Patents Examined by Daniel Robinson
  • Patent number: 7211776
    Abstract: A clip on welder includes two pairs of opposed grippers defined by pivotally attached upper and lower frames for latching the welder to heat weldable material, such as a length of tubing, upon actuation of a start button by an operator; thereafter, the welder operates unattended. At least a jaw of a pair of jaws disposed intermediate the two pairs of grippers heats the material compressed and lodged therebetween to form a weld in or across the material. A source of gas, such as air, under pressure selectively connected to a bellows provides the power to pivot the upper and lower frames into gripping engagement with the material. A source of electrical signals provides the power to heat the material intermediate the pair of jaws. One or more thermocouples senses the heat of the jaws and generates signals used to control the application of power and to control cooling. After completion of the weld, cooling air is directed to the jaws until the thermocouple(s) signal(s) indicates a sufficiently low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Engineering & Research Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph C. Jensen
  • Patent number: 7208709
    Abstract: A pressure-measuring vessel system for microwave assisted chemical processes is disclosed. The vessel system includes a pressure resistant vessel that is otherwise transparent to microwave radiation, a pressure-resistant closure for the mouth of the vessel, with portions of the closure including a pressure resistant synthetic membrane, a pressure transducer external to the vessel, and a tube extending from the transducer, through the membrane and into the vessel for permitting the pressure inside the vessel to be applied against the transducer while the closure and membrane otherwise maintain the pressure resistant characteristics of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: CEM Corporation
    Inventors: William Edward Jennings, Wyatt Price Hargett, Jr., James Edward Thomas
  • Patent number: 7208711
    Abstract: Dielectric welding apparatus has opposed electrodes that can be engaged on either side of a product to be welded and a dielectric welding power supply that supplies welding potentials to the electrodes. The apparatus includes electrically insulating buffer material adjacent to at least one of the electrodes. A recess formed in a surface of the buffer material receives an end of an electrically-conductive member in the product. The buffer material prevents arcing between the electrodes and the electrically-conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Coolhead Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: R. David Fletcher, Christopher Lawrence Clarke
  • Patent number: 7209777
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for tracking a moving object using magnetic resonance imaging. The technique includes acquiring a scout image scan having a number of image frames and extracting non-linear motion parameters from the number of image frames of the scout image scan. The technique includes prospectively shifting slice location using the non-linear motion parameters between slice locations while acquiring a series of MR images. The system and method are particularly useful in tracking coronary artery movement during the cardiac cycle to acquire the non-linear components of coronary artery movement during a diastolic portion of the R—R interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Manojkumar Saranathan, Christopher J. Hardy, Thomas K. F. Foo
  • Patent number: 7202451
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent temperature decrease in a border portion of each of heating coils and to enable to eliminate an influence given by the change in a load state. In order to attain this object, an induction heating unit 400 according to the present invention is provided with control units 420 (420a to 420d) respectively corresponding to a plurality of heating units 310 (310a to 310d). A phase detector 424d of the control unit 420d obtains a phase difference between an output current (heating coil current IL4) of an inverter 314d detected by a current transformer 160d and a reference signal outputted by a reference signal generating section 426, and inputs it to a drive control section 422d. The drive control section 422d adjusts an output timing (phase) of a gate pulse to be given to the inverter 314d so as to make a phase of the heating coil current IL4 of the inverter 314d coincide with a phase of the reference signal outputted by the reference signal generating section 426.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Uchida, Keiji Kawanaka, Hideyuki Nanba, Kazuhiro Ozaki
  • Patent number: 7202452
    Abstract: Coffee maker and microwave oven and method for controlling the same are disclosed. The coffee maker and microwave oven includes an outfit room for mounting various electric components on an inside thereof, a case at one side of the outfit room, a water tank in the case, a funnel having a filter placed thereon for extraction of coffee, a jug under the funnel for storage of extracted coffee, a water supply pipe having one end connected to the water tank, the other end position over the funnel, and a portion on a bottom of the case, and a heater assembly on the bottom of the case, the heater assembly having a heating heater for heating potable water passing through the water supply pipe, and a heat conservation heater for heating coffee in the jug to maintain a temperature of the coffee constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Man Su Park, Jung Ju Kwon, Wang Lim Lee, Dae Sik Kim, Wan Je Cho, Seong Soo Choi, Dong Wan Seo
  • Patent number: 7202455
    Abstract: Microwave oven including a case with a door, a cooking chamber in the case openable/closable with the door, and having a microwave applicable thereto, a first tray mounted in the cooking chamber to reciprocate therein, a second tray rotatably mounted on the first tray, and a link engaged with the motor and the first tray such that the first tray reciprocates within the cooking chamber, and further engaged with the motor and the second tray such that the second tray rotates with respect to the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seong Soo Choi
  • Patent number: 7202453
    Abstract: A dielectric heating system with which the power density applied to the product being treated can be at least doubled without risk of electric arcs. This invention is particularly suitable for treatment of compounds that absorb electromagnetic waves weakly (low dielectric constants). In particular, fatty substances such as oils, butters, waxes and fats can be treated (refining, hydrolysis, transesterification, interesterification, etc.), derivatives thereof (esterification, polymerization, alcoholysis, ethoxylation, hydrogenation, etc.) under static or dynamic conditions, as can hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds. This system can also be used advantageously for polar or polarized compounds, because the power absorbed is increased very significantly, with large production gains. In particular, fatty or non-fatty alcohols (oleic alcohol, glycol, glycerol, mannitol, sorbitol, polyglycerols, vitamins, etc.), carboxylic acids, amines and similar compounds can be treated under static or dynamic conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: ALDVIA S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre Charlier De Chily, Mikaele Raynard
  • Patent number: 7199338
    Abstract: A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including: assembling an end of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and a substantially phosphorous-free braze material; positioning the assembly of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and the braze material in a braze chamber, such that the clip is seated in an induction heating coil; heating the assembly to a first temperature within 200 degrees F. of and below a solidus temperature of the braze material by applying electrical current to the induction heat coil; heating the assembly to a second temperature above the liquidus temperature of the braze material; pooling liquid braze material on ends of the armature bar, and cooling the assembly and thereby forming a braze layer on the end of the armature bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Michael Breznak, James Fredrick Hopeck, Alan Michael Iversen, Lawrence Lee Sowers
  • Patent number: 7199341
    Abstract: A high-frequency heating apparatus comprises a heating chamber, a high-frequency generator, a waveguide, an antenna, a motor for rotating the antenna, and a stage (6) provided above and near the antenna to partition the heating chamber and made of dielectric. A rotary base on which an object to be heated is mounted is provided on the stage. A first magnet is provided to the antenna. A second magnet is provided on the rotary base at a place corresponding to the first magnet on the rotary base. By utilizing the magnetic coupling between the first and second magnets, the rotary base is rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the antenna. While maintaining the advantages of conventional antenna high-frequency heating apparatuses, the heating efficiency by grill heating or oven heating is enhanced, and minute heating uniformness is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fuminori Kaneko, Hiroki Kitayama, Yoshikazu Yamamoto, Yuzi Andoh
  • Patent number: 7196296
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of realizing low power consumption of a fixing means is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming means for forming an unfixed image t on a recording material P, and a fixing means 10 for heat-fixing the unfixed image. In the image forming apparatus, the fixing means 10 is of electromagnetic induction heating type wherein the fixing means 10 includes a magnetic flux generation means 36 and an induction heating member 10a for generating heat through electromagnetic induction by the action of generated magnetic flux of the magnetic flux generation means, and the unfixed image is heat-fixed on the recording material by generated heat of the induction heating member 10a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7196299
    Abstract: A carton for use in microwave ovens includes a base and a removable cover. The base has a cooking surface at least partially covered with a microwave susceptor material. The base defines an aperture arrangement. In preferred embodiments, the carton is triangular-shaped with an apex region. The apex region does not have a susceptor material, and can include a microwave shield. The removable cover can function as a cover, a platform, and a tray. A packaged food product includes a food product, such as a slice of pizza, oriented within the carton. Methods of packaging and use are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Schwan's Food Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Joey Hasse, David Rettey, James A. McGillivray
  • Patent number: 7193183
    Abstract: A glow plug connector for a glow plug with built-in sensor, especially built-in pressure sensor, comprising a casing made of an electrically insulating material, which can be placed onto the glow plug. Provided centrally in the casing is a high-current connection which is connected to the high-current contact of the heating devices of the glow plug when the connector is placed thereon. Sensor contacts are provided on the casing insulated with respect to the high-current connection for contacting the sensor connections of the built-in sensor when the connector is placed thereon. For sealing an O-ring is provided on the outside of the casing whereas a locking mechanism serves to deliver the withdrawal force which must be overcome so that a coupling placed thereon can be removed from the glow plug connector. The connector is part of a system with a glow plug connector and glow plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Beru AG, Hirschmann Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haussner, Gerald List, Frank Pechhold, Hans Houben, Juergen Haefele, Werner Jaeger
  • Patent number: 7194199
    Abstract: A process chamber includes an opening, two or more stacked cold plates adjacent the opening, two or more stacked hot plates adjacent the cold plates, and a rotatable wafer transport capable of moving a wafer between the cold plates and between the hot plates for processing of the wafer. The wafer can be rapidly heated while between the hot plates. The wafer transport has perpendicular walls about a pivot such that when the wafer is between the cold plates or between the hot plates, one of the walls separates the cold and hot portions, thereby increasing the efficiency of cooling and heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: WaferMasters, Inc.
    Inventor: Woo Sik Yoo
  • Patent number: 7190889
    Abstract: A heater for the non-contact heating of an object, such as a substrate for material deposition, includes a housing defining a deposition cavity and a source of radiation outside the deposition cavity. A reflector is optically coupled to the source of radiation to collect the radiation and to focus it on the radiation path. The reflector may have different shapes. If, for example, the reflector is an ellipsoidal reflector, the source of radiation then is mounted in a first focus, the substrate is located in the other focus, and the radiation path is positioned on the main focal axis of the ellipsoidal reflector. The radiation from the source of radiation is delivered to the substrate inside the deposition cavity through a radiation path(s) formed in the housing wall to heat the substrate to the temperature Ts, so that T1<Ts<T2, where T1 is the temperature of the housing wall, while T2 is the effective temperature of the source of radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Neocera, LLC
    Inventors: Mikhail Strikovski, Kolagani Solomon Harshavardhan
  • Patent number: 7186961
    Abstract: One object of the invention is to provide a container for cooking foods that (1) enables cooking while maintaining an appropriate moisture content, even when the container is heated by an external heating means such as a microwave oven, and (2) can be opened easily. Another object is to provide a container that is equipped with a separate seasoning means that enables the foods to be seasoned automatically, without that needing to be done manually by a user, and for the seasoning means to be removed easily. The container, which is formed of a polyolefin-based sheet, comprises a container body and a cover and is provided with a pressure-releasing part whose adhesion strength is weak enough so that it can be opened by the vapor pressure that is generated inside the container when it is heated. Also provided is a packet that contains liquid seasoning and that can be opened by the vapor pressure that is generated by heating the container, so as to make the liquid seasoning flow out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Inventor: Shigeo Ozawa
  • Patent number: 7184656
    Abstract: An infrared ray lamp having a structure wherein a groove is formed in the vicinity of each of both end portions of a substantially plate heating element formed of a carbon-based substance, a carbon-based adhesive is applied to a region including the groove, and the end portion of the heating element is inserted into a slit formed at the end portion of a heat-emitting block having high conductivity so as to be sandwiched; by forming a reflection film on the glass tube of the infrared ray lamp, an infrared ray lamp having a desired emission intensity distribution is provided; a heating apparatus using this infrared ray lamp and method of producing the infrared ray lamp are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Konishi
  • Patent number: 7183523
    Abstract: A wrist rest equipped with a heating device has a base, a heating device and a cushion. The base has a recess and a chamber. The heating device is mounted in and on the base and has a controller, a heating element, a switch and a power source. The controller is mounted in the chamber and controls operation of the heating device. The heating element is mounted in the recess and connected electrically to the controller. The switch is connected electrically to the controller to turn the heating element on and off. The power source is connected electrically to the controller to supply electricity to the heating device. The cushion is mounted in the recess above the heating element and is heated by heat from the heating element to improve the blood circulation in the mouse user's wrist area while a user operates the computer mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Inventor: Chiang-Tsun Lu
  • Patent number: 7183525
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roasting/grilling device with a roasting/grilling plate (7) and with a thermostatic regulation of the roasting/grilling power. For this the temperature of the roasting/grilling plate (7) is monitored in a contactless manner by way of electromagnetic radiation. In combination with an efficient regulation and control unit, suitably arranged heating elements, preferably induction coils (30), as well as with a special roasting/grilling plate surface, an optimal roasting/grilling of food to be roasted/grilled becomes possible, in particular due to the fact that the temperature drops which are otherwise common with roasting/grilling device are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Inducs AG
    Inventor: Christian Fuchs
  • Patent number: 7184657
    Abstract: A heating arrangement heats a first major surface of a workpiece with an illumination energy such that a first portion of the illumination energy is directly incident upon the first major surface of the workpiece and a second portion of the illumination energy is directed such that, at least initially, the second portion would miss the first major surface. A reflector, having a central opening, reflects at least some of the second portion of the illumination energy onto the peripheral edge region of the workpiece for preheating compensation. The reflector is configured for shadow-free exposure of a second, opposing major surface of the workpiece to a flash heating energy. A workpiece manipulation arrangement is described to provide for dynamic preheating movement to vary a heating profile across the workpiece and, thereafter, move the workpiece to a flash heating position. Automatic workpiece centering is featured by the manipulation arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dave Camm, Mike Krasnich, Miaden Bumbulovic, Sergiy Dets, Steve McCoy