Patents Examined by Alexander M Valvis
  • Patent number: 10435189
    Abstract: There is provided a sealing apparatus for a cryopreservation bag, with which a sealing treatment of an inlet/outlet of the cryopreservation bag is carried out automatically and anyone can safely and properly carry out the sealing treatment. The sealing apparatus includes: a bag clamping device 56; a laser device 57; and a scanning structure 58 for moving the bag clamping device 56, for example. The bag clamping device 56 includes a fixed pinching block 67, a movable pinching block 69, and a clamp actuator 70. The laser device 57 includes a laser oscillator 104 and a condensing lens 107. The fixed pinching block 67 includes a block base 73, a heat radiator 74, and a heat radiator holder 75. An infrared laser beam is radiated to a sealed portion 55 of the bag to form a seal bead 125 for sealing in a state in which the sealed portion 55 is pinched and fixed by the heat radiator 74 and the movable pinching block 69 and while the bag clamping device 56, for example, is moved by the scanning structure 58.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: UEDA SEITAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kurosaki, Katsuhiko Ueda, Kimitoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 10433537
    Abstract: A novel animal lure includes an absorbent substrate and animal attractant scent fluid disposed directly on the absorbent substrate and hermetically sealed in a package. In a particular embodiment, the animal lure further includes a non-absorbent extraction feature connected to the absorbent substrate. In a more particular embodiment, the package is formed from opaque, fluid-proof, and flexible material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Inventor: Kevin Marion Henneman
  • Patent number: 10433918
    Abstract: A surgical instrument assembly disclosed herein can comprise an end effector configured to capture tissue, an electric motor couplable with a power supply, and a rotatable drive shaft operably coupled with the electric motor, wherein the rotatable drive shaft is configured to drive a firing drive during a firing stroke. The surgical instrument assembly can further comprise a sensing system configured to detect the load applied to the firing drive at the initiation of the firing stroke. The surgical instrument assembly can also comprise a lockout circuit configured to sense the current through the electric motor and to interrupt the current through the electric motor based on the sensed current at the initiation of the firing stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, James R. Giordano
  • Patent number: 10427258
    Abstract: Feed tools and methods of use for initiating a change in a spindle feed direction from an advance direction that moves the spindle towards a workpiece to a retract direction that moves the spindle away from the workpiece. The tool and methods may use a thrust overload force that is generated on one or more of the components to initiate the shift from forward to retract and/or a lift ring that acts on one or more of the components. The tool and methods may also include a two-stage piston to accomplish the shift. The various components may be used independently or in combination within the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy Watford, Jason Allen Matthews, Kevin Myhill, Marc Djabri
  • Patent number: 10427927
    Abstract: In a method for filling a bottle, a balloon body extends through an axial through bore of a cap and is connected seal-tightly with an upper circumferential rim to the cap above a radial opening of the cap. An elongate support associated with the balloon body is connected to the cap. Balloon and elongate support are inserted into the bottle. The cap is positioned at a spacing above the bottle neck to form a ring-shaped intermediate gap. Air contained in the bottle interior is forced out through the intermediate gap by inflating the balloon body with an expansion medium. Subsequently, the cap is fluid-tightly fitted on the bottle neck. The expansion medium is allowed to escape from the balloon body and liquid is supplied through radial and axial openings of the cap into the space between outer surface of the balloon body and inner bottle wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Leibinger GmbH
    Inventor: Benedikt Leibinger
  • Patent number: 10421082
    Abstract: A water stop switch shower head includes a water stop element, a water diversion plate, a water diversion body, a switch element and a switch shaft; the switch element is linked to the water diversion plate, the switch element and the water diversion plate rotate respectively around the switch shaft; one end of the water stop element is faced to the water diversion plate; the water diversion plate is disposed with a non-abutting surface and an abutting surface at the surface faced to the water stop element, the non-abutting surface and the abutting surface have height difference transitioned by an incline surface; the switch element is operated to drive the water diversion plate to rotate, when the water stop element faces to the non-abutting surface, the water stop element is contacted with the inner wall of the inlet in sealing way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: XIAMEN SOLEX HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weilong Luo, Donghai Chen, Mingfu Zhang, Wenxing Chen
  • Patent number: 10421084
    Abstract: An outlet device provides vortex rotating water and includes a diverter having a side surface disposed with at least two spiral accelerating grooves extending along an axial direction and having a bottom surface disposed with a collision chamber, the at least two spiral accelerating grooves being evenly arranged about an axis of the collision chamber and having respective ends that connect to the side walls of the collision chamber; and an outlet body disposed with an accommodating chamber and a vortex rotating chamber connected to each other in the axial direction. The diverter is disposed in the accommodating chamber. The vortex rotating chamber is a dome shaped body having a flat end face that is connected to a bottom end of the accommodating chamber and has an external protruding surface. The outlet body has an outlet connected to the external protruding surface of the vortex rotating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: XIAMEN SOLEX HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fengde Lin, Shigang Wang, Mingfu Zhang, Wenxing Chen
  • Patent number: 10420556
    Abstract: A surgical stapling apparatus, a surgical stapling loading unit and a staple cartridge assembly are provided including a buttress releasably disposed against a tissue contacting surface of a cartridge assembly and/or an anvil assembly, a continuous length of suture securing a respective surgical buttress against the respective the tissue contacting surface, wherein the suture extends transversely across the respective surgical buttress, and a retaining feature securing each suture to the respective cartridge assembly and anvil assembly. The retaining feature may include an adhesive adhering the suture to a surface of the cartridge assembly and/or anvil assembly. The adhesive may adheres the suture to multiple locations along the surface of the cartridge assembly and/or anvil assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Stanislaw Kostrzewski
  • Patent number: 10420555
    Abstract: A surgical instrument comprising a handle, a firing system, a shaft assembly defining a shaft axis, an articulation joint assembly, an end effector, and articulation means is disclosed. The shaft assembly comprises at least one rotary drive shaft assembly. The articulation joint assembly comprises a first joint segment defining a proximal socket, a second joint segment comprising a proximal gimbal movably supported within the proximal socket and defining a distal socket, and a third joint segment comprising a distal gimbal movably supported within the distal socket. The surgical end effector is operably coupled to the third joint segment and comprises a firing member operably interfacing with the at least one rotary drive shaft assembly. The articulation means selectively moves the third joint segment in multiple directions that are transverse to the shaft axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Chester O. Baxter, III, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Jerome R. Morgan
  • Patent number: 10420276
    Abstract: A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, John R. Kess, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Patent number: 10413999
    Abstract: First, an annular first layer including a plurality of beads and having a width that is not less than twice a width of the bead is formed by laser metal deposition on a peripheral surface of a base metal, the peripheral surface facing outward or inward in a radial direction. Next, a plurality of annular height raising layers each including a plurality of beads are stacked on the first layer by the laser metal deposition. According to this configuration, an axisymmetric body including a flange portion having a relatively wide width can be manufactured while making a heat affected zone in the base metal extremely small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiro Tsuji, Yoshiro Kabe, Yoshihide Imamura, Hayato Iwasaki, Hiroshi Kitano
  • Patent number: 10413294
    Abstract: Shaft assembly arrangements for surgical instruments are disclosed. A surgical instrument assembly can comprise a proximal shaft assembly comprising a distal coupling portion. The surgical instrument assembly can also comprise a distal shaft assembly comprising a proximal coupling portion configured to be releasably coupled to the distal coupling portion. The distal shaft assembly can also include an articulation joint and an end effector configured to articulate about the articulation joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Jerome R. Morgan, Chester O. Baxter, III
  • Patent number: 10406667
    Abstract: A drill has a housing, a motor mounted in the housing having a drive spindle, an output spindle rotationally driven by the drive spindle via a torque clutch. The torque clutch slips when the torque across the torque clutch exceeds a predetermined value. The predetermined value of the torque at which the torque clutch starts to slip is adjustable via a torque threshold adjustment mechanism. A sleeve is rotatably mounted on the output spindle. The drive spindle drives the sleeve via a gear system at a same rate and direction as the output spindle so that there is no relative rotation between the sleeve and output spindle when the torque clutch is not slipping and at a different rate and/or direction so that there is relative rotation between the sleeve and output spindle when the torque clutch is slipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Rompel, Rafael Gottschling, Santiago Hernandez-Arenas
  • Patent number: 10406541
    Abstract: An outlet device providing fan-shaped pulsating water particles includes a water inlet portion that has at least two inlet holes that are uniformly rotatably symmetrically arranged; and an outlet portion having a single outlet hole such that a vertical projection of the single outlet hole onto a horizontal plane of the water inlet portion partially coincides with one inlet hole of the at least two inlet holes and forms a flow down area and water vertically flows from an overlapping portion of the one inlet hole to a coinciding overlapped portion of the single outlet hole without changing flow direction as flow down water while water tangentially flowing from the one inlet hole toward a non-coinciding portion of the single outlet hole rotates as rotating water and impacts the flow down water to form water particles. A shower head including the outlet device is additionally provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: XIAMEN SOLEX HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wencong Xu, Minghao Chen, Mingfu Zhang, Wenxing Chen
  • Patent number: 10406666
    Abstract: A stapler includes a base, a handle pivotably connected to the base, and a magazine unit having a channel body which is pivotably attached to the base, a magazine body which is coaxially disposed to and movable relative to the channel body in a lengthwise direction, and a magazine ejection spring disposed to bias the magazine track to make an ejection movement. The magazine unit further has a damping module disposed on the magazine track and having two spring-biased damping members which are movable relative to the magazine track to be slidably moved on and frictionally engaged with inner wall surfaces of two outer lateral wails of the channel body so as to retard the ejection movement of the magazine track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: PAO SHEN ENTERPRISES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wen-Chin Lai
  • Patent number: 10405932
    Abstract: Various embodiments of tool assemblies are provided having at least one rotary input coupling and at least one linear input coupling for allowing either a rotary output or a linear output (e.g., from a tool driver on a surgical robot) to activate at least one mechanism of the tool assembly. For example, mechanisms of the tool assembly can include a clamping assembly, a firing assembly, an articulation assembly, and a roll assembly. The clamping assembly can open and close jaws of an end effector, the firing assembly can translate a knife assembly through the end effector to fire staples and cut tissue, the articulation assembly can articulate the end effector, and the roll assembly can rotate the elongate shaft and/or the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventor: Mark D. Overmyer
  • Patent number: 10406543
    Abstract: Spraying apparatus 10 includes: inner lid 13; outer lid 14; and gas-liquid mixing section 15 between inner lid 13 and outer lid 14, wherein a liquid is introduced into gas-liquid mixing section 15 from a position upstream and proximate outer lid plate 14a of outer lid 14, and a gas is introduced into gas-liquid mixing section 15 from an opposite position, the liquid is atomized in gas-liquid mixing section 15 by the liquid impinging with the gas and transforming into a gas-liquid mixed fluid, and advancing to spouting portion 16 as the gas-liquid mixed fluid is circulated along outer lid plate 14a of outer lid 14 in gas-liquid mixing section 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tabata, Akira Isomi
  • Patent number: 10399096
    Abstract: A rotary atomizing head includes an outer peripheral surface washing passage open onto an atomizing head outer peripheral surface for causing wash fluid supplied from a feed tube to flow out into an annular clearance between the rotary atomizing head and a shaping air ring. An outflow opening of an outflow passage constituting the outer peripheral surface washing passage is provided in a position closer to the backside into the annular clearance by a length dimension than a front end surface of a front ring section constituting the shaping air ring. Further, the outflow opening opens to the annular clearance in an angle that is an acute angle to the atomizing head outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10399676
    Abstract: An aerial operations system for performing various tasks such as painting is provided. The modular aerial operations system includes an aerial vehicle capable of vertically taking off and landing, hovering and precisely maneuvering near walls and other structures. The aerial vehicle may be a rotorcraft such as a multicopter. In an aspect, as aerial vehicle paints one or more designated surfaces using detachable arms and equipment. The system may paint the designated surface in one of several available techniques using paint provided in a container such as an attached reservoir, a base station, a paint can, or the like. The aerial operations system provided may also be configured to perform a variety of other tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: WORKING DRONES, INC.
    Inventor: Robert L. Dahlstrom
  • Patent number: 10399093
    Abstract: A fluidic chip defining an oscillator device for a spray system which provides a fan spray pattern of a fluid mixture at low temperature conditions while using standard fluid pump pressures. The fluidic chip configurations as described may provide a substantially stable exit fan angle at temperatures as low as about ?10 degrees Celsius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Kristian A. Ostergren, Gunter Wozniak, Thomas Richter