Patents Examined by Brian W. Brown
  • Patent number: 5088575
    Abstract: An acoustic system has a chamber (12) having an input (14) for receiving an input acoustic wave and guiding the input acoustic wave along a flowpath (16) to a chamber output (18), an acoustic transducer (20, 22, 24) interacting with the acoustic wave in the chamber (12), and a venturi (30, 32, 34) drawing air into the flowpath (16) to flow to the chamber output (18). The venturi aspirates internal areas of the chamber to keep the acoustic transducers clean and/or aspirates external air into the chamber past the transducers to cool same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Nelson Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Eriksson
  • Patent number: 5089834
    Abstract: A mounting device on a camera has a mounting member to fit with an accessory so as to mount the accessory on the camera by sliding it. The mounting member which is molded out of plastic in one piece has eaves-like portions overhanging from an upper portion thereof in opposite directions intersecting perpendicularly to a mounting direction of the accessory, thus having a generally T-shaped cross section. The mounting member has a groove running in the mounting direction at a top central portion for receiving a projecting portion of the accessory so as to determine a horizontal (lateral) position of the accessory relative to the camera. The eaves-like portions receive mating members of the accessory thereunder so as to determine a vertical position of the accessory relative to the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Nakasa, Norio Ishikawa, Hiroshi Hosomizu, Tatsuro Izumi, Keiji Yamazaki, Yukio Miki, Mamoru Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 5088374
    Abstract: A tremolo device for a guitar includes a flat plate pivotably mounted relative to a guitar body, another plate secured on an under surface of the flat plate, a first fulcrum part of the flat plate for a pivotting thereof to lower a tone of the guitar, a second fulcrum part of another plate for a pivotting thereof to raise the tone of the guitar, and screws fitted to the guitar body and in contact with both fulcrum parts. When a tremolo arm is inactivated, the plates come into contact with the screws at both the first fulcrum part and the second fulcrum part, and when activating the tremolo arm, either one plate or another plate comes into contact with the screws and is rotated about either of the fulcrum parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Fernandes Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yatsuse Saijo
  • Patent number: 5088574
    Abstract: A compact ceiling mounted loudspeaker system comprising a truncated pyramidal shaped housing supporting an array of four coaxial 2-way loudspeakers. Each loudspeaker is mounted on a respective face of the pyramidal housing so that none faces directly downward. The angles at which the loudspeakers are mounted with respect to the vertical axis and with respect to one another enables the array to produce a flat frequency response hemispherically into the space below the ceiling, with good sound dispersion therein, and with minimal phase cancellation and diffraction effects among said loudspeakers. The speaker system is arranged to be disposed on the grid of a conventional suspended ceiling system to create a space between the suspended ceiling and the surface from which the suspended ceiling is hung to create an infinite baffle to augment the sound produced by the speaker system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Inventor: Emery Kertesz, III
  • Patent number: 5088373
    Abstract: An ornamental display assembly is disclosed in which an ornamental object is moved along a reciprocating path of movement by a wind-up music box mechanism. A crank mechanism operated by the music box causes a follower to reciprocate along a generally vertical path of motion. The ornamental object is not attached directly to the follower, but is attached to an arm member which, in turn, is attached to the follower. The relative positioning between the arm (and the ornamental object) with respect to both the follower and the music box mechanism may be varied by changing the position of the arm. A guide member is associated with the distal end of the arm to prevent any irregular motion of the ornamental device during the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Inventor: Jack Hou
  • Patent number: 5088576
    Abstract: A mass and spring system for soundproofing, particularly in vehicles, comprises a bending-soft heavy plastic layer as the mass and a soft layer as the spring, which is applied to the sound radiating surface or wall and which is a gel of 10 to 50% by weight of an organic polymer or silicone polymer and 50 to 90% by weight of a plasticizer compatible therewith, which at room temperature has a modulus of elasticity E'.ltoreq.5.times.10.sup.5 Pa and an internal loss factor d.gtoreq.0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: E.A.P. Akustik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Hermann Potthoff, Ingolf Scheffler, Klaus Ruch, Rainer Joesel
  • Patent number: 5087934
    Abstract: A waterproof housing is in the form of a generally rectangular collapsible bag (43) made from a flexible waterproof material and which is shaped and dimensioned to accomodate a camera. The bag (43) is provided with a pocket (44) having a lens port (47) and shaped to locate the lens port (47) with respect to the camera lens. Another pocket (50) has a viewing port (52), and is shaped to locate the viewing port (52) with respect to the camera viewfinder. The pockets are provided with respective reinforcements, in the form of annular collars (47, 53), to locate positively the lens port and viewing port with respect to the camera lens and viewfinder respectively. The pocket (50) having the viewing port may be a gaiter made from a flexible rubber material, which permits viewing substantially through the operative range of the viewfinder in the operative environment of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Inventor: John D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5086871
    Abstract: Omnidirectional electro-acoustical chamber comprising two transducers (4) for low/medium tones and (7) for shrill tones disposed coaxially with their membranes facing one another, the transducer (4) being maintained at the end of the extensions (2) of a compartment (1) and the transducer (7) at the end of the compartment (5), a portion of the sounds emitted by the transducers (4, 7) being diffused by means of a diffuser (9) placed between the membranes, the other portion being reflected on the surfaces (12, 13) of the compartments (1, 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Inventor: Alain Barbe
  • Patent number: 5084728
    Abstract: Novel packing cases for image forming sheets are invented. An image forming machine, such as a color hard copying machine uses image forming sheets which are coated on their surfaces with image forming material. Since the image forming material easily comes off from the surface of an image forming sheet, the surface must be protected from physical contacts, particularly during transportation, handling, storing, etc. The novel packing cases are not only provided with protective sheets to protect image forming sheets accommodated in the packing case, but also with other inventive features to avoid any possible physical contacts with the surface of the image recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Horikiri, Haruki Nakamura, Michiyasu Onda
  • Patent number: 5084609
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved slide rule type of apparatus that provides visual solutions to trigonometric problems. The invention provides a cheaper to make and easier to read trigonometric slide rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Inventor: Gilbert F. Saber
  • Patent number: 5083147
    Abstract: A panning head for a photographic tripod has an improved horizontal pan adjustment for setting the force required to turn the pan head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Velbon International Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Nakatani
  • Patent number: 5081899
    Abstract: An ornamental display assembly is disclosed wherein ornamental objects, are reciprocated in a generally vertical path relative to a stationary base. A wind-up music box, which supplies music to entertain the user as the ornamental objects undergo their reciprocating motion, also provides the sole power source to cause such movement. A music box mechanism includes a rotating drum provided with a rotating output shaft. A crank mechanism having an eccentric cam member is attached to the output shaft such that it rotates with the music box drum. The eccentric cam engages a follower member such that the follower member undergoes reciprocating movement as the drum rotates. A rocker arm, pivotally supported on a base member, is caused to oscillate about its pivot axis by the motion of the follower member. A second follower member is operatively associated with the opposite end of the rocker arm on the opposite side of the pivot axis from the first follower member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Jack Hou
    Inventors: Jack Hou, I-Pin Feng
  • Patent number: 5082083
    Abstract: An easy to install wall mounted stereo speaker assembly wherein the woofer of the speaker is mounted in the assembly wall frame and the tweeter is both mounted in and self contained within the assembly wall frame. The easy installation requires only that a circular opening be cut in the wall to enable the rear portion of the woofer to extend through the dry wall or sheetrock and two simple holes drilled in the wall to accommodate the support bolts to retain the wall mounted speaker assembly on the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Culver Electronic Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary T. Draffen
  • Patent number: 5082084
    Abstract: An extensible sound case, comprises a speaker and an extensible sound chest assembly. The sound chest assembly can be extended to increase the space for resonance or drawn together to minimize space occupation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Inventor: Tsao Ye-Ming
  • Patent number: 5081894
    Abstract: A capo composed of a semi-circular yoke, a bar pivotally connected at a first end to a first fork of the yoke and releasably interlocked at the second end to a second fork of the yoke via intermeshing of opposing slots oriented at ninety degrees to each other, a clasp mechanism located on the second fork for releasably locking onto the second end of the bar, a screw operated foot connected with the yoke, and dual guide bars connected at either side of the foot which movably engage slots located in the yoke. The capo provides for a simultaneous compressive force being applied to each of the strings of the instrument fretboard because the bar is connected with respect to the yoke and the foot at an angle so that it will engage the strings uniformly and simultaneously as the screw is tightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Inventor: Bryan R. Paige
  • Patent number: 5081482
    Abstract: An IC card suitably adapted to a camera as a small size device and a camera to which such IC card can be mounted appropriately. The IC card is formed as a rectangular plate of a size of about 20 mm.times.30 mm to 40 mm.times.60 mm so that it may be mounted on a camera. Contents of the IC card are or can be indicated on a front surface of the IC card. A plurality of connecting terminals for electric connection to a camera are disposed in a row on a rear surface along an edge of the IC card. A camera for use with such IC card has an IC card accommodating means provided thereon. Where the camera is a single lens reflex camera, the means may be located sidewardly of a pentagonal roof prism accommodating section on the top of the camera and include a lid member for opening or closing a card accommodating section thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Miki, Mamoru Katsuragi, Hideo Kajita, Takeshi Matsumoto, Masayasu Hirano, Tetsuro Ohya, Tae Iida, Hidehiko Fujii, Nobuharu Murashima
  • Patent number: 5078037
    Abstract: An improved stringed musical instrument of the type comprising a body, a neck extending from one end of the body and terminating in a headstock. The neck is divided along its length into a plurality of frets. A plurality of strings extend over the body along the neck to the headstock. There is a hand slot in the body, extending inwardly from the periphery of the body to a point closely adjacent the neck, and sized to provide access to the frets at the base of the neck. The slot curves along its length. Preferably, the slot underlies a portion of at least some of the strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Dana Sound Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles D. Sutcliffe, David P. Schafer
  • Patent number: 5077580
    Abstract: An image forming method and apparatus include a photosensitive recording medium having a latent image formed thereon and a developer sheet introduced to a pressure development unit for transfer of the latent image to the developer sheet. The developer sheet is then carried to an ejecting unit via a heat fixing unit where the developer sheet is subjected to heat fixing. First and second carriers carry the developer sheet from a feeding unit to the development unit and from the heat fixing unit to the ejecting unit, respectively. The first and second carriers have independent drive sources such that their speed of movement can be independently controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhito Ishida
  • Patent number: 5076129
    Abstract: An apparatus for opening and closing the cover for a keyboard of a musical instrument including a rack and pinion mechanism to provide smooth sliding of the cover member. A rack and a pinion guide groove are integrally formed on each side of the musical instrument. A rotatable shaft includes at each end a pinion which engages with the rack. The pinion members are slidingly engaged on the shaft so that the guide members at each end of the shaft may be easily inserted into the guide grooves provided on the sides of the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Katsumi Wakuda
  • Patent number: 5076132
    Abstract: A clamp mount for a musical drum, to which a clamp is fixable, is formed with an idented tab at each end which slides under and is securable behind a threaded receptacle of the type conventionally provided along the wall of a drum body for accepting a screw for fixing the drum rin to the drum body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Inventor: Wu H. Hsieh