Patents Examined by Carl D. Price
  • Patent number: 7011515
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a gas lighter, which comprises a nozzle provided at one end of a barrel extended forwardly from a housing, an auxiliary ceramic sleeve member provided at one end of a ceramic sleeve member in the barrel adjacent the nozzle, a metal ring provided at one end of the auxiliary ceramic sleeve member distal from the sleeve member, a radial metal filament provided in the metal ring, and a metal block provided in a center of the metal filament, wherein an ignition is adapted to generate flame at the end of the nozzle and burn the metal block to be hot enough to ignite gas fuel, and in a case of flame extinguished suddenly by wind, the metal block is adapted to ignite flame again in a very short period of time. As a result, it is possible of preventing large gas from leaking accidentally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Inventor: Huang-Hsi Hsu
  • Patent number: 7008219
    Abstract: A boil-off gas processing system for reliably burning a boil-off gas. The system processes a boil-off gas produced from a liquid hydrogen tank which is built in a hydrogen fueled vehicle. The system includes a mixing device for introducing air into a discharge passage through which the boil-off gas from the liquid hydrogen tank passes and for mixing the air and the boil-off gas and outputting a mixed gas; a catalytic combustor for burning the mixed gas which was mixed by the mixing device, the catalytic combustor having an inlet through which the mixed gas is introduced and an outlet for discharging combustion gas; an electric heater provided at the inlet side of the catalytic combustor; and a control section for controlling energizing of the electric heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Shimada, Takahiro Kuriiwa, Yoshio Nuiya
  • Patent number: 7008217
    Abstract: A safety device for an industrial boiler (CHA) including electromechanical relays (REn, RS), which are connected in series in order to form an electromechanical safety chain (CH1), and at least one shunt relay (RTn) which is normally open and mounted in parallel to one of the electromechanical relays (REN). The shunt relay is controlled by an automaton (AP1) so that it is closed during a time delay. The shunt relay (RTn) is provided with a contact that is connected to an electronic circuit (CEn) and said electronic circuit (CEn) opens an electromechanical relay (RS) which is mounted in series in the safety chain when the shunt relay (RTn) is closed for longer than the time delay. Given the arrangement, in the event of an automaton failure, the time delay is ensured by the electronic circuit so that a satisfactory level of safety is guaranteed in relation to the installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Switzerland Ltd
    Inventor: Charles Jacobberger
  • Patent number: 7001175
    Abstract: A safety arrangement for a utility lighter includes a stop post extended from a pusher button and a locking member which includes a switching member slidably mounted on a sidewall of the casing along a safety slot and a stopper extended from the switching member to the internal cavity through the safety slot to align with the stop post. The switching member is arranged to slidably drive the stopper between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein at the locked position, the stop post is blocked by the stopper so as to block a downward movement of the pusher button for ignition, and at the unlocked position, the switch member is arranged to drive the stopper to move to an offset position that allows the pusher button to be depressed so as to depress the movable part of the piezoelectric unit for igniting the utility lighter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: John Jiin Chung Yang
  • Patent number: 6997702
    Abstract: A lighter includes a body for containing fuel, a tube extending from the body for transmitting the fuel and a nozzle attached to the tube for spraying the fuel. In an idle mode, the tube can be wound around the body. In a working mode, the tube is unwound from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Arlo Lin
    Inventor: Jan-Nan Chen
  • Patent number: 6981497
    Abstract: A portable cooking apparatus is provided comprising a fire bowl comprising an exterior undersurface and an internal chamber; a lid removably engagable with the fire bowl; and a stand to be locatable against the exterior undersurface of the fire bowl for support during a usage position, and during a non-use position, the stand is situated atop the lid while the lid is situated atop the fire bowl to thereby enclose the internal chamber of the fire bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Original Ideas, Inc
    Inventor: Robert DeMars
  • Patent number: 6981865
    Abstract: A catalyst combustor (11) includes an inner catalyst combustion portion (20) connected to a substitute fuel supply line (LS21, 12, 16) and a substitute oxidizer supply line (LS22, 13), an outer catalyst combustion portion (40) connected to an effluent fuel supply line (LS23, 14) and an effluent oxidizer supply line (LS24, 15), and a fluid communication portion (60) connecting the inner catalyst combustion portion (20) and the outer catalyst combustion portion (40) to each other, and has a fixed relationship provided among a fluid resistance (R2) of the inner catalyst combustion portion (20), a fluid resistance (R4) of the outer catalyst combustion portion (40), and a fluid resistance (R6) of the fluid communication portion (60), whereby substantially a warming catalyst combustion is caused to occur simply in the inner catalyst combustion portion (20), and a regular catalyst combustion is caused to occur in the inner catalyst combustion portion (20) and the outer catalyst combustion portion (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6959704
    Abstract: A grill unit and a cooking apparatus having the grill unit, the grill unit including a plurality of grill pipes; water tanks connected to ends of the grill pipes to supply water into the grill pipes; covers to selectively open and close upper portions of the water tanks; and guide members respectively extending from inner surfaces of the covers toward insides of the water tanks to guide condensed water formed on the inner surfaces of the covers into the water tanks. The grill unit prevents water condensed on inner surfaces of the covers of the water tanks of the grill unit from flowing out of the water tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Sung Han, Chul Kim, Yong-Woon Han, Seong-Deog Jang, Kyung-Hee Hahm, Joo-yeong Yeo, Han-Seong Kang
  • Patent number: 6951454
    Abstract: A dual fuel burner including an elongated supply pipe and a gas injector for a boiler furnace having a plurality of peripheral openings around a center opening. The peripheral openings are pitched radially away from the longitudinal axis of the gas injector and also pitched either clockwise or counter-clockwise, to impart a swirling motion to gaseous fuel exiting the injector through the openings. A first sleeve member is concentrically spaced about the supply pipe and the gas injector to form an inner annular passageway for conveying a mixture of primary air and pulverized coal to the furnace combustion zone. A second sleeve member is concentrically spaced about the first sleeve member to form an outer annular passageway for conveying secondary air to the furnace combustion zone, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes mounted within the outer annular passageway for inducing a swirling motion to the secondary air discharging from the outer annular passageway into the furnace combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Hamid Sarv, Ronald C. Lenzer
  • Patent number: 6951213
    Abstract: A portable gas cooking grill apparatus comprising a grill having a hood and a firebox. It is preferable that the hood can be received by and seated upon the firebox, thereby enclosing the grill. A burner assembly, capable of heating the interior portion of the grill, is preferably disposed underneath a substantially solid cooking surface and within the grill, thereby fully enclosing the burner assembly. The grill is supported by a frame, arranged and configured to substantially correspond to the firebox and releasably receive the grill thereon. The frame includes a leg assembly extending therefrom. The leg assembly is fixed to the frame such that the leg assembly is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: W.C. Bradley Company
    Inventors: Brian Coleman, John McNair, Bruce Morgan, Harry J. Sharples, Fung Chi Kin
  • Patent number: 6948490
    Abstract: A steam generator device has a first and a second chamber, and walls mutually isolating the two chambers. Reagents which react together to generate steam when in mutual contact are mutually separated by a barrier, and disposed in the first chamber. An opening member forms a first opening between the chambers and a second opening through the barrier. Hence the reagents come into contact via said second opening, the reagents react thereby generating steam, and the steam flows through the first opening into the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Thermotic Developments Limited
    Inventor: Matthew J Searle
  • Patent number: 6945772
    Abstract: A child resistant disposable lighter includes a shielding frame including a U-shaped frame body and a pair of shielding guards. The frame body, which is mounted on a supporting frame, has two sidewalls positioned at two outer sides of the supporting walls respectively. Each sidewall of the frame body has a slanted top edge rim extended tangentially with respect to each respective driving wheel to encircle a front portion thereof. Each shielding guard is integrally extended from the two sidewalls of said frame body and defined an ignition cavity between the two shielding guards to rotatably receive the driving wheels in the ignition cavity. A center of each shielding guard is positioned eccentrically to a center of the respective driving wheel so as to position at least the front and top portions of the driving wheels below the shielding guards to prevent a child to ignite the lighter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Inventor: Ming-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 6941941
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus is provided which includes a base and a closure member. The base includes insulating material which at least partially defines a combustion chamber for holding a combustible material for providing heat in use. The closure member is arranged to be seated on the base and at least partially defines a cooking chamber heated by the combustible material. The base typically includes an upper section and a lower section with an air inlet defined between the sections to allow air flow into the combustion chamber. The apparatus includes a body portion which includes an elongate air inlet for feeding air to the combustion chamber in use, the inlet being defined between the upper and lower sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Cobb International Limited
    Inventor: Kenneth Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 6939125
    Abstract: A method for reducing NOx, in a combustion gas which is discharged from a combustion furnace for burning a fuel by means of a gas containing oxygen in an amount of at least 80 vol % and which contains oxygen, which method comprises adding a combustible material to the combustion gas at a temperature of from 1,000 to 1,500° C., wherein the combustible material contains a compound comprising C and H.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masamichi Yokotani, Yutaka Ishikawa, Atsushi Tanigaki, Daisuke Hasegawa, Shinji Morohashi
  • Patent number: 6939129
    Abstract: An ignition gun device with safety switch. The device includes a hollow body with a safety switch near its center. The safety switch includes a body and a pressing part. The pressing part is placed freely onto the top of the body to move forward or backward. A brake bar is installed freely inside the pressing part to prevent the pressing part from moving forward. A brim of the hollow body is positioned corresponding to the connection of the safety switch. The brim blocks a pressing brim on the bottom of the pressing part to prevent the safety switch from being pushed down. During ignition, users have to move the brake bar to the blocking position and push the pressing part forward. The pressing brim then moves away from the brim enabling users to press down the safety switch to ignite the flame for safer and more convenient usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Inventor: Huang-Hsi Hsu
  • Patent number: 6929001
    Abstract: A barbecue grill comprises a gridiron disk, a shaft extending from the gridiron disk so that the shaft becomes substantially perpendicular to the gridiron disk, a bowl having a channel where the shaft is detachably received through the channel, and a motor attached to the bowl to generate rotation of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Inventor: Cheol Jung Yoon
  • Patent number: 6923643
    Abstract: A burner assembly for use in a warm air furnace. The burner assembly has a cooling air box for receiving air and a premix burner for receiving air-fuel premix positioned within and spaced apart from the cooling air box. The burner assembly also has a burner face assembly defining a front end of the premix burner. The burner face assembly includes a first plate positioned on top of a second plate, and a third plate positioned underneath the second plate. Each plate of the burner face assembly has a plurality of aligned burner openings. In the burner assembly, air-fuel premix is pulled through the premix burner, air is pulled through the cooling air box to cool the premix burner, and flames are projected from each of the burner openings of the burner face assembly for transferring heat within the warm air furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Schultz, Rolf L. Strand
  • Patent number: 6923639
    Abstract: A flame-retardant wick holder for a candle is made of a material having a UL-94 vertical burn test rating of at least V-0, including polymers and ceramics. The wick holder supports a wick at the bottom of a candle. The wick holder material causes the flame on the wick to extinguish when it reaches the holder, thereby preventing flashover of the residual candle fuel at the end of the candle useful life. One version of the holder has a cylindrical sleeve fit over a wick clip holding the lower end of the wick. The cylindrical holder is well adapted for use in pillar-type candles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Bath & Body Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley D. Pesu, Joseph P. Romano, Fabian Destefano, Cheriyan B. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6915798
    Abstract: The flexible exothermic medium of this invention is composed of an exothermic agent which generates heat in contact with air, and a water-absorptive polymer and/or a second polymer other than the water absorptive polymer. The mixture thereof is pressed at a pressure of 100-8000 kg/cm2 with alcohol, a cross-linking agent or a plasticizer. This results in producing flexible united mediums. The flexibility of the exothermic medium is also obtained by irradiating it with light or heating the mixture. The exothermic medium thus prepared is so flexible as to fit any curved part the body and has excellent exothermic characteristics compared with the prior art. The heating element using these exothermic mediums is fit for various uses such as thermotherapy, body warmers, cosmetics and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Ferric, Inc.
    Inventor: Naoki Minami
  • Patent number: 6908300
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a switch, a fuse, and a sensor that is capable of detecting the presence of flammable vapors and responsively changing in resistance, wherein the sensor enables the switch to supply current to the fuse which opens to shut down an appliance burner. The fuse is connected in series with a control circuit that enables a gas valve to supply gas to the burner. 65 The apparatus comprises a voltage divider circuit that includes the sensor, which upon exposure to flammable vapors, increases in resistance to provide a voltage input to the gate of a FET 100. The FET switches on and conducts a current that blows the fuse to interrupt the appliance burner control circuit and shut down burner operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Inventor: Donald E. Donnelly