Patents Represented by Law Firm Reinhart, Boerner
  • Cartridge fluid transducer
    Patent number: 8100019
    Abstract: There is provided a fluid transducer. The transducer housing includes a nose section, a middle section, and a rear section, with the nose section defining a through bore. A sensor is disposed in the nose section and is in fluid communication with the through bore. An electronic module is disposed in the middle section and is in electrical communication with the sensor. A cap is coupled to the real section of the transducer housing, with the cap configured to seal the rear section of the transducer housing. A conductor-insulator assembly is coupled to an outer surface of the transducer housing and the conductor of the conductor-insulator assembly is coupled to the electronic module. In one embodiment the conductor-insulator assembly is annular in shape, with an inside diameter corresponding to the outer surface of the transducer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: MKT Engineering, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Ervin Moldenhauer
  • Methods and apparatus for spatially resolved photocurrent mapping of operating photovoltaic devices using atomic force photovoltaic microscopy
    Patent number: 8099792
    Abstract: Atomic force photovoltaic microscopy apparatus and related methodologies, as can be used to quantitatively measure spatial performance variations in functioning photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: Northwestern University, The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Benjamin Leever
  • Split-flow pre-filming fuel nozzle
    Patent number: 8091805
    Abstract: Presented is a pre-filming fuel nozzle that is readily manufacturable and consists of a fuel injector, a nozzle insert that fits over the fuel injector outlet, and a housing that generally encloses the fuel injector and nozzle insert. The housing has an atomizing lip, a fuel inlet passage, and an air passage. The nozzle insert has openings near the fuel injector that allows air to flow into the insert. During operation, the fuel injector impinges fuel on an inner surface of the insert and is pulled towards the atomizing lip from air flow through the insert. The air flow through the insert and air flow through the housing join at the atomizing lip, resulting in air flows shearing fuel droplets off of the atomizing lip. The nozzle may have swirler means such as a swirler fin and/or swirler passages on the insert to aid in swirling the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventor: Clark Paterson
  • Flasher sonar device with LCD annotations
    Patent number: 8094517
    Abstract: A flasher sonar device includes a motor driven flasher that produces light output pulses at angular positions along a flasher ring lens based upon sonar returns. A liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned concentrically with the flasher ring lens displays a dynamic annotated range scale associated with the flasher ring lens. A controller coordinates operation of the motor driven flasher and the LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Outdoors Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Arney, Christopher James Bennett, Scott Allen Harrington
  • Fuel injector sans support/stem
    Patent number: 8091362
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle is provided. The fuel nozzle includes a heat shield, a fuel tube and a plurality of support members. The support members are radially interposed between the heat shield and the fuel tube. The support members are preferably cylindrical tubes, thus creating voids or pockets between the heat shield and the fuel tube. The cylindrical tubes are connected to one another at a first end are free at an opposed end. As such, the tubes can move or slide relative to one another. Further, the tubes preferably only contact one another with at most line contacts. The fuel nozzle may also include a tip portion that includes a tip heat shield that extends radially outward from the primary heat shield. The tip heat shield defines a cavity that connects with the central cavity of the heat shield. The fuel tube extends through the tip heat shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Smith
  • Folding pet staircase
    Patent number: 8091294
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided, for allowing pets to ascend and descend on a foldable staircase having a plurality of stair treads operatively connected by articulating links in such a manner that the treads can be pivoted in unison from a stowed position of the staircase, in which the treads are substantially stacked upon one another, to a plurality of extended positions, in which the links position the treads in a spaced and parallel relationship to one another. A latch selectively secures the staircase in a selected one of the extended positions. The latch is configured for preventing further pivoting of the treads in either direction between the stowed and extended positions of the staircase, when the latch is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Inventor: Robert F. Whalen
  • Glass thickness measurement using fluorescence
    Patent number: 8094293
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measurement of the stress in and thickness of flat glass or curved glass segments is disclosed that uses fluorescence to quickly and accurately ascertain both the thickness of the stress layers and the wall thickness in addition to the stress curve in flat glass or curved glass segments. The apparatus and method may be used to quickly and accurately measure both the stress in and the thickness of flat glass or curved glass segments at a plurality of various locations therein. The apparatus and method are adapted for large scale flat glass or curved glass segment manufacturing, and are capable of high speed measurement of the stress in and the thickness of the flat glass or curved glass segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Emhart Glass S.A.
    Inventors: William J. Furnas, Sarath K. Tennakoon, Gary C. Weber
  • Lathe
    Patent number: 8087332
    Abstract: In order to improve a lathe comprising a machine frame, a spindle housing which is arranged on the machine frame and in which a workpiece spindle rotatable about a spindle axis is arranged, as well as at least one functional unit designed as a tool carrier and/or as a workpiece transport device in such a manner that as efficient a machining as possible of the workpiece is possible, it is suggested that the spindle housing be designed as an upright housing member, that the upright housing member be arranged on one side of a working space and border on it and that several functional units be arranged on the upright housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Index-Werke GmbH & Co. KG Hahn & Tessky
    Inventors: Walter Grossmann, Bernd Walker
  • Method and apparatus for auto-centering and cutting cheese loaves
    Patent number: 8082831
    Abstract: An auto-centering apparatus and method of auto-centering and dividing a cheese loaf into equal cheese portions is disclosed wherein the cheese loaf is loaded on to a bottom conveyor that centers the cheese along the cutting harp centerline and equally divides the cheese loaf to provide substantially equally sized cheese portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sargento Foods, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas R. Hiti
  • Filter end cap assembly with bypass valve
    Patent number: 8083938
    Abstract: A filter assembly, filter element and methods are provided. The filter assembly includes a filter base in which a filter element is mounted. The filter element includes a bypass valve carried by the filter element that operates independent of and free of interaction with the filter base. Methods include providing an entirely new bypass valve for the filter assembly by inserting a filter element including a complete bypass valve into the filter base such that bypass valve structures of the filter base are rendered useless or superfluous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Baldwin Filters, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristopher W. Lepine, Steven M. Todd, Steven J. Merritt
  • Wipe with pattern
    Patent number: D651411
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rockline Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph David Wahlquist, Michael Edward Huss
  • Container
    Patent number: D651526
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silgan Containers LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen Hu, Randy Szarzynski, Nancy Shea, Mike Store
  • Container
    Patent number: D651527
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silgan Containers LLC
    Inventor: Jianwen Hu
  • Tobacco can bottom and insert combination
    Patent number: D651923
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: J.L. Clark, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward P. Cronin
  • Gondola upright mounting device
    Patent number: D651962
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Southern Imperial, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. Barkdoll, Thomas E. Valiulis
  • Gondola upright mounting device
    Patent number: D651963
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Southern Imperial, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. Barkdoll, Thomas E. Valiulis
  • Massively parallel signature sequencing by ligation of encoded adaptors
    Patent number: RE43097
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of nucleic acid sequence analysis based on the ligation of one or more sets of encoded adaptors to the terminus of a target polynucleotide. Encoded adaptors whose protruding strands form perfectly matched duplexes with the complementary protruding strands of the target polynucleotide are ligated, and the identity of the nucleotides in the protruding strands is determined by an oligonucleotide tag carried by the encoded adaptor. Such determination, or “decoding” is carried out by specifically hybridizing a labeled tag complement to its corresponding tag on the ligated adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Albrecht, Sydney Brenner, Robert B. DuBridge, David H. Lloyd, Michael C. Pallas
  • Mouthguard
    Patent number: D652575
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Inventor: Christopher John Farrell
  • Mouthguard
    Patent number: D652576
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Inventor: Christopher John Farrell
  • Container
    Patent number: D652740
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Silgan Containers LLC
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Metzger, Thomas J. Clyde, Thomas S. Diss, Kamchat Soisuvarn