Patents Examined by Chuka C Ndubizu
  • Patent number: 7650881
    Abstract: A door assembly for a cooking appliance including a cabinet, a lower oven cavity and an upper oven cavity defined within the cabinet is provided. The door assembly includes a lower oven door movably coupled to the cabinet and configured to cover the lower oven cavity. The lower oven door defines a lower oven door air inlet and a lower oven door air outlet. A lower oven door air passage is defined within the lower oven door and provides flow communication between the lower oven door air inlet and the lower oven door air outlet. An upper oven door is movably coupled to the cabinet and configured to cover the upper oven cavity. The upper oven door defines an upper oven door air inlet and an upper oven door air outlet. An upper oven door air passage is defined within the upper oven door and provides flow communication between the upper oven door air inlet and the upper oven door air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin T. Brown, Timothy Scott Shaffer, Christopher O'Malley
  • Patent number: 7647923
    Abstract: This invention is a safety mechanism that improves upon existing inventions in the field of barbeques and grills by minimizing grill fires and/or burning or overcooking of one's food. A barbeque includes a control panel that receives input from one or several thermocouples installed inside the grill. In the event of a grill fire, the thermocouples detect the high heat, send a signal to the control panel, that in turn activates a mechanical lift to move the barbecue's cooking-grid away from the flame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Inventor: Randall C. Dahl
  • Patent number: 7644710
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a turning type charcoal roast board, and more particularly, to a turning type charcoal roast board, wherein if exchange of a used roast board is required during roast of meat using a charcoal fire, new roast rods are placed at an opening of a main body of the roast board in such a manner that the roast rods stored in a roast rod-supplying box are fed via a moving means through users simple operation of a control device for controlling the feeding of the roast rods installed on a main body of the charcoal roast board, and roast rods used at the opening of the main board are transferred to and received in a roast rod-receiving box by means of rotation of the moving means. According to the present invention, the roast board can be rapidly exchanged to prevent meat from being burned, and it is possible to eliminate inconvenience in use due to frequent exchange of roast boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Inventor: Sang Seon Oh
  • Patent number: 7644712
    Abstract: A pneumatic signal conditioning device may have a first fluid path and a second fluid path. The first fluid path includes a first inlet and a first outlet, and is configured such that the first outlet provides a first conditioned signal representing a pressure at the first inlet. Similarly, the second fluid path is configured such that the second outlet provides a second conditioned signal representing a pressure at the second inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Schultz
  • Patent number: 7640931
    Abstract: A revolutionary solar collecting system for effectively and efficiently harnessing the sun's energy is shown. The system tracks the sun and maintains a constant spatial focal point or sub-focal point to at least partially condense the sun's rays into a high-energy beam that may or may not be redirected to a predetermined location or locations for generating electrical power, heat energy, steam, and/or any other well-known applications In industry and research areas. The revolutionary system of the invention is low-cost, low maintenance, and is capable of significantly reducing energy costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Inventor: M. Hisham Tarabishi
  • Patent number: 7634992
    Abstract: An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising: an enclosure (2) for receiving the food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure (2) comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall (9) and a top wall (10), interconnected by at least two vertical side walls (7, 8), the enclosure (2) being closed by at least one door (5) that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening (28) for exhausting gas inside the enclosure (2) and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and a heater device (11) for heating the cooking atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert Fernand Bujeau, Michel Georges Foray
  • Patent number: 7628608
    Abstract: A submersible gas burner includes a pilot burner, a closed gas reservoir, and a first and second main burners. The pilot burner has a pilot burner tube with a closed upper end, an open lower end and a pilot gas inlet adjacent the upper end. The pilot burner provides a downwardly directed pilot flame. The closed gas reservoir has an upper end, a lower end, and a main gas inlet above the lower end. The main burners are coupled to the gas reservoir with upper ends adjacent the pilot burner and opposing lower ends coupled to the gas reservoir. The lower end of the first main burner is further from the lower end of the gas reservoir than the main gas inlet while the lower end of the second main burner is closer to the lower end of the gas reservoir than the main gas inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Wet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: James Doyle, Mark W. Fuller, Russell Nave, Ronald McGinnes
  • Patent number: 7610911
    Abstract: A self-supporting heliothermal flat collector module includes a sheet metal panel; a register-type arrangement of capillary tubes separated from one another for the flow of a fluid medium that lies on the rear side of the sheet metal panel opposite that to be irradiated; and a thermally-insulating insulation core also positioned on the rear side. According to the invention, the capillary tubes of the register-type arrangement are placed into contact with the surface of the thermally-insulating insulation core, and the thermally-insulating insulation core is attached to the sheet metal panel by means of an elastic adhesive layer, whereby the capillary tubes are at least partially embedded into the adhesive layer between the sheet metal panel and the insulation core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Rheinzink GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Frank Neumann, Markus Patschke, Marianne Schoennenbeck
  • Patent number: 7607915
    Abstract: The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate, said wick holder further engaging said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel E. Adair, Georgia A. Tenhagen, Padma Prabodh Varanasi, Paul E. Furner, Elizabeth J. Jameson, Chris A. Kubicek, Sean G. Dwyer
  • Patent number: 7597552
    Abstract: A heater for a liquid has a combustion chamber, a jacket for the liquid extending about the combustion chamber and a burner head assembly connected to the combustion chamber. The burner head assembly includes a housing having a burner mounted thereon and a hollow interior. A control module and a fan are mounted in the hollow interior, the fan being connected to an electric motor. A compressor and a fuel pump are mounted on the housing and are operatively connected to the electric motor. The control module may include controls for exercising components of the heater prior to combustion, thereby verifying operation of these components. Preferably there is a speed control for the motor, such as a closed loop speed control which regulates motor speed and accordingly output of the heater. Preferably there is a backup system using a lookup table in the event that the closed loop speed control fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Teleflex Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Young, Douglas Thompson Paul, Angelo Paccone
  • Patent number: 7568912
    Abstract: A candle fuel element includes a wick-holder assembly including a wick spaced from a heat-conductive element, a first fuel charge surrounding the wick, and a second fuel charge slidably engaging and at least partly surrounding the first fuel charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A Kubicek, Cory J Nelson, Brian Wagers, Paul E Furner, Kara L Lakatos, Thomas J Szymczak, Padma Prabodh Varanasi, Joel E Adair
  • Patent number: 7568909
    Abstract: A battery powered ignition and control system for a gas burner includes circuits for controlling a pilot burner, a main burner, a flame sensor and an igniter. Mechanically latched valves, which require power only to switch between and open and closed state are used to control the pilot and main gas. The circuitry spends a majority of time in a powered down state and draws power only when required to interrogate the state of the flame and to perform an ignition sequence as required, as periodically dictated by a watchdog system. The latching valves are electrically pulsed to change state and thus draw very low average power when called upon. Lithium batteries provide system power for a long duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Platinum Energy Services Corp.
    Inventors: Rob MacNutt, Gary Gunthorpe
  • Patent number: 7556034
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a kitchen-range comprising a self-cleaning assembly that enables one to clean concomitantly the cooking top of the kitchen range and any other contiguous surface that is integrated therewith or located close to said cooking top. The invention further deals with a self-cleaning assembly that can be coupled to numberless surfaces, so as to enable them to benefit from a cleaning process of spraying cleaning elements such as liquids, vapors, supercritical fluids, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Inventor: Antonio Augusto De Miranda Grieco
  • Patent number: 7537003
    Abstract: A kitchen apparatus body installed in a cabinet includes a heating chamber configured to carry out processing, such a high-frequency heating, on an object to be processed. The kitchen apparatus body includes an air supply unit configured to suck in cooling air, a first exhaust unit configured to exhaust air including the heat from the heating chamber, and a second exhaust unit configured to exhaust air used to cool a unit, such as a high-voltage transformer, having a high temperature. The air supply unit and the first and second exhaust units are collectively disposed in a side section of the kitchen apparatus body in a manner such that they extend from the front to back and such that the inlet and the outlets open to the front surface. Therefore, the air supply and the exhaust are separated from each other so as to improve their efficiency. Even when vapor is included in the exhaust air, condensation can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7537004
    Abstract: An oven comprises a cooking cavity, a steam generator operably connected to the cooking cavity for introducing steam into the cooking cavity, and a portable vessel removably mounted to the oven for supplying water to the steam generator and receiving drain water from the steam generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Malcolm Reay
  • Patent number: 7524187
    Abstract: The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate, said wick holder further engaging said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris A. Kubicek, Cory J. Nelson, Matthew S. Montei, Paul E. Furner
  • Patent number: 7520743
    Abstract: With the disclosed device, some or all of the available oil tank vent gas in a production system can be utilized to augment the primary fuel gas needed by a heater treater unit to separate the gas, oil, and water fractions from raw natural gas extracted at the wellhead. Augmenting the primary fuel gas with vent gas reduces the demand for primary fuel gas, which thereby increases the amount of gas traversing a meter. The disclosed device also provides for an auxiliary burner unit that can directly address any available oil tank vent gas that is not utilized to augment fuel gas as waste gas. A method and apparatus for reducing the venting of raw natural gas emissions from an oil storage tank is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Chemical Applications and Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Leslie Clifford Roberts
  • Patent number: 7520745
    Abstract: A premix burner, for example for a gas turbine, having a conical swirl generator (1) and a cylindrical mixing section (2) which follows it in the direction of flow, includes a high-pressure atomizer nozzle (10) with one or more fuel feed passages. The high-pressure atomizer nozzle (10) includes at least two outlet passages, through which liquid fuel enters the swirl generator (1), these passages being arranged off-center with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and being configured in such a way that the spray cone (11) of the fuel is oriented at an angle (?) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the swirl generator (1) which is smaller than the cone half-angle (?) of the swirl generator (1). The outlet passages in particular have an internal geometry with a conically narrowed section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Gijsbertus Oomens, Bettina Paikert, Peter Flohr, Christian Steinbach
  • Patent number: 7513249
    Abstract: A device 10 for removing cooking grease from cooker exhaust air includes a rotating chiller member 12, a stationary diffuser member 14 having a plurality of apertures 16 therethrough, the diffuser member 14 encasing the rotating chiller member 12, an enclosure 18 for enclosing the diffuser member 14 and the rotating chiller member 12 encased in the diffuser member 14, a mixing member 19 for combining grease carrying cooker exhaust air with cooling air provided by an air damper 20 secured to a first end portion 21 of the mixing member 19, a blower 22 for urging the combined grease carrying cooker exhaust air and cooling air from the mixing member 19 through the apertures 16 of the diffuser member 14, a refrigeration unit 24 for cooling the rotating chiller member 12 such that grease will condense from the cooker exhaust air upon the surface of the chiller member 12, and a scraper member 32 for removing grease from the chiller member 12 while the chiller member 12 is rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Inventor: Millard Minyard
  • Patent number: 7513250
    Abstract: A solar panel(s) positioning apparatus for controlling the orientation of a solar panel(s) having one edge pivotally mounted to a support surface including a lift bar attached to an opposite edge of the panel(s) and having a mast, a base supported on the support surface, a swing link connected between the base and the mast and an extensible link pivotally connected between an intermediate point on the base end of the mast. A modification of the structure includes positioning apparatus for alternate bidirectional tilting of one or more panels about axes along aligned opposite side edges thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Inventors: Ray Head, Cindy S. Head