Patents Examined by Bao D Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9422478
    Abstract: Char-handling processes for controlling overall heat balance, ash accumulation, and afterburn in a reheater are provided. Carbonaceous biomass feedstock is pyrolyzed using a heat transfer medium forming pyrolysis products and a spent heat transfer medium. The spent heat transfer medium is separated into segregated char and char-depleted spent heat transfer medium. The char-depleted spent heat transfer medium is introduced into a dense bed of heat transfer medium fluidized by a stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. All or a portion of the segregated char is combusted in the dense bed using the stream of oxygen-containing regeneration gas. A portion of the segregated char may be exported out of the pyrolysis system to control the overall heat balance and ash accumulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ensyn Renewables, Inc.
    Inventors: Paolo Palmas, Paul A. Sechrist, Sid Kulprathipanja, Stanley J. Frey, Barry Freel, Daniel N. Myers, Vincenza Myers
  • Patent number: 9383103
    Abstract: An electronic gas lighting device including: a cup-shaped casing, formed by an electrically insulating material; a plurality of high-voltage outputs carried by the casing and each including a chimney-like housing carried by the casing and also formed by an electrically insulating material and a first electric contact carried by the chimney-like housing and arranged therein; and a frame element integrally and protrudingly carrying, on a first face thereof intended in use to face towards the casing, a plurality of second contacts, in number equal to the high-voltage outputs present on the casing and adapted to couple with the first contacts within said chimney-like housings, and provided on a second face thereof, opposite to the first, with a plurality of electric wires each connecting a second contact with a spark generating electrode fastenable to a cooking range; snapping fastening means to the casing being peripherally arranged on the outside of the frame element, along at least one side of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ITW INDUSTRIAL COMPONENTS S.R.L. CON UNICO SOCIO
    Inventors: Daniele Pianezze, Massimo Aleardi
  • Patent number: 9347170
    Abstract: An expandable and customizable cabinet apparatus for supporting clothes when hanging them to dry includes a housing that forms an enclosure with an opening on one side. A door connected to the housing is able to open to substantially 180 degrees. A frame is connected in a hinging arrangement to the housing allowing it to swing relative to the housing between the housing and the door. The frame includes an anchoring grid. A series of articulating hanging racks are affixed to the anchoring grid and held in a horizontal position with support members. The hanging racks may be articulated downward to a position flush with the anchoring grid, and the enclosed with the frame inside the housing and door when closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Inventor: Lynnette Van Orden Moore
  • Patent number: 9335045
    Abstract: A controller for a gas furnace, a computer-usable medium for implementing a method and a gas furnace are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the controller includes: (1) an interface configured to receive a heating call and (2) a processor configured to enable an inducer of the gas furnace at a low speed based on the heating call and ignite the gas furnace at a high fire operation when determining a low fire pressure switch of the gas furnace is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn W. Kowald, Darcy Q. Easterling
  • Patent number: 9328460
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for drying a fibrous web wherein the traveling fibrous web is acted upon by steam and hot, moist air in the region of a preceding drying zone and is then fed to the preceding drying zone of a downstream drying zone comprising a drying cylinder and a hood allocated thereto. Hot air is taken out of the hood allocated to the drying cylinder of the downstream drying zone. To create at least a portion of the steam for the preceding drying zone, condensate and/or fresh water occurring in the drying cylinder of the downstream drying zone is heated by the hot air taken out of the hood by means of a first heat exchanger. Alternatively or additionally for creating at least a portion of the hot, moist air for the preceding drying zone, the hot air taken out of the hood guided through the first heat exchanger is fed to the preceding drying zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Scherb, Joao V. Boechat
  • Patent number: 9322124
    Abstract: The portable drier for personal articles includes a wheeled cabinet having vertically oriented front and rear compartments. The front compartment is open at the front and provides for the hanging of damp or wet clothing and the like therein. A lower shelf extends across the front of the front compartment, for drying other articles. The shelf includes a series of receptacles for holding umbrellas and the like. The rear compartment includes a sinusoidal steam pipe array, with a fan or blower in the lower portion of the cabinet drawing air through the open front and blowing the air up past the steam pipes and through a louvered panel to dry articles in the front compartment. The drier may include additional features, such as an ultraviolet light for bactericidal and fungicidal cleansing, an air circulation filter, an ironing board and steam iron, and an electronic scent dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Inventor: Khaled J. H. Al-Hasan
  • Patent number: 9267679
    Abstract: A lateral duct 15 for interconnecting a riser 1 and a cyclone separator 2 has an introduction portion 16 at the connection with the riser 1 which has a cross-sectional area equal to that of the riser 1, and a throttled portion 17 between the introduction portion 16 and the cyclone separator 2 which has cross-sectional areas gradually reduced from the introduction portion 16 to the cyclone separator 2 so as to increase a flow velocity of combustion gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Takafuji, Toshiyuki Suda
  • Patent number: 9243373
    Abstract: A rotary drying cylinder (1) for plants for the production of bituminous macadams, extending along a main axis (2). The drying cylinder (1) comprises a burner (7), connected to the cylinder, which generates a flame (9) that extends inside the cylinder (1). The drying cylinder (1) internally comprises a tube-shaped shielding structure (10) having an axis of extension which is substantially parallel with the main axis (2) and extending from the burner (7) so that, in practice, the flame (9) is at least mainly confined within the shielding structure (10), there thus being a separating ring (12) between the shielding structure (10) and the inner surface (13) of the drying cylinder (1). The shielding structure (10) comprises a plurality of hollows (17) facing towards the inner surface (13) of the drying cylinder (1) for containing, in practice, the material being dried. The shielding structure (10) is at least mainly made of heat conducting materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: AMMANN ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventor: Fabio Mammoli
  • Patent number: 9228781
    Abstract: A system for drying vehicle bodies and/or for controlling the temperature thereof. The system includes a cabin and has a heater for heating hot air for the cabin. The system is equipped with a mechanical energy-consuming device, for example, a generator and/or a fan. The heater contains at least one heat exchanger. The hot exhaust gas of a thermal engine can be supplied to the heat exchanger. The thermal engine is coupled to the mechanical energy-consuming device, for example, the generator, so as to move together. Because of the coupled movement, mechanical energy can be transmitted from the thermal engine to the mechanical energy-consuming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Duerr Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Weschke, Dietmar Wieland, Juergen Jost
  • Patent number: 9228779
    Abstract: Infrared air float bar for use in floating and drying a continuous planar web of a material in a dryer. Direct radiated or reflected infrared electromagnetic energy from an infrared light source in a removable channel assembly accelerates drying, or evaporation of solvents, or curing of web material passing in proximity to the bar, either by infrared electromagnetic energy, or in combination with convention airflow. The infrared source is cooled by pressurized air passing through an interior portion of the removable air bar channel assembly, and the air is further conducted into fluid contact with the web in an air gap between the emitter and web to promote convective heat transfer and to contribute to the air pressure field supporting web flotation. The removable channel assembly is configured for replacement of the infrared emitter and to allow the setting of the pressurized cooling air flow to the optimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: MegTec Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Zagar, Michael O. Rocheleau, Les Peterson
  • Patent number: 9200802
    Abstract: A heater assembly can be used with a gas appliance. The gas appliance can be a dual fuel appliance for use with one of a first fuel type or a second fuel type different than the first. The heater assembly can include at least one pressure regulator, a housing, and an actuation member. The housing has a first fuel hook-up for connecting the first fuel type to the heater assembly, and a second fuel hook-up for connecting the second fuel type to the heater assembly. The actuation member can control a setting of the pressure regulator based on whether the first or the second fuel hook-up is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Inventor: David Deng
  • Patent number: 9188387
    Abstract: Microwave drying of ceramic honeycomb logs using a customizable cover that can take the form of a flexible wrap or a rigid cover is disclosed. The cover can be in the form of a wrap disposed directly in contact with the leading edge of the log surface. The cover can also be a rigid cover disposed adjacent but not in contact with the leading edge of the log surface. At least a portion of the trailing edge of the log can remain uncovered either by having windows in the wrap or by the rigid cover only covering the leading edge of the log surface. The customizable cover can be configured to compensate for log shape deformities as well as or in addition to the adverse effect on log shape cause by the drying differential created by passing a log through a microwave drying station leading-edge first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Colby William Audinwood, Brett Alan Terwilliger, David Robertson Treacy, Jr., Chauncey James Watches
  • Patent number: 9175848
    Abstract: A heater assembly can be used with a gas appliance. The gas appliance can be a dual fuel appliance for use with one of a first fuel type or a second fuel type different than the first. The heater assembly can include at least one pressure regulator, a housing, and an actuation member. The housing has a first fuel hook-up for connecting the first fuel type to the heater assembly, and a second fuel hook-up for connecting the second fuel type to the heater assembly. The actuation member can control a flow through the heater assembly based on whether the first or the second fuel hook-up is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Inventor: David Deng
  • Patent number: 9157178
    Abstract: A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus configures to supply steam and/or heated air to an accommodating space accommodating laundry therein is disclosed. The method includes a water supplying step (S100) supplying water to a steam generating device configured to supply steam, a preheating step (S120), a steam supplying/applying a predetermined motion to the laundry step (S140) heating the water to supply steam to the accommodating space and applying a motion to the laundry for a predetermined time period simultaneously, a cooling step (S160) cooling the accommodating space, and a drying step setting a target relative humidity according to a selected course and supplying heated air to the accommodating space (S180).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hye Yong Park, Yang Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9157657
    Abstract: A method of cooling a solar concentrator includes absorbing heat from solar energy collectors into a chamber section. The chamber section is arranged below, in a heat exchange relationship, the solar energy collectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Supratik Guha, Yves C. Martin, Robert L. Sandstrom, Theodore G. van Kessel
  • Patent number: 9139950
    Abstract: An automatic lint filter cleaning and lint collection system for a laundry dryer. The apparatus comprises a lint filter pivot chamber, a lint collection chamber, a lint filter housing pivotably mounted between the pivot chamber and collection chamber, a flange between the pivot chamber and collection chamber wherein the filter housing is biased into abutment with the flange, a lint collection container, an auger rotatably mounted within the collection chamber, and a drive assembly operably connected to the lint filter housing and auger. The drive assembly is operable to pivot the filter housing away from the flange and then to release the filter housing such that the filter housing forcibly returns into abutment with the flange and thereby causes the lint filter to release lint into the collection chamber. The drive assembly is operable to rotate the auger and thereby move lint from the collection chamber into the collection container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Barrett, Roderic N. Uphaus
  • Patent number: 9127859
    Abstract: A solar concentrator includes an optical member having a focal point. The optical member is configured and disposed to direct incident solar radiation to the focal point. A support member is positioned adjacent to the focal point of the optical member. A solar energy collector is supported upon the support member. The solar energy collector is positioned at the focal point of the optical member. A base member is positioned in a spaced relationship from the support member. The base member and the support member define a chamber section that is in a heat exchange relationship with the solar energy collector. The chamber section is configured to absorb and dissipate heat from the solar energy collectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Supratik Guha, Yves C. Martin, Robert L. Sandstrom, Theodore G. van Kessel
  • Patent number: 9127228
    Abstract: There is provided a process for operating a coal-fired furnace to generate heat. The process has the steps of a) providing the coal to the furnace and b) combusting the coal in the presence of a first slag-reducing ingredient and a second slag-reducing ingredient in amounts effective to reduce slag formation in the furnace. In one embodiment, the first slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated magnesium compounds and the second slag-reducing ingredient is selected from the group consisting of one or more oxygenated calcium compounds, one or more oxygenated silicon compounds, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the first slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated silicon compounds, and wherein the second slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated aluminum compounds. There are also provided methods for reducing slag formation in a coal-fired furnace. There are also provided methods for treating coal. There are also treated coals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: ENVIORNMENTAL ENERGY SERIVCES, INC.
    Inventor: Mark Pastore
  • Patent number: 9119509
    Abstract: A hand dryer apparatus includes a high-pressure airflow generator that generates a high pressure airflow, a control circuit that controls the high-pressure airflow generator, a power connecting unit that connects a commercial power source to the control circuit, a main body that forms a hull by housing the high-pressure airflow generator, the control circuit, and the power connecting unit, and nozzles that are formed in the main body and blows out the high pressure airflow created by the high-pressure airflow generator; further includes a panel composing a part of the main body and is detachable by a tool, and switching units that are housed in the main body and can switch a setting of the hand dryer apparatus, and enables access to the power connecting unit and the switching unit by removing the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9109835
    Abstract: A method for controlling supply of heat energy from a furnace to multiple dryers includes: determining a preset temperature, a preset humidity and a drying time for each of the dryers; calculating heat energy demand of each of the dryers according to the preset temperature, the preset humidity and the drying time of a respective one of the dryers, and calculating a fuel amount to be supplied to the furnace, and a volume of hot air to be supplied to each of the dryers; detecting a drying temperature in each of the dryers; and for each of the dryers, comparing the drying temperature and the preset temperature of the dryer, increasing the volume of hot air when the drying temperature is lower than the preset temperature, and decreasing the volume of hot air when the drying temperature is higher than the preset temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Suncue Company Ltd
    Inventor: Jung-Lang Lin