and methods of using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: MYRIAD WOMEN'S HEALTH, INC.
    Inventors: Kyle Allen Lapham, Peter Kingman Turner, Nathan Phillip Eldridge
  • Patent number: 11015126
    Abstract: A method for producing biomass derived liquid, comprises: feeding biomass, a solvent and a catalyst into a batch reactor, and heating and mixing in the batch reactor a compound comprising the biomass, solvent, and catalyst. The solvent is glycerol and wherein feeding the solvent into the batch reactor is performed through electrostatic atomization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: EME International Limited
    Inventor: Enrico Fumagalli
  • Patent number: 10994292
    Abstract: An electrostatic spraying device includes: a high-voltage generation device for applying a voltage between a spray electrode and a reference electrode; and a controller that controls an output power of the high-voltage generation device based on operation environment information indicating at least one of (i) a surrounding environment of the device and (ii) an operation state of a power supply that supplies power to the device, independently of a current value and a voltage value at the spray electrode and the reference electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Van Thanh Dau, Akiko Harada
  • Patent number: 10851475
    Abstract: A portable, hand-held electrospinning or electrospraying apparatus and system, method, and portions thereof, comprised of a durable portion of the hand-held apparatus and a consumable portion of the hand-held apparatus. The consumable portion of the hand-held apparatus, which may contain the solution to be output in electrospin or electrospray fashion, may be replaced in whole or in part to provide additional or alternative solution. A base station may be provided, and can output high voltage and communication signals to the hand-held apparatus to enable the electrospin or electrospray operation by the hand-held apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Sugawara, Shinji Kodama, Michael Edward Philip Russell, Carl Gordon Hewett, Joe Antony Williams
  • Patent number: 10770277
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for loading a sample into an analytical instrument using acoustic droplet ejection (“ADE”) in combination with a continuous flow sampling probe. An acoustic droplet ejector is used to eject small droplets of a fluid sample containing an analyte into the sampling tip of a continuous flow sampling probe, where the acoustically ejected droplet combines with a continuous, circulating flow stream of solvent within the flow probe. Fluid circulation within the probe transports the sample through a sample transport capillary to an outlet that directs the analyte away from the probe to an analytical instrument, e.g., a device that detects the presence, concentration quantity, and/or identity of the analyte. When the analytical instrument is a mass spectrometer or other type of device requiring the analyte to be in ionized form, the exiting droplets pass through an ionization region, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignees: LABCYTE, INC., DH TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT PTE. LTD
    Inventors: Sammy Datwani, Don W. Arnold, Lucien P. Ghislain, Chang Liu, Thomas Covey
  • Patent number: 10718745
    Abstract: A system for analyzing a sample includes a chromatographic device, an electrospray source, and a mass resolving device. The chromatographic device is configured to separate components of the sample as a function of retention time within a chromatographic column. The electrospray source is configured to direct a first portion of a flow from the chromatographic device via a waste outlet to a pressurized waste reservoir, direct a second portion of the flow to an electrospray ionization outlet to form a spray, and charge and desolvate the spray to form ions of the components of the sample. A flow rate of the second portion of the liquid flow is substantially determined by a pressure of the pressurized waste reservoir. The mass resolving device configured to receive the ions and characterize the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventors: Gary A. Schultz, R. Paul Atherton, Eloy R. Wouters
  • Patent number: 10670560
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods of using them are disclosed that position an end of a capillary electrophoresis tube within an internal tapered nozzle region of an inkjet print head or other microfluidic pump. The capillary electrophoresis tube can extend through an inlet of the microfluidic pump and leave space for a sheath liquid to enter the pump and mix with separated analytes eluted from the capillary electrophoresis tube. The small volume of mixed sheath liquid and analyte can then be jetted through the nozzle at a moving surface, either continuously or as discrete droplets. Relative positions on the surface can indicate separation distances of dispensed analytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: LI-COR, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Furtaw, Donald T. Lamb
  • Patent number: 10625281
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to ultrahigh efficiency spray drying systems and processes, utilizing induction of localized turbulence in a drying fluid flow stream to produce spray dried product, having particular utility for low temperature spray drying operations. In a specific implementation, a method of processing a spray dryable liquid composition to form a spray dried product includes the steps of: generating a spray of the spray dryable liquid composition; contacting the spray of spray dryable liquid composition in a spray drying contact zone with a stream of primary drying fluid; injecting pressurized secondary drying fluid into the stream of primary drying fluid in the spray drying contact zone at multiple loci thereof to provide localized turbulence at said multiple loci; and recovering the spray dried product from the spray drying contact zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: ZOOMESSENCE, INC.
    Inventors: Charles Pershing Beetz, Jason Andrew Beetz
  • Patent number: 10622329
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus is provided for a bond head which has a collet to hold a semiconductor die and a heater to heat the semiconductor die held by the collet. The cooling apparatus includes a dielectric liquid supply for supplying a dielectric liquid and a gas supply for supplying a gas. A spray nozzle is located next to a surface of the heater, and is connected to both the dielectric liquid supply and the gas supply. In order to cool the heater, the spray nozzle sprays a liquid-gas mixture of the dielectric liquid and the gas towards the surface of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: ASM TECHNOLOGY SINGAPORE PTE LTD
    Inventors: Yi Kei Law, Pak Kin Leung, Chuek Wah Tang, Gary Peter Widdowson
  • Patent number: 10612162
    Abstract: A nanofiber producing apparatus 10 includes a spinning solution jetting means 11 having a conductive nozzle 13 for jetting a stock spinning solution for nanofiber production, an electrode 14 located away from the nozzle 13, a voltage generating means 101 generating a voltage between the nozzle 13 and the electrode 14, an air jetting means 15 located at such a position as to direct an air jet between the nozzle 13 and the electrode 14, and a nanofiber collecting means. The voltage generating means 101 generates a voltage so that the nozzle 13 serves as a positive pole and the electrode 14 as a negative pole. The electrode 14 is covered, on almost the entire area of its side facing the nozzle 13, with a covering 17 having a dielectric exposed on the surface thereof. The dielectric exposed on the surface of the covering has a thickness of 0.8 mm or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Toyoda, Shinji Kodama, Takehiko Tojo, Kenji Iwane, Tomohiro Onda
  • Patent number: 10541121
    Abstract: A method of ionising a sample is provided, comprising providing a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample contains an analyte, applying one or more pulses of acoustic energy to the fluid sample to cause a spray of the fluid sample to eject from the surface of the fluid sample, and applying an AC, RF or alternating voltage to the fluid sample using an electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Micromass UK Limited
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Morris, Steven Derek Pringle, Richard Ellson, Richard Stearns, Lars Majlof, Ian Sinclair
  • Patent number: 10527975
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an intermediate transfer belt having at least a base layer and a surface layer formed in contact with a surface of the base layer, includes: irradiating a surface of the base layer with a laser such that Rz (in accordance with JIS-B0601-2001) is 0.2 ?m or more and equal to or less than a half of a film thickness of a surface layer to be formed; and forming a surface layer on the surface of the base layer irradiated with the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki Suzuki, Junji Ujihara, Tsuyoshi Shimoda
  • Patent number: 10384089
    Abstract: An accelerated process for the complete neutralization of acid wastes, the destruction of concrete and/or the denaturation of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) includes forming a slurry or suspension by submerging in the acid solution the concrete and/or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs); the concrete and/or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) cause the acid wastes neutralizing chemical reactions in the slurry or suspension and, at the same time, the destruction of concrete and/or the denaturation of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Simultaneously to the chemical reactions, the slurry or suspension is subjected to hydrodynamic cavitation, preferably using an apparatus capable of producing and managing three types of simultaneous controlled cavitation acting in the same space volume, accelerating the chemical reactions taking place in the slurry due also to the simultaneous presence of acid, concrete and/or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Inventors: Bruno Vaccari, Tullia Zucca
  • Patent number: 10239070
    Abstract: An alternator, such as for use in an electrostatic spray gun, comprises an electromagnetic alternator, a housing and an impeller. The electromagnetic alternator has a shaft. The electromagnetic alternator is disposed within the housing. The housing has an air aperture. The impeller is mounted to the shaft within the housing so as to be aligned with the air aperture. The impeller includes blades having curved leading and trailing edges. In one embodiment, each blade has a curvature so as to be perpendicular to the air aperture across an entire arc over which each impeller blade has a line of sight of the air aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Graco Minnesota Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Ulrich, Jason J. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 10155234
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to ultrahigh efficiency spray drying systems and processes, utilizing induction of localized turbulence in a drying fluid flow stream to produce spray dried product, having particular utility for low temperature spray drying operations. In a specific implementation, a method of processing a spray dryable liquid composition to form a spray dried product includes the steps of: generating a spray of the spray dryable liquid composition; contacting the spray of spray dryable liquid composition in a spray drying contact zone with a stream of primary drying fluid; injecting pressurized secondary drying fluid into the stream of primary drying fluid in the spray drying contact zone at multiple loci thereof to provide localized turbulence at said multiple loci; and recovering the spray dried product from the spray drying contact zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: ZOOMESSENCE, INC.
    Inventors: Charles Pershing Beetz, Jason Andrew Beetz
  • Patent number: 10144537
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dispensing radioactive liquids using a liquid dispensing apparatus are described. The apparatus includes a support arm rotatable about a rotation axis, an actuator operatively connected to the support arm and configured to at least one of rotate the support arm about the rotation axis and displace the support arm in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and a pipette assembly mounted to the support arm. The pipette assembly includes a pipette tip defining an opening through which liquids are aspirated and dispensed, a piston, and a stepper motor operatively connected to the piston to control linear displacement of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine LLC
    Inventors: Kevin B. Graves, Bryan S. Petrofsky, Brian J. Morton, Matthew S. Muraczewski, Lars Lindskog, Stephen C. Iverson, Rafael A. Martinez
  • Patent number: 10099232
    Abstract: An electrostatic atomizing device of the present disclosure includes a discharge electrode, a counter electrode, a liquid supplying unit, a current path, a voltage applicator, and a limiting resistor. The limiting resistor is disposed on a first current path or a second current path included in the current path. The first current path electrically connects the voltage applicator and the counter electrode, and the second current path electrically connects the voltage applicator and the discharge electrode. This makes it possible to increase an amount of generated radicals while keeping an increase of ozone small. In addition, an electric current peak of an instantaneous electric current can be kept small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsunori Aono, Tomohiro Yamaguchi, Takafumi Omori, Osamu Imahori, Takayuki Nakada, Youhei Ishigami
  • Patent number: 9815285
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a channel plate. The channel plate includes a fluid restrictor, a channel, a first plate member, and a second plate member. The channel is disposed on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the fluid restrictor in a direction of flow of liquid. The channel has a greater width than a width of the fluid restrictor in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of liquid in an in-plane direction. The first plate member has a through hole including at least one broad portion and a narrow portion. The narrow portion is the fluid restrictor. The second plate member includes at least one through hole constituting part of the channel with the broad portion. The through hole is disposed opposite an end of the narrow portion at which the narrow portion is connected to the broad portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukio Otome, Takahiro Yoshida, Takayuki Nakai, Shiomi Andou, Kanshi Abe, Kenshiroh Munetomo, Toshimichi Odaka
  • Patent number: 9700643
    Abstract: An ion generator configured to generate ions for use in hand dryers and sanitizers for sanitizing various surfaces including hands, hardware, fixtures, appliances, countertops, equipment, utensils and specifically to a chemical-free ion generators that do not use sacrificial anodes and cathodes, more specifically to an ozone-free ion generators and yet more specifically to an electronic ion generator using AC and a single ion source electrode with a ground plane electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Inventor: Michael E. Robert
  • Patent number: 9595428
    Abstract: A sampling probe, system and analysis method is disclosed. The sampling probe includes a tube having at least a first bore, a second bore, a first end, and a tapered second end; a first capillary partially disposed within the first bore, at least a portion of the first capillary extending from the first end of the tube; a second capillary partially disposed within the second bore, the second capillary having a portion with a free tapered end which extends from the first end of the tube; and wherein an end of the first capillary and an end of the second capillary converge at a junction in the tapered second end of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University Oklahoma
    Inventors: Zhibo Yang, Qiang Liu, Ning Pan
  • Patent number: 9570275
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally comprises a heated showerhead assembly that may be used to supply processing gases into a processing chamber. The processing chamber may be an etching chamber. When processing gas is evacuated from the processing chamber, the uniform processing of the substrate may be difficult. As the processing gas is pulled away from the substrate and towards the vacuum pump, the plasma, in the case of etching, may not be uniform across the substrate. Uneven plasma may lead to uneven etching. To prevent uneven etching, the showerhead assembly may be separated into two zones each having independently controllable gas introduction and temperature control. The first zone corresponds to the perimeter of the substrate while the second zone corresponds to the center of the substrate. By independently controlling the temperature and the gas flow through the showerhead zones, etching uniformity of the substrate may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Olga Regelman, Kallol Bera, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Paul Brillhart
  • Patent number: 9431876
    Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating use of instruments in hazardous environments includes a fluid line and a fluid-driven generator. The fluid line includes: an inlet to receive a flow of fluid from a fluid source; a first outlet to convey a first portion of the fluid flow to an instrument as a purge gas; and a second outlet to convey a second portion of the fluid flow. The fluid-driven generator is coupled to the second outlet of the fluid line, and converts fluid-stored energy in the second portion of the fluid flow to electrical energy deliverable to the instrument as the second portion of the fluid flow is received from the second outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: SGS North America Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Kriel, Alex R. Lynn
  • Patent number: 9353475
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining a fluffing state of laundry based on a determined temperature indicative of the surface of the laundry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Farhad Ashrafzadeh, James P. Carow, Layne E. Heilman, Shreecharan Kanchanavally
  • Patent number: 9339833
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a paint applicator robot is provided. The robot may include a robotic arm including a hollow joint and a paint applicator, a color tree disposed between the hollow joint and the paint applicator, and a dual-lumen line extending through the hollow joint to the color tree. The dual-lumen line may include a paint supply path to the color tree and a paint return path from the color tree. The robot may include a plurality of the dual-lumen lines, for example, up to 48 dual-lumen lines, each providing a paint color to the color tree. The robot may be included in a robotic paint station and may be configured to receive paint from and return paint to a drop box connected to a paint recirculation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: FORD MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Aaron Fiala, Scott Adams
  • Patent number: 9304116
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a portable housing and a plurality of separately operable microfluidic emitters disposed within the housing. Each microfluidic emitter h an inlet for receiving a liquid and an outlet for emitting a spray. Each microfluidic emitter is movable within the portable housing between a first position in which the outlet of that microfluidic emitter is fully retracted within the portable housing and a second position in which the outlet of that microfluidic emitter projects out of the portable housing. The portable housing with the multiple emitters is adapted to be detachably coupled to another housing portion. This housing portion includes a microfluidic substrate with a channel for transporting an eluent and an outlet aperture for emitting the eluent. The inlet of one of the emitters is detachably coupled to the outlet aperture of the microfluidic substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James P. Murphy, Joseph Michienzi
  • Patent number: 9289791
    Abstract: A painting robot system includes a robot and a spray gun unit. The robot includes a plurality of robot arms and a drive shaft member disposed on a distal end robot arm of the multiple robot arms, the drive shaft member being rotatable about a distal end drive axis. The spray gun unit is mounted on the robot arm. The spray gun unit includes a support member fixed to the distal end robot arm, guide members disposed on the support member, a plurality of spray guns disposed on the support member, and a linkage mechanism connecting between the movable spray guns and the drive shaft member. A spacing between at least one pair of adjacent spray guns can be varied via the linkage mechanism by rotating the drive shaft member of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teppei Uematsu, Yuji Negishi
  • Patent number: 9126240
    Abstract: The invention provides an intermediate storage device of an electrostatic coating system that can clean efficiently, a method for cleaning the same, and a method for coating. An intermediate storage device 10 comprises: a first hole 141 which is open to a cylinder chamber 14 and is connected to a paint supply source; a second hole 142 which is open to the cylinder chamber 14 and is connected to a coating gun; and a switch means which switches between a first cleaning which cleans the cylinder chamber 14 by supplying cleaning fluid W from the first hole 141 and discharging from the second hole 142 waste fluid that has undergone cleaning and a second cleaning which cleans the cylinder chamber 14 by supplying cleaning fluid W from the second hole 142 and discharging from the first hole 141 waste fluid that has undergone cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Takebe, Takayuki Ueki, Naoki Kishimoto, Takashi Wakimoto, Toshiyuki Kokubo
  • Patent number: 9085004
    Abstract: When paint is supplied from a first cylinder device (16) to an application part (14) and the application part (14) performs an application, next applied paint is fed from a supply valve part (20) to a second cylinder device (18). The first cylinder device (16) and the second cylinder device (18; 93) are connected to each other after the application by the application part (20), and the paint in the second cylinder device (18) is supplied to the first cylinder device (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Takebe, Takayuki Ueki, Naoki Kishimoto, Takashi Wakimoto
  • Patent number: 9044002
    Abstract: A method of the present invention, for controlling a harmful arthropod employs an ester compound which has a specific structure. Accordingly, with the method of the present invention, it is possible to control a wide variety of harmful arthropods effectively, without carrying out any heating process (e.g., a smoking process) for spraying the composition or any pressure process (e.g., a gas-pressure process or a mechanical pressure process) for spraying the compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takahisa Hirayama, Timothy C Hadingham
  • Patent number: 9032905
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for coating a substrate using one or more liquid raw materials, includes: at least one atomizer for atomizing the one or more liquid raw materials into droplets, charging means for electrically charging the droplets during or after the atomization and a deposition chamber in which the droplets are deposited on the substrate, the deposition chamber being provided with one or more electric fields for guiding the electrically charged droplets on the substrate. According to the invention there is a charging chamber arranged upstream of the deposition chamber and provided with charging means for electrically charging the droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: BENEQ OY
    Inventors: Sami Kauppinen, Markku Rajala
  • Publication number: 20150129672
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic atomizing device which performs atomization at low cost. An electrostatic atomizing device (M4) is installed in an atomization chamber (10) of a separation apparatus. The electrostatic atomizing device (M4) includes a plate-like inclined surface electrode (101) and a plate-like counter electrode (102) parallel to the surface electrode (101). A solution is diffused by diffusers (108) onto an upper end of the surface electrode (101). The solution flows down along a front surface of the surface electrode (101) while being spread in a thin film form, and is atomized by an electric field between the surface electrode (101) and the counter electrode (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: NanoMist Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Matsuura
  • Patent number: 9027375
    Abstract: An apparatus for shot peening blade mounting areas on a disc of a rotor includes a peening nozzle unit which streams shot peening media along a longitudinal axis. The unit includes a nozzle outlet which extends at least partially in a circumferential direction of the unit, and a deflection arrangement with a deflection area for the media. The deflection area is at least partially cone or half-hyperboloid shaped, such that the media passes the nozzle outlet over an angle range in circumferential direction after being deflected by the deflection arrangement. A method for shot peening the blade mounting areas positions the unit in a slot profile of a blade mounting area, and guides the unit along the contour of the slot profile with the nozzle outlet facing the contour of the slot profile to approximately uniformly peen the contour of the slot profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Straaltechniek International B.V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hennig, Marco Klijsen
  • Publication number: 20150115073
    Abstract: A spray nozzle assembly is provided with an electrode, a wear resistant member, and a compliant sleeve. The wear resistant member supports the electrode and is supported by the compliant sleeve. For coating operations that use abrasive powder such as porcelain enamel, the wear resistant member may comprise ceramic. The compliant sleeve may be made of an elastic material such as plastic, which allows one end of the compliant sleeve to receive an end of a glass powder tube. The wear resistant member may be in the form of a ceramic spider. The electrode may be installed in-line with a powder flow path defined by the powder tube, which extends through a spray gun body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Brian D. Mather, Dale R. Juhn
  • Publication number: 20150115057
    Abstract: Aerosols can be created by filament stretching and breaking of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids by applying a strain to and stretching the fluid. The fluid is stretched along a strain pathway and forms a fluid filament. The fluid filament is caused to break into droplets that can be harvested to form a mist or aerosol. Such a system for aerosol creation can include a pair of counter-rotating rollers that are positioned adjacent to each other that stretch the fluid or a pair of pistons that move toward and away from each other to stretch the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: VICTOR BECK, DAVID MATHEW JOHNSON
  • Patent number: 8973851
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is the apparatus that produces very small or nano-sized, charged droplets and the methods for producing such charged fluid droplets. This apparatus avoids the problems known to exist with using spray nozzles having very small orifices to produce such small fluid droplets, those problems including clogging of the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Vladimir Gartstein, James C Horney, Alan David Willey, Claire Rebecca Yates
  • Patent number: 8950696
    Abstract: An apparatus for spraying and inducing an electrostatic charge upon a liquid in excess of 0.8 millicoloumb/kilogram is connectable to a boom fitted to a vehicle, such as an aircraft, having a dc power supply. The apparatus comprises a nozzle constructed from a substantially non-conductive material and includes a spray tip designed to provide a hollow conical spray pattern. A support member extends from the nozzle and supports a charging electrode for inducing an electrostatic charge upon the liquid sprayed through the nozzle. The charging electrode attaches to the support member and is electrically connectable to the dc power supply. The charging electrode includes a cylindrical portion and a plurality of corona discharge members extending inwardly from a distal end of the cylindrical portion adjacent to the spray tip. The charging electrode is positioned to permit the hollow conical spray pattern to pass unhindered therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson Airspray, Inc.
    Inventor: George N. Massey
  • Patent number: 8939388
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for spray drying a liquid product into a dried powder without applying heat, including: forming a slurry including a liquid solvent, a carrier, and an active ingredient; applying an electrostatic charge to the slurry; atomizing the charged slurry to produce a plurality of electrostatically charged, wet particles; suspending the electrostatically charged, wet particles for a sufficient time to permit repulsive forces induced by the electrostatic charge on at least some wet particles to cause at least some of such particles to divide into wet sub-particles; and continuing the suspending step, without the presence of any heated drying fluids, for a sufficient time to drive off a sufficient amount of the liquid solvent within most of the wet particles to leave a plurality of dried particles (the powder), each dried particle containing the active ingredient encapsulated within the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: ZoomEssence, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles P. Beetz, Robert Corbett, David Salem
  • Publication number: 20150021419
    Abstract: An electrostatic spraying device includes a device body having a paint supply passage connected to a paint supply source, a paint nozzle located on a distal end of device body and having a paint flow passage communicating with the paint supply passage and a paint outlet formed through a distal end of the paint flow passage, a high-voltage generating part which generates high voltage with which paint sprayed from the paint outlet is charged, and a high-voltage electrode to which the high voltage generated by the high voltage generating part is applied. The high-voltage electrode is disposed at a position a predetermined distance backwardly away from the paint outlet on an outer periphery of the device body, so as to be separated from the paint flow passage thereby to be insulated from the paint flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: ASAHI SUNAC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Sakurai, Shinya Oda, Kenzo Yanagida