Patents Examined by Andrew W. Sutton
  • Patent number: 10321731
    Abstract: An eye protector includes a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, and an optically clear stack attached to the lens. The stack can have one or more removable layers. The eye protector also includes an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer attaching the stack to the lens. The dry mount adhesive may be self-wetting to attach the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached and/or adhered to the lens, for example, by applying pressure across the surface of the stack. The refractive indices of the lens, the dry mount adhesive, and each removable layer are matched to within about 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Racing Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: Bart E. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10314422
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a disposable polymeric film and applying it to the hand of a user or an object, in which a stream of air drawn into an enclosed inflation chamber through a constricted opening aligned with an open end of the polymeric film inflates the topmost of a stack of polymeric films in the chamber so that a user can readily insert his hand or an object into the polymeric film. After the user has donned the polymeric film on the hand or an object has been placed in the polymeric film, a wall of the chamber is opened to permit the user to readily withdraw his hand or the object from the chamber while the air flow which originally inflated the top-most polymeric film is disrupted. Upon closure of the chamber wall, the re-established air flow automatically inflates the next lower polymeric film in the polymeric film stack to prepare the next polymeric film for receipt of another hand or object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Inventors: David Scott Purcell, John Robert Morris
  • Patent number: 10306941
    Abstract: A sports helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, that comprises: an outer shell comprising an external surface of the sports helmet; inner padding disposed between the outer shell and the wearer's head; an adjustment mechanism operable by the wearer to vary an internal volume of the cavity to adjust a fit of the sports helmet on the wearer's head; and a rotational impact protection device disposed between the external surface of the sports helmet and the wearer's head when the sports helmet is worn, the rotational impact protection device comprising a surface movable relative to the external surface of the sports helmet in response to a rotational impact on the outer shell to absorb rotational energy from the rotational impact, the surface of the rotational impact protection device undergoing displacement when the adjustment mechanism is operated by the wearer to vary the internal volume of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: BAUER HOCKEY, LLC
    Inventors: Jacques Durocher, Jean-Francois Laperrière, Marie-Claude Généreux, Denis Coté
  • Patent number: 10306935
    Abstract: A system and/or method a may include adjusting an opening in a garment. The method may include disconnecting at least one fastener attaching a first portion of material to a second portion of the material forming an opening in a garment with a first diameter. The method may include expanding the first opening from the first diameter to a second larger diameter using a third portion of material attaching the first portion to the second portion of material. The method may include inserting an appendage of a user through the expanded opening. At least a portion of the appendage may include a medical device. The medical device may be inhibited from conveying through the opening with the first diameter. The method may include folding the third portion of material within the first diameter of the opening when the at least one fastener is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Knipp, Wanda V. Molinary, Veronica N. Knipp, Gregory A. Knipp, Mitchell L. Knipp
  • Patent number: 10299529
    Abstract: Described herein are helmets comprising at least one surface reinforcing component. In some embodiments the surface reinforcing component comprises at least one anchoring feature embedded in a structural feature of the helmet, such as a force absorbing element. In other embodiments, the surface reinforcing component comprises fasteners configured to mate with a respective fastener on a shell of the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Smith Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Chilson
  • Patent number: 10254498
    Abstract: A woven fabric containing an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The woven fabric contains a plurality warp yarns arranged into groupings of warp yarns. In each first weave zone, the picks of weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern. In each partial float zone, the picks of weft yarns within the partial float weave zone contain a repeating second weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn and at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn. Within the partial float zone, only a portion of the warp yarns within at least a portion of the warp groupings float over 3 weft yarns including floating over at least one multiple-inserted multifilament weft yarn in at least a portion of weft pattern repeats. An innerduct structure containing the woven fabric is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: 10254086
    Abstract: An armored shirt with contoured body armor selectively inserted into contoured armor pockets. Front and rear portions are connected along lateral edges. Shoulder portions connect upper portions of the front and rear portions, and neck and left and right arm openings are defined by the front, rear, and shoulder portions. Contoured armor pockets are formed in the front and rear portions with inner and outer layers of material joined to define a contoured edge shape while leaving a pocket opening. The contoured edge shapes of the body armor and the armor pocket correspond with both spanning from under the left arm opening to under the right arm opening. The edge shape of the pocket and the armor can include lateral inwardly arcuate upper narrowing underarm portions adjacent to the arm openings and a central inwardly arcuate upper portion therebetween bounded by the neck opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: C.I.A. Miguel Caballero SAS
    Inventor: Carolina Ballesteros Casas
  • Patent number: 10244799
    Abstract: A sock storage and organizing apparatus includes an attachment portion and a depending portion detachable therefrom. The depending portion includes a looped drawstring member dependable from the attachment portion. The looped drawstring presents an apex in contact with a hook member disposed upon the attachment portion, a pair of strands disposed in parallel therefrom, and a nadir terminally disposed distally relative the apex. Each of the pair of strands is strung through each of a plurality of slidable buckle members, each of which plurality of slidable buckle members is securably repositionable along the length of the looped drawstring member. Pairs of socks are thus securable between each of the pair of strands by selective position of an adjacent one of the plurality of slidable buckle members. A user may conveniently store socks for wear, and sequentially replace socks subsequent wear for laundering, ported, laundered, and maintained as a single unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Kevin Bunn
  • Patent number: 10240264
    Abstract: A circular loom is provided for constructing a looped woven article with integrated warp elements; a method of constructing a looped woven article utilizing a circular loom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Inventor: Deborah Jean Hall
  • Patent number: 10238156
    Abstract: A suit wearable by a human user includes a torso section, two arm sections extending from an upper portion of the torso section, and two leg sections extending from a lower portion of the torso section. At least one of an arm section and a leg section includes at least one exterior surface region that is uneven and having at least one of a different surface friction property and a different surface roughness property in relation to at least one exterior surface region of the torso section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Cumiskey, Kevin Fallon, Chris Laughman, Diaa Abbas
  • Patent number: 10231499
    Abstract: A disposable protective cover for use on a finger while eating has a grease resistant flexible sheet that can be secured to a finger for repelling grease and sauces from foods being handled. The central body portion of the cover is approximately the same width and length as the finger. An upper tab extends from the upper end of the central body, and a lower tab extends from the lower end. A left tab and a right tab extend from the sides. The rear side of the sheet has an adhesive and a release sheet covering the adhesive. The user removes the release sheet to expose an adhesive on the rear surface, places the finger on the central body portion so that the lower tab extends onto the user's palm. The user then folds the upper tab over the fingertip and wraps the left and right tabs around the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: EMPIAL III, LLC
    Inventor: Michael P. Lefrancois, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10233572
    Abstract: A warp yarn take-up system includes a clamping device for holding a plurality of layers of warp yarns, the clamping device being movable at least in a direction corresponding to the advance direction of the warp yarns. The clamping device includes a bottom clamp, a top clamp, and at least one intermediate clamping element present between the bottom clamp and the top clamp. The bottom clamp, the top clamp, and the at least one intermediate clamping element are held together by clamping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Claire Rousseau, Dominique Michel Serge Magnaudeix, Jérémy Hellot
  • Patent number: 10226095
    Abstract: An eye protector includes a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, and an optically clear stack attached to the lens. The stack can have one or more removable layers. The eye protector also includes an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer attaching the stack to the lens. The dry mount adhesive may be self-wetting to attach the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached and/or adhered to the lens, for example, by applying pressure across the surface of the stack. The refractive indices of the lens, the dry mount adhesive, and each removable layer are matched to within about 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Racing Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: Bart E. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10227715
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a refrigerant fabric using warps and wefts in which Z-twist yarns and S-twist yarns are arranged at a ratio of 1:1 in the warps and the wefts and the refrigerant fabric manufactured by the method. The method includes: a Z-twist yarn manufacturing step of manufacturing Z-twist yarns with Z-twist using fibers; a S-twist yarn manufacturing step of manufacturing S-twist yarns with S-twist using fibers; a warp arrangement step of alternating the manufactured Z-twist yarns and S-twist yarns and arranging them as warps; a weft arrangement step alternating the manufactured Z-twist yarns and S-twist yarns and arranging them as wefts; and a fabric weaving step of weaving a fabric using the arranged warps and wefts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: SEJONG TF INC.
    Inventor: Seok Man Gang
  • Patent number: 10226115
    Abstract: For a hairdressing cape, a round opening is formed at the center of an upper region of at least a front cloth and a back cloth, and a collar portion with an overlapping portion is formed which is sewn to a peripheral edge of the round opening by folding an edge portion. A clasp is mounted to an inner end portion at one side of the overlapping portion of the collar portion, and a ladder tape is mounted from near an end portion at the other side of the collar portion to an upper region of the back cloth. By making the clasp be caught and fastened in an arbitrary position of the ladder tape, the overlapping portion of the collar portion is fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: WAKO CLOTHING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken'ichi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10226383
    Abstract: A welding helmet includes a helmet shell contoured to substantially cover a user's face, and a neck guard removably attachable to a bottom portion of the helmet shell. The neck guard has a predetermined contour, aligning with a portion of the helmet shell contour, and is configured to cover at least a portion of a user's neck when the welding helmet is fitted to the head of the user. The neck guard is removably attachable to the helmet shell by a mechanical fastening arrangement, which can include a plurality of fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: ESAB AB
    Inventor: Josefin Ambring
  • Patent number: 10219573
    Abstract: A protective helmet includes a plurality of fluid filled bladders, impact sensors, valves, and pumps wherein the helmet absorbs energy from an impact to protect a person wearing the helmet from traumatic brain injury. The bladders expel fluid in response to a triggering event such as energy from an impact detected as a pressure spike event and/or detected as an acceleration event. A selected bladder may expel fluid to other bladders, to a reservoir, to the environment outside of the protective helmet, or combinations thereof. In embodiments where the bladders need additional fluid after an impact, one or more pumps may refill selected deflated bladders. When a bladder is underinflated, an indicator light may emit light on an outer surface of the protective helmet to warn that the bladder is not yet ready to be placed in operation to absorb another impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Inventor: Ronald A. Podboy
  • Patent number: 10219643
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a disposable glove and applying it to the hand of a user in which a stream of air drawn into an enclosed glove applying chamber through a constricted opening aligned with the heel of the glove inflates the topmost glove in a stack of gloves in the chamber so that a user can readily insert his hand into the glove. After the user has donned the glove on the hand, a wall of the chamber is opened to permit the user to readily withdraw his hand from the glove applying chamber while the air flow which originally inflated the top-most glove is disrupted. Upon closures of the chamber wall, the re-established air flow automatically inflates the next lower glove in the glove stack to prepare the next glove for receipt of another hand. The apparatus alternatively or in addition includes a glove removal chamber arranged to remove a glove from a gloved hand using a stream of air drawn into the glove removal chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Inventors: David Scott Purcell, John Robert Morris
  • Patent number: 10220292
    Abstract: An athletic glove includes a hand portion and a cuff portion. The hand portion includes a palm area and a plurality of digits. The palmar face of the glove further includes a grip enhancing surface disposed on one or more digits and/or the palm portion. The grip enhancing layer is positioned below the wrist and/or within the lower portion of the forearm to provide an extended contact surface to the wearer during gameplay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
    Inventor: Jedd Komlos
  • Patent number: 10221507
    Abstract: A weft yarn measuring and storing device of a loom includes a drive roller, a support shaft, a support lever is turnably mounted to the support shaft, a feed roller that is rotatably mounted to the support lever and pressed to be contacted against the drive roller by a spring force so that the feed roller is rotated by rotation of the drive roller to pinch a weft yarn therebetween for feeding, and a storing drum that takes up and stores the fed weft yarn. The weft yarn measuring and storing device further includes a friction resistance imparting portion that imparts the support lever a friction resistance against turning of the support lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamauchi, Haruo Shimazaki, Natsuki Kakiuchi