Patents Examined by Christopher M Afful
  • Patent number: 10850970
    Abstract: A gravity-fed fuel delivery system is provided. A central storage tank holds fuel to re-supply a number of pump trucks or other mechanized equipment, such as on a hydraulic fracturing location, and can be selectively raised or lowered. Hoses or other conduits extend from the central storage tank to individual engines of the equipment to be refueled. Adapters allow connection of the distal end of each hose or conduit to an inlet of the suction side of the engine. Adaptors also allow connection of the return side of the engine's fuel system back to the central storage tank. Thereby mechanically allowing flow from the central storage tank, through the engine's fuel system, supply fuel for the engine to burn and allowing the return or unburned fuel a path back to the central storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Inventor: Brennan Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10842716
    Abstract: A carousel configured to house a plurality of pump cartridges for a compounder system is provided. The carousel may include a plurality of cartridge pockets each having an extended portion that covers a portion of a cartridge and a bottom surface having an extension with a recess. The bottom surface recess of each cartridge pocket may be shaped and sized to receive a needle housing of a pump cartridge in the cartridge pocket. A recess may be provided in the extended portion of each pocket that receives a protrusion that extends from a top surface of a backpack coupled to the pump cartridge to secure the pump cartridge in the cartridge pocket. The bottom surface recess may have an additional bottom surface that prevents actuation of the needle housing of the pump cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: CAREFUSION 303, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Zollinger, George Michel Mansour, Kraig Kruger
  • Patent number: 10845005
    Abstract: A Venturi filling system having a first filling coupler configured to be coupled to a first set of fittings disposed at a first tank end of a tank; a second filling coupler configured to be coupled to a second set of fittings disposed at a second tank end of the tank; and a Venturi assembly that includes: a Venturi mixing chamber, the Venturi mixing chamber communicating with the first filling coupler; a Venturi nozzle configured to introduce a first flow of fluid from a fluid source to the Venturi mixing chamber of the Venturi assembly; and an suction inlet communicating with the second filling coupler and coupled with the Venturi chamber and configured to receive a second flow of fluid originates from the second filling coupler such that the second flow of fluid flows into the Venturi chamber and mixes with the first fluid flow within the Venturi mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Other Lab, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Stein Wexler, Durward Kimball Stone, Karthick Chandraseker
  • Patent number: 10806673
    Abstract: A vial puck configured for attachment to a vial containing a drug is provided. The vial puck includes various features for facilitating uniform control of vials of various sizes in an automatic compounder system. The vial puck features may include a vial recess for receiving a vial of a particular size and securing the vial within the vial recess. The features may also include a cylindrical central portion, perpendicular extensions that extend from a top of the cylindrical central portion, a gear extending from the cylindrical central portion, and a sealing member disposed in the cylindrical central portion. The vial puck may include a cylindrical protrusion configured to press against a septum of the vial to form a seal between the vial puck and the vial. The sealing member may be configured to receive a needle of the compounder system therethrough to allow access to the vial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Zollinger, Neil Quitoviera, Dereck Ferdaws
  • Patent number: 10772799
    Abstract: A pump drive for an automatic drug compounder may be provided. The pump drive may include a pump head assembly with a plurality of operational mechanisms controllable to operate a pump cartridge to pump fluids through the cartridge to a vial containing a drug, or to pump a reconstituted drug to a receiving container. The pump drive may include a vial lift vial grip configured to retrieve the vial from a vial tray and lift the vial such that a needle assembly of the pump cartridge extends into the vial through sealing membranes of the cartridge and a vial puck attached to the vial. The pump head assembly may be rotatable to agitate and/or invert the vial. The operational mechanism may include an eccentric drive for driving a piston pump of the cartridge and a plurality of valve actuators for operating valves of the pump cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Edwin Schneider, Sara Little, Ray Feith
  • Patent number: 10772800
    Abstract: A disposable pump cartridge for a compounder system is provided. The cartridge may include a plurality of controllable fluid pathways and a piston for pumping fluid and/or vapors through selected ones of the fluid pathways. The cartridge may include a plurality of valves operable to select particular pathways from the plurality of pathways. The fluid pathways may be formed from a portion of a cartridge frame and a sealing membrane disposed on the cartridge frame. A cartridge bezel disposed over the sealing membrane may include openings that provide access to the valves. The valves and the piston may be operated by a pump drive of the compounder system. The bezel may include additional openings that provide access to ports within the cartridge for receiving diluents or for providing waste. Portions of the sealing membrane within the additional openings in the bezel may be configured to receive a needle therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: CareFusion 303, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Zollinger, George Michel Mansour, Robert Edwin Schneider
  • Patent number: 10759272
    Abstract: A closure of a tank of a motor vehicle for closing a filler neck gas- and fluid-tight, having a closure fastened to a flap, the flap being fastened to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle such that it is movable into an open or closed position, the closure including a seal, which causes the closure to close against the filler neck. The tank closure should be easy for a user to handle and have a relatively simple design and be economical to manufacture. This is achieved in that the seal is electromechanically or pneumatically adjustable with the aid of an actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Olaf Husberg, Henning Irle, Ingo Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 10759238
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire seater configured to seat a tubeless tire on a rim has a manual internal slip (MIS) valve mounted on the end of a tank. A nozzle is mounted on one end of the MIS valve, and the other end extends partially into the air tank. The MIS valve has a slotted chamber with slotted chamber holes, and a slip cylinder that fits within the slotted chamber and has slip cylinder holes. A compression spring in the MIS valve exerts force on the slotted cylinder, pushing it forward to line up the cylinder holes with the slotted chamber holes and release the high pressure air from within the tank which goes through the MIS valve and out the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Gaither Tool Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jime Huang, Richard W. Brahler, II
  • Patent number: 10737571
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel fill opening structure which includes: a holder which forms a fuel supply passage; a main on-off valve which is arranged in the holder, and opens or closes the fuel supply passage; a drain opening which is drilled on an upstream side from the main on-off valve of the holder; a drain flap which is pivotably arranged at a position to come in contact with a fuel gun inserted into the holder; and a drain on-off valve which pivots along with pivot of the drain flap to open or close the drain opening. A first pivot amount of the drain flap, which is pivoted by being brought in contact with the fuel gun, is set to be larger than a second pivot amount of the drain on-off valve required to close the drain opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: YACHIYO INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daesung Kim
  • Patent number: 10732022
    Abstract: A system and method for real-time management of liquid bottles contents in a restauration establishment includes a controller and at least one bottle support base coupled to the controller. Each bottle support base includes a bottle-receiving surface, a first sensor that produces a first signal indicative of a weight of a bottle deposited on the surface; a second sensor for reading an identification element on the bottle and for producing a second signal indicative thereof; and a transmitter for transmitting to the controller data indicative of the first and second signal. The controller implements numerous functionalities that are derived from its assessment of the volumes of alcohol in the bottles using the data received from the support bases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apéros Systèmes Inc.
    Inventors: Gilles Clément, François Hébert, Mathieu Beaupré, Michel Corriveau
  • Patent number: 10724689
    Abstract: A system is provided for loading one or more transport tank, the system including one or more load lines for connecting between on-site storage tanks or vessels and the transport tanks; one or more vapour return lines for connecting between the transport tanks and an on-site flare or downstream units; an oxygen deficient medium source; one or more oxygen deficient medium blend supply lines connectable to each of the vapour return lines; a HMI/PLC for automation and control of the operations of the system; and a control panel in communication with the HMI/PLC for starting and stopping operation of the system. Gases displaced from the transport tanks during loading can be sent directly to flare or downstream units. A method is also provided for loading a fluid from one or more on-site storage tanks or vessels to one or more transportation tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ROSKA DBO INC.
    Inventors: Clayton Roska, Duane Edward Weiser, Ronald Michael Kowalyk, Gregory Thomas Nesom, Terry Wesley Quackenbush, Clinton Kent Rowland, Thomas Daniel Eidt, Kelly Murray Gitzel, Connor John Martin, Curtis A. Moore, Stephen Michael LaFond
  • Patent number: 10709308
    Abstract: A system for refilling, emptying and/or recharging of an autonomous floor cleaner includes a docking station adapted to be coupled with a household plumbing infrastructure. The docking station can be provided on a household appliance, which may be a toilet, a dishwasher, or another appliance coupled with the plumbing infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Buehler, Jeffrey A. Scholten, Adam Brown
  • Patent number: 10710451
    Abstract: A closure of a tank of a motor vehicle for closing a filler neck gas- and fluid-tight, having a closure fastened to a flap, the flap being fastened to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle such that it is movable into an open or closed position, the closure including a seal, which causes the closure to close against the filler neck. The tank closure should be easy for a user to handle and have a relatively simple design and be economical to manufacture. This is achieved in that the seal is electromechanically or pneumatically adjustable with the aid of an actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Olaf Husberg, Henning Irle, Ingo Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 10689244
    Abstract: An assistance lever that assists a user when operating a fuel nozzle at a fuel dispenser is disclosed. In one embodiment, the assistance lever includes a fulcrum post, a handle post, a support arm, and a press member. The fulcrum post is positionable on a top ridge of the fuel nozzle. The support arm is connected between the fulcrum post and the handle post such that the handle post is positionable beneath a handle of the fuel nozzle. The press member is attached to the fulcrum post and positioned to turn the assistance lever about the fulcrum post when pressed by the user such that the handle post presses the handle of the fuel nozzle. In this manner, a user can simply use their weight to push on the press member, which thereby presses the handle of the fuel nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Inventor: Ray LeCroix
  • Patent number: 10618790
    Abstract: A container-filling method includes executing a learning phase by starting a filling operation with a filling parameter that was used to start filling of a another product. The learning phase includes the filling element and saving relationships between a filling parameter, such as expected filling time or foam formation, and a value indicative of that filling parameter. The method includes comparing a saved target with this value to see a termination criterion has been achieved. If not, the filling parameter is varied in response to instructions provided by a simulator and the process repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: KHS Gmbh
    Inventors: Jochen Ohrem, Ludwig Clüsserath
  • Patent number: 10500949
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated fuel mixing prevention device for a diesel vehicle, in which a diesel filler neck and a urea filler neck are integrated with each other to prevent fuel from mixing, allowing only a diesel fuel filling gun to be inserted into a fuel inlet when a diesel fuel filling mode is selected and allowing only a urea filling gun to be inserted into the fuel inlet when a urea filling mode is selected, which may prevent a fuel mixing an accident caused by incorrect replenishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Tae Suk Lee, Sung Won Lee, Tae Yoon Lee, S. Chaitanya kumar Reddy, Sreekanth Potlabathini