Patents Examined by Ana Fortuna
  • Patent number: 9670076
    Abstract: An adaptable water filtration device including an upstream housing defining an upstream chamber. A filter mount is coupled to the upstream housing and extends into the upstream chamber. A first filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The first filter is configured to filter a first contaminant from the contaminated water. A second filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The second filter is downstream of the first filter and configured to filter a second contaminant from the contaminated water through adsorption. The water filtration system is configured to enable selective adaptation of the filtering characteristics thereof by a user by selectively disposing the first and second filters in the upstream chamber to achieve a prescribed filtering effect on the contaminated water. A prefilter may be included to prevent downstream clogging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventors: Pasupathicoil Ramaswamy Soundar Rajan, Sowmya Soundar Rajan
  • Patent number: 9670070
    Abstract: A collapsible water filter has a telescopic container and a filter cartridge. The telescopic container has a telescopic segment and a connection segment, and the telescopic segment having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The telescopic segment defines a holding space, and the holding space has a first opening adjacent to the first end of the telescopic segment. When the first end and the second end of the telescopic segment are under a force such that the first end and the second end approach each other, the volume of the holding space is reduced. When the first end and the second end of the telescopic segment are under a force such that the first end and the second end move away from each other, the volume of the holding space is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventor: Wender Yang
  • Patent number: 9649597
    Abstract: A water-treatment separation membrane with good antifouling properties includes a support having pores, a polyamide layer formed on the support, and a passivation layer comprising specific materials formed on the polyamide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Phill Lee, Jae-Hong Kim, Chong-Kyu Shin, Joung-Eun Yoo, Seung-Pyo Jeong, Young-Ju Lee, Young-Hoon Ko, Hye-Jin Kwon
  • Patent number: 9650263
    Abstract: A water treatment separation membrane includes a support having pores, a polyamide layer formed on the support, and a passivation layer formed on the polyamide layer by using an aqueous solution including an amine-containing compound, an epoxy-containing compound and a fluorine-containing compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Young-Ju Lee, Joung-Eun Yoo, Chong-Kyu Shin, Jae-Hong Kim, Phill Lee
  • Patent number: 9650262
    Abstract: A filter structure capable of efficiently separating water and oil using wettability is provided. The filter structure includes a first filter layer including a plurality of openings and a second filter layer including a plurality of openings and positioned so as to be overlapped with the first filter layer at a distance from each other. The first filter layer and the second filter layer include surfaces each having a dual-scale protrusion and depression structure as a combination of a micro-scale structure and a nano-scale structure, and thus have superhydrophilicity and selectively allow water from a water and oil mixture to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: POSTECH ACADEMY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Woon Bong Hwang, Handong Jo, Dong Seob Kim, Yeong Ae Kim
  • Patent number: 9649599
    Abstract: A method for use in the manufacture of a filtration article includes providing a porous, fluoropolymer membrane, and applying a force to at least a portion of a first side surface of the membrane to modify the first side surface. The applied force may have a non-normal directional component relative to the first side surface. The surface modification may increase the density of the modified surface and/or reduce the porosity of the modified surface. Particle retention capabilities are thereby enhanced across the modified surface while maintaining permeability across the volume of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Marshall McClary, Tarun Poddar
  • Patent number: 9643127
    Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method for removing oil from a oil-containing liquid comprising oil and gas comprising: a source of oil-containing liquid; and a membrane contactor system in fluid communication with the source of oil-containing liquid, the membrane contactor system comprising one or more membrane contactors having a first and a second surface, wherein the first surface coalesces oil and removes gas from the oil-containing liquid, and the oil and gas are collected on the second surface from the oil-containing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents of The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Frank Seibert, Stephen William Briggs, Stacy S. Truscott, Peter B. Kipp
  • Patent number: 9643209
    Abstract: There are provided a method of manufacturing a reverse osmosis membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane manufactured thereby. The method includes forming a polysulfone layer by applying a solution including a mixed solvent containing two or more solvents having different solubility parameter values to a surface of a porous support; and forming an active layer on the polysulfone layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Pyo Jeong, Seung-Yup Lee, Phill Lee, Hye-Jin Kwon, Chong-Kyu Shin
  • Patent number: 9643129
    Abstract: Various methods of making a reinforced membrane, devices for making the membranes, and the resulting membranes are described. The methods typically provide a reinforcing structure that includes filaments extending around the circumference of the membrane but without the filaments being part of a braided or woven structure. Some of the reinforcing structures also include longitudinal filaments. The methods and devices can be used to make a supporting structure in line with membrane formation steps, and also allow for a reinforced membrane to be produced that has a ratio of inside-to-outside diameters of 0.5 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Pierre Lucien Cote, Steven Kristian Pedersen
  • Patent number: 9636639
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a metallic layer having pores extending therethrough, the method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a cathode substrate with an electrolyte solution comprising at least one cation; reducing the cation to deposit the metallic layer on a surface of the cathode substrate; and (c) generating a plurality of non-conductive regions on the cathode substrate surface during reducing step (b); wherein the deposition of the metallic layer is substantially prevented on the non-conductive regions on the cathode substrate surface to thereby form pores extending through the deposited metallic layer. The present disclosure further provides a metallic porous membrane fabricated by the disclosed process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Agency for Science, Technology and Research
    Inventors: Kambiz Ansari, Shilin Chen, Christina Yuan Ling Tan, Isabel Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9637731
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting methane production in naturally occurring or induced reducing conditions, thus subsequently resulting into inhibition of the biomethylation process of the heavy metals is disclosed. The disclosed inhibiting composition blocks 3-hydroxy-3-ethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and 8-hydroxy-5-deazaflavin (coenzyme F420) in the methane production pathway, due to the presence of lovastatin in the red yeast rice. As a result the methanogens are unable to produce enough quantities of methane that will result to the production of methylmetal(loids), which are usually volatile and more toxic than their inorganic counterparts due to increased water solubility and hydrophobicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Innovative Environmental Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Scalzi, Antonis Karachalios
  • Patent number: 9630149
    Abstract: A thin film composite polyamide membrane having a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer comprising a reaction product of m-phenylene diamine (mPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), characterized by the thin film polyamide layer having a critical strain value of less than 10%. In another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has a modulus of greater than 0.75 (GPa). In yet another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has an equilibrium swelling value of at least 45%. In another embodiment, the thin film polyamide layer has a thickness of at least 230 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek Roy, Tina L. Arrowood, Anand S. Badami, Robert C. Cieslinski, David D. Hawn, Steven D. Jons, Mou Paul, Steven Rosenberg, Huang Wu
  • Patent number: 9630147
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for filtering a fluid including a filter module assembly coupled to a manifold. The manifold may include a manifold inlet in fluid communication with a source of feed liquid, an outlet in fluid communication with header of the filter module assembly, a fluid passageway in fluid communication with the manifold inlet, a source of gas, and the outlet, a second fluid passageway in fluid communication with the header and the first fluid passageway and a second manifold outlet vertically displaced from the first manifold outlet and in fluid communication between the first fluid passageway and the second fluid passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Michael Collignon, Bruce Gregory Biltoft
  • Patent number: 9630152
    Abstract: To provide a polyketone porous film having heat resistance and chemical resistance and useful as a filter for filtration having a high particle collection efficiency and as a battery or capacitor separator having a low permeation resistance to ion and the like. A polyketone porous film comprising from 10 to 100 mass % of a polyketone as a copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefins, wherein the polyketone porous film has a pore formed only by a polyketone, the pore diameter uniformity parameter as a value obtained by dividing the standard deviation of the pore diameter in the pore by an average pore diameter is from 0 to 1.0, and the average through hole diameter of the polyketone porous film is from 0.01 to 50 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: ASAHI KASEI FIBERS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Kaneda, Takashi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 9630862
    Abstract: A desalination system (1) for producing a distillate from a feed liquid includes: a steam raising device (2) having a liquid section (5) and a steam section (6) which are separated by a membrane system (7); a membrane distillation device (3) having a first steam section (11) and a liquid section (12) which are separated by a wall (14) and having a second steam section (13) which is separated from the liquid section (12) by a membrane system (15); and a heat exchange device (4) having a first liquid section (21) and a second liquid section (22), which are separated by a wall (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Werner Escher, Javier V. Goicochea, Ahmed S. G. Khalil, Bruno Michel, Chin Lee Ong, Stephan Paredes
  • Patent number: 9617174
    Abstract: A hydrophobic porous silica aerogel composite membrane for a vacuum membrane distillation device and a vacuum distillation method are disclosed. The vacuum membrane distillation device has a case and the hydrophobic porous silica aerogel composite membrane accommodated in the case to divide a chamber defined by the case into a feed part configured to feed a first fluid containing water molecules and a permeate part configured to collect a second fluid containing the water molecules. The hydrophobic porous silica aerogel composite membrane includes a porous aluminum oxide membrane that has a plurality of first pores with average pore diameter larger than 50 nm and a porous silica aerogel membrane that has a plurality of second pores of 2 to 50 nm and is formed on at least one side of the porous aluminum oxide membrane facing the feed part by methylmethoxysilane as a precursor and a sol-gel synthetic process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kuo-Lun Tung, Chung-Chin Yang, Chia-Chieh Ko, Chien-Hua Chen, Yi-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 9610545
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hollow-fibre membrane having a novel structure and to a production method therefor. The hollow-fibre separation membrane of the present invention has an outermost shell surface pore size of between 0.001 and 0.05 ?m and a mean pore size of between 0.01 and 0.1 ?m while having, in sequence from the outermost shell surface, a dense sponge structure, a finger-like sponge structure and a mixed sponge-bead structure; and, because of this specific triple structure, the invention has outstanding mechanical strength, porosity and water permeability alike while also having a high performance whereby it is possible to eliminate even viruses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junseok Lee, Sumin Lee, Hyunhwan Oh, Changho Lee, Minjoung Kim
  • Patent number: 9610542
    Abstract: A thin film composite membrane including a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer characterized by having a dissociated carboxylate content of at least 0.45 moles/kg at pH 9.5 and a method for making a composite polyamide applying a polar solution comprising a polyfunctional amine monomer and a non-polar solution comprising a polyfunctional amine-reactive monomer to a surface of the porous support and interfacially polymerizing the monomers to form a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the method is characterized by the non-polar solution comprising at least 0.025 wt % of an acid compound including at least one carboxylic acid moiety and at least one amine-reactive moiety selected from acyl halide and anhydride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek Roy, Tina L. Arrowood, Robert C. Cieslinski, David D. Hawn, Steven D. Jons, Mou Paul, Martin H. Peery, XiaoHua Qiu, Steven Rosenberg, Ian A. Tomlinson, Chengli Zu
  • Patent number: 9604164
    Abstract: A screen for intake of fluid. The screen includes parallel and spaced rods, filtration material, a fitting, and structural members. The rods may be distributed in a cylindrical configuration. The filtration material, in some embodiments spirally wrapped wire, is disposed around the rods to define an interior volume. The fitting is disposed at an end of the rods and adjacent to the filtration material. Each structural member, which in some embodiments are elongated bars, is interposed between adjacent rods. The structural members are welded to the adjacent rods, and the adjacent rods and the structural members are welded to the fitting to increase the effective weld area, the tensile strength of the connection, and potentially the overall strength of the screen. The screen may be used for a variety of fluids and installations, and is particularly suited to use in water wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Aqseptence Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Smith, Thomas James Berger
  • Patent number: 9598598
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of preparing antifouling coatings on reverse osmosis membranes with initiated chemical vapor deposition. The coatings enhance the stability and lifetime of membranes without sacrificing performance characteristics, such as permeability or salt retention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and MInerals
    Inventors: Karen K. Gleason, Zafarullah Khan, Hafiz Zahid Shafi, Rong Yang