Patents Examined by Brian D Keller
  • Patent number: 11325224
    Abstract: A method of monitoring dressing of a polishing pad is provided. The method includes: rotating a polishing table that supports the polishing pad; dressing the polishing pad by pressing a dresser against the polishing pad while causing the dresser to oscillate in a radial direction of the polishing pad; calculating a work coefficient representing a ratio of a frictional force between the dresser and the polishing pad to a force of pressing the dresser against the polishing pad; and monitoring dressing of the polishing pad based on the work coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 11324373
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cleaning robot capable of allowing a driving apparatus to move along a cleaning apparatus when the cleaning apparatus is separated from the driving apparatus, and a controlling method thereof. In addition, a cleaning robot having a driving apparatus capable of storing a position from which a cleaning apparatus is separated when the cleaning apparatus is separated from the driving apparatus, and capable of moving to the stored position when the cleaning apparatus is mounted to the driving apparatus, and a controlling method thereof. The cleaning robot includes a driving apparatus provided with a mounting groove configured to allow a cleaning apparatus to be removably mounted, and the cleaning apparatus removably mounted to the mounting groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung In Lee, Shin Kim, Byung Chan Kim, Woo Ram Oh, Kyung Han Jeong, Won Kyu Lim
  • Patent number: 11318591
    Abstract: A nut driver includes an elongate drive shank and a reversible socket. The socket has a first hex socket opening sized to engage a hexagonal profile of a first size, and a second hex socket opening sized to engage a hexagonal profile of a second size that is larger than the first size. The socket is mountable on the drive shank in either a first orientation that presents the first hex socket opening for use, or a second orientation that presents the second hex socket opening for use. Additionally, in the first orientation, the socket is mountable in either a screw head receiving position or a drive bit receiving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Klein Tools, Inc.
    Inventors: Austin Minor, Jordan L. Fisher, Michael D. Bronk
  • Patent number: 11311991
    Abstract: An oil filter removal tool used for removing seized filters from internal combustion engines. Additionally, the oil filer removal tool is designed to provide various method of applying a torque to an oil filter. To achieve this the tool has a gripper mechanism, a tool engagement mechanism, an annular clamp, and a plurality of protective covers. The gripper mechanism is able to grasp onto the oil filter. Additionally, the tool engagement mechanism is permanently integrated onto the gripper mechanism. This enables the user to apply a higher torque to the oil filter housing, thus removing even seized filters without damaging the oil filter itself. Similarly, the plurality of protective covers is positioned between the gripper mechanism and the oil filter to provide an additional layer of protection, if the user chooses to install the oil filter removal tool onto the new filter for the next oil change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Kobus, Anna Kobus
  • Patent number: 11297987
    Abstract: A dirt separator includes a separating chamber defined by an outer wall, the separating chamber having a longitudinal axis; an air inlet into the separating chamber; and a shroud comprising a screen through which air is able to flow out of the separation chamber. The shroud further includes a shroud skirt extending about one end of the shroud, the shroud skirt being fixed to the rest of the shroud at a first, fixed edge, and having a second, free edge. The skirt shroud is formed of a deformable material and includes a plurality of ribs formed on a surface of the skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventor: Alexander Michael Campbell-Hill
  • Patent number: 11278174
    Abstract: A cleaner and a method for controlling the same. The cleaner includes a brush module comprising a brush configured to scatter foreign substances on a floor, and a brush motor configured to rotate the brush. The cleaner includes a suction module configured to suction the foreign substances; a sensor configured to detect a load applied to the brush; and a controller configured to control suction force of the suction module based on the load detected by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jea Yun So, Yeon Kyu Jeong, Sang Sik Yoon, Shin Kim
  • Patent number: 11273548
    Abstract: A screwdriver system can include a primary driver and a secondary driver. The primary driver can include an attachment feature configured to couple to a driver bit socket. The attachment feature can be mechanically coupled to the driver shaft such that torque applied to the attachment feature is transferred to the shaft. The secondary driver can include a driver bit socket at the end of its shaft. The attachment feature of the primary driver can be structured, configured, and oriented such that the secondary driver can reversibly couple to the attachment feature via the driver bit socket of the secondary driver shaft. The secondary driver, when so-coupled, can be oriented with the primary axis of the secondary driver shaft generally perpendicular to the primary axis of the primary driver. In some examples, the primary driver can be a torque wrench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: New Revo Brand Group, LLC
    Inventor: Ryan Chernik
  • Patent number: 11253981
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench is provided, including a main body, a driving member, a restricting member, a switching member and an elastic abutting assembly. The main body has a first receiving, chamber, a second receiving chamber and a third receiving chamber which is communicated with the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber. One end of the second receiving chamber is formed with a larger diameter section, and the other end of the second receiving chamber is formed with a small diameter section. The driving member is rotatably assembled within the receiving chamber. The restricting member is disposed in the third receiving chamber and limitable to a rotational direction of the driving member. The switching member is rotatably disposed within the second receiving chamber and includes a rotatable member and a projection which extends from the rotatable member. The rotatable member is received in the larger diameter section and the projection is received in the small diameter section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: STANLEY CHIRO INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Tung Chan
  • Patent number: 11229337
    Abstract: A cleaner includes: a suction unit; a suction motor that generates suction force for sucking air through the suction unit and includes an impeller; a dust separation unit that includes one or more cyclone units generating cyclonic flow to separate dust from air flowing inside through the suction unit; a dust container that stores dust separated by the dust separation unit and is disposed under the suction motor; a battery disposed behind the dust container to supply power to the suction motor; and a handle disposed behind the suction motor, wherein a rotational axis of the impeller and an axis of the cyclonic flow vertically extend and an extension line from the rotational axis of the impeller passes through the one or more cyclone units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Bohyun Nam, Namhee Kim, Jinju Kim, Hyeonjeong An, Jungbae Hwang
  • Patent number: 11224322
    Abstract: Vacuums including a hollow wand and a vacuum accessory are provided herein. The vacuum accessory is configured to releasably couple with the hollow wand. A first terminal is disposed at a distal end of the hollow wand. A second terminal is disposed at a proximal end of the vacuum accessory. The second terminal is configured to correspondingly electrically mate with the first terminal. A biasing member is operably coupled to one of the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein, when the hollow wand is releasably coupled to the vacuum accessory, the biasing member is compressed such that the first terminal and the second terminal are maintained in mating contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: REXAIR LLC
    Inventors: Alan Belville, Mark Howie, Thomas L. Carrington, James D. Jakubos
  • Patent number: 11224319
    Abstract: A base plate for a vacuum cleaner suction head is described, said base plate comprising a lower face, an upper face and a base plate channel open towards the surface to be vacuumed. The channel extends across the whole width of the base plate. The base plate channel comprises a front edge and a rear edge. The lower face comprises: a first surface which extends along the whole front edge of the channel and a second surface which extends along the whole rear edge of the channel, the first and second surfaces lying in a same horizontal plane. The lower face also comprises a front inclined surface extending from said first surface towards the front side. According to the invention, the front inclined surface is inclined upwards so that the front side is raised with respect to the surface to be vacuumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: NEW ERMES EUROPE S.r.l.
    Inventor: Riccardo Roschi
  • Patent number: 11219989
    Abstract: A torque wrench includes a first part, a second part, a first spring, a block and a second spring. The first part includes a first section and a second. An axial passage is defined through the first part and a second part is received in the passage. The first part and the second part are connected to each other. The first spring is securely located in the second section. A pushing member is located in the first spring and includes a second contact portion. The block is removably in contact between the first and second contact portions. A second spring is mounted to the pushing member. The block is disengaged from the first and second contact portions when the torque wrench rotates clockwise or counter clockwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventor: Wen-Chin Kuo
  • Patent number: 11191402
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning a surface with a cleaning device having a body with a handle, a connector, and one or more cleaning heads that are removably attached to the cleaning device. Each cleaning head include a lower surface arranged to contact a surface to be cleaned and a dirt collection chamber permanently attached to the cleaning head. The cleaning head may include a support structure to support the dirt collection chamber and a cleaning sheet. The cleaning head also may include a suction nozzle. At least a portion of the dirt collection chamber may be made of a filter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Emrys James, Michael James Douglas, David Stephen Clare, Chris Pinches, Nicholas James Sardar, Hugh James Croggon, Damian Lee
  • Patent number: 11192220
    Abstract: A wieldy unidirectional small swing-angle ratcheting wrench devised for torqueing hexagonal nut fasteners axially placed on hydraulic hoses or similar lines. The invention is formed of a pair of facing matching mirror image bident-shaped solid skins bound together through a solid flat filler sandwiched between the handle sections, which also functions as a mechanical support and spacer. The head cavity houses within its U-shaped elliptical head section a wrenching mechanism comprised of an open-ended ratcheting cog wheel with a central hexagonal slot of definite size. The cog wheel is ratcheted by two spring-biased pawls deployed inside the assembled tool's neck cavity which provide continuous alternating unidirectional engagement, while the outer solid skins at the head are suitably shaped to allow protrusion of the cog wheel's teeth at the sides for simple direct rotation of the wheel for alignment of the cog wheel's and skins' openings together for engagement and removal of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventors: Hani A. Abunameh, Mutaz O. Mango
  • Patent number: 11185200
    Abstract: A robot cleaner including: a main body, a driving unit configured to move the main body, and a suction device provided in the main body and configured to suction outside foreign substances, and the suction device may include a first suction member having a suction port provided at a bottom surface of the main body and configured to suction the foreign substances, and at least one second suction member formed to move relative to the first suction member and having a suction port configured to suction the foreign substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Man Hong, Sung Jin Park, Young Jae Park, Jin Wook Yoon, Dong Woo Ha
  • Patent number: 11179838
    Abstract: An improved parallel-jaws locking wrench/plier with toggle action includes a body element, a fixed jaw, and a moving jaw capable of moving rectilinearly by means of an action cam, which is pivotally connected to a locking lever coupling respectively to the upper ends of a fulcrum bar and a releasing lever thereof. A handle secured to the body element has an axially adjustable element to regulate the opening of the jaws. Close to the pivot of the releasing lever are two outstanding members disposed respectively opposite sides thereof. Gripping the locking lever towards the handle till being stopped by the two outstanding members hitting said handle will toggle continuous gripping/clamping action on a workpiece. Gripping the releasing lever towards the handle will render the two outstanding members to serve as fulcrums, providing the former with leverage to force the toggle linkage back to its relaxing condition to release the workpiece. The releasing action requires only one hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventor: Kin-Wai Yeung
  • Patent number: 11179018
    Abstract: A cleaning article. The cleaning article has a laminate construction. The cleaning article comprises a sheet and a hydrophilic gather strip element joined together at plural bonds. The gather strip element has plural layers superimposed upon one another, providing strips extending outwardly from the bonds. Different layers are differentially bonded, to provide a construction which allows the strips to advantageously present a dynamically changing area to the target surface during cleaning, under normal usage conditions. By changing the surface area, more liquids, and associated debris, can be cleaned from the target surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Nicola John Policicchio
  • Patent number: 11181869
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuating tool for actuating a push-button corrector equipping a portable object of small dimensions, wherein said actuating tool comprises a body that extends between a rear end that defines an area for grasping the actuating tool and a front end that defines an area for actuating the actuating tool, wherein the actuating tool further comprises an actuating rod that extends inwards relative to the body and that ends, towards the front end of the body, in an actuating portion, and the actuating tool finally comprises a guide sleeve that surrounds the actuating portion of the actuating tool and that is capable of moving between a first protruding position wherein the actuating portion is at most flush with the guide sleeve, and a second position wherein it is at least partially retracted inside the body, in which position the actuating portion is capable of actuating the push-button corrector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventors: Christophe Riedo, Alain Zaugg
  • Patent number: 11147424
    Abstract: A robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, which perform efficient cleaning by controlling a suction force or traveling route of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner detects load applied to wheels of the robot cleaner so as to increase reliability and accuracy in floor state decision, thereby recognizing a floor state. The robot cleaner recognizes a floor state by combining load applied to wheels of the robot cleaner, load applied to brushes, and acceleration information of the robot cleaner with one another in a complementary manner, thereby increasing accuracy in floor state decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jea Yun So, Yeon Kyu Jeong, Sang Sik Yoon, Shin Kim
  • Patent number: 11148271
    Abstract: A dead blow hammer head with end caps coupled to a central body through an interference fit. The ends of the body can be flared axially and radially outward and interference fit with the recesses to maximize the surface area overlap between the ends of the body and the recesses. By maximizing the surface area overlap, stress concentrations and failure are reduced. The hammer head can also include a shot or other mass that is unobstructed by screws or pins due to the interference fit of the hammer head components. The interference fit can become stronger during use with each impact further solidifying the surface area overlap between the ends and central portion of the hammer head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventor: Scott A. Bendorf