Patents Examined by Bryan Lettman
  • Patent number: 9097251
    Abstract: A variable-displacement lubricant pump for providing a pressurized lubricant includes a rotor with at least one radially slidable vane configured to rotate in a shiftable stator ring. A first plunger is configured to push the shiftable stator ring into a high pumping volume direction. A pressure control system is configured to control a lubricant discharge pressure of the pressurized lubricant. The pressure control system comprises a first control chamber with the first plunger being configured to move in an axial direction and a side wall. A pump outlet port is connected to the first control chamber via a first pressure conduit. A movable outlet opening is disposed in the side wall of the first control chamber, is connected to a low pressure, and is configured to move with an axial projection and to be actuated by a thermostatic element. The first plunger can cover and close the movable outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: PIERBURG PUMP TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Jerome Maffeis
  • Patent number: 9085217
    Abstract: An aspirator is provided that includes a nozzle that aspirates secondary air; a main body that forms a scroll-shaped airflow path on the outer circumference of the nozzle; a primary-air inflow path that tangentially communicates with the airflow path; and a diffuser that is connected to an open end of the main body and has a throat portion at which a tip portion of the nozzle is disposed. An inner wall of the primary-air inflow path, which communicates with the scroll-shaped airflow path, is offset outward from the center of the nozzle, and primary air introduced from the primary-air inflow path flows into the scroll-shaped airflow path from one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Chikagawa, Asuka Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 9074590
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor or pump features a manifold arranged not only to define a hollow interior for receiving fluid discharged from a plurality of cylinders but also to define a base or frame on which the cylinders are carried. Unique valves formed in part by flexible material reduces the likelihood of fatigue and increases efficiency by retaining less heat relative to conventional reed valves. A compressor or pump mounted at an end of a handle extending parallel to a motor housing likewise extending from the compressor or pump provides an easy to carry portable assembly. A fan mounted between a motor and a compressor pulls air through the compressor inlet to both cool the motor and feed the compressor. A portable tool system powers both pneumatic and electric tools. Connecting rod structures for radial compressors or pumps provide improved strength and easier assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Larry Alvin Schuetzle
    Inventors: Larry Alvin Schuetzle, Lloyd Dean Penner
  • Patent number: 9068563
    Abstract: A motor-driven compressor has a housing and a partition. A compressing portion and an electric motor as the drive source of the compressing portion are accommodated in a first area. A drive circuit for the motor is arranged in a second area so as to have dissipation of the drive circuit. The compressor further includes a conductive member electrically connected to the circuit and fixed to the partition, and an electrical connection portion electrically connecting the conductive member to the motor. The connection portion is partly received in a passing area formed between the housing and the motor. The housing has a suction port and a discharge port. The discharge port is located at a position farther from the partition than the suction port and the passing area. An insertion member in the passing area restricts flow of refrigerant in the housing toward the discharge port via the passing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fukasaku
  • Patent number: 9068458
    Abstract: A motor-driven compressor that prevents electric leakage from a drive circuit while suppressing the generation of noise. The motor-driven compressor includes a compressor mechanism that compresses a refrigerant, a motor mechanism that actuates the compressor mechanism, a drive circuit that drives the motor mechanism. The drive circuit is connected to a power supply. An inner housing accommodates the compressor mechanism and the motor mechanism in a sealed state and holds the drive circuit. An outer housing accommodates the inner housing and includes a mounting portion that can be mounted to another member. An intermediate member arranged between the inner housing and the outer housing and between the drive circuit and the outer housing. The intermediate members include anti-vibration and thermal insulation properties. A protector protects the drive circuit from an external impact, wherein the protector is arranged on the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Takayuki Ota, Ken Suitou
  • Patent number: 9067005
    Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a permanent magnet provided in one surface of the impeller, a permanent magnet provided in an inner wall of the blood chamber, a permanent magnet provided in the other surface of the impeller, and a magnetic material and a coil provided in a motor chamber for driving the impeller to rotate via a diaphragm. Grooves for hydrodynamic bearing are formed in the diaphragm facing the impeller, and in the inner wall of the blood chamber, respectively. As a result, the impeller can be smoothly activated to drive by controlling a coil current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Thoratec Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kenichi Suzuki, Ken Sugiura
  • Patent number: 9062671
    Abstract: Method and device for controlling a vacuum apparatus. A method for controlling a vacuum apparatus that applies vacuum to a vacuum accumulator with a pump of a pneumatically operated servo unit of a motor vehicle. The method comprises the steps of determining the pressure in the vacuum accumulator; determining the ambient pressure; adapting a pump control signal to the ambient pressure; comparing the pressure in the vacuum accumulator with an adapted pump control signal; and outputting a pump actuation signal that is a function of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Reiner Schmid, Martin Tarnowski, Ian Moore, Russell William Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9062690
    Abstract: A gas compression system for use with a gas stream. The gas compression system may include a number of compressors for compressing the gas stream, one or more ejectors for further compressing the gas stream, a condenser positioned downstream of the ejectors, and a waste heat source. A return portion of the gas stream may be in communication with the ejectors via the waste heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Matthias Finkenrath, Vittorio Michelassi
  • Patent number: 9062685
    Abstract: A fan assembly for generating an air flow within a room includes an impeller and a motor for driving the impeller to draw an air flow into the fan assembly, and a casing having a continuous interior passage with a tangential air inlet through which the air flow enters the interior passage and at least one air outlet for emitting at least a portion of the air flow. The casing defines a bore about which the interior passage extends and through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the air emitted from said at least one air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Neil Andrew Stewart, Mark James Adkin, David Andrew Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 9062669
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor is provided, a size of which may be reduced by closely attaching and securing a reciprocating motor and a cylinder of a compression device to a sealed receptacle to reduce a gap between a main body of the compressor and the sealed receptacle. In addition, an assembling process for the compressor may be simplified by separating a mover of the reciprocating motor and a piston of the compression device from each other. In addition, vibration of the sealed receptacle may be minimized by properly adjusting a mass of components in the reciprocating motor and the compression device, and elasticity of a spring that supports the reciprocating motor and the compression device to offset a force applied to the sealed receptacle. In addition, efficiency of the reciprocating motor may be enhanced by increasing a relative velocity of the reciprocating motor in comparison with a relative velocity of the compression device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Eonpyo Hong, Hyuk Lee, Sunghyun Ki
  • Patent number: 9057381
    Abstract: An oil-retaining bearing fan structure includes a fan base seat, an oil-retaining bearing and a fan impeller. The fan base seat has a bearing cup on one side. At least one magnetic member is enclosed in the bearing cup. The magnetic member serves to apply a magnetic attraction force to a shaft of the fan structure to make the shaft quickly restore to its optimal operation position so as to reduce wear and lower the noises and vibration of the fan structure in operation. Therefore, the lifetime of the fan structure can be prolonged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bor-Haw Chang, Shu-Fan Liu
  • Patent number: 9057364
    Abstract: A bicycle air pump includes a cylinder portion, an inner piston, a piston rod, a head portion, a handle and a magnetic mechanism. The cylinder portion includes a first end, a second end and a chamber disposed between the first and second ends. The inner piston is movably disposed in the chamber of the cylinder portion. The piston rod has a first end and a second end coupled to the inner piston. The head portion is coupled to the cylinder portion. The head portion includes an outlet passage communicated with the chamber cylinder portion for supplying air to an object to be inflated. The handle is coupled to the piston rod to move within the chamber. The magnetic mechanism includes first and second closure members for engaging together magnetically to hold the piston rod stationary with respect to the cylinder portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Benelux B.V.
    Inventor: Marcel Gerritsen
  • Patent number: 9057380
    Abstract: A cooling fan structure includes a hub, a rotary shaft, a fan seat, and a stator assembly. The fan seat is provided on around a front end corresponding to a rear end of the hub with a forward protruded annular rim portion and a sunken annular groove portion adjoining an inner lower side of the rim portion. The protruded annular rim portion reduces a gap between the hub and the fan seat to reduce the amount of air flowing into the hub via the gap and accordingly prevents external foreign matters from invading the hub via the same gap to adversely damage components inside the hub or cause a stuck hub; and the groove portion provides an additional space for receiving invaded and accumulated foreign matters to thereby reduce the possibility of a stuck hub. With these arrangements, the cooling fan can have prolonged service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shih-Chieh Lin
  • Patent number: 9051936
    Abstract: The device for energy-optimization on operation of several centrifugal pumps controlled in rotational speed, in a hydraulic installation, begins firstly with determining which pumps as pilot pumps are assigned directly to a consumer and which pumps are hydraulically connected in series upstream of the pilot pumps. Thereafter, one or more energy-optimization circuits are formed, which in each case consist of one or more pilot pumps and of one or more pumps connected in series upstream, which deliver into the pilot pumps, wherein the energy-optimization circuits are selected such that the pumps connected in series upstream in each case are assigned to only one energy-optimization circuit, whereupon the energy-optimization circuits are energy-optimized with respect to the pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Grundfos Management a/s
    Inventors: Carsten Skovmose Kallesøe, Claudio De Persis
  • Patent number: 9051938
    Abstract: A fan includes a motor and an impeller. The motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion rotatably supported by the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a stator and a bearing portion arranged inside of the stator. The rotating portion includes a rotor magnet arranged radially outside the stator; a shaft inserted in the bearing portion, and having an upper portion fixed to the impeller directly or through one or more members; and a thrust portion arranged axially opposite the bearing portion, and including an annular surface arranged around the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teiichi Hirono, Shinichiro Noda, Yoshiharu Ikegami, Tomohiro Hasegawa, Tomohiro Yoneda, Shunji Matsumoto, Seungsin Yoo, Kouta Kabune, Kiyoto Ida, Naoki Matsuba, Tatsuya Akase, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiko Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9051927
    Abstract: A water pump includes a base, a cam, a joint, and a piston. The base includes a PTO-attachment portion, a cam-attachment portion, a first contact surface, and a second contact surface. The cam includes a central opening, a first cam contact surface, and a second cam contact surface, wherein the cam-attachment portion of the base extends into the central opening. The joint pivotally couples the cam to the cam-attachment portion of the base. In a first operating position of the cam, the first contact surface engages the first cam contact surface so that the cam is positioned at a first angle relative to the axis of PTO rotation. In a second operating position of the cam, the second contact surface engages the second cam contact surface so that the cam is positioned at a second angle, greater than the first angle, relative to the axis of PTO rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard J. Gilpatrick, Jason J. Raasch, Gary Gracyalny
  • Patent number: 9051930
    Abstract: A pumping system for moving water of a swimming pool includes a water pump, an infinitely variable speed motor, and an arrangement for operating the motor. In one example, the pumping system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of retained speed values, an arrangement for providing a plurality of retained speed values to the memory, and an arrangement for reading a selected one of the plurality of retained speed values from the memory. In addition or alternatively, the pumping system includes a storage medium for digitally storing a plurality of pre-established motor speed values and an arrangement for receiving input from a user to select one of the pre-established motor speeds. In addition or alternatively, the pumping system further includes an arrangement for restarting operation of the motor at a previously selected speed value when power supplied to the motor is interrupted during operation of the motor. A method for controlling the pumping system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Ronald B. Robol, Christopher Yahnker, Daniel J. Hruby, Kevin Murphy, Einar Kjartan Runarsson, Arne Fink Hansen, Florin Lungeanu, Peter Westermann-Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 9046083
    Abstract: A reciprocating device which may be operated either as a compressor or an engine. Each cylinder has a reciprocating piston connected to a piston rod. Dual cylinder chambers are located in each cylinder on opposite sides of the piston. The pistons are connected to a scotch yoke which translates the reciprocating motion of the pistons to rotary motion at a shaft in the engine mode. In the compressor mode, the shaft is connected to a power source. The engine components such as the pistons, rods, bushings and cylinder lines may be high quality steel or a ceramic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher L. Gamble, Richard A. Bordonaro
  • Patent number: 9039390
    Abstract: A compressor is provided in which a rotary member suspended on a stationary member is rotated to compress a refrigerant. The rotary member is suspended on a first stationary member and rotatably supported on a second stationary member spaced apart from the first stationary member, to thereby achieve structural stability, improve operation reliability, and reduce vibration. The components can be easily centered and assembled with an excellent assembly property. In addition, a mounting structure of an elastically-supported vane is improved to ensure lubrication performance and operation reliability. Moreover, a mounting structure of a roller-incorporated vane is improved to reduce vibration and prevent refrigerant leakage, which leads to high compression efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kang-Wook Lee, Jang-Woo Lee, Bum-Dong Sa, Jin-Ung Shin
  • Patent number: 9033678
    Abstract: An air pump includes a casing, a blower connected with a motor, an air flow direction switching device, an air valve, and an auto-stop control device. The air flow direction switching device includes a pressure sensor and a pressure switch. The air flow direction switching device includes a movable box and a driving device which drives the movable box. The movable box has an arm and an activation portion. An inflation switch and a deflation switch are electrically connected in parallel to a circuit and are controlled to activate by the activation portion. The pressure switch includes a dynamic contact point connected to the motor, and two static contact points respectively electrically connected to the inflation switch and the deflation switch. The dynamic contact point has a terminal which alternatively contacts the two static contact points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: DONGGUAN TIGER POINT METAL & PLASTIC PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chun-Chung Tsai