Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
  • Intake system for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8245688
    Abstract: An intake system for an internal combustion engine includes a control unit that adjusts the opening amount of a TCV having a valve body and a valve shaft within a valve opening amount range between first and second opening amounts, and first and second rotation restriction portions that prevent the valve body from moving beyond first and second opening amount positions, respectively, by contacting the valve shaft. The valve body is divided into a short valve portion and a long valve portion located upstream of the short valve portion by the valve shaft. The length from the valve shaft to the tip is greater in the long valve portion than in the short valve portion. When the valve body is in the first or second opening position, the valve shaft is pushed against the first or second rotation restriction portion by intake air flowing through an intake pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Uda
  • Image sensor capable of reducing the visibility of the border which separates column pixel groups
    Patent number: 8248501
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image sensor, in particular to a CMOS image sensor, for electronic cameras, having a plurality of light-sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column are divided into a first pixel group and a second pixel group, wherein, in each column, the pixels of the respective first pixel group are coupled to a common first column amplifier via a common first column line and the pixels of the respective pixel group are coupled to a common second column amplifier via a common second column line. The division of the pixels into the first pixel group and second pixel group is different for different columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG
    Inventor: Michael Cieslinski
  • Padlock
    Patent number: 8245547
    Abstract: A padlock includes a lock housing, a U-shaped lock hoop and a lock cylinder in order selectively to lock the lock hoop to the lock housing, wherein the lock cylinder has a cylinder axis and is secured to the lock housing by means of a securing element. The securing element is displaceably supported at the lock cylinder and is resiliently supported transversely to the cylinder axis, wherein the securing element engages into a securing opening at an inner side of the lock housing to secure the lock cylinder to the lock housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: ABUS August Bremicker Söhne KG
    Inventor: Bernhard Garthe
  • Parking brake
    Patent number: 8245596
    Abstract: A park brake includes a brake lever that is movable about a pivot. A release mechanism is associated with the brake lever and includes a pawl adapted to contact and lock with a sector. A trigger is linked with the pawl and is moveable to change a moment of the pawl relative to the sector allowing selective movement of the brake lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Dura Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hanna, Brooke Elsener, Jeremy Gill, Brian J. Eckerle, James Allen
  • Adaptive, ergonomic, multi-purpose hand-held tool with flexible drive shaft
    Patent number: 8240055
    Abstract: An adaptive, ergonomic designed multi-purpose air motor driven hand-held trimmer that uses the air motor as the handle, has the air motor offset at an angle of 25 degrees to the fore and aft axis of the base plate and downward 10 degrees, to thereby have the center of gravity as near as possible to the wrist of the operator so that there will not be a constant bending of the wrist or exerting of constant hard pressure on the tissue at the base of the hand, thus virtually eliminating the possibility of the operator acquiring the carpal tunnel syndrome. Further disclosed are particular flexible drive shafts which may be used in the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Elwyn Gooding
  • Water drainage system
    Patent number: 8240946
    Abstract: A water drainage system having an elongated housing constructed from a plurality of identical subhousings which are aligned end to end. The housing is constructed of a flexible material and includes an elongated longitudinally extending interior chamber and at least one inlet open to a top of the housing and the chamber. A drainage pipe is attached to the housing and has one end open to the chamber and its other end at a location which dissipates water collected within the housing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Sheldon Applefield
  • Device and method for transferring a group of products from an input conveyor to an output conveyor
    Patent number: 8240455
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for transporting food products (20), particularly product slices produced by means of a slicer (26, 28, 30), comprising at least one transfer station (10) for receiving food products from an incoming product stream flowing in from at least one incoming conveyor (12) and for transferring the food products to an outgoing conveyor (14), wherein the transfer station comprises a transfer unit that is configured to simultaneously transfer a group of successively received food products to the outgoing conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach
    Inventor: Guenther Weber
  • Linear compressor
    Patent number: 8241015
    Abstract: The invention refers to a linear compressor, comprising: a shell (20); a cylinder (30) affixed to the shell (20) and defining a compression chamber (C); a piston (40) to be displaced in reciprocating movement in the interior of the compression chamber (C) during the operation of the compressor; a linear electric motor (50) mounted to the shell (20); and an actuating means (60) operatively coupling the piston (40) to the linear electric motor (50), in order to make the latter displace the piston (40) in a reciprocating movement in the interior of the compression chamber (C), the actuating means (60) being coupled to the piston (40) by an elastic means (70), so that the actuating means (60) and the piston (40) be displaced in phase opposition during the operation of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Whirlpool S.A.
    Inventors: Dietmar Erich Bernhard Lillie, Egidio Berwanger, Raul Bosco, Jr., Emerson Moreira, Davi Luis Goergen, Fabricio Caldeira Possamai
  • Method for visualizing the execution of a software program
    Patent number: 8245196
    Abstract: A method for visualizing the execution of a software program especially in an embedded system. A plurality of interconnected program modules are displayed on a display device wherein at least one of the modules has at least two mutually exclusive different modes of functionality. A unique color is assigned to each mode of functionality. During the execution of the software program, the mode of functionality for each program module during execution of that module is selected as a function of software parameters of the software program. The color of the software module on the display device is then changed to correspond to the color assigned to the selected mode of functionality for the program modules during the execution of the program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kaga
  • Shoulder anchor device
    Patent number: 8240712
    Abstract: A shoulder anchor device is provided with a shoulder anchor (38) in which is formed an insert-through hole (40) through which a webbing (24) is inserted, and a slide plate (50) covering a vehicle cabin interior side of the shoulder anchor. A gap between an upper edge portion (52a) of an opening portion (52) at the slide plate (50) and a supporting region (42) that supports the webbing (24) at the shoulder anchor, is such that A>B where A is a gap dimension at a front portion side in a vehicle longitudinal direction and B is a gap dimension at a rear portion side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A rear portion (152a) in the vehicle longitudinal direction at the upper edge portion (52a) is formed at a position at which, when the webbing (24) is twisted, the rear portion (152a) abuts a twisted portion of the webbing and correction of the twisted portion is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Fukuzawa
  • Cooling member for heat containing device
    Patent number: 8243451
    Abstract: A cooling member for withdrawing heat from a heat containing device is disclosed. The cooling member can have a housing with a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a plurality of irregular-shaped fins located at least partially therewithin. In addition, a plurality of irregular-shaped and hierarchical branched fluid pathways can be located between the plurality of fins and the housing and/or the plurality of fins can be in physical contact with the heat containing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ercan Mehmet Dede, Brian Joseph Robert, Serdar H. Yonak
  • Hand dynamometer with improved configuration for grip strength assessment
    Patent number: 8240202
    Abstract: A handle assembly mounted to a dynamometer measuring device including a base mounted to an input location of the measuring device. A plurality of arms extend in a lineal direction from the base and are arranged in spaced and gap defining fashion. The arms deflect inward relative to one another upon being exerted by a compressing force and concurrent with outputting a signal through at least one strain gauge wire extending from an interior of each arm to the measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Inventors: Bryan Wimer, Daniel E. Welcome, Christopher Warren, Thomas W. McDowell, Ren G. Dong
  • Kinase substrates
    Patent number: 8242083
    Abstract: Tyrosine kinase substrates are described herein that are phosphorylated by many and diverse tyrosine kinases, and are chemically stable relative to co-polymers of poly-EY or poly-EAY having random molecular weights in the range of 20-50 kDa. Tyrosine kinase substrate peptides are provided according to embodiments described herein which include an isolated tyrosine kinase substrate peptide having molecular weight in the range of about 0.5 kD-10 kD. Tyrosine kinase substrate peptides are provided according to embodiments described herein having no more than 50 amino acids. The peptides include 2-25 phosphorylation modules and each phosphorylation module has 2-3 amino acid residues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Lucille Beaudet, Philippe Roby, Julie Blouin
  • Air duct system mating roof air ducts with headliner air ducts
    Patent number: 8240750
    Abstract: An air duct system which mates an air duct attached to the roof of an automotive vehicle and an air duct attached to a nonexposed surface of a headliner is provided. The air duct system is attached to an air supply which delivers directed air and is disposed between an inner surface of the roof and the nonexposed surface of the headliner. The headliner includes an opening into the passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle. The air duct system includes a first air duct and a second air duct. The first air duct is attached to the inner surface of the roof, and the second air duct is attached to the nonexposed surface of the headliner. Upon installation of the headliner to the roof a portal on the first air duct registers with a portal on the second air duct so as to provide an air flow passage between said first air duct and said second air duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Michael Ludwig, Jeff Charles Hills, Donald Federico
  • Patch for the expulsion of insect poison from the skin after stings from membranous insects (hymenoptera)
    Patent number: 8241660
    Abstract: This invention relates to a patch for the expulsion of insect poison from the skin after stings from membranous insects (Hymenoptera). The patch is characterized in comprising a poison-aspirating matrix comprising an expulsion agent as well as a swell layer, which swells after the addition of a liquid through a hole on the top of the patch and thus adds a light pressure to the poison-aspirating matrix towards the skin, whereby a local and relieving effect is achieved. In one embodiment, the matrix further comprises a local anesthetic. The expulsion agent is e.g. a carbohydrate. The swell layer consists e.g. of a silica gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Martin Wenckens
  • Road marker with nonplated lens
    Patent number: 8240948
    Abstract: A pavement road marker is provided mounted to a road having a main shell or body having a top portion. The top portion of the body being generally planar and including a lens mounted thereon. The lens is mounted within the body so that the plane created by the lens is beneath the plane created by the planar surface of the body portion. The assembly further includes an inner cavity having a first surface and a first opening. The first opening is oppositely disposed from the top portion. The first surface of the inner cavity includes various structural elements such as protrusions, legs, or dimples. The protrusions, legs, and dimples increase surface area to improve adhesion of potting to the inner surface of the housing to fill the cavity of the housing. The legs having a lateral surface which extend on a plane normal to an outer surface of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Teknotraffic, Inc.
    Inventor: Damian Amaya
  • System and method for providing a discount
    Patent number: 8239260
    Abstract: In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a virtual currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Destination Rewards, Inc.
    Inventors: John Lavin, David Shaw
  • System and method for verifying the connection status of couplable elements
    Patent number: 8235292
    Abstract: A system for verifying the connection status of couplable elements employs a code member having a pattern defining a machine-readable optical code disposed thereupon. The code member is physically divided into a number of separate segments each having a portion of the pattern defined thereupon. These segments are affixed to a series of couplable elements so that when those elements are appropriately coupled together, the code segments will be in an aligned relationship so as to form a particular optically readable pattern of data indicative of proper coupling of the elements. Further disclosed are methods employing the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: TMW Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Talboys
  • Method and device for separating or classifying material to be fed
    Patent number: 8235219
    Abstract: The device according to the invention for separating or classifying material to be fed into at least two different grain fractions comprises a screen device, which is formed by rotatable elements, particularly a roller table screen, wherein at least one finer grain fraction passes between the rotatable elements and means are provided for cooling the rotatable elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: Detlev Kupper
  • Bridge construction and method of replacing bridges
    Patent number: 8234738
    Abstract: A bridge replacement method is disclosed. The bridge includes a deck supported by a pair of abutments, each abutment having wing walls. The deck is removed, footings are cast in holes dug behind each abutment and a pier is provided on each footing. Substantially parallel and coplanar cambered beams are provided. Each beam spans between and is supported by the piers. A brace assembly reinforces the beam camber. On each adjacent pair of beams, precast deck elements are placed, such that each element of said plurality spans the beam pair, to define at least transverse gaps between the elements and put the upper surfaces of the elements in compression in a transverse direction. The gaps are grouted. After grout curing, the brace is adjusted to reduce the beam camber and cause the upper surface of the elements to also be put into compression in a direction parallel to the beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Newton Bridge Solutions Ltd
    Inventors: Paul M. Aumuller, Ed Newton, Thomas Koester