Patents Examined by C. D.
-
Patent number: 6435043Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of collecting particles in a gas sample comprising impacting particles in the gas sample on a porous material, as well as to impactors wherein an inertial impactor includes a porous substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2000Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeInventors: Stephen T. Ferguson, Ilias G. Kavouras, Jack M. Wolfson, Petros Koutrakis
-
Patent number: 6435009Abstract: A multi-function device for testing masks such as NBC masks used in civilian and military applications. In its preferred form, the device is self-contained and can be readily transported to field sites by one or two individuals. The device includes a protective storage and transport case. The case includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion of the case houses the power unit assembly and includes sufficient storage space to store such things as an aerosol generator reservoir, various headform accessories, a containment shroud, manuals (e.g. installation, operation and maintenance manuals) and nominal tools. The lower portion of the case houses the head assembly and controller unit which are preferably mounted on a cover or top panel. Underneath the top or cover panel of the lower portion of the case are stored the light scattering chamber, flow sensor, pressure transducer, circuit boards and valves.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1998Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: Hamilton Associates, Inc.Inventor: Greg Alan Tilley
-
Patent number: 6431015Abstract: A delivery apparatus has, in a housing (13), a cannula (8) whose rear end is connected to a diluter (17) via a connecting tube (16). A piezoelectric actuator (10) increases in length under the action of a control signal and acts on a membrane (6) pierced by the cannula tip (9) and belonging to an interchangeable polypropylene pipette tip mounted on the delivery apparatus and adhering to the housing (13) by means of a collar (7) resting against said housing, and causing said membrane to sag, with the result that a drop of a sample liquid which was previously sucked in by means of the diluter (17) and whose accurately adjustable volume is between 1 nl and 1 &mgr;l is ejected from an outlet orifice (4). After a pipetting process the pipette tip is ejected by means of a slide (15). If the level of the sample liquid in the pipette tip always remains below the cannula tip (9), virtually no carry-over occurs.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2000Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: Tecan Trading AGInventors: Agathe Hodac, Stefano Fornito, Werner Hälg, Nikolaus Ingenhoven, Mario Benedetti
-
Patent number: 6427521Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a measuring arrangement for measuring the gas content of a fluid (13). The fluid (13) comprises gas bubbles. In the method, microwave radiation (20) is transmitted through the fluid (13) and a signal (7) indicating the travel time, phase or amplitude of the radiation (20) is formed in a microwave measuring device (16), and a gas measuring equipment (18) determines the gas content of the fluid (13) by means of the signal (7).Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1999Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Metso Field Systems Oy.Inventors: Pekka Jakkula, Ilkka Dahlström, Timo Manninen
-
Patent number: 6422063Abstract: A workable setup for rapidly measuring the permeability of the micro-perforated films has been developed, using both static and flow-through methods. The static method simulates the normal package conditions and thus the data obtained can be used for designing modified atmosphere packages. The drawback with this method is that it takes a long time to give results, typically two days for one run and a week to run three replicates. The flow through method is very simple and less time consuming. It takes about two hours to get a set of readings and three replicates can be obtained in half a day. The drawback of the flow through method is that it gives a higher reading than the static method. A regression equation was obtained to get a correlation between the readings obtained by the flow through method and the static method (R2=93%). These methods can also be used to measure the carbon dioxide permeability.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 1999Date of Patent: July 23, 2002Inventors: Ramaswamy C. Anantheswaran, Vikramaditya Ghosh
-
Patent number: 6418803Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods. for testing the effectiveness of drain cleaners. A model drain is provided with removable sections, two of which have structures for mounting representative clogs. Flow rates are monitored as chemical drain cleaner is applied, and after rinsing. Residual clog can also be measured.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1999Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.Inventor: Fred F. Billman
-
Patent number: 6408695Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection method for inspecting titanium material is provided. The ultrasonic inspection method is capable of detecting critical flaws in the titanium material that may limit titanium material applications.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1999Date of Patent: June 25, 2002Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Bernard Patrick Bewlay, John Broddus Deaton, Jr., Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Robert Snee Gilmore
-
Patent number: 6397672Abstract: The invention sets forth a method for determining the hand quality of a fabric or other material. The invention establishes a new constant value to be applied to this determination. The constant value is referred to as the Quality Energy Value (hereinafter the “QE value”) of a material. The QE value takes into account the reciprocatory motion actually used when rubbing a piece of cloth with a finger to subjectively determine the hand quality of a fabric. The invention utilizes a testing apparatus which simulates this sliding motion of finger on fabric. The QE value also advantageously takes into account the velocity at which the frictional properties of the fabric are measured. It has been found that the lower the QE value, the better the quality of the fabrics. Accordingly, using the method of the invention, a range of QE values may be established for a variety of fabrics, and, thereby, the relative hand qualities of the fabrics may be compared.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Texas Tech UniversityInventor: Seshardi S. Ramkumar
-
Patent number: 6393896Abstract: A test device for leakage-proof of a keyboard comprising a test platform having a base end provided with a test recess to hold keyboard for testing; a vacuum pump connected to the test recess by a tube to vacuum the test recess; a vacuum display connected to the vacuum pump by a tube to display the status of a vacuuming of the vacuum pump; at least a vertical driving device, mounted at the top portion of the test portion of the test platform, having an actuating rod to reciprocate; and a cover connected to the actuating rod of the vertical driving device capable of moving up and down by the actuating rod, and having the top portion provided with a hole for venting; thereby, the downward movement of the actuating rod drives the cover to cover the test recess which already holds a keyboard for testing, and the vacuum pump vacuums the vacuum recess for testing and the vacuum display indicates the status of vacuuming so as to determine leakage-proof of the keyboard within the test recess.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2000Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: Behavior Tech Computer CorporationInventor: Chen-Ching Fan
-
Patent number: 6389882Abstract: According to the invention, after the engine is ceased, an air pump is turned on, and pressurized air is supplied through a switching valve from a new air introduction opening of a canister to a purge line communicating a fuel tank and a purge control valve. Then, after a predetermined time has passed, an operation current value of said air pump is measured as a leak level. When the leak level is equal to or below a determination level, occurrence of leakage is diagnosed. When the operation current value of the pump is equal to or above an upper limit side predetermined value while the pump performs pressurization, the pressurization by the air pump is ceased so as to prevent the inner pressure of the tank from rising. When the operation current value of the pump is equal to or below a lower limit side predetermined value, the pressurization is also ceased, so as to prevent fuel leakage.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2000Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: Unisia Jecs CorporationInventor: Shigeo Ohkuma
-
Patent number: 6378370Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving temperature stability of surface-launched acoustic wave sensors is described. The system includes a plurality of acoustic wave delay lines or resonators coated with identical films which are physically, chemically, biologically, or otherwise sensitive to one or more target chemical or biological analytes. At least one of the delay lines or resonators, referred to herein as reference channels, is used as a frequency reference to which the oscillation frequencies of the remainder of the delay lines or resonators, referred to as sensing channels, are compared. A thin coating of material that is preferably a passivation layer not sensitive to the analytes, is disposed upon the surface-launched acoustic wave sensor. The passivation layer covers sensing films on the reference channels, blocking or impeding interaction of the sensing films and the analytes thereby.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Sensor Research & Development Corp.Inventors: Reichl B. Haskell, Joshua J. Caron
-
Patent number: 6370973Abstract: The invention relates to a probe for removing slag samples from iron- or steel-making plants which has an inlet opening underneath the sample chamber, at least one region of the inlet opening having a small cross section in relation to the sample chamber, while the preferably cylindrical sample chamber has a small height in relation to its cross section.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2000Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Midwest Instrument Co., Inc.Inventors: Hartmut Wunsch, Gerhard Wunsch
-
Patent number: 6367312Abstract: A leakage inspecting device for a sealing stopper in a mouth portion of a container, including a positioning member including an inner stand wall, the inner stand wall having a diameter larger than a boundary surface between the mouth portion and a brush attached to the mouth portion and configured to make watertight contact with the mouth portion, a first placing unit configured to place the positioning member on the mouth portion at an inspection spot and align axis centers of the positioning member and mouth portion, a second placing unit configured to place the inner stand wall onto an upper surface of the mouth portion and situate the inner stand wall on the mouth portion, an injection unit configured to inject water into the inner stand wall and mouth portion, and a measuring unit including a probe configured to measure electric conductivity of the water.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 1999Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignees: Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Suntory Limited, Toa Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Tetsuo Yamagishi, Katsutoshi Minai, Hiroshi Hashimoto
-
Patent number: 6354143Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus that has a leakage checking means that detects the conditions of change in the internal pressure of the fuel tank when said fuel tank is closed after being placed under a negative pressure, and a judgement means that judges the presence or absence of leakage in the fuel tank on the basis of the detection results obtained by the leakage checking means and correction checking means. The apparatus further includes a pressure variation checking means which detects the degree of pressure variation in the fuel tank, and then opens the fuel tank to the atmosphere and judges whether or not the pressure inside the fuel tank has dropped. Judgement prohibition means is provided that prohibits a judgement of the presence or absence of leakage from being made by the judgment means in response to a judgement by the pressure variation checking means that the pressure has dropped.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2000Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Isobe, Takashi Yamaguchi, Satoshi Kiso
-
Patent number: 6354140Abstract: A leak detection system for use with a fluid conducting system in a vacuum environment, such as space, is described. The system preferably includes a mesh-like member substantially disposed about the fluid conducting system, and at least one sensor disposed within the mesh-like member. The sensor is capable of detecting a decrease in temperature of the mesh-like member when a leak condition causes the fluid of the fluid conducting system to freeze when exposed to the vacuum environment. Additionally, a signal processor in preferably in communication with the sensor. The sensor transmits an electrical signal to the signal processor such that the signal processor is capable of indicating the location of the fluid leak in the fluid conducting system.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2000Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Tibor Farkas, Brian Byungkyu Kim, Bich Ngoc Nguyen
-
Patent number: 6354139Abstract: Movable spray nozzle side and overhead supports are moved by actuators to preprogrammed locations in a body leak tester enclosure to adapt the apparatus to various body configurations of automotive vehicles by a central controller. Control valves operated by the central controller may also be shut down flow to unneeded spray nozzles for smaller vehicle configurations.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 1999Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Inventors: George P. Menovick, John A. Murner
-
Patent number: 6351994Abstract: A sensor system for determining a relative position of a vehicle seat is disclosed. The sensor system has a sensing element and receiver element affixed to the vehicle seat. An enabler is disposed adjacent the vehicle floor. The enabler has at least one activation zone for causing the sensing element to communicate with the at least one receiver element and at least one deactivation zone is provided for preventing the sensing element from communicating with the at least one receiver element. The at least one activation zone defines at least one position of the vehicle seat and the at least one deactivation zone defines at least one other position of the vehicle seat.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2000Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Trilogy Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew F. Pinkos, John P. Bunge
-
Patent number: 6336358Abstract: A measuring technology of sedimentation rate of sediments in a liquid sample capable of measuring, for example, the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes in a patient requiring an urgent medical treatment in about ¼ of the time needed in the conventional measuring method, and also capable of measuring the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes in an infant limited in the blood sampling volume. A test container filled with a liquid sample is inclined and held at a specific inclination angle, light is projected to this test container, the light passing through the test container is electrically detected by a line sensor or the like, the liquid level of the supernatant in the liquid sample and the position of the boundary of the supernatant and sediments are calculated to obtained the depth of the sediments, and the sedimentation rate of the sediments is calculated from the depth of the sediments and the measuring time.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2000Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Sefa Technology Inc.Inventors: Shigenori Kishimori, Yoji Hasebe
-
Patent number: 6332368Abstract: A sampling tool is used to collect a sample from the surface of an insulator in a high voltage installation during live line conditions. The sampling tool comprises a sampling head mounted to one end of a hot stick. Sampling cartridges are interchangeably mountable to a pivoted block on the sampling head. The block is biased by a spring to urge the cartridge into contact with the surface of the insulator when a trigger on the sampling head comes into contact with the insulator. One cartridge includes a planing blade for collecting a sliver of material from the insulator surface. An alternative cartridge has a swab and an abrasive pad interchangeably insertable thereon for collecting a material sample from the insulator surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2000Date of Patent: December 25, 2001Assignee: Queensland University of TechnologyInventors: Gregory Anthony Cash, Graeme Allan George, Andrej Krivda, Frank George Deabill, Paul Blackmore, David Birtwhistle
-
Patent number: 6321590Abstract: The present invention provides a leakage measuring device capable of measuring the leakage always accurately.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1999Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shizuo Matsumura