Patents Examined by Charles S. Bushey
  • Patent number: 11565219
    Abstract: A micro-bubble generator is provided between an input end and an output end of a water outlet device. The micro-bubble generator includes a water inlet member and a water outlet member. A gas inlet gap is remained between the water inlet member and the water outlet member, with the gas inlet gap being communicated to external air, such that the external air is allowed to enter the micro-bubble generator for gas-liquid mixing and generate minute and dense bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventor: Cheng-Lung Juan
  • Patent number: 11559654
    Abstract: A device is provided that humidifies breathing gas. The device has a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. A chemical heater is positioned within the chamber and a trigger activates the heater. The chamber can be a conduit with an inner wall and an outer wall with a reservoir defined therebetween. The chemical heater can be positioned within the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
    Inventor: Jonathan Mark Church
  • Patent number: 11560327
    Abstract: A bubble generator including a container having a side wall and a top wall defining a cavity. An insert is located within the cavity defining a gas path with a trap portion. The gas path being in communication with an exit in the container. The cavity including an opening receiving a gas accumulating within the cavity, the gas path allowing the accumulating gas to escape through the exit once the accumulating gas reaches a predetermined level proximate the trap portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: PULSED BURST SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Charles Otis, Kenneth E. Neu
  • Patent number: 11561016
    Abstract: A humidifier includes a storage water tank configured to accommodate a predetermined amount of water; a circulation water tank having a smaller capacity than the storage water tank and including a circulation low water level sensor; a supply pump configured to supply water from the storage water tank to the circulation water tank; a circulation pump configured to supply water from the circulation water tank to a humidifying member; a residual water tank configured to accommodate water discharged from the circulation water tank; a drainage member disposed between the circulation water tank and the residual water tank selectively to discharge water from the circulation water tank to the residual water tank and a processor configured to control the drainage member to discharge water from the circulation water tank to the residual water tank when a low water level signal is received from the circulation low water level sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Beomseok Seo, Kyunghoon Kim, Sanghoon Lee, Seojeong Kim, Changmin Seok
  • Patent number: 11554328
    Abstract: Trays having increased capacity and efficiency are described. The trays have a deck, and downcomers extending through the deck. There are a plurality of bubble promoters on the deck. Each bubble promoter defines a zone on the deck, and the zone has an opening in the deck. The opening is positioned adjacent to a solid support for the tray. The bubble promoters provide areas through which vapor can pass, turning blocked areas of the tray into active areas. Mass transfer columns containing the trays are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Nowak, Zhanping Xu, Peter J. Wantuck
  • Patent number: 11549699
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved humidifier, having a novel tank design. The humidifier includes a misting assembly, a water tank and a base supporting the misting assembly and the water tank. The water tank and misting assembly are mated together immediately adjacent to one another on top of the base to form a column on the base. The water tank is removable from the base and includes a cap with a valve gasket at its bottom. The valve gasket of the water tank is opened upon placing the water tank on the base. The base further includes a recessed portion for receiving the water from the water tank and feeding the water to direct to the misting assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Vornado Air, LLC
    Inventors: Glen Wesley Ediger, Brian Cartwright, Gregory Pease
  • Patent number: 11543192
    Abstract: A splash bar for mounting to a splash bar hanger in a cooling tower includes a first leg defining a longitudinal axis of the splash bar and openings defined through the first leg. The first leg having an outer surface. The outer surface including surface features thereon. The surface features extending at least one of at an acute angle and generally perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis. The surface features designed and configured to promote droplet and cooling medium jet formation during operation of the cooling tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: BRENTWOOD INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Frank M. Kulick, III, Christopher Bowman, Nicholas Gavenas
  • Patent number: 11541328
    Abstract: A contact tray for use in a mass transfer or heat exchange column and having multiple baffles walls that cause the liquid flowing on an upper surface of a tray deck tray to change its direction of flow and narrow its flow path width and extend the length of the flow path when the liquid flows from an inlet area to an outlet on the tray deck. By narrowing the flow path, the volumetric flow rate of the liquid at any portion of the deck increases and reduces the opportunity for vapor entrainment of the liquid at low liquid flow rates. A downcomer extends downwardly from the outlet to receive liquid when it enters the outlet and then convey it downwardly to a discharge outlet located at a lower end of the downcomer. The downcomer includes an inclined or horizontal portion that causes the discharge outlet to be positioned beneath and in vertical alignment with the inlet area on the tray deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KOCH-GLITSCH, LP
    Inventors: Izak Nieuwoudt, Charles Griesel
  • Patent number: 11534699
    Abstract: A distributor tray (100) for a column for contact between a gas (G) and a liquid (L) is provided wherein the distributor tray has a plurality of compartments defined on one face of the tray by secant partitions (104) which are perforated (105) to allow the flow of liquid between adjacent compartments. Each compartment includes at least one passage of the liquid through the tray or a chimney (102) projecting from the tray for the exclusive passage of the gas (G) through the tray. The shape of the chimney is identical to the shape of the compartment containing it, and the chimney has an internal volume at least equal to the volume of the compartment containing it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: IFP Energies Nouvelles
    Inventors: Manel Fourati, Pascal Alix, Philippe Beard, Yacine Haroun
  • Patent number: 11529014
    Abstract: A dispensing assembly for cold beverages includes a beverage supply conduit, an opening and closing tap for closing or opening the beverage supply conduit, a beverage dispensing conduit delimiting a fluid passage, a dispensing outlet arranged at the end of the dispensing conduit, an air supply conduit delimiting an air passage. The tap is directly connected to the dispensing outlet by providing a connecting coupling which connects the air supply conduit to the beverage dispensing conduit, the beverage dispensing conduit comprising a Venturi segment between the tap and the outlet in which, by flowing through the Venturi segment, the fluid passage reduces the cross section thereof and then increases the cross section thereof as in a Venturi conduit. An air passage regulating valve is provided in said air supply conduit for regulating the width of the air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: ILLYCAFFÉ S.P.A.
    Inventors: Mark Romano, Paola Muggia, Maurizio Gasparin, Claudio Bolzicco
  • Patent number: 11525587
    Abstract: A humidifier having a multiplicity of metallic flow plates and a multiplicity of water transfer membranes, in particular for humidifying process gas for an electrochemical system or for HVAC applications is described. The humidifier has a construction in which the metallic flow plates and the water transfer membranes are arranged such that in each case at most one of the single-layer flow plates is arranged between adjacent water transfer membranes of the stack; and at least one of the water transfer membranes is in each case accommodated in a sealing manner, in particular clamped in a sealing manner, between the mutually facing sealing lines of adjacent flow plates of the stack. The humidifier has lower production costs, greater efficiency and lower weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: REINZ-DICHTUNGS-GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Glueck, Andre Speidel
  • Patent number: 11506456
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooling tower for cooling water, improved to evenly spray the cooling-water, wherein each component is manufactured in a modularized form and then each module is integrated and installed at an installation site to correspond to the scale of the cooling tower. The cooling tower includes a water tank, a filling material, a cooling-water circulation facility, an eliminator, and a fan, wherein, between the filling material and the water tank, an air intake port through which external air is introduced and a guide having a concave cross-sectional shape to guide the introduced air to the center using a pressure difference between the inside and the outside thereof are additionally provided so that cooling efficiency of the cooling-water can be improved and productivity of the cooling tower as well as convenience in transportation and installation can be maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Tae-June Gu
  • Patent number: 11504496
    Abstract: An apparatus for humidifying a flow of pressurised, breathable air includes varying a first pressure of the flow of breathable gas to vary a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, varying a height of the variable portion varies a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, use of a humidifier reservoir base component with a maximum water capacity substantially equal to the predetermined maximum volume of water of the humidifier reservoir or the use of intersecting inlet and outlet axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Andrew Roderick Bath, Justin John Formica, Matthew Rolf Harrington, Joseph Samuel Ormrod, Luke Andrew Stanislas, Hargopal Verma
  • Patent number: 11504679
    Abstract: The device is a gas-liquid mixing device having a venturi structure in which a throat portion and an enlarged diameter portion are provided in a main passage through which a liquid passes, the gas-liquid mixing device including a collision chamber provided on an outer periphery of the enlarged diameter portion, and a stirring chamber provided downstream of the enlarged diameter portion. A collision flow path communicating with the collision chamber and causing a gas-liquid to collide with an outer peripheral wall, a straight flow path through which the gas-liquid passing through a central portion of the enlarged diameter portion travels straight, and an outer ring flow path through which the gas-liquid flows from the collision chamber to the stirring chamber are formed downstream of the enlarged diameter portion. The gas-liquids from the outer ring flow path and the straight flow path are stirred in the stirring chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MTEC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumio Asano
  • Patent number: 11491297
    Abstract: An apparatus for humidification of air to be delivered to a patient's airways may include a reservoir, and a humidifier chamber. The humidifier chamber may include a humidifier wick and a heating element for heating the humidifier chamber. The humidifier wick may comprise a fibrous sheet material. The humidifier chamber and wick may be vertically oriented in use such that a first end of the wick is above the second end of the wick. A deioniser may be provided to deionise the liquid prior to the humidifier wick. The apparatus may pasteurise liquid to be delivered to the humidification wick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Matthew Rolf Harrington, Andrew Chan, Luke Andrew Stanislas, Nan Hai Wu
  • Patent number: 11484848
    Abstract: An apparatus for aerating bodies of water includes a floating platform, a motor supported by the floating platform, a transmission which is coupled to the motor and whose output shaft is in the form of a hollow shaft, a fan for supplying air through an air supply line connected thereto, wherein the air supply line is connected to one end of the hollow shaft, a hollow stirring shaft coupled to the other end of the hollow shaft, an stirrer affixed to the free end of the approximately vertical stirring shaft, wherein the stirrer is designated as a hollow body and has a central opening through which air supplied by the stirring shaft can pass, and a multiplicity of air outlet openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: INVENT Umwelt—und Verfahrenstechnik AG
    Inventors: Marcus Höfken, Thomas Hagspiel, Torsten Frey, Walter Steidl
  • Patent number: 11466943
    Abstract: High performance ceramic (“HPC”) cooling tower fill plates with scalloped top and bottom edges and cross-hatched veins are used in combination with improved retainers in order to produce high performance, cooling tower fill bundles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventor: Rodney Applegate
  • Patent number: 11460197
    Abstract: An air transfer apparatus being an integral or a monolithic structure or enclosure including an integral cavity and other cavities formed from a single piece of material. The integrated cavity includes a plurality of individual dividers forming a plurality of integral segmented cavities where pumps and motors are installed, and a controller which controls the operation of the pump motor such as turns on and off the pump motor and adjusts the speed of the pump motor. The air transfer apparatus is adapted to have at least one heat exchanger pad installed in at least of the sides of the walls and at least one fan installed in the air transfer apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventor: Anthony Staniulis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11452974
    Abstract: A passive gas exchange transfer apparatus for exchanging carbon dioxide from a flue gas to a water supply is disclosed. The apparatus includes several upper rods and several lower rods to hold a membrane in place. The membrane provides increased surface area for the gas and the water to meet. The upper rods may be the source of the water supply, and the lower rods may be the source of the gas. The upper rods may disperse the water onto one side of the membrane, and the lower rods may disperse the gas onto the other side. The two may therefore meet at the surface created by the membrane as gravity draws the water downward, and convection draws the gas upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daniel T. Sellars, Joel W. Agner
  • Patent number: 11454390
    Abstract: Spray heads for use with desuperheaters and desuperheaters including such spray heads. In accordance with an example, a spray head for a desuperheater includes a main body having a first end portion arranged for attachment to a flow line, a second end portion, and a passage that extends between the first end portion and the second end portion and defines an entrance port. The passage being adapted for connection to a source of fluid. The main body includes an outer portion having an irregular external shape and including a spray nozzle having an exit opening defined by the outer portion. A flow passage is coupled between the entrance port and the spray nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Marc Oliver Huber, Kaspar Loeffel, Thomas Duda