Patents Represented by Attorney Sherrill Law Offices, PLLC
  • Patent number: 7523894
    Abstract: An eaves trough support bracket which includes (a) a main beam having longitudinally spaced distal and proximal ends, laterally spaced first and second edges, and transversely spaced first and second surfaces, (b) a connection element extending in a first transverse direction from the distal end of the main beam, (c) a hook extending in the first transverse direction and second longitudinal direction from the proximal end of the main beam, and defining a concavity open in a second transverse direction, (d) a first leg extending in a second transverse direction from the first edge of the main beam with a proximal longitudinal end substantially transversely aligned with the proximal end of the main beam, and (e) a second leg extending in the second transverse direction from the second edge of the main beam with a proximal longitudinal end substantially transversely aligned with the proximal end of the main beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Inventor: Gary R Eddy
  • Patent number: 7516600
    Abstract: A method of packaging thermally labile goods. The method includes the steps of (a) obtaining a legend correlating thermally labile goods with a PCM panel color, (b) locating the thermally labile goods to be packaged on the legend and identifying the correlated PCM panel color, (c) obtaining thermally conditioned panels of the correlated PCM panel color from amongst a plurality of differently colored thermally conditioned panels color coded in relation to the phase change temperature of the phase change material contained within the panels, (d) lining the retention chamber of a thermally insulated container with the obtained thermally conditioned PCM panels, (e) placing the thermally labile goods to be packaged into the lined retention chamber, and (f) closing the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Minnesota Thermal Science, LLC
    Inventor: George Flora
  • Patent number: 7506643
    Abstract: A device mount system is provided that is designed to mount a device used in hunting, such as a video camera, rangefinder, game caller or the like, to a crossbow. The mount system includes a device mount. The device mount has a support portion and a side portion. The support portion is adapted to be coupled to the device. The side portion is adapted to be coupled to a scope on the crossbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Inventor: Larry Holmberg
  • Patent number: 7500321
    Abstract: A tool for facilitating threading of a flexible filament or sheet into a hole or opening. The tool includes (i) a filament or sheet guide having a longitudinally extending trough, and (2) an alignment system with (A) a first registration surface configured and arranged to transversely align a hole in a target-piece with the trough when the target-piece abuts the first registration surface, and (B) a second registration surface configured and arranged to laterally align a hole in a target-piece with the trough when the target-piece abuts the second registration surface. Threading of the filament or sheet into the hole or opening can then be achieved by simply causing an upward deflection of a distal portion of the flexible filament or sheet within the trough and moving the deflected distal portion of the filament or sheet along the length of the trough towards the aligned hole or opening in the target-piece until the distal end portion enters the hole or opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: OakRiver Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Reily M. Dillon, Kurt Thomas Rolling
  • Patent number: 7465717
    Abstract: A process for releasing and extracting phosphatides from a phosphatide-containing matrix. The process includes (i) contacting the phosphatide-containing matrix with a solvent and a metal salt to release phosphatides from the matrix and form a phosphatide enriched solvent portion and a phosphatide depleted matrix portion, (ii) separating the phosphatide enriched solvent portion from the phosphatide depleted matrix portion, and (iii) recovering the phosphatides from the phosphatide enriched solvent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: SoyMor
    Inventors: Lee Dexter, Roger Peterson, Udaya Nayanakontha Wanasundara, Herve Marie Douce, Thomas Stevenson
  • Patent number: 7455355
    Abstract: The invention is an inflatable seat cushion. The cushion includes inflatable cells, a pump, a flow control valve and tubing. The cells include at least one inflatable and deflatable first cell configured and arranged to support the ischial tuberosity bones of a human seated on the cushion, and at least one inflatable and deflatable second cell configured and arranged to support at least a portion of the gluteus maximus muscles of a human seated on the cushion. The flow control valve and accompanying tubing is operable to mutually exclusively place the pump in fluid communication with the at least one first cell or the at least one second cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Aquilla Corporation of Wisconsin
    Inventor: Steve Kohlman
  • Patent number: 7448986
    Abstract: The invention is an exercise device comprising (i) a frame, (ii) first and second foot supports operably associated with the frame for traveling along a closed loop path relative to a transverse axis defined by the frame, (iii) a heart rate monitor, and (iv) a means for automatically adjusting the stride length and/or stride height of the closed loop path traveled by the foot supports based upon the sensed heart rate of person exercising on the exercise device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Octane Fitness, LLC
    Inventor: Timothy J. Porth
  • Patent number: 7429027
    Abstract: A needle valve with a hollow needle effective for permitting a portion of the fluid passing through the valve to flow throughout the valve and exit through any leaks in the valve, whereby any environmental fluid within the valve is displaced by the fluid passing through the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Mocon, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel W. Mayer, Stephen D. Tuomela
  • Patent number: 7422143
    Abstract: An apparatus for shipping articles under controlled temperature conditions, having a metallic article enclosure surrounded by a set of insulating panels, with a predetermined volume separation between the enclosure and the insulating panels, and the predetermined volume being filled with phase change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Minnesota Thermal Science, LLC
    Inventor: William N. Mayer
  • Patent number: 7392557
    Abstract: An inflatable cushion having a group of mutually inflatable and deflatable cells wherein at least one cell in the group may be selectively and repeatedly included or excluded from the group for mutual inflation and deflation when included and independent inflation and deflation when excluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Aquila Corporation of Wisconsin
    Inventor: Steve Kohlman
  • Patent number: 7380346
    Abstract: A tool with a laterally and longitudinally extending open-sided channel, a protuberance projecting in a first transverse direction forward the front face of the tool and a second protuberance projecting in a second transverse direction rearward the rear face of the tool. The tool, with or without the second protuberance, may be used to hang an item upon a wall by (a) attaching the tool to a sawtooth hanger or a mounting orifice on the item, (b) supporting the item against a vertical surface at a desired hanging position and orientation, (c) pressing the supported item against the vertical surface with a force sufficient to cause the first protuberance on the tool to mark the vertical surface, (d) moving the item to expose the mark on the vertical surface, (e) securing a mounting pin to the vertical surface proximate the mark, and (f) suspending the item from the mounting pin by the sawtooth hanger or mounting orifice on the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Inventor: Jeffrey Emerson
  • Patent number: 7361122
    Abstract: The invention is an exercise device comprising (i) a frame, (ii) first and second foot supports operably associated with the frame for traveling along a closed loop path relative to a transverse axis defined by the frame, (iii) a means effective for sensing the speed of travel of the foot supports along the closed loop path, and (iv) a means for automatically adjusting the stride length and/or stride height of the closed loop path traveled by the foot supports based upon the sensed speed of travel of the foot supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Octane Fitness, LLC
    Inventor: Timothy J. Porth
  • Patent number: 7360819
    Abstract: A windshield assembly comprising a windshield panel and a coupling assembly. The coupling assembly is configured and arranged for fixed attachment to the windshield panel and releasable attachment to a vehicle by means of an outwardly biased ball bearing and detent system wherein the biasing force is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sportech, Inc.
    Inventor: Jesse Hahne
  • Patent number: 7327394
    Abstract: A video camera recorder that includes a main camera body, a camera mount member, a first mount member and a second mount member. The camera mount member is coupled to the main camera body. The camera mount member has a camera mount track portion. The first mount member has a first mount inner surface adapted to abut a first portion of an object. The second mount member has a receiving track portion and a second mount inner surface adapted to abut a second portion of the object. The first mount member is selectively coupled to the second mount member to couple the first and second mount member around the first and second portions of the object. The receiving track portion of the second mount member is adapted to receive the camera mount track portion to selectively couple the main camera body to the second mount member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Inventor: Larry Allan Holmberg
  • Patent number: 7270626
    Abstract: The invention is an exercise device comprising (i) a frame, (ii) first and second foot supports operably associated with the frame for traveling in a forward and backward direction along a closed loop path relative to a transverse axis defined by the frame, (iii) a means effective for sensing the direction of travel of the foot supports along the closed loop path as between the forward and the backward directions, and (iv) a means for automatically adjusting the stride length and/or stride height of the closed loop path traveled by the foot supports based upon the sensed direction of travel of the foot supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Octane Fitness, LLC
    Inventor: Timothy J. Porth
  • Patent number: 7269908
    Abstract: A tool for projecting a visually perceptible plumb line extending from a proposed location of a fire sprinkler head on a suspended ceiling. The tool includes a base and a self-leveling laser. The base is configured and arranged to supportably engage the support beams of an installed suspended ceiling grid system so as to support the tool when placed within a panel-retention frame of the installed grid system. The self-leveling laser is repositionably mounted on the base with a vertically extending laser beam which is plumb when the laser is level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Ryan Alvar
  • Patent number: 7257963
    Abstract: An apparatus for shipping articles under controlled temperature conditions, having alternating enclosure walls for providing temperature insulation and for providing alternating reservoirs of phase change materials, wherein the respective phase change materials are different in each alternating reservoir. The innermost reservoirs comprise a thermal insert which modifies the control temperature inside the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Minnesota Thermal Science, LLC
    Inventor: William Mayer
  • Patent number: 7252014
    Abstract: An instrument and method for measuring the volume of a hermetically sealed, variable volume, pressure conforming container. The instrument includes a needle, a vacuum pump, a mass flow rate sensor and an integrator. The needle has a lumen operable for sealingly perforating a container and thereby placing the lumen of the needle in fluid communication with a retention chamber defined by the container. The vacuum pump evacuates the gaseous content from the retention chamber through the lumen defined by the needle and past a mass flow rate sensor for sensing mass flow rates pulled through the lumen and transmitting corresponding mass flow rate signals over time to the integrator. The integrator is programmed to integrate the received mass flow rate signals over time through achievement of an evacuated retention chamber to generate a total mass value, and calculate a volume from the total mass value employing the Ideal Gas Law.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Mocon, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel W. Mayer, Timothy A. Ascheman
  • Patent number: D547159
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Octane Fitness, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Porth, Nathan R. Luger, Joseph A. Halfen
  • Patent number: RE39791
    Abstract: An infant simulator capable of emulating the care requirements of an infant and recording the quality of care and responsiveness of a person caring for the infant simulator and/or signaling the person caring for the infant simulator when care is required. The infant simulator is capable of (i) sensing the environmental conditions of position, temperature and comparison to which the infant simulator is subjected, and (ii) periodically demanding that the care-provider change the diaper, rock the infant, feeding the infant, or burp the infant simulator. The infant simulator is also programmed with the ancillary features of providing positive feedback when the proper interaction is provided in a timely fashion, an escalating demand signal when the proper interaction is not provided in a timely fashion, an identification system requiring the assigned care-provider to be present in order to satisfy a demand event, an unsatisfiable fussy period, and multiple behavior modes (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Realityworks, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Jurmain, Mary M. Jurmain, Larry P. Blackledge, Sheila Oium, Adrian Pelkus, Mary Gensen