Patents Examined by Andrew J. Rost
  • Patent number: 11255452
    Abstract: A valve includes a longitudinally movable valve body that is arranged in the valve, wherein the valve housing has at least two guide grooves, with which auxiliary guide elements, arranged on the valve body, engage an exterior surface of the valve housing. The guide grooves of the valve housing are shaped such that they define a combined translatory and rotary movement path of the valve body with the aid of the auxiliary guide elements in order to open or close the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH GMBH
    Inventors: Shahmir Fatherazi, Ralf Lausch, Thomas Loewe, Ellen Schuessler
  • Patent number: 11255453
    Abstract: A control mechanism locks open a spring-loaded valve and automatically releases the spring-loaded valve to close upon a predetermined lesser weight load being applied. The spring-loaded valve includes a flow valve, a valve lever that pivots between open and closed positions, and a valve spring that biases the valve lever to the closed position. The control mechanism includes a pivotal release lever having an engagement arm and an opposite load arm, and a release spring that biases the release lever from a blocking position with the engagement arm retaining the valve lever in its open position to a release position with the valve lever free to pivot past the engagement arm and to the closed position under the valve spring force. The load arm includes an additive-container support for a load of an additive fluid to be mixed with a carrier fluid whose flow is controlled by the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: PRODEW, INC.
    Inventors: Itamar Kleinberger, Shakeel Merchant, Paul Wilhelm, Kendall C. Palmer, Roland Bilodeau, Faizan Aly
  • Patent number: 11236839
    Abstract: A pneumatic valve, including a valve housing with an air chamber with one or more air ports. A respective air port of at least one of the air ports can be opened and closed by a movable valve flap which is mechanically coupled to a shape memory alloy. The SMA element deforms as a result of supplying electrical heating current and effects a predefined movement of the valve flap for opening or closing the respective air port. The deformation of the SMA element is reversed when the supply of the electrical heating current ends. The valve flap has a leaf spring. The leaf spring is held rotationally fixedly relative to the valve housing. The leaf spring interacts with the SMA element such that a stroke of the SMA element caused by the deformation is converted into a stroke of the valve flap by elastic bending of the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Beuschel, Alexander Kerler, Johann Steinberger
  • Patent number: 11237575
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a linear solenoid by controlling a driving current supplied to the linear solenoid through a feedback control. The feedback control is executed by a feedback control system having parameters that are determined in accordance with an ILQ design method. In a frequency characteristic of a gain of a transfer function representing a ratio of an output to a disturbance in the feedback control system, the gain is lower than 0 [dB] throughout all frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Tokura, Katsumi Kono, Masato Kaigawa, Masato Matsubara, Hitoshi Matsunaga, Akira Hino
  • Patent number: 11231114
    Abstract: A valve member driving device capable of bidirectional movement includes: a main body with two gas chambers, a first gas-inlet opening, a first gas-inlet channel, a second gas-inlet opening, and a second gas-inlet channel; a first piston rod with a first flow passage; a second piston rod with a second flow passage; a first guide rod extending into the first flow passage at one end and having a gas socket and a gas hole in communication with the gas socket; a second guide rod extending into the second flow passage at one end and having a gas-guiding flow passage; a valve cylinder fixedly provided on the first piston rod and having a valve-cylinder gas chamber, an advance channel, a withdrawal channel, and a valve-cylinder piston rod; and a valve member fixedly provided on the valve-cylinder piston rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: KING LAI HYGIENIC MATERIALS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Cheng-Chimr Lin
  • Patent number: 11231117
    Abstract: A water control valve has a valve casing, a valve seat, a fixed valve plate, a movable valve plate, a driving piece, a press structure and a pulling structure, wherein the valve seat is assembled on one end of the valve casing. The fixed valve plate, movable valve plate and driving piece are disposed in the valve casing. A flow channel for the fluid is formed among the valve seat, the fixed valve plate and the movable valve plate. The driving piece is in contact with the movable valve plate. The pulling structure has a first shaft lever and a swing piece. The press structure pulls the first shaft lever the move axially. The first shaft lever pulls the swing piece to rotate, so that the driving piece drives the movable valve plate to slide laterally, the handiness of flow control or the on/off of the flow channel is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Hao-Nan Peng
  • Patent number: 11226056
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising a torque motor comprising a spring, armature, flapper assembly (“SAFA”), a body, wherein the spring, armature, flapper assembly is mounted onto the body, and a cap enclosing the spring, armature, flapper assembly. One or more cooling passages are provided within the body and are configured to receive cooling air and direct the cooling air onto the spring, armature, flapper assembly of the torque motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maciej Zak, Marek Jedlinski
  • Patent number: 11226047
    Abstract: An in-line valve includes an in-line plunger having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted for non-rotational sliding along a conduit, and an in-line ported piston having angled tooth cam surfaces mounted to slide and rotate along the conduit. The angled tooth cam surfaces on the piston and plunger are resiliently biased in opposed facing relation so as to engage in rotationally sliding engagement over one another. This selectively indexes the piston into valve open and valve closed positions. The plunger is driven against the resilient return biasing of the piston by a modulated fluid pressure pulse from the fluid line attached to the valve. In the valve open position, a port in the piston passes the fluid through the piston and the plunger and along the fluid line. In the valve closed position, the port is closed off and the piston seals off the fluid flow through the piston and plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventor: Gebhard Charles Wager
  • Patent number: 11215288
    Abstract: A proportional pinch valve for controlling the pressure of a fluid in a continuous flow system comprises an anvil for pinching a length of a tubing in the continuous flow system, and a drive mechanism including a displacement element for moving the anvil towards the tubing. The anvil is indirectly coupled to the displacement element via an elastic spring element. The elastic spring element provides a defined play (i.e. elasticity) for the anvil at least as long as the tubing is not fully pinched so that displacement of the anvil is force-controlled by the elastic spring element. A method of controlling the pressure of a fluid in a continuous flow system makes use of such a proportional pinch valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: THE AUTOMATION PARTNERSHIP (CAMBRIDGE) LIMITED
    Inventor: Neil Bargh
  • Patent number: 11209092
    Abstract: A compact vacuum gate valve capable of reducing a kink and sliding between a seal material and a seal surface, achieving a low occurrence of particles, stably and reliably performing valve-body open-close movements, restricting impulsive sound and vibrations, and also having high durability. The vacuum gate valve includes housing bodies, a valve-body open/close driving body, and a stem provided with a valve body. Each of the housing bodies has therein a piston rod and a cam member with a cam groove. On each side of the valve-body open/close driving body, a cam roller and a fulcrum roller are provided. On an inner side of the housing body, a vertical movement guiding part and a stopper part are provided. A spring for causing the valve-body open/close driving body to ascend is provided between the valve-body open/close driving body and a fixed base part on a fixed side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KITZ SCT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 11187054
    Abstract: A BOP booster assembly is provided for use with BOPs that utilize hydraulic actuators mounted in BOP end caps to open the BOP for replacement of the shearing members. The booster assembly has three main components comprising a booster housing, piston, and end plate. An extension in the booster housing is sufficiently long to position the booster hydraulic cylinder axially outside of the ends of the bonnet end caps of the BOP with respect to the wellbore. The booster piston is equal in diameter or larger than the operating piston of the BOP. The operating pistons and booster pistons move simultaneously, in sync, and the same distance for closing and cutting. In one embodiment, an internal hydraulic line is provided in the booster cylinder wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventors: Prashant N. Akhare, Dennis D. George
  • Patent number: 11174949
    Abstract: To provide a valve device capable of easily and precisely adjusting a flow rate of a flowing fluid, and an actuator used in the valve device. The problem is solved by an actuator including pistons housed in a housing, a supply port of compressed air provided to a casing constituting the housing, and an adjustment member that is provided to a position separated from the supply port and regulates an upper limit position of possible movement of the piston that comes into contact with the adjustment member. The piston comes into contact with the adjustment member and is positioned in the upper limit position when compressed air is supplied through the supply port. The adjustment member s provided so as to allow adjustment of the upper limit position from outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakata, Tatsuhiko Sato, Takeru Miura
  • Patent number: 11168809
    Abstract: A passive sequential pump system for use in moving a fluid is provided. The system comprises a plurality of valves. Each valve of the plurality of valves is positioned adjacent to another valve of the plurality of valves. Each of the plurality of valves includes an opening and an inner surface. The inner surface is expandable towards the opening. The system also comprises a conduit defined by the opening of each of the plurality of valves. The system further comprises an air source providing air to each of the plurality of valves and a controller controlling the air source to each of the plurality of valves. The system generates peristaltic motion to move a fluid through the conduit by increasing the air in each of the plurality of valves, thereby correspondingly closing each opening in sequence, peristaltic motion is generated to move a fluid through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Adam Robert Dotson, Dale E. Jamison
  • Patent number: 11168808
    Abstract: A valve device (1) controls media flows of any type by a valve control piston (33) guided in a longitudinally movable manner in a valve housing (3) and controlling a media connection between media connection points (9, 11) in the valve housing (3). One media connection point is a pressure supply inlet (P). Another media connection point is a load outlet (A). The valve control piston (33) is guided in the valve housing (3) with pressure equalization by an equalizing apparatus (35) with respect to the media pressure at the pressure supply inlet (P).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: RSG ELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventor: Ralph Eberhard
  • Patent number: 11162605
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to the dispensing of a fluid. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for remotely controlling the flow of an effluent fluid stream from a dispensing hose of a fluid dispenser. An actuator controls at least one valve assembly of the fluid dispenser and comprises a generator located remotely of the at least one valve assembly, for generating a low-pressure signal, and at least one receiver in fluid communication with the generator for receiving the low pressure signal of each receiver operably associated with each valve assembly. The actuator also facilitates the simultaneous, sequential and alternate control of the at least one valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventors: John Boticki, Jim Bournoville, Paul Larson
  • Patent number: 11156298
    Abstract: A valve assembly used in a manifold system fix processing fluid samples includes a body, a valve member, and a coupling assembly. The body defines a fluid passage and a valve passage in communication with the fluid passage and receiving at least a portion of the valve member therein. The valve member is selectively movable over a range of travel between an open position, in which fluid can flow through the fluid passage, and a closed position, in which the valve member occludes the fluid passage. The coupling assembly includes a coupling member and a retention lug. The retention lug is connected to one of the body and the coupling member. The other of the body and the coupling member defines a lug raceway configured to removably receive the retention lug therein to removably mount the coupling member to the body with the valve member being movably retained therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Pall Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel J. Dalessio, Mary P. Vail
  • Patent number: 11143310
    Abstract: Novel air valve includes a valve stem assembly and a storage space provided on one side of the valve stem assembly and used for storing an inflating component; the valve stem assembly includes a valve base and a valve core capable of elastically retactable relative to the valve base; the valve base is provided with an opening, and the bottom of the opening having a core cavity enabling the valve core to expand and contract elastically therein; and vents are disposed in a circumferential direction of the core cavity; the valve core is provided with a sealing block for sealing the opening; and a pressure spring is disposed between the sealing block and the bottom of the core cavity for pressing the sealing block to block the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: ZHONG SHAN SMART PLASTIC MANUFACTURING LTD.
    Inventor: Shouguo Long
  • Patent number: 11125351
    Abstract: A pilot-operated hydraulic directional cartridge valve includes an installation sleeve and a control slide. The installation sleeve includes a bore, a first portion towards its front end face, a third portion towards its rear end face, and a second portion between the first and third portions. The first portion has a first external sealing diameter and the third portion has a second external sealing diameter greater than the first external sealing diameter. The second portion includes radial openings and possesses an external diameter greater than first external sealing diameter and smaller than the second external sealing diameter in the region of the radial openings. The control slide is guided in the axial direction on a guide diameter of the installation sleeve, behind the radial openings. The ratio between the first external sealing diameter and the guide diameter is in the range between 1.10 and 1.22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Reith, Bernd Urlaub, Binh Nguyen-Xuan, Johannes Wolf
  • Patent number: 11118688
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fluid supply system for a machine. The fluid supply system includes a throttle assembly having a first shaft attached to a valve member and a fluid shutoff assembly. The fluid shutoff assembly includes a second shaft, a locking member having an axis parallel to an axis of the second shaft and comprising a locking arm extending toward the second shaft, a biasing member fixedly attached to the second shaft, a releasing mechanism adjacent to the locking member that rotates the locking member about the longitudinal axis of the locking member, and a coupler comprising a first coupling hub attached to the first shaft and a second coupling hub attached to the second shaft and interfaced with the first coupling hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Lawrence, Brandyn Stack, Evan Ramey, Anthony Kramer
  • Patent number: 11111127
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and apparatus for refilling a reservoir of a smoking-substitute device with liquid from a dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
    Inventors: Kenneth Scott, Stephen J. McDonald, Thomas S. Sudlow, David Jones, Christopher Lord