Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Wood, Herron and Evans, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 7988416
    Abstract: A blade for a wind turbine generally comprises a shell body defined by first and second shells extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, an inner spar supporting at least a portion of the shell body, and a damping element coupled to at least one of the shell body or inner spar. The damping element is configured to move relative to the shell body to dissipate vibrations of the blade, and has a greater degree of freedom in a flapwise direction between the first and second shells than in an edgewise direction between the leading and trailing edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Carsten Hein Westergaard
  • Patent number: 7988423
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine blade having at least one component formed of a fibrous composite material including two or more different types of carbon fibres having a different elastic modulus to each other. The proportions of the different types of fibres vary in the longitudinal direction of the blade such that the elastic modulus of the fibrous composite material increases towards the tip end of the blade. The two or more different types of carbon fibres may be incorporated in an inner beam and/or in the outer shell portions of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Mark Hancock
  • Patent number: 7987640
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a foundation for a wind turbine. The foundation includes a section which is partly embedded in a concrete section and a cover which is arranged across an intersection between the embedded section and the concrete section. In that way, intrusion of water between the sections can be prevented effectively, and the lifetime of the foundation can be increased and/or the maintenance costs can be reduced. A method of making a foundation for a wind turbine and a wind turbine with the foundation are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Børge Øllgaard, Søren Poul Jensen
  • Patent number: 7987710
    Abstract: A pressure vessel 12 with a CO2 liquid level indicator 14, for use with a paintball marker 10, includes a magnetic float assembly 42 disposed within the pressure vessel 12 and adapted to float on liquid phase CO2 39 contained within the pressure vessel 12, in combination with a magnetically sensitive indicator 44 on an outer surface 40 of the pressure vessel 12 and which is adapted to detect and to display the location of the magnetic float assembly 42 within the pressure vessel 12. When connected to a conventional paintball marker 10, the pressure vessel 12 magnetically shows the indicated location of the magnetic float assembly 42, thereby showing the amount of liquid phase CO2 39 remaining within the pressure vessel 12. This remaining amount of liquid phase CO2 39 can be correlated to an approximate number of additional paintball rounds that can be shot before the CO2 is depleted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Gayston Corporation
    Inventor: Mark W. Stone
  • Patent number: 7985020
    Abstract: A cross flow inversion mixing baffle that mixes a fluid flow and addresses the streaking phenomenon of the fluid flow in a motionless mixer, the cross flow inversion baffle including a divider wall having first and second sides. On each side of the divider wall, the cross flow inversion baffle includes a perimeter flow diverter, a center-to-perimeter flow portion, and a perimeter-to-center flow portion. The cross flow inversion baffle acts to split the fluid flow so that the fluid in opposing halves of the perimeter of the fluid flow are directed towards opposing halves of the center of the fluid flow, while the center of the fluid flow is split and directed towards opposing halves of the perimeter of the fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew E. Pappalardo
  • Patent number: 7976674
    Abstract: Plasma generating devices, systems and processes are provided in which hybrid capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources use a plurality of primary plasma generating cells embedded into large area electrode or elsewhere in communication with a plasma processing chamber. Plasma is generated and maintained by a shaped low-inductance element within each of a plurality of locally enhanced ICP micro-cells coupled to the chamber through a CCP electrode. The source is suitable for processing large diameter (300 mm and larger) semiconductor wafers and large area panels, including plasma screen displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Jozef Brcka
  • Patent number: 7967550
    Abstract: The invention provides a wind turbine wind turbine with two vessels, each being interchangeably in thermal communication with a heating medium which transfers heat from a heat generating structure to the vessel, and with a cooling medium which transfers heat from the vessel to an ambient space. The vessels form a compression structure which form part of a refrigerating circuit which can circulate a working fluid between the compression structure, a condenser and an evaporator. At the evaporator, cooling effect is obtained based on evaporation of a working fluid, and the cooling can be utilized for cooling a heat generating component in the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: John K. Grevsen, Srikanth Narasimalu, Jesper Nyvad, Poul Torben Tietze, Anand Bahuguni, Krishnamoorthi Sivalingam
  • Patent number: 7967249
    Abstract: With a cooling system for expelling heat from a heat source (30) located in the interior of an aircraft to a heat reducer (32), with a piping system (10) sealed against the surrounding atmosphere which is thermally coupled to a heat intake section (14) with the heat source (38) and to a heat output section (22) with the heat reducer (32), and which preferably has an essentially adiabate transport section (21), it is proposed that the piping system (10) is filled with a heat conveyance medium (12) which, when taking in heat from the heat source (38) in the heat intake section (14) undergoes a transition from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase, then flows into the heat output section (22), and here, when discharging heat to the heat reducer (32) condenses once again, and flows back into the heat intake section (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Mühlthaler, Michael Markwart, Andreas Edom
  • Patent number: 7955080
    Abstract: An implant, system and method for use in replacement of a tooth. The implant can include a first threaded portion, a connecting member opposite the first threaded portion for attaching to a replacement tooth, a driver head positioned between the threaded portion and the connecting member, and a transmucosal collar disposed between the driver head and the first threaded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: ORMCO Corporation
    Inventor: John W. Graham
  • Patent number: 7952289
    Abstract: An ultraviolet lamp system for irradiating a substrate includes a magnetron and a memory physically attached to the magnetron. An electrodeless lamp is configured to emit ultraviolet light when excited by microwave energy generated from the magnetron. Main control circuitry is operable to read and write operational data associated with the magnetron to the memory. The ultraviolet lamp system is operated by generating microwave energy from the magnetron. A plasma within an electrodeless lamp is excited with the microwave energy to emit ultraviolet light. Operational data associated with the magnetron is tracked and written to the memory associated with the magnetron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Carl A. Bretmersky, James W. Schmitkons
  • Patent number: 7950290
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a mode of failure of a bond between an electrically conductive ball deposit and a substrate when breaking the ball deposit off of the substrate. The method and apparatus utilize tool force and displacement values to plot a force/displacement curve. The force/displacement curve is used to calculate the energy necessary to break the ball deposit off of the substrate. The energy value of a portion of a force/displacement curve is selected by reference to a peak force. In one preferred embodiment, this energy value is compared with a predetermined reference energy value to indicate a mode of failure. The peak force is preferably the maximum peak force, in the preferred embodiment, the method and apparatus distinguish between a ductile failure mode and a brittle failure mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventor: Robert John Sykes
  • Patent number: 7954095
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method optimize the operation of a parallel computer system by, in part, collecting performance data for a set of implementations of a function capable of being executed on the parallel computer system based upon the execution of the set of implementations under varying input parameters in a plurality of input dimensions. The collected performance data may be used to generate selection program code that is configured to call selected implementations of the function in response to a call to the function under varying input parameters. The collected performance data may be used to perform more detailed analysis to ascertain the comparative performance of the set of implementations of the function under the varying input parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Jens Archer, Amanda Peters, Joseph D. Ratterman
  • Patent number: 7950346
    Abstract: A liquid dispensing module and nozzle or die tip for discharging at least one liquid filament. The nozzle includes a strand guide for guiding a substrate past the nozzle and a frustoconical protrusion disposed on a surface of the nozzle adjacent the notch. A liquid discharge passage extends along an axis through the frustoconical protrusion and forms an acute angle with a machine direction corresponding to movement of the strand past the nozzle. Four air discharge passages are positioned at the base of the frustoconical protrusion. Each of the air discharge passages is angled in a compound manner generally toward the liquid discharge passage and offset from the axis of the liquid discharge passage to create the controlled pattern of liquid material on the strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick L. Crane, Michael W. Harris, Joel E. Saine
  • Patent number: 7944070
    Abstract: A yaw system of a wind turbine includes a plurality of motors, each motor being coupled to the nacelle for applying torque to the nacelle; a plurality of controllers, one controller for each of the motors, each controller being configured to control the respective motor and coupled to at least one other controller to transmit operation information thereto; and a yaw system controller configured to transmit control information to at least one controller of the plurality of controllers. At least one of the controllers is configured to control the respective motor based on at least one of the control information and the received operation information from the at least one other controller. Communication between the controllers of the respective motors can allow a faster response of the yaw system to yaw the nacelle according to a change of wind direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Paw Rosenvard, Lars Brink Christensen
  • Patent number: 7937815
    Abstract: An apparatus for securing a trim cover to a foam pad includes a base and a platform coupled thereto that defines a working surface for supporting the foam pad thereon. A plurality of actuators project from the working surface. Each actuator is capable of movement away from and toward the working surface and includes a pair of retaining fingers capable of movement between an open and closed position. In use, the retaining fingers grasp a first connecting member on the trim cover and move the first connecting member toward the working surface as the actuators are moved toward the working surface so as to engage the first connecting member with a second connecting member in the foam pad thereby securing the trim cover to the foam pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Hamilton, Brian Zapalski, Don Hamilton, James Szura
  • Patent number: 7939125
    Abstract: A viscous material noncontact jetting system has a jetting dispenser mounted for relative motion with respect to a surface. A control is operable to cause the jetting dispenser to jet a viscous material droplet that is applied to the surface as a viscous material dot. A device, such as a camera or weigh scale, is connected to the control and provides a feedback signal representing a size-related physical characteristic of the dot applied to the surface. The size-related physical characteristics of subsequently applied dots is controlled by heating and cooling, or adjusting a piston stroke in the jetting dispenser, in response to the size-related physical characteristic feedback. Dispensed material volume control and velocity offset compensation are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Ron Abernathy, Alec J. Babiarz, Nicholas Anthony Barendt, Robert Ciardella, James Everett Cooper, Jr., Kenneth S. Espenschied, Erik Fiske, Christopher L. Giusti, Patrick R. Jenkins, Alan Lewis, Raymond Andrew Merritt, Naoya Ian Nagano, Horatio Quinones, Thomas Ratledge, Joe Sherman, Floriana Suriawidjaja, Todd Weston
  • Patent number: 7926617
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing engine motor oil more quickly and simply than previously existing methods. To change oil on a gasoline or diesel engine, the conventional oil filter is removed and an adapter is screwed in its place. An inlet oil port of the adapter connects with the oil filter inlet line and an outlet port of the adapter connects to the oil filter outlet line. The adapter top is sealed with a recessed O-ring extending around the periphery so that oil can be pumped through the adapter into and out of the engine without leaking. The adapter inlet and outlet ports are connected by hoses/tubes to an external container with its own internal piston. The engine is turned on to idle and the engine oil pump pumps used oil from the oil pan out through the adapter outlet port into the external container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Ashland Licensing and Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Frances E. Lockwood, Timothy Lee Caudill, Joseph Huang
  • Patent number: 7928593
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for damping oscillations in a wind turbine comprising a wind turbine tower, a nacelle arranged on top of said wind turbine tower, and a number of rotor blades rotatably connected to the nacelle. The oscillations to be damped originate from forces induced on the nacelle and the wind turbine tower by the rotating rotor blades. The method comprises the steps of providing an internally suspended pendulum mass structure being operationally connected to an upper tower section, providing a platform being fixedly attached to the upper tower section, and providing damping means comprising one or more friction members being displaceably arranged relative to the platform, the one or more friction members being adapted to be displaced relative to the platform in response to relative movements between the suspended pendulum mass structure and the platform in order to dissipate energy from the suspended pendulum mass structure by friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Børge Øllgaard
  • Patent number: 7923706
    Abstract: An ultraviolet radiation curing system is disclosed for treating a substrate, such as fiber optic cable or silicone tubing. The system comprises a processing chamber allowing transport of a continuous piece of substrate to be treated. As the substrate moves through the processing chamber, ultraviolet radiation from a plasma lamp activated by a microwave generator treats the surface of the substrate. The system comprises two elliptical reflectors of different sizes so that larger diameter substrates may be efficiently treated with ultraviolet radiation. The system may also comprise an ultraviolet-transmissive conduit enclosing the substrate and split into a first portion and a second portion, where the second portion is movable from the first portion to open the conduit and allow insertion or alignment of the substrate within the conduit and processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Brassell, Edward C. McGhee, James W. Schmitkons
  • Patent number: D638341
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Schuephaus, Silvan Fiedler