Patents Represented by Attorney Patent Services LLC
  • Patent number: 8235675
    Abstract: A system and method for using an element made of porous ceramic materials such as zeolite to constrain the flow of gas molecules to the free molecular or transitional flow regime. A preferred embodiment of the gas pump may include the zeolite element, a heater, a cooler, passive thermal elements, and encapsulation. The zeolite element may be further comprised of multiple types of porous matrix sub-elements, which may be coated with other materials and may be connected in series or in parallel. The gas pump may further include sensors and a control mechanism that is responsive to the output of the sensors. The control mechanism may further provide the ability to turn on and off certain heaters in order to reverse the flow in the gas pump. In one embodiment, the pump may operate by utilizing waste heat from an external system to induce transpiration driven flow across the zeolite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventors: Yogesh B. Gianchandani, Naveen Gupta
  • Patent number: 8231152
    Abstract: A latch extension device for lockedly securing a hinged hatch panel or liftgate of a vehicle in a rigid, partially open position, the device having a pair of arms, each arm having a jaw end, a handle end, and a pivotable coupling interconnecting the arms between the jaw end and the handle end for imparting a scissors action. By clamping the jaws of the device around a striker bolt of the vehicle and inserting the opposite end into the lock, the hinged hatch or door is locked in a partially open position, thereby providing a fixed air gap for ventilation and cooling, as is useful when children, pets or groceries are in the vehicle, while preventing the hatch or door from being opened further or shut. In a preferred embodiment, both arms of the device are joined by a pivot pin and are identical, simplifying manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Kerry A Carlson
  • Patent number: 8226109
    Abstract: Splitboard boot bindings for backcountry splitboarding. Each of a pair of soft-boot bindings is provided with an integral boot binding lower that conjoins the two halves of a splitboard without the additional weight or height of an adaptor mounting plate, upper binding baseplate or “tray”, and extra fasteners of the prior art. The boot binding lower is formed as a modified sandwich box girder or modified monolithic box girder and provides improved torsional stiffness for splitboard riding. When subjected to a torque applied by the rider, the bottom mediolateral flanges of the box girders are configured to contactingly engage the top face of the splitboard, thereby dynamically coupling the rider's boot sole and the board via a single rigid structure. In a preferred embodiment, the web or “spacer” members are characterized by an aspect ratio or contour height that is varied from heel to toe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventor: William J Ritter
  • Patent number: 8222786
    Abstract: Electrical machines, for example transverse flux machines and/or commutated flux machines, may be configured to achieve reduced overall cogging torque via implementation of a sixth-phase offset. Individual cogging torque waveforms in the electrical machine may be evenly distributed across one-sixth of a voltage phase or other suitable spacing, resulting in a reduced magnitude and/or increased sinusoidality of the overall cogging torque waveform for the electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Motor Excellence LLC
    Inventors: David G. Calley, Daniel S Cole, John M. Dyer, Thomas F. Janecek
  • Patent number: 8202407
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing polycarbonate solar cells. The apparatus is designed to adapt many techniques used in the compact disc manufacturing industry to the manufacture of polycarbonate solar cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventor: Arthur Don Harmala
  • Patent number: 8196545
    Abstract: In order to manufacture an epitaxial wafer having satisfactory flatness over its entire surface, epitaxial layers are experimentally grown upon actual wafer samples under various different layer formation conditions, the thickness profiles are measured over the entire surfaces of these wafers before and after growth of the layers, and, from the differences thereof, layer thickness profiles over the entire areas of the epitaxial layers under the various different layer formation conditions are ascertained and stored. Thereafter, the thickness profile of a substrate wafer is measured over its entire area, this is added to each of the layer thickness profiles under the various different layer formation conditions which have been stored, and the planarities of the manufactured wafers which would be manufactured under these various different layer formation conditions are predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8192809
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for localized chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for localized growing for example for carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanowires, and oxidation using a heated tip or an array of heated tips to locally heat the area of interest. As the tips moved, material such as CNTs grows in the direction of movement. The Scanning Probe Growth (SPG) or nanoCVD technique has similarities to the CVD growth; however it allows for controlled synthesis and direction and eliminates the need for masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Picocal, Inc
    Inventors: Angelo Gaitas, Bhaskar Mitra, Amar Basu, Weibin Zhu
  • Patent number: 8193679
    Abstract: Disclosed are single- and poly-phase transverse and/or commutated flux machines and components thereof, and methods of making and using the same. Exemplary devices, including polyphase devices, may variously be configured with an interior rotor and/or an interior stator. Other exemplary devices, including polyphase devices, may be configured in a slim, stacked, and/or nested configuration. Via use of such polyphase configurations, transverse and/or commutated flux machines can achieve improved performance, efficiency, and/or be sized or otherwise configured for various applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Motor Excellence LLC
    Inventors: David G. Calley, Thomas F. Janecek
  • Patent number: 8177668
    Abstract: The present invention provides a dart having a durable and break-resistant structure. A dart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention has, in order from the front thereof, a tip, a barrel, a shaft, and a flight. At the rear of the shaft, a cap-receiving portion having a diameter smaller than that existing elsewhere is formed, this cap-receiving portion being capable of receiving a cap-like portion of the flight. At the front end of the flight, a hollow cylindrical cap-like portion containing a hole for attachment to the cap-receiving portion of the shaft is formed. The shaft and the flight are connected to each other by a sliding engagement method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Cosmo Precision Machine, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8156568
    Abstract: This invention addresses a contact mode hybrid scanning system (HSS), which can be used for measuring topography. The system consists of a cantilever or a cantilever array, a scanning stage, a light source, and instrumentation to synchronize and control the individual components. Detection of the cantilever's movement is achieved by directly measuring the change in disposition of the cantilever including its height, rotation at one or more points on the cantilever thereby providing a partial three-dimensional reconstruction without the need for actuating the cantilever. This is achieved by employing a displacement meter such as a triangulation meter or a confocal meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Picocal, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelo Gaitas, Yogesh B. Gianchandani
  • Patent number: 8141192
    Abstract: A device with two or more regions configured to clean or treat a working surface is disclosed. Preferably, the device is an oral-care device with a power cleaning head. The power cleaning head comprises two or more regions, wherein at least one of the regions is configured to move and wherein at least one of the regions comprises a squeegee element. Preferably, the regions are configured to independently rotate, oscillate, vibrate or otherwise move while cleaning teeth and gums and can each include bristles, nodules, squeegee elements, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventor: James A Gavney, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8141194
    Abstract: A device comprising an absorbent structure and one or more resilient contact elements integrated into the absorbent structure is disclosed. The absorbent structure is preferably a sponge or foam structure and the resilient contact elements are squeegees, nodules, or combinations thereof. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the resilient contact elements include anchor features that are embedded within the absorbent structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventors: James A. Gavney, Jr., Jerry Mix
  • Patent number: 8122773
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to systems and methods for measuring power output, as in an athletic activity such as cycling. One embodiment relates to a force sensing device configured to be mounted on the bottom surface of a shoe as part of a mechanical linkage through which force is exerted. For cycling, the force sensor is mounted on the bottom surface of a cycling shoe and fitted with a cleat that interlockingly engages a bicycle pedal. To measure both positive and negative pressures on the pedal, the force sensor is pre-stressed with a compressive load to an intermediate point in its dynamic range. Strains that further compress or decompress the force sensor can thus be measured. The computing module mathematically converts the measured pressures, positive and negative, to a measurement of total power exerted by the rider. In addition, the computing module may utilize cyclical regularities in the signal to compute the rider's cadence (pedal revolutions per unit of time).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Inventors: Roland Jeffrey Wyatt, Dylan John Seguin, Richard Benjamin Knapp
  • Patent number: 8109523
    Abstract: Skibobs are disclosed having features for conveying the skibob with rider on a moving chairlift while the rider remains mounted on the seat of the skibob. The frame and suspension are configured for elevating the underside of the skibob seat above the level of the chairlift bench during loading, so that the chairlift bench, while moving forward from behind the rider, can pick up the skibob, rider and all, and carry the mounted rider up the ski slope without falling. As the undercarriage of the skibob is lifted off the snow, the rider is deposited on the chairlift bench so that the seat of the skibob is secured in place by the weight of the rider on the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Kolesar, William J Ritter
  • Patent number: 8099298
    Abstract: A computerized tool and method for delivery of pharmacogenetic and pharmacological information, comprising a core system having algorithms and databases for storing, collating, accessing, cross-referencing, and interpreting genetic and pharmacologic data, with a graphical user interface for a client network of providers of laboratory genetic testing services to access the core services under contract. The system includes “paypoints” in support of improved business models. Included are mechanisms for ‘pass through’ third party and insurance reimbursement for interpretive reports, insurance reimbursement for on-line access to pharmacogenetic information at the point of care, tools for market segmentation, and a conversion tool for capturing new subscribers. Also disclosed are tools and predictive algorithms for preventing drug-drug and drug-gene adverse drug reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Genelex, inc
    Inventors: Howard C Coleman, Jessica Oesterheld, Robert D Patterson
  • Patent number: 8082706
    Abstract: A strap to secure bolts at a proper spacing for installing a storm panel to a track using bolts and fasteners. The strap holds the bolts in place, allowing ease of storm panel installation. The storm panels are typically used to protect building openings, such as windows and doors, during periods of bad weather. The storm panels may also be used for security purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Got A Strap, LLC
    Inventors: Jerry Lawrence Myny, Donee Lois Myny
  • Patent number: D654688
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Lytle Design Associates
    Inventors: Frank Lytle, James B Eldon, III, David D McClanahan
  • Patent number: D655238
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Tuan Vu
  • Patent number: D655448
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Alvimar Genesis
    Inventors: Kevin Lynn Dykstra, Glenn Schlundt-Bodien
  • Patent number: D660244
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: EX Company Limited
    Inventor: Shinya Yudate