Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Collard & Roe, P.C.
  • Patent number: 6976850
    Abstract: A connector provides electrical connection between an object (21) to be connected having contact portions (23) and a mating connection object (31) having mating contact portions (33). The connection is achieved when the connector is in contact with the contact portions (23) and the mating contact portions (33). The connector has a base member (11), elastic members (13) provided on the base member, electrically conductive patterns (15a, 15b) arranged on the base member so as to provide electrical connection between the front and back surfaces of the base member, and terminals (17) arranged on the elastic members (13) so as to be in contact with the contact portions (23) and the mating contact portions (33). The terminals (17) and the conductive patterns (15a, 15b) are connected to each other. Those portions of the base member (11) where either elastic members (13) or conductive patterns are provided are shaped in a mesh-like form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventors: Tomishige Tai, Seiya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6974514
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for the production of an air-permeable laminate film with a textile surface and elastic and non-elastic regions. At least one film strip that is elastic in the crosswise direction is introduced, as an elastic insert, between two material webs of fiber non-woven fabric having a web width greater than the width of the film strip. The segments of the material webs made of fiber non-woven fabric that are in direct contact next to the insert are connected, forming a non-elastic region of the laminate film. Subsequently, the laminate passes through an ultrasound bonding station, in which the elastic insert is melted by means of point-shaped bonds, while maintaining the substance of the fiber non-woven fabric, thereby connecting the elastic insert with the fiber non-woven fabric cover layers at discrete points and forming air-permeable structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Nordenia Deutschland Gronau GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Hamulski, Marcus Schönbeck, Georg Baldauf
  • Patent number: 6974132
    Abstract: A method and system for playing a dice game using a pair of dice. A primary player is first established at the beginning of the game. At least one wager is then made from each player establishing that one of a plurality of events will occur with the roll of the dice. The primary player then rolls the pair of dice. The wagers or bets are then resolved based on each roll of the dice. Wagers on at least one area of the game surface designated for wagers that the rolled dice will result in two specific identical numbers or doubles are paid out if the two specific identical numbers are rolled. The winner of this wager is then permitted to roll a single die if this winner also wagered on an area designated for a progressive bet. The progressive pot is paid to the winner if a single die results in a designated number. The game includes a playing surface for playing the game using a pair of dice and chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventor: Nicholas Sorge
  • Patent number: 6974538
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel filter for an internal combustion engine, comprising a filter housing consisting especially of metal, and a filter element and a pressure-regulating valve located in said filter housing. The aim of the invention is to ensure that no noise originating from the pressure-regulating valve is emitted. To this end, the pressure-regulating valve is mounted in the filter housing in such a way that vibrations are dampened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: MAHLE Filtersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Baumann, Hans Gebert, Ewald Millich, Albert Schick
  • Patent number: 6973925
    Abstract: The invention relates in particular to a ventilation device for a crankcase of an internal combustion engine. Said device comprises a centrifugal oil separator, which has an inlet for an oil-air mixture, an air vent for the purified air and an oil outlet for the oil. To improve the operating efficiency of a ventilation device of this type, the centrifugal oil separator is configured as a disk separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignees: MAHLE Filtersysteme GmbH, Filterwerk Mann + Hummel GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut Sauter, Pius Trautmann
  • Patent number: 6974336
    Abstract: In a connector (1) including an insulator (2) and first and second signal contacts (3,4) held by the insulator, each of the first and the second signal contacts includes a fixed portion (3a,4a) fixed to the insulator, a contacting portion (3b,4b) connected to one end of the fixed portion and extending in a first direction (A1), a bent portion (3c,4c) connected to the other end of the fixed portion, a first intermediate portion (3d,4d) extending from the bent portion in the first direction, a second intermediate portion (3e,4e) extending from the first intermediate portion in a second direction (A2), and a terminal portion (3f,4f) extending from the second intermediate portion in the first direction. The first intermediate portions are placed at positions which are different from each other in the second direction. The second intermediate portions are different from each other in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventor: Takeshi Shindo
  • Patent number: 6971783
    Abstract: Site-won spoil from an excavation which is a predominantly non-granular cohesive material can be converted into a material suitable for immediate use as a backfill material by a process of mechanically mixing the spoil with between 0 and 30% by weight or volume of added granular material and between 1 and 10% by weight or volume of a powder material comprising 1–5% lime or with the addition of 1–5% cement and/or 1–5% pulverized fly ash. The process works well with clay soils and the range of suitable spoil can be extended by adding cement to the powder material. The proportions in the mixture are chosen in dependence on the clay and moisture content of the spoil. A machine which can be set to mix the ingredients and water in the correct proportions on site is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Keanes Limited
    Inventor: Frank Owen
  • Patent number: 6971424
    Abstract: A handbag has a frame and an insert. The frame comprises a substantially rigid bottom panel, connected to a front section, a back section and two side sections. Attached to either the front/back sections or the side sections is at least one handle for carrying the bag. There is at least one insert that is removably connected to the frame, to create a complete handbag. The insert is visible through the front and back sections. The insert is connected to the frame via any suitable means, such as velcro, magnetic snaps or any combination of fasteners. The insert has an openable top section to receive the contents of the handbag. Each frame preferably has several different inserts, so that the appearance of the handbag can be changed by simply changing the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Inventor: Elizabeth Angevine
  • Patent number: 6971474
    Abstract: An air conduction element (1), particularly an air conduction channel for a motor vehicle, having a reverberant channel body (2) manufactured from plastic, which has at least one wall region replaced by a sound-absorbing component (10, 11), the sound-absorbing component having an at least partially exposed outer side. An edge region of the sound-absorbing component (10, 11) be extrusion-coated with the plastic of the channel body (2) in such a way that the sound-absorbing component (10, 11) is connected in a form-fitting way to the channel body (2) along at least a section of its circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Carcoustics Tech Center GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Prosser, Horst Lederer
  • Patent number: 6968786
    Abstract: A tamping tool unit for tamping ballast under a respective one of a succession of ties of a railroad track comprises a frame extending in a longitudinal direction, a pair of tamping tool levers mounted on the frame for pivoting about pivot axes in a plane extending in the longitudinal direction, a reciprocating drive connected to each tamping tool lever for pivoting the tamping tool lever, and a tamping pick at a lower end of each tamping tool lever. A guide on at least one of the tamping tool levers is provided for displacing the tamping pick in a direction extending perpendicularly to the pivot axis of the at least one tamping tool lever, and a fixing device is provided for fixing the tamping pick on the lower tamping tool lever end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Josef Theurer
  • Patent number: 6969628
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microstructure in a preferably electrically conductive substrate (1), more specifically made of doped single crystal silicon, with at least one functional unit (2.1, 2.2) and to a method of fabricating the same. In accordance with the invention, the functional unit (2.1, 2.2) is mechanically and electrically separated from the substrate (1) on all sides by means of isolation gaps (5, 5a) and is connected, on at least one site, to a first structure (4a) of an electrically conductive layer (S) that is electrically isolated from the substrate (1) by way of an isolation layer (3) and that secures the unit into position relative to the substrate (1). For this purpose, the functional unit (2.1, 2.2) is released from the substrate (1) in such a manner that the isolation gaps (5, 5a) are provided on all sides relative to the substrate (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: memsfab GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Bertz, Thomas Gessner, Matthias Küchler, Roman Knöfler
  • Patent number: 6969481
    Abstract: A method is described for producing a pipe end socket (3) made of thermoplastic material with a sealing ring (5) which engages in a form-fitting manner on the inside of the socket in a circumferential bead (4) and which comprises a sealing part (6) and a supporting part (7), with the sealing ring (5) being introduced into a preformed bead region and is then tightly held in a form-fitting manner in the circumferential bead (4) by a final forming of the preformed bead region. In order to provide advantageous process conditions it is proposed that the pipe end socket (3) with the circumferential bead (4) is preformed at a deformation temperature corresponding at least to the softening temperature with an overdimension which allows an insertion of the sealing ring (5), and after the cooling below the softening temperature and after inserting the sealing ring (5) said pipe end socket with the circumferential bead is pressed into the final shape by taking into account a cooling-induced shrinkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Inventor: Helmuth Schnallinger
  • Patent number: 6969274
    Abstract: A connector is for connecting a connection object which has a wiring portion, a protruding portion protruding from the wiring portion on one side thereof, and a wiring pattern extending from the wiring portion to the protruding portion. In the connector, a housing has a main body portion provided with a receiving surface for receiving the wiring portion. The housing further has a side portion disposed at one side of the main body portion. The side portion has a receiving groove for receiving the protruding portion. A contact is held by the side portion so as to be connected to said wiring pattern of the protruding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventors: Takaaki Kudo, Daisuke Machihara
  • Patent number: 6966786
    Abstract: A card socket 100 comprises a slider 40 and a rocker arm 60. The slider 40 is slidable in a card insertion/ejection direction. The rocker arm 60 comprises a fulcrum 61a, a first pressed portion 62 and a second pressed portion 64. The fulcrum 61a is provided between the first pressed portion 62 and the second pressed portion 64. When a first force is provided to the first pressed portion 62, the rocker arm 60 slides toward the slider 40 and prevents the slider 40 from sliding in the card ejection direction. When a second force is provided to the second pressed portion 64, the rocker arm 60 releases the slider 40d. Then, the slider 40 slides in the card ejection direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventors: Joe Motojima, Keiichiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6966789
    Abstract: In a connector having a conductive contact held by an insulator, a lock spring is held by the insulator and adapted to lock a connected state with a mating connector. A conductive shell covers the contact and the insulator. A lever is disposed adjacent to the lock spring. The lever is adapted to operate the lock spring and surrounded by a lever protecting portion serving as an operation inhibiting portion which is for limiting an operating direction of the lever and prevents an excessive displacement of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignees: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited, JAE Hirosaki, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Takaku, Kazushi Kamata, Shuuichi Ishida, Akira Kimura
  • Patent number: 6966700
    Abstract: A method of lubricating and cooling a hydrodynamic plain bearing for a rotating element comprises the steps of supplying fresh, cold lubricant under pressure from a pressure chamber arranged upstream of a fixed gliding plane to a lubricating gap between the fixed gliding plane and the rotating element, the supply of fresh, cold lubricant being so controlled that an effective lubricating wedge is formed between the rotating element and the fixed gliding plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Gleitlagertechnik Weissbacher GmbH
    Inventor: Georg Weissbacher
  • Patent number: 6965342
    Abstract: A method for recognizing and identifying objects by means of several sensors, particularly using imaging sensors (L, W, V) in the infrared and/or visible wavelength range and radar devices (R) which are based on the generation of a synthetic aperture. According to the invention, generation of the synthetic aperture occurs in accordance with the ROSAR principle, wherein a plurality of antenna elements (A), which the radar device (R) comprises, is placed on the aircraft (F) along its arched contour (K), controlled sequentially and scanned, and wherein the information acquired by the radar devices (R) and the imaging sensors (L, W, V) is subsequently processed, in such a way that optimal imaging of the surroundings of the aircraft (F) is made possible in every viewing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Klausing, Horst Kaltschmidt
  • Patent number: 6964236
    Abstract: The device relates to a device for leveling the coal filled in the retort of a coke oven, comprising a leveler bar (2) connected with a leveler bar drive (1) that can be moved into and out of the retort (4) through a leveling opening (3), and performs a leveling movement back and forth in the retort (4). According to the invention, the leveler bar (2) has a rake blade (5) on its front end with a width that can be adjusted by an operating device (6) arranged in the leveler bar (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Thyssen Krupp EnCoke GmbH
    Inventors: Franz-Josef Schücker, Claus Jürgen Bast, Rolf Weiershausen
  • Patent number: 6965679
    Abstract: Electro-acoustic device which when installed in continuous ceiling, partition or wall panels available in the market made of mineral fibre, plasterboard, multi-laminated wood, etc. converts them into flat, invisible radiators of high-fidelity sound by its special characteristic of being equalizable for each type of panel at the time of manufacture and assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignees: Electronica Integral de Sonido, S.A.
    Inventors: Alejandro José Pedro Lopez Bosio, Hernán Humberto Rojas Castillo
  • Patent number: D511426
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: New Dimensions Research Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy L. Mason