Patents Examined by Brian D Keller
  • Patent number: 11730329
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning system includes an interlock for physically interlocking an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station. The interlock selectively engages when the robot is docked at the docking station, and can automatically engage as when a predefined locking criterion is met. The interlock can remain engaged until a predefined unlocking criterion is met. Methods for docking an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Adam Brown
  • Patent number: 11724366
    Abstract: A hand tool for driving a fastener is provided. The hand tool includes gearing that interconnects a splined socket to a rotatable or trigger actuator and increases a rotational speed of the splined socket relative to the actuator. The hand tool may include a power tool receiver 38 or an independent motor to drive rotation of the splined socket to advance or retract a fastener from a threaded shaft. By increasing the speed and conserving rotational inertia, the hand tool reduces the time to secure a fastener on a threaded shaft. A rotatable nut is provided. The rotatable nut can slideably orient along a first axis and threadedly orient along a second axis to fasten to an adjacent surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher S. Hoppe, Aaron S. Blumenthal, Aaron M. Williams, Michael John Caelwaerts, Max R. Sawa, Caroline Hope, James Wekwert, Jason D. Thurner
  • Patent number: 11717933
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a retaining ring for polishing a wafer by a slurry. The retaining ring includes a ring-shaped main body and a plurality of guiding elements. The main body has an outer surface, an inner surface, and an inner space for accommodating the wafer. The main body includes a plurality of channels configured to allow the slurry to flow into the inner space from the outer surface. The plurality of guiding elements is disposed at the outer surface of the main body with respect to the plurality of channels. Each of the guiding elements forms a slurry capture area with the main body to guide the slurry towards each of the respective channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: XIA TAI XIN SEMICONDUCTOR (QING DAO) LTD.
    Inventor: Yong-Seok Ro
  • Patent number: 11717951
    Abstract: A screwdriver comprises a handle including a butt and a shank extending from the handle and including a tip. The butt includes a first indicating element having a shape corresponding to the tip and a plurality of second indicating elements arranged around the first indicating element. Each of the second indicating elements has the shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Steven W. Hyma, Joseph M. DeBaker, Kyle C. Anderson, Aaron S. Blumenthal, Mark W. Cors, Christopher S. Hoppe
  • Patent number: 11717122
    Abstract: A dust scraping device for a cleaning apparatus includes a dust cup and a removable cyclone separation unit arranged in the dust cup. The dust scraping device includes a dust scraping member. The dust scraping member has a connection portion extending in a removal direction of the cyclone separation unit, and a dust scraping portion extending to an interior of the dust cup in a direction perpendicular to the removal direction and slidably abutting against the cyclone separation unit. The dust scraping device is mounted at the dust cup, and the dust scraping portion scrapes off at least part of debris on an outer side of the cyclone separation unit when the cyclone separation unit is removed from the dust cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: BEIJING SHUNZAO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng Tang, Fei Duan, Liang Zhong, Chongyue Xu, Peiheng Zhu, Lu Han
  • Patent number: 11717934
    Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a chuck table that holds a workpiece through a protective tape, where the protective tape is attached to one surface of an annular frame so as to cover an opening of the annular frame and the workpiece is attached to the protective tape on an inner side of an inner circumferential edge of the opening of the annular frame; a grinding unit for grinding the workpiece; and a frame cleaning unit that cleans the other surface located on a side opposite to the one surface of the annular frame obtained after grinding of the workpiece, and wherein the frame cleaning unit has either: (i) a first cleaning member configured and arranged for making contact with the other surface of the annular frame and having flexibility, or (ii) a second cleaning member that jets at least either gas or liquid from above the other surface of the annular frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Hoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11717125
    Abstract: A partition skirt device for a cleaning apparatus includes an inner ring and a skirt body. The skirt body includes: a root connected to the inner ring; an edge part arranged at an end of the skirt body away from the inner ring; and a plurality of collapsing parts arranged at intervals between the root and the edge part along a circumferential direction of the skirt body, and each extending along a radial direction of the skirt body. Along a thickness direction of the skirt body, the collapsing part protrudes relative to the skirt body on a first side surface of the skirt body and is recessed relative to the skirt body on a second side surface of the skirt body. On the first side surface of the skirt body, a size of a portion of the collapsing part protruding from the skirt body gradually decreases from the root to the edge part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: BEIJING SHUNZAO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng Tang, Fei Duan, Liang Zhong, Chongyue Xu, Peiheng Zhu, Lu Han
  • Patent number: 11712140
    Abstract: Provided is a robot cleaner including a main body including a suction portion disposed therein, a main wheel for moving the main body, wherein a vertical level of the main wheel varies in a vertical direction with respect to the main body, an auxiliary wheel disposed at a front portion or a rear portion of the main body, wherein a vertical level of the auxiliary wheel is fixed with respect to the main body, and a driving member assembly disposed in the main body, wherein the driving member assembly varies a vertical level of the main body from a floor face while rotating in forward and rearward directions of the main body, wherein the driving member assembly has different hitting radii when rotating forward and rearward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Hwang Kim
  • Patent number: 11712787
    Abstract: A powered ratchet tool includes a housing and an output member. The output member has an inner opening, an outer toothed surface, and an output member aperture extending through the outer toothed surface to the inner opening. The powered ratchet tool further includes a drive mechanism for driving the output member. The drive mechanism includes a yoke in which the output member is arranged. The yoke has a yoke aperture. The powered ratchet tool further includes a first pawl in the yoke that is biased toward the toothed surface of the output member and a second pawl in the yoke that is biased toward the toothed surface of the output member. When the output member is in a home position, the first pawl and the second pawl are engaged with the toothed surface of the output member and the output member aperture is aligned with the yoke aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mackenzie J. Nick, Jeffrey M. Wackwitz
  • Patent number: 11712788
    Abstract: An oil filter removal tool configured for removal of a filter cartridge is provided, including: a main body, including a driving portion configured to be connected with a driven portion of the filter cartridge so that the main body is rotatable with the filter cartridge; a cover portion, connected with the main body, including an opening corresponding to the driving portion, the opening being configured for assembling of the driven portion of the filter cartridge therewithin; wherein the main body has a first flexibility, the cover portion has a second flexibility, and the second flexibility is greater than the first flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: KTL INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ying-Chieh Liao, Yu-Kuo Liao
  • Patent number: 11707173
    Abstract: A hand vacuum cleaner with a finger grip area that is provided between a forward side of the handle and a rear side of the main body, and wherein the suction motor is positioned between the cyclone and the finger grip area and an axis that extends between the front of the cyclone and the handle extends through the suction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 11696666
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a body having a space that allows air to flow therethrough. The vacuum cleaner also includes a suction inlet configured to introduce the air into the body. Further, the vacuum cleaner includes a suction motor provided in the body. The vacuum cleaner includes a dust separation module provided in the body. The dust separation module is arranged between the suction inlet and the suction motor. The dust separation module separates foreign substances from the air. The vacuum cleaner includes an exhaust module that discharges the air passing through the suction motor from the body. The exhaust module includes an exhaust filter comprising a photocatalyst. Further, the vacuum cleaner includes a lighting module that radiates light toward the exhaust filter. The vacuum cleaner includes a battery supplying electrical energy for the operation of the vacuum cleaner and a controller configured that controls operations of the vacuum cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jungwan Ryu, Jinhyouk Shin, Kookhaeng Lee, Dae Ho Chang
  • Patent number: 11684145
    Abstract: A built-in toothpaste type toothbrush structure includes toothbrush casing, toothpaste inner tube, knob switch, toothpaste storage handle and pushing structure. The toothbrush casing includes a toothbrush head, an accommodating space, and an outlet and a socketing portion. The toothbrush casing is sheathed on the toothpaste inner tube and has a toothpaste channel inside, and the toothpaste storage handle is connected integrally with the toothpaste inner tube for storing toothpaste, and the pushing structure is installed in the toothpaste storage handle to push the toothpaste to the toothbrush head. Therefore, the knob switch can control the communication between the toothpaste inner tube and the toothbrush casing to avoid contaminating the toothpaste stored in the toothpaste inner tube, so that home and office users or students can carry and use the toothbrush for dental cleaning and oral hygiene conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: YUAN YOANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chien-Tsan Chan
  • Patent number: 11672394
    Abstract: A cleaner of the present disclosure comprises: a suction part; a main body comprising a body and a body cover for opening and closing the lower side of the body, the body comprising a cyclone part for separating dust from dust masses suctioned through the suction part and a dust container for storing the dust separated by the cyclone part; a handle part coupled to the main body; a filter part disposed inside the body, and filtering air, separated from the dust in the cyclone part; a movable part capable of moving inside the body along a space between the outside of the filter part and the inner circumferential surface of the body; an operation part disposed at the outside of the main body to move the movable part; and a delivery part penetrating through the main body, and connecting the movable part to the operation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Youngjoo Lee, Jungmin Ko, Soohan Eo, Kietak Hyun, Inkyu Hwang
  • Patent number: 11673244
    Abstract: An oil filter wrench having a base, a main gear, a plurality of claws each having a gear portion and an arm configured to engage an oil filter. The gear portions are rotatably disposed within the base and configured to engage the main gear such that when the main gear rotates; the arms correspondingly extend or contract relative to the base. The oil filter wrench also includes a main spring. The main spring is disposed within a cavity defined by the main gear. The main spring is configured to selectively bias the main gear toward rotation in either a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction. The oil filter wrench is characterised in that it also includes a switching mechanism a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism is configured to selectively toggle between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the switching mechanism engages a first tine of the main spring such that the main gear is biased to rotate in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: STANLEY BLACK & DECKER MEA FZE
    Inventors: Yu-Wei Tsai, Wan-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 11667003
    Abstract: A wafer held on a delivery pad is lifted from a holding surface, and when a lower surface of the wafer has been spaced in its entirety from the holding surface, an air flow rate regulating valve is opened to eject air from the holding surface. As the distance between the holding surface and the wafer spaced from the holding surface increases by lifting of a delivery unit, the degree of opening of the air flow rate regulating valve is adjusted to increase a flow rate of air from the holding surface, thereby spacing the wafer from the holding surface in a short period of time without rupturing the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Fukushi, Tetsuo Kubo
  • Patent number: 11667015
    Abstract: A clipless bicycle pedal auxiliary tool includes two cramp bodies, each cramp body includes a pivot part, a holding section and a clamping section, the two pivot parts are pivoted with each other, and the holding sections and the clamping sections are disposed on two sides of the pivot parts, respectively. Each clamping section includes a clamping pin and a pushing pin protruded thereon. The two holding sections can be operated to pivotally swing the two clamping section relative to each other, and make the two clamping pins and the two pushing pins move close to and away from each other, so that the two clamping pins can clamp the two inner sides of the clamping fastener of the clipless bicycle pedal, and the two pushing pins push the two outer sides of the clamping fastener to form a force pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: CYCLINGDEAL USA, INC.
    Inventor: Haidong Gu
  • Patent number: 11660735
    Abstract: A wrench assembly includes first and second wrench members, and a switch, having an engagement member and a proximal extremity, mounted to the first wrench member. The switch moves between engaging and disengaging positions of the engagement member. The proximal extremity is undepressed in the engagement member engaging position, and is depressed in the engagement member disengaging position. The switch moves from the engagement member engaging position to the engagement member disengaging position, when the second wrench member is partially installed into the first wrench member. The switch moves from the engagement member disengaging position to the engagement member engaging position releasably engaging the engagement member to the complemental engagement member disabling the second wrench member from being withdrawn from the first wrench member, when the engagement member registers with the complemental engagement member when the second wrench member is installed into the first wrench member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventor: John Terrel White, II
  • Patent number: 11654541
    Abstract: A tool is devised for skateboards. The tool includes a grip, an Allen key/screwdriver, a driver and three sockets. The grip includes a non-circular cavity in an end and a groove in a side. The first and second sockets are connected to the grip, opposite to each other. The Allen key/screwdriver is selectively inserted in the groove. The driver is selectively inserted in the cavity. The third socket is formed at an end of the driver. The third socket includes an axial bore, a radial bore, and a cutout opposite to the radial bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Inventor: Wen-Tang Tsai
  • Patent number: 11641934
    Abstract: A vacuuming broom assembly includes a vacuum pack that is wearable on a user's back. The vacuum pack has an intake for urging air inwardly therein when the vacuum pack is turned on and a suction hose is fluidly coupled to the intake. A broom is provided that has a head and a handle. A suction manifold is coupled to the broom and the suction manifold has a pair of inlet ports and an exhaust port. The suction hose is fluidly coupled to the exhaust port such that the suction manifold is in fluid communication with the vacuum unit. Each of the inlet ports is aligned with the head of the broom for sucking up debris that is produced from sweeping. In this way the vacuum unit reduces airborne particles produced from sweeping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher Samsel