Patents Examined by Benjamin Lebron
  • Patent number: 9592500
    Abstract: Among other things, in general, a two-stage filtration and extraction assembly is described, as well as methods of use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventors: Alan A. Doucette, Mark James Wall
  • Patent number: 9580337
    Abstract: A pressurized forward osmotic separation process is disclosed. Generally there are two processes described. One process involves the concentration of a target solute in the first solution; the other process involves the extraction of a solvent from a first solution both by a second solution comprising of water and soluble gas or water, soluble gas, and a compound by creating an osmotic concentration gradient across the semi permeable membrane. The first solution is under pressure from an inert gas and the second solution is under pressure from a soluble gas with equal system pressures greater than 1 atmosphere. The increase or decrease of partial pressure of the soluble gas in the second solution increases or decreases the chemical potential of the second solution to achieve different solution properties. The soluble gas may be carbon dioxide and the compound may be magnesium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lehigh University
    Inventors: Arup SenGupta, Robert Creighton, Ryan Smith
  • Patent number: 9505642
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include water treatment systems and components for water treatment systems that possess a collapsed and an expanded configuration, that can be easily transported in the collapsed configuration and expeditiously set up in the field into their expanded configuration. The embodiments include trickle filter/clarifier combinations, upflow anaerobic digester reactors, recirculating anaerobic digesters and their components. In preferred embodiments the volume of the expanded configurations is at least four times the volume of the collapsed configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Acqualogic
    Inventors: Peter Heller Haase, Ross Harlen Levy
  • Patent number: 9504965
    Abstract: Disclosed is a filtering apparatus capable of minimizing the relative vibration of the filtering membrane module within the frame structure during the aeration cleaning process, thereby preventing the damage of the filtering membrane module which might be caused due to the relative vibration as well as the separation of the filtering membrane module from the frame structure. The filtering apparatus comprises a frame structure including a cross bar and a filtering membrane module installed in the frame structure. The cross bar comprises a first rib inserted into a receiver of the header of the filtering membrane module. The filtering apparatus further comprises a stopper fastened to an end of the first rib passing through a through-hole of the receiver so as to prevent the filtering membrane module from being separated from the frame structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Heewan Moon
  • Patent number: 9480951
    Abstract: A mass transfer device includes a wall structure having a first surface and a second surface. The wall structure has slots extending there through between the first and second surfaces. Each slot has a width, a length and a height. For purposes of mass transfer applications to include cross-flow fluid filtering, the length is at least approximately 3 times the width for each of the slots, and a width-to-height ratio for each of the slots is less than approximately 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: College of William and Mary
    Inventor: S. Laurie Sanderson
  • Patent number: 9441464
    Abstract: A method of forming a bendable slotted liner with multiple circumferentially overlapping non-axial keystone slots comprising: transversely profiling a rod to form a profiled rod, having bending members outwardly profiled wider than intermediate and inward widths, interspersed with bases profiled to bondably mate with axially adjacent bases on a neighboring winding; forming the profiled rod into alternating port and starboard bending members and base pairs, by one of, bonding transverse spacers to the rod, transversely corrugating the rod, and forming the rod with one of transverse outdents and indents; winding the profiled rod to the outer diameter; and bonding axially paired bases together; wherein configuring the non-axial slot circumferential length greater than the circumferential base length on adjacent rod windings, forming non-axial keystone slots between bending members providing axial strain relief, with outer slot widths within a prescribed slot range and axial strain relief capacity greater than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: VAST POWER PORTFOLIO, LLC
    Inventor: David L. Hagen
  • Patent number: 9427684
    Abstract: A portable pre-filtering fuel filler device is described herein. The portable pre-filtering fuel filler device includes a fuel inlet opening, an interior fuel conduit in fluidic communication with the fuel inlet opening, and a water chamber positioned vertically below the interior fuel conduit. The portable pre-filtering fuel filler device further includes a fuel filter in fluidic communication with the water chamber and positioned vertically above the water chamber and a fuel outlet opening in fluidic communication with the fuel filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jeremy Welch
  • Patent number: 9387422
    Abstract: An embedded type, inverted-filtering and anti-clogging emitter comprises a first component and a second component which are mutually fixed, and a filter cloth sandwiched between the first component and the second component; the first component is provided with a hollowed-out portion which is capable of exposing the filter cloth, and the second is provided with a pressing portion to press the filter cloth against the first component, which completely covers the hollowed-out portion on the projection plane, and presses against the filter cloth along the edge of the hollowed-out portion, whereby water in the water pipeline has to successively pass through the diversion channel, the filter cloth pressed by the pressing portion, and the hollowed-out portion to the water outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: SHANGHAI YINE GREEN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Libin Chen
  • Patent number: 9387418
    Abstract: The present document describes a media bed filter for filtering fine particles from a raw liquid flow, the media bed filter comprising: a tank having: a top portion; a bottom portion defining a bottom surface for receiving a media bed, the media bed having a supporting media to be disposed on the bottom surface and a filtering media for covering the supporting media, the top portion of the tank being above the filtering media of the media bed; a raw liquid inlet in fluid communication with a nozzle configuration located in the top portion of the tank for providing the raw liquid flow in the tank in the form of a plurality of jets at a directional velocity substantially equal or greater to a disengagement velocity of the filtering media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Neptune-Benson, LLC
    Inventors: Marco Bosisio, Alain Silverwood
  • Patent number: 9383293
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for sample separation, particularly for blood separation, in which the sample liquid is introduced into a feed device. The sample flows vertically through a separating device such as a filter or a membrane, so that sample particles are retained and separated off. The sample liquid thus separated, particularly blood plasma, is received by an inlet chamber underneath the separating device and conveyed by means of a channel in the lateral direction out of the inlet chamber. Particularly advantageously, the channel extends into the inlet chamber, the channel being formed by a recess in the base of the inlet chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts GmbH
    Inventors: Gert Blankenstein, Thanh Tu Hellmich-Duong, Dirk Kurowski, Dirk Osterloh
  • Patent number: 9364777
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating solids from solids laden drilling fluid, the apparatus comprising a skid and a basket resiliently suspended thereto and a vibratory mechanism to vibrate the basket, the basket having at least one screen deck for receiving at least one screen, the basket having a feed end at which solids laden drilling fluid is introduced and a discharge end at which solids are discharged through a solids discharge opening, the apparatus further comprising a hood encompassing at least a discharge end of the basket and at least one extraction outlet arranged at the discharge end to remove fume laden air from the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventor: George Alexander Burnett
  • Patent number: 9352254
    Abstract: A hybrid type fiber filtering apparatus includes an enclosure, a strainer, a first filtering layer and a second filtering layer. The enclosure has an upper case and a lower case coupled to the upper case. The strainer is mounted inside the upper case in a longitudinal direction. The first filtering layer includes a plurality of fiber filters fixed between upper and lower fixing units and surround an outer circumferential surface of the strainer. The second filtering layer includes a plurality of fiber ball filters disposed inside the lower case. Raw water introduced into the upper case through a raw water inflow pipe passes through the first filtering layer, flows into the strainer, drops downwardly from an inside of the strainer, is introduced into the lower case, passes through the second filtering layer, and then, is discharged out through a filtered water discharge pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION DO., LTD.
    Inventors: Woo Nyoung Lee, Sung Won Park, Yong Hae Park, Sung Woo Woo
  • Patent number: 9327246
    Abstract: There is provided a honeycomb-shaped ceramic separation-membrane structure having higher pressure resistance than conventional ones and being capable of reducing production costs. The honeycomb-shaped ceramic separation-membrane structure is provided with a honeycomb-shaped base material, an intermediate layer, and a separation layer. At least part of a ceramic porous body has a structure where aggregate particles are bonded to one another by an inorganic bonding material component. In the ceramic separation-membrane structure, an internal pressure fracture strength capable of fracturing the structure by application of water pressure inside the cells is 7 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Teranishi, Makoto Miyahara, Makiko Ichikawa, Hideyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9321016
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a honeycomb-shaped ceramic porous body where the strength reduction upon forming a separation layer is less than conventional porous bodies. The ceramic porous body is provided with a honeycomb-shaped base material and an intermediate layer. At least a part of the ceramic porous body has a structure where aggregate particles are bonded to one another by an inorganic bonding material component. In the ceramic porous body, the intermediate layer thickness, which is the thickness of the intermediate layer, is 100 ?m or more and 500 ?m or less, the base material thickness at the shortest portion between the cells, but excluding the intermediate layer and the separation layer is 0.51 mm or more and 1.55 mm or less, and the ratio of the base material thickness to the intermediate layer thickness is 2.5 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Teranishi, Makoto Miyahara, Makiko Ichikawa, Hideyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9308470
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for extracting compounds from mixtures based on their relative solubilities in different solvents. The mixture can be introduced into a cylindrical container in which the mixture is agitated as it flows past a plurality of plates mounted along a shaft. At least one plate is arranged at a nonzero angle with respect to a plane normal to the shaft and features a plurality of perforations. Agitation by the plates breaks the mixture into small, evenly dispersed droplets and a solvent is introduced into the container to extract the desirable compound and thus separate it from the undesirable compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Chem-Pro Group LLC
    Inventor: Charles J. Bambara
  • Patent number: 9278296
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for securing a distributor plate to a backing plate of a chromatography column without the need for releasable fixing means as screws or bolts. The invention also relates to chromatographic columns utilizing such methods. The method employs a negative pressure or vacuum that is generated internally within the column to affix the distributor to the backing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB
    Inventors: Manoj Kumar Ramakrishna, Shashikanth Agnihotry
  • Patent number: 9254358
    Abstract: A circulation pump and an electrochemical ozone generator are integrated into the permeate return line of an RO system, and the permeate return line is connected in flow direction behind the circulation pump and the ozone generator by a recirculation line to the permeate supply line, which can form a closed circuit where the ozonized permeate circulates until all organic contaminants have been killed or decomposed by the ozone in that part of the line system. Valves are integrated, respectively, into the recirculation line and the permeate return line downstream of the branch of the recirculation line. During normal operation of the RO system, the recirculation line valve is connected for feeding connected dialysis devices while the permeate return line valve is open, so excessive permeate that was not taken by the dialysis devices can flow into the supply tank. Alternatively, the permeate can be discharged into an outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Inventor: Manfred Volker
  • Patent number: 9222200
    Abstract: A spinning device is disclosed. The spinning device includes a tube body, a sleeve component, a jacket tube and a lid. The tube body has a first through orifice in a vertical direction, the sleeve component has a second through orifice for the tube body to be mounted therein to form a fluid passage in between; the jacket tube has a third through orifice for the sleeve component and the tube body to be mounted therein. A first opening and second opening are formed on the wall of the jacket tube, allowing the second opening to be coupled with the fluid passage. The lid is coupled to one end of the jacket tube, and has a fourth through orifice, allowing the tube body to rotate with respect to the sleeve tube, jacket tube and the lid, thereby making a the hollow fiber having a spiral passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Chin-Chih Tai
  • Patent number: 9205353
    Abstract: The scum removal system for liquids is adaptable to wastewater treatment facilities, aquaculture facilities, oil spills, and/or other environments where the removal of a thin, buoyant layer of material from a liquid surface is desired. The system incorporates a geyser pump having one or more inlet pipes, with the inlet pipe(s) collectively having a larger diameter than the discharge pipe. This assures that the volume of water in the inlet pipe is always less than that in the discharge pulse, thus assuring that a steady, constant flow of liquid flows into the inlet opening to assure a uniform inertial flow of the floating contaminants into the inlet. The top of the inlet pipe(s) may be vertically adjustable for variable liquid level. The geyser pump may be submerged within the liquid or may be installed external to the liquid tank with the submerged inlet pipe communicating with the external pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Inventors: Daniel M. Early, Scott F. Easter
  • Patent number: 9114364
    Abstract: A hollow fiber for adsorption or filtration. The hollow fiber contains a tubular matrix having a first end and a second end, and a winding channel formed through the tubular matrix and extending between the first end and the second end. The tubular matrix is porous and has a surface-area-to-volume ratio of 10 to 20000 m2/m3, a thickness of 0.05 to 9.95 mm, an outside diameter of 0.1 to 10 mm, and a length 10 to 90% that of the winding channel. Also disclosed is a method of preparing this hollow fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Chin-Chih Tai