Patents Represented by Law Firm Harness, Dickey & Pierce
  • Patent number: 6079716
    Abstract: A removable chuck has a chuck member for holding a drill bit. Also, a mechanism is coupled with the chuck body to retain the chuck body to a drill spindle. The retention mechanism, in a first position, retains the chuck on the drill spindle and in a second position the chuck is enabled to be removed from the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Harman, Jr., Dale K. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6079685
    Abstract: A small bracket for sun visors of vehicles, having two arms extending around a sun visor shaft in a clamp-like manner, the sides of the arms facing each other constituting an undercut seating opening for the sun visor shaft and an insertion slit, which makes the repeated insertion of the latter into the bearing opening possible, wherein the first arm is embodied on a base body and the second arm on a complementary body connected with it via a film hinge, and that a spring is located between the base body and the complementary body, which together constitute the small bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Becker Group Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Didier Jacquemin
  • Patent number: 6079962
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy scroll machine component having improved lubricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Copeland Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Seibel, Marc J. Scancarello
  • Patent number: 6080963
    Abstract: A toaster for everyday household use includes a conveyor which carries items to be toasted past electrical heating panels. The toaster has an entrance wherein the items are inserted horizontally from a feed tray onto the conveyor. The feed tray being a cover for the entrance way, when the toaster is not in use, automatically opens to become a feed mechanism which closes after the item to be cooked has entered the toaster. The apparatus further has another door which functions as a cover for the exit hole of the toaster which automatically opens to dispense the cooked food item upon the end of a cooking cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Prodesign Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo Cardillo, Donald M. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 6081060
    Abstract: A power tool has an electric motor with a stator assembly and an armature rotatable within the stator assembly. A commutator is rotatable with the armature and is connected to the armature via a shaft. The commutator has an outer layer formed from a titanium graphite material. Brushes are associated with the commutator and are held in an end plate. The brushes are formed from a titanium graphite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Hung T. Du
  • Patent number: 6079121
    Abstract: A humidity-modulated dual-setpoint temperature controller is disclosed in which the two setpoints of the temperature controller are adjusted as a function of measured humidity. Parameters other than humidity could also be used to adjust the dual setpoints of the temperature controller. The controller is particularly useful in controlling the heater element of a clothes dryer in order to improve the energy efficiency of the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Ther-O-Disc, Incorporated
    Inventors: Prasad S. Khadkikar, James A. Tennant, Philip B. Eder, Bernd D. Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 6079833
    Abstract: An image projection system is provided for generating an energy efficient output representative of a desired input image. The image projection system includes a light source positioning device for directing the light from a light source onto a spatial light modulator. An image source provides the desired image to the spatial light modulator and also image information to a light source position controller for coordinating the light source positioning device, such that the light from the light source impinges substantially only the area of the spatial light modulator which contains the desired image. In particular, the controller actuates the light source positioning device by using a predefined scan that corresponds to the desired image. The spatial light modulator modulates the light with the desired input image and generates an output representative of the desired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Hughes-JVC Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Barney J. Kaelin, Stephen J. Reinsch
  • Patent number: 6079484
    Abstract: According to the present invention, in an air-mixing type air conditioning apparatus in which an air-mixing door is disposed at an air upstream side of a heater core and without having a hot water control valve for shutting off a flow of hot water into the heater core, a warm air passage formed at an air downstream side of the heater core is narrowed by a foot door in a face mode where a face air passage is closed by a face door. In this way, in the maximum cooling operation, with the foot door, it is possible to favorably suppress the air heated by hot water in the heater core from being mixed into cool air by natural convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Uemura, Kenji Suwa, Kazushi Shikata
  • Patent number: 6081032
    Abstract: An interconnection structure is disclosed. The interconnection structure has a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The interconnection structure also has first conductive connections within the dielectric layer. Second conductive connections are located over first conductive connections within the dielectric layer for connecting the first conductive connections. More layers of the interconnection structure can be stacked with the same structure to form multi-level connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Texas Instruments - Acer Incorporated
    Inventor: Shye-Lin Wu
  • Patent number: 6079667
    Abstract: An auxiliary inlet (60) for a jet engine has a first rod block (62) attached to a first side (64) of a hole (66) in a skin (68) of an inlet of the jet engine. A second rod block (80) is attached to an opposing side (82) of the hole (66) in the skin (68) of the inlet of the jet engine. A first reinforced elastomer section (70) is attached to the first rod block (62). A center beam (74) has a first side attached to the first reinforced elastomer section (70). A second reinforced elastomer section (78) is attached to the second rod block (80) and attached to the center beam (74). An actuation system (88, 90) is connected to an intake end of the center beam (74). The actuation system (88, 90) moves the center beam (74) from a first in-moldline position to a second out-of-moldline position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventor: Cynthia Ann Gruensfelder
  • Patent number: 6078998
    Abstract: A single queue is utilized for scheduling of prioritized requests having specific deadlines in which to be serviced. New requests are initially inserted into the single queue based upon optimal SCAN order. Once the new request is inserted, the deadlines of all the requests in the queue are checked in order to insure each request deadline is met. In the event a deadline violation is identified, the queue is reorganized by identifying the lowest priority request currently to be processed prior to the request with the deadline violation. If more than one request with the lowest priority exists, the lowest priority request with the greatest deadline slack is selected. Ultimately, the selected request is moved to the tail of the queue, or removed from the queue and considered lost if its deadline is violated with a queue tail placement. This process is repeated until the queue is in a state with no deadline violations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ibrahim Mostafa Kamel, Thirumale Niranjan, Shahram Ghandeharizadeh
  • Patent number: 6076840
    Abstract: The present invention provides a suspension assembly for a motor vehicle including a pair of end links which interconnect the opposite ends of a stabilizer bar to a pair of suspension members. Each end link has a first fastener adapted for connection to the end of the stabilizer bar and a second fastener adapted for connection to the suspension member. In addition, a locking mechanism is provided for securing the first fastener in a socket formed in the hollow end of the stabilizer bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Kincaid, Scott T. Costello, Talon T. Harvey
  • Patent number: 6078244
    Abstract: A thermal switch assembly has a stiffener disc positioned against a support flange that extends inwardly from a peripheral wall of a plastic assembly grommet. An actuator member of shape memory metal is received in a recess in the stiffener disc, and an insulator ring lies against the disc and actuator member on the opposite side of the disc from the support flange. A cap member is positioned against the insulator on the opposite side thereof from the stiffener disc, and a resilient actuator blade on the actuator member extends through a central opening in the insulator into engagement with the cap member. The actuator blade normally completes a circuit between the stiffener disc and the cap member, and automatically disengages from the cap member at an elevated transition temperature to open the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Therm-O-Disc, Incorporated
    Inventors: William F. Quinn, Wayne M. Motley, James B. Kalapodis
  • Patent number: 6076729
    Abstract: The present invention includes a conduit assembly having a fitment adapted to be sealingly coupled to a container, a closure mechanism, and a conduit operably coupled to the closure mechanism. The fitment includes a fitment passage and the closure mechanism is movable between a sealed position engaging the fitment to seal the fitment passage and an open position. The conduit is coupled to the closure mechanism for movement between a stored position and an operative position wherein the conduit is moved from the stored position toward the operative position when the closure mechanism is moved into its open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: The PopStraw Company, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen W. Cornell, Peter F. Murphy, Jeff T. Debord, Gregg M. Davis, Jay F. Perkins
  • Patent number: 6078846
    Abstract: The non-contact sensor employs a structured light source that emits light in a predefined planar configuration and an optical receiver for reading reflected light produced by the structured light source within a predefined field of view. A tetrahedron target structure includes a three-dimensional framework that defines at least three non-collinear, non-coplanar structural lines each simultaneously visible to the sensor. A calibration system is coupled to the gauging system and the non-contact sensor for calibrating the gauging system by evaluating the geometric relationship of the structured light reflected from the structural lines of the target structure to determine the position and orientation of the target structure and then correlating the structural lines to the gauging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Perceptron, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Greer, Munsang Kim
  • Patent number: 6077000
    Abstract: A template 20 with which pipework may be correctly positioned in a wall for connection to a wall mounted unit, the template comprising first apertures 24 for guiding drills at desired positions of pipes in the wall, and second apertures 22 for screwing the template to a wall, wherein the second apertures 22 are spaced and dimensioned such that the wall mounted unit may be mounted on the wall using the screw holes created by the second apertures 22 and be correctly aligned with pipework positioned according to the first apertures 24, each of the first apertures 24 may comprise a centrally mounted annular member 28 defining an aperture through which a center hole may be drilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Aqualisa Products Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Norman White Gibbons, Tom Spalding
  • Patent number: 6076766
    Abstract: A wing fold (50) for an aircraft has inner wing (74) connected to the aircraft and an outer wing (76) connected to the inner wing (74) by a hinge (72). An actuator (72) is capable of rotating the outer wing (76) over ninety degrees with respect to the inner wing (74). A first reinforced elastomer panel (54) is connected between a lower surface (52) of the inner wing (74) and a lower surface (58) of the outer wing (76).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corp.
    Inventor: Cynthia Ann Gruensfelder
  • Patent number: 6076537
    Abstract: A pulse vacuum extraction solvent cleaning system in which solvent remnants are removed from a cleaning vessel by evacuating the closed cleaning vessel to a predetermined vacuum pressure. At the predetermined vacuum pressure, if the concentration of solvent exceeds a predetermined value, air is introduced into the cleaning vessel to reduce the vacuum pressure and provide a carrier to remove the solvent. The process repeats until the solvent concentration falls below a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Detrex Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Brink, Eddie J. McChesney
  • Patent number: D426836
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Sirois, Bruce W. Brooks, Colin M. Dyke, Roderick D. Muir, David S. Strong, Richard P. Rosa, Brian S. Burnett, Lawrie Cunningham
  • Patent number: D427076
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald H. Ankney, Richard K. Rangler, Scott C. Howland, Alan W. Vanover