Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Skinner and Associates
  • Patent number: 6567758
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing and simulating various periodic phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, temperature, pressure, fluid flows, electric currents or electric tensions, or similar as well as an analyzer suitable for this purpose. The analysis makes use of the Laplace transform with variables of complex numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Paul A. Wuori
  • Patent number: 6561527
    Abstract: A hybrid golf bag, includes a conventional golf bag body with an open top and a closed bottom, a wheel mount attached to the bottom, at least two wheels rotatably connected to the wheel mount, and handle means attached to the golf bag body. The handle means are selectively adapted for both carrying and pulling the golf bag body. The golf bag body has a periphery and at least two wheels that extend outside of the periphery. The wheels have a retracted position proximate to the periphery and an extended position away from the periphery. The handle means includes a shoulder strap adapted to be used for carrying the golf bag body, and a rigid push/pull handle that has an extended position and a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Inventor: Daniel T. Spadino
  • Patent number: 6556661
    Abstract: A data protector for telephony test equipment, comprising a relay for selectively connecting the telephony test equipment to a telecommunication line, and electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry includes a detector portion adapted for detecting signals within a continuous band of frequencies present on the telecommunication line, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller has a frequency counter function for determining whether data is present on the telecommunication line, a relay connect control function for selectively controlling the relay to connect the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line, and an alert operator function for producing a signal if the detected frequency is above a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Independent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daryl E. Ingalsbe, Douglas H. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 6550850
    Abstract: Device for absorbing energy during impact, comprising a plurality of hollow impact-absorbing elements having a first base, a side surface and an end base, each absorbing element having a crushing resistance in the direction of a working axis. According to the invention, the device comprises two base plates which face one another, the side surfaces of a portion of the plurality of hollow impact-absorbing elements rising from each plate in the direction of the working axis, and the side surfaces of the impact-absorbing elements of one base plate rising in a direction opposite that of the side surfaces of the impact-absorbing elements of the other base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Sai Automotive Allibert Industrie
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Laborie, Damien Demulder, Patrick Febvay
  • Patent number: 6543917
    Abstract: A position indicating device (10) that can be mounted to a truck (12), comprises an electric lamp (18) and an adjustable mounting arrangement (20) for mounting the lamp to a rear end (17) of the truck. The lamp (18) is connectable to the truck's battery and has a convergent lens for emitting a focussed beam of light when the lamp is illuminated. A position indicating device (10) is mounted to the rear end (17) of the truck near opposite corners of the truck defined between the rear end and sides thereof. The position of each lamp is adjusted so as to produce a beam (43) of light that is directed downwardly onto a ground surface (42) thereby to form a spot (44) of light on the ground. The spots of light, being spaced from the truck, can be observed by the driver of the truck via the truck's rear view mirrors(48), thereby enabling the driver to judge the proximity of the spots of light and hence the truck, to the boundary of a confined area in which the truck is to be manoeuvred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Inventor: Hans Berlinghof
  • Patent number: 6528781
    Abstract: A detection apparatus comprising a device adapted for transmitting a transmitted serial data stream and receiving a received serial data stream, and further comprising a sensor adapted for receiving the transmitted serial data stream from the device, returning the received serial data stream to the device when a transmission medium is in a Data Pass Through State, and not returning the received serial data stream to the device when the transmission medium is in a No Data Pass Through State. The transmission medium is influenced by an external event. The device verifies the received serial data stream against the transmitted serial data stream to verify the transmission medium is in the Data Pass Through State and to determine whether the external event has influenced the transmission medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Control Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary R L Olson, Eardley L. Ham, Andrew J. Pichotta
  • Patent number: 6527962
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a blood filter adapted to be disposed in a blood vessel comprises, in the invention, the steps of a) providing a thin wall comprising a biocompatible material, b) producing in said thin wall a series of essentially parallel elongated sections, for defining the elongated legs, and having the elongated legs joined to each other, at a first end of the elongated sections, wherein step b) comprises the steps of producing adjacent essentially parallel strips comprising a first strip and a second strip separated by a slot, the strips extending essentially parallel the axis and each slot being interrupted at a distance from a second end of the elongated sections, so that the first and the second strips are connected to each other at said second end, by a continuous zone of said thin wall, and having the first strip of the elongated sections joined to each other, at said first end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: B. Braun Medical
    Inventor: Guy Nadal
  • Patent number: 6522720
    Abstract: The invention covers a method to determine the relative lung perfusion image with the fluoroscopic principle. Transmitted X-ray radiation through the lungs of the patient under examination is measured at least during one heart cycle. An image intensifier is used to collect the images which are digitized, taken to the apparatus and further analyzed. The results are the grey scale image and numerical map depicting the lung perfusion distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventors: Aaro Kiuru, Erkki Svedström
  • Patent number: 6515382
    Abstract: The present invention relates to actuators, linear motors and rotational motors based on magnetic-field-induced strains taking place in the actuator material. These strains are caused by the reorientation of the twin structure of the actuator materials by the applied magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Inventor: Kari M Ullakko
  • Patent number: 6453850
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus (10) and method for deterring an animal from licking, e.g., a wound. In one preferred version, the apparatus (10) includes a laminate body having an inner surface and a outer surface comprising an elongated flexible substrate (50) folded upon itself to define a pocket receptacle. The outer surface has exposed conductive traces (51, 52) positioned therealong. An electrical power source (12), retained within the pocket receptacle in the folded substrate, is electrically coupled to the conductive traces (14, 15). An adhesive (27) is carried by at least a portion of the inner surface of the laminate to facilitate attachment of the substrate to the body of an animal with the conductive traces (14, 15) exposed so that when the conductive traces (14, 15) contact the animal's tongue, the tongue completes an electrical circuit and an electrical impulse is delivered through the tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Inventor: David A. Stampe
  • Patent number: 6449800
    Abstract: A blower head, comprising a frame, a brush rotatably supported by the frame, a sweeper drive adapted for rotating said brush to sweep a surface, and a blower unit adapted for removing swept-up particles away from the surface. The frame includes a mouth portion and a throat portion. The brush is rotatably supported by the frame within the mouth portion. The sweeper drive rotates the brush to sweep particles such as snow or ice on a surface toward the frame. The mouth portion and the throat portion are constructed and arranged to funnel swept-up particles from the mouth portion and into the throat portion and the blower unit positioned therein. The blower head further includes an exit chute. The blower unit creates a pressure differential between the mouth portion and the exit chute sufficient to draw the swept-up particles from the mouth portion and into the throat portion, and to blow the swept-up particles out through the exit chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventor: Brooks M. Gotham
  • Patent number: 6434776
    Abstract: The invention concerns a manual scraping device (10) by rotation about the external surface of a tube (112) of plastics material, comprising an annular structure (11) having a passage (20) which is to receive the tube in order to guide it and a blade (30) secured to the annular structure (11). The passage extends right through the annular structure and is partially obstructed by a shoulder (50) defining a region (52) for restricting the passage, so that the shoulder defines an abutment for a non-scraped portion of the tube and permits the passage of a scraped portion of the tube through the restriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Gaz de France (GDF) Service National
    Inventors: Dominique Pfeiffer, Patrick Lecointe
  • Patent number: 6434906
    Abstract: The invention relates to a post (1), which is especially a hollow, tube-like piece and which is particularly intended for use as posts for traffic lights, street lights, signposts or similar, and which is formed of two layers. The inner layer (3) is of fibre-reinforced thermoset plastic and the outer layer (4) is of polyolefin plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Jerol Industri AB
    Inventor: Rolf Jernstrom
  • Patent number: 6438418
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for pretreating a patient prior to a therapeutic painful stimulus, comprising the application of pain inhibiting stimuli to a patient prior to an application of the therapeutic painful stimulus. Applying pain inhibiting stimuli comprises the steps of sensing a need for the therapeutic painful stimulus, preparing to deliver the pain inhibiting stimuli to the patient prior to applying the therapeutic painful stimulus, and delivering the pain inhibiting stimuli to the patient prior to applying the therapeutic painful stimulus. The method and apparatus are embodied in modern, fully automatic, fully implantable, single or dual chamber atrial or ventricular cardioverter-defibrillators. The pain inhibiting prepulse method is intended primarily for use in conscious patients but may also be used in sleeping patients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Imperception, Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles D. Swerdlow, Neal R. Swerdlow, James E. Brewer
  • Patent number: 6431201
    Abstract: A water management system for a motor vehicle in which water is collected from the condenser (1) of the air-conditioning unit, stored in a master water tank (5) and distributed therefrom to the battery (15), screen wash jet (27) and radiator (37). The vehicle owner is thus spared the inconvenience of regularly checking and topping up the water supply for these items. The risk of breakdown is also reduced. In another aspect of the invention, a wet battery (15) incorporates a plurality of float valves (75) for regulating the fluid level in respective cells (61, 63) of the battery. Water is passed through a common channel (23) into which the float valves (75) open when the fluid level is below a preset limit. The battery fluid is thereby automatically kept at the required level for optimum performance and lifetime of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Chin Lye Chau
  • Patent number: 6427258
    Abstract: A device, comprising an extendable object having a retracted position and an extended position with respect to a fixture; and a motive power system adapted for moving the object between the retracted and extended positions. The extendable object is preferably a water fixture amenity, such as a concealable compartment or a raisable seat. Preferably, the motive power system is a hydraulic system and includes a cylinder, a power source, and controls. The cylinder has a piston adapted for moving the compartment with respect to the fixture. The power source is connected to the cylinder and is adapted to extend the piston and move the compartment. The power source includes a water line in fluid communication with a cylinder volume. The controls are adapted for regulating movement of the piston by the power source. A method of moving a water fixture amenity, including the concealable compartment and the raisable seat, generally comprises two steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Wayzata Innovative Technologies
    Inventor: James C. Gooley
  • Patent number: D465844
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Inventors: Mark L. Anderson, James F. Ennis, III
  • Patent number: D467038
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Qualipac
    Inventor: Federico Restrepo
  • Patent number: D471071
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Inventor: Donald E. Richards
  • Patent number: D474000
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Inventors: Shawn David O'Dell, Timothy Shawn O'Dell