Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Tuttle
  • Patent number: 7407296
    Abstract: An integrated light gathering reflector and optical element holder for a projection device includes opposing first and second members. Each of the first and second members define a light gathering reflector portion and an optical element holder portion. The shape of the first member is substantially identical to a shape of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt A. Stahl, Brian G. Russell
  • Patent number: 7407528
    Abstract: The method serves for operating an air fractionization installation for obtaining oxygen on board an aircraft, with at least two molecular sieve chambers. A part mass flow of the oxygen obtained in the respective adsorbing molecular sieve chamber is supplied for flushing a desorbing molecular sieve chamber. The quantity of the flushing oxygen led to the desorbing molecular sieve chamber is controlled by way of this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: DAe Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Rittner, Rüdiger Meckes, Jürgen Pfennig
  • Patent number: 7406947
    Abstract: A method of controlling an engine, the method comprising of providing fuel having a blend to a cylinder of the engine, actively varying said fuel blend in response to at least an operating condition, and where during a transient operating condition, said blend is adjusted to increase a heat capacity of said fuel to reduce a tendency for knock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Lewis, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 7406854
    Abstract: A gas sensor is provided that is delimited from the environment with a preferably replaceable cap (8) made of a porous, gas-permeable and water-impermeable material, especially sintered PTFE. The gas sensor is protected against environmental moisture and can be permanently provided with the cap (8) and with a special calibrating adapter (9) both during the gas measurement and during the necessary calibration. Due to the special design of the cap (8) and the calibrating adapter (9), the gas sensor offers the possibility of remote calibration, which can be carried out with high accuracy and is independent from weather effects, especially wind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Björn Lange, Nils Haack, Lars Wulf, Rigobert Chrzan
  • Patent number: 7405557
    Abstract: A ball and socket joint with integrated angle sensor, especially for use as a vehicle level control in the chassis of a motor vehicle. The ball and socket joint has a ball and socket joint housing (1), a ball pivot (2) mounted in the ball and socket joint housing (1), a bipolar field transducer (4) arranged at the joint ball (3) of the ball pivot (2), and at least one magnetic field direction sensor (5), which is arranged at the ball and socket joint housing (1) and interacts with the magnetic field generated by the field transducer (4), wherein only one pole of the bipolar field transducer (4) is arranged on the surface of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Sensitec GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Spratte, Uwe Loreit
  • Patent number: 7404253
    Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing a catalytic converter formed from at least one monolith being held in a catalytic converter housing, especially a motor vehicle catalytic converter. A mounting mat (14) is placed on the outer circumferential surface (38) of the monolith (12) in the process, and the monolith (12) is subsequently stuffed together with the mounting mat (14) into the catalytic converter housing. To apply the mounting mat (14) on the monolith (12), the monolith (12) is set into rotation, while the mounting mat (14) is being fed tangentially and is carried by the monolith (12). A plant for carrying out the process is also provided as well as an application device (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Alles, Bernd Müller
  • Patent number: 7404654
    Abstract: A rearview mirror (01) for a vehicle with a partly transparent reflective element (03) for observing the traffic behind has at least one signaling mechanism with light-emitting lighting device (05, 07) provided on the rear side of the reflective element (03). The light of the signaling mechanism is radiated at a specific angle of radiation in a predominant direction (13, 14), so that the lighting strength on the front side of the reflective element (03) depends on the viewing angle relative to the predominant direction (13, 14). An optical convergent lens (11), which collects the light signals of the lighting device (05, 07) and deflects them in the direction of the predominant direction (13, 14), is arranged between the lighting device (05, 07) and the reflective element (03).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Robert Lueftner
  • Patent number: 7403020
    Abstract: For measuring unknown capacitances, which exist in capacitive sensors, such as pressure, moisture, inclination sensors and the like, the invention proposes a capacitance measurement method, in which a capacitance to be measured is charged and discharged across a resistor and the charging or discharging time up to a preset voltage value is measured and in which the charging/discharging times of a known reference capacitance and stray capacitances are measured across a resistor. The invention also proposes a circuit for measuring an unknown capacitance to be measured and having a voltage source, a resistor for charging or discharging at least the measuring capacitor, at least one switch for connecting and disconnecting the measuring capacitor with respect to the voltage supply and a time measuring device, in which switches are provided for connecting and disconnecting the measuring capacitor and at least one reference capacitor with respect to the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: acam-messelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Augustin Braun, Friedrich Bohnmüller
  • Patent number: 7401944
    Abstract: An operating room light fixture having a first lighting unit including a first light source and an external reflector, a second lighting unit including a second light source and an internal reflector, and a control unit. The second lighting unit is positioned in front of the first lighting unit with respect to the direction in which the light emerges from the light fixture. The control unit may be actuated by a rotary element located in a handle of the light fixture. A heat reflection filter may be provided for adjusting the color temperature of the light fixture to a desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Margret Hünerbein, Ryzard Kummerfeld, Georg Schlör, Joachim Schröter, Ingolf Diez
  • Patent number: 7401606
    Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine of a hybrid-electric vehicle having a controller, the engine having a plurality of cylinders, each with at least an intake and exhaust valve, each of which may be held in a position for a cycle of a cylinder, the method comprising of deactivating a plurality of cylinders in said engine in response to a signal from the controller of the hybrid-electric vehicle by mechanically deactivating valves in each cylinder of the engine, the deactivation in response to a request from the controller of the hybrid-electric vehicle and to reduce a number of operating valves in each cylinder of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Lewis, John D. Russell, Nate Trask, Thomas W. Megli
  • Patent number: 7398775
    Abstract: A system and method for utilizing a humidity sensor with an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is described. Specifically, information from the humidity sensor is used to adjust a desired air-fuel ratio to reduce engine misfire while improving vehicle fuel economy. Further, such information is also used to adjust timing and/or lift of the valve in the engine cylinder. Finally, diagnostic routines are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Cullen
  • Patent number: 7398644
    Abstract: In a mechanical apparatus having a diesel engine including a combustion chamber, the mechanical apparatus also having an aftertreatment device configured to treat emissions from the diesel engine and an intake valve for passing air into the combustion chamber, a method of operating the engine is disclosed, wherein the method includes performing at least one combustion in the combustion chamber at a first intake valve closure timing, determining a temperature of the aftertreatment device, and if the temperature of the aftertreatment device is equal to or below a preselected temperature threshold, then performing at least one combustion in the combustion chamber at a second intake valve closure timing to thereby increase the temperature of exhaust emitted by the diesel engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Leone, Al Berger, Jeff Doering
  • Patent number: 7400966
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine that can be operated in compression ignition mode, comprising a fuel injector (2) for each cylinder; a fuel injection control unit (4) for controlling fuel injection quantity and a piston (5) in each cylinder whose compression action causes a mixture of air and fuel to be ignited. The engine is further provided with inlet and outlet valves (6, 7) and sensors (12-16) for measuring various engine operating parameters, is disclosed. During compression ignition mode, the control unit controls the fuel injector to perform a first fuel injection before, and a second fuel injection after top dead center of the piston stroke during or after a negative valve overlap period. A method for operating the engine and a computer readable storage device (4) having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a computer to implement a compression ignition for an internal combustion engine is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Strom, Lucien Koopmans
  • Patent number: D573750
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Flos S.p.A.
    Inventor: Philippe Starck
  • Patent number: D573751
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: FLOS S.p.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Citterio
  • Patent number: RE40439
    Abstract: A system for controlling electromechanical of an internal combustion has a valve-closing electromagnet for attracting the armature coupled to the valve to close the valve, a valve-opening electromagnet for attracting the armature to open the valve, a valve-opening spring for biasing the valve open, and a valve-closing spring for biasing the valve closed. The method includes de-energizing the valve-closing electromagnet for a predetermined time, enabling the valve to oscillate by the valve springs, and then energizing the valve-closing electromagnet to close the valve. Consequently, only the valve-closing electromagnet is energized to open and close the valve. The valve biasing springs force the valve to a location at which the valve-closing electromagnet can close the valve. This provides an electrical energy over prior methods in which both the valve-opening and valve-closing electromagnets are energized to actuate the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Diana D. Brehob, Eric Warren Curtis, William Francis Stockhausen
  • Patent number: D574261
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Fabrique de montres Rotary S.A. (Rotary Watch Company Limited)
    Inventor: Robert Dreyfuss
  • Patent number: D574400
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: AHWI Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Artur Willibald
  • Patent number: D574540
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Flos SpA
    Inventor: Antonio Citterio
  • Patent number: D574546
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Flos SpA
    Inventor: Jasper Morrison