Patents Examined by Daphne M Barry
  • Patent number: 11662029
    Abstract: Flow control valves may be positioned downstream of water meters to increase pressure and compress entrained water vapour passing through the meters. However, turbulence within such valves can cause the valve's head to move radially, bending a shaft within the valve which may break. Accordingly, there is provided a flow control valve comprising: a housing having a flow passage; a valve seat defined within the flow passage; a valve head moveable to a closed position to engage the valve seat and seal the flow passage; a shaft secured to the valve head; a support slidingly mounting the shaft within the housing; a spring biasing the valve head to the closed position and configured to maintain the valve head in the closed position until a predetermined pressure is applied; and a guide assembly extending along at least a portion of the flow passage to constrain radial movement of the valve head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: THE BENTLEY GROUP LTD.
    Inventors: Richard Wachter, Nenad Pavlovic
  • Patent number: 11655913
    Abstract: A diaphragm valve includes: a valve main body having formed therein a valve chamber, and an inflow passage and an outflow passage being in communication with the valve chamber; an annular valve seat formed in the valve chamber; a diaphragm contacting and separating from the valve seat; and a drive unit driving the diaphragm. The drive unit has a drive unit housing attached to the valve main body so that an outer peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm is sandwiched between the valve main body and the drive unit housing, and the drive unit housing is formed of an electroconductive fluorine resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenori Ebihara, Hiroaki Hidaka
  • Patent number: 11649907
    Abstract: In a valve (10) having a pneumatic or hydraulic drive unit (20), the drive unit (20) includes a cylinder (22), a piston (24), a spindle unit (26) mounted for axial movement in the cylinder (22), and a housing cover (28), the piston (24) dividing the interior of the cylinder (22) into a cover-side space (42) and a valve seat-side space (40), and a duct (66) within the spindle unit (26) leading to the valve seat-side space (40). Formed in the housing cover (28) are a fluid intake (44) and a fluid exit (46) as well as a pressure fluid duct (48) in fluid communication with the fluid intake (44) and an outlet duct (50) in fluid communication with the fluid exit (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Buerkert Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Werner Eurich
  • Patent number: 11649904
    Abstract: A valve unit has a plate-shaped valve body with a closure section and a connection section. The valve body has a cutout surrounded by a frame. The closure section has a closure tab that, beginning at a first fastening section at the frame, projects into the cutout. The connection section, beginning at a second fastening section at the frame, projects into the cutout and has a contact tab and a fastening point. The first and second fastening sections are arranged opposite each other at the frame along a longitudinal axis of the valve body. A filter head for the valve unit has a valve seat for a seal body of the closure section of the valve body. A fastening pin of the filter head fastens the connection section of the valve unit. A contact region of the filter head contacts a positioning region of the valve unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: MANN+HUMMEL GmbH
    Inventors: Michal Pittl, Martin Weindorf
  • Patent number: 11649896
    Abstract: A control valve that includes a split valve body. The split valve body includes a first body portion, a second body portion, a flow path, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The flow path passes through the first body portion and the second body portion. The first body portion is coupled to the second body portion. The control valve also includes a valve seat. The valve seat is disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion. The control valve also includes a valve plug. The valve plug is movable relative to the valve seat to control fluid flow through the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: TESCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jacob T. R. Renollett, William J. Neubauer, Keith Duwayne Monson
  • Patent number: 11639643
    Abstract: A kinetic ram for a blowout preventer includes a pressure chamber having a piston movably disposed therein. A gas generating charge disposed at one end of the pressure chamber. A ram is coupled to the piston on a side of the piston opposed to the gas generating charge. The ram is arranged to move across a through bore in a blowout preventer housing disposed at an opposed end of the pressure chamber. An initial volume in the pressure chamber between the one end and the piston is chosen to limit a maximum pressure caused by actuating the gas generating charge to a predetermined maximum pressure, and/or the pressure chamber comprises a pressure relief device arranged to vent pressure in the pressure chamber above the maximum pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Kinetic Pressure Control Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Angstmann, Bobby Gallagher, Billy Gallagher
  • Patent number: 11619315
    Abstract: A valve body including an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a valve body, a flow channel formed in the valve body. A valve plug unit has a stem, a wing, and a plug arranged along a longitudinal access of the valve plug unit, the plug being arranged to be rotatable in a plug housing formed in the flow channel. A bypass inlet is arranged in the outlet pipe to facilitate fluid flow to and from the reservoir. A bypass outlet nozzle is arranged in a wall of the chamber, the bypass outlet nozzle configured and arranged such to direct a fluid jet stream at a surface of the wing that is fixedly connected to the stem of the valve plug unit to thereby rotate the wing from a first position to a second position, the bypass outlet nozzle being fluidically connected to the reservoir via a bypass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Simon Elias Gneuss
  • Patent number: 11608702
    Abstract: A blowout preventer includes a housing including a longitudinal passage and a pair of ram passages extending from the longitudinal passage, a first ram assembly disposed in a first of the pair of ram passages and including first ram block assembly, and a second ram assembly disposed in a second of the pair of ram passages and including a second ram block assembly, wherein the first ram block assembly is configured to include a first configuration in which it sealingly engages an outer surface of a tubular member extending through the longitudinal passage of the housing when the blowout preventer is in a closed position, and a second configuration in which it sealingly engages the second ram block assembly when the blowout preventer is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventors: Randall Ferrain Weaver, Clifton Dee Eggleston
  • Patent number: 11603941
    Abstract: A relief valve includes: a housing; a plunger movable to each of a closed position and an open position; a differential pressure chamber; a spring member; a piston; and a damping chamber. The plunger includes a first damping passage penetrating the plunger and bringing an area outside the plunger and a through passage into communication. The piston includes a second damping passage penetrating the piston and bringing an area inside the piston and the damping chamber into communication. A communication space connected to each of the first damping passage and the second damping passage is formed between the plunger and the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujiwara, Masahiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 11603730
    Abstract: A blowout preventer including a housing including a central passage and a first aperture, and a first ram assembly slidably disposed in the first aperture, wherein the first ram assembly includes a ram block and an actuator configured to rotate the ram block when the ram block is disposed in the first aperture of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventors: Randall Ferrain Weaver, Clifton Dee Eggleston
  • Patent number: 11598445
    Abstract: An inflation valve and systems for inflating an inflatable device includes a valve. The valve includes an outer body, a command chamber within the outer body and an inlet chamber, the inlet chamber having an inlet connected to the source of inflation gas and an outlet connected to the inflatable device. The valve also includes a vent fluidly connected to the command chamber, the vent including a vent body having one or more vent holes formed therein and an elastomeric sleeve surrounding a portion of the vent body and covering the one or more vent holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Poly Puthur John, Srijith Purushothaman
  • Patent number: 11598432
    Abstract: A check valve may be used to enable desired flow rates of fluid in a particular direction. In some examples, the check valve may have a hollow cylindrical body and a threaded portion on an exterior wall of the hollow cylindrical body such that the check valve may be coupled with an assembly, such as an adapter for a vehicle engine. The check valve may include a plunger having a dome shaped portion (e.g., cone shaped, semi-hemispherical shaped, rounded cone shaped, etc.) that extends out of the hollow cylindrical body into free space when the check valve is in an open position and forms a seal with the hollow cylindrical body when the check valve is in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Baxter Performance
    Inventors: Kevin Baxter, Thomas Edward Brodrick
  • Patent number: 11578570
    Abstract: A bypass plunger includes a unibody, or one-piece hollow body and valve cage, retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion using a threaded retaining nut secured by crimple detents, and includes sealable flow parts. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during descent. Other embodiments include clutch assemblies using canted-coil springs with split bobbins, and surfaced valve stems surfaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: FLOWCO PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell A. Boyd, Garrett S. Boyd
  • Patent number: 11572982
    Abstract: One or more indicators provide an indication of fueling status of a hydrogen powered vehicle. One or more sensors detect temperature and/or other characteristics of the fuel provided to the vehicle and provide an electrical signal to one or more of the indicators to permit an indication of fueling status. The indicators, which may be visual and/or audible, may be positioned on the fueling apparatus and on the vehicle in the vicinity of a fueling receptacle. The indicators may also be positioned elsewhere on the vehicle and may be separate from the vehicle such as on or around a fueling station and/or on separate computerized devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: William Seth Lerner
  • Patent number: 11572756
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a drive system for a blowout preventer (BOP). The drive system includes a first pseudo direct drive (PDD) motor assembly having a first PDD motor and a second PDD motor assembly having a second PDD motor. The first PDD motor is configured to engage with a first shaft coupled to a first ram of the BOP and the second PDD motor is configured to engage with a second shaft coupled to a second ram of the BOP. The first PDD motor and the second PDD motor are operable to induce translation of the first shaft and the second shaft, respectively, to drive the first ram and the second ram toward one another along a longitudinal axis to reach an engaged configuration in the BOP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dinesh Kumar Dhamodaran, Michael Raymond Netecke
  • Patent number: 11566726
    Abstract: A method of servicing a trim cartridge assembly for a valve assembly. The method includes cutting a portion of a bonnet of a trim cartridge assembly and separating the bonnet from a cage of the trim cartridge assembly. The method also includes removing at least one of a retaining ring, a remaining portion of the bonnet, and a spiral wound gasket. The method still further includes replacing the remaining portion of the bonnet with a spacer of a trim cartridge repair kit and disposing a replacement flat sheet gasket of the trim cartridge repair kit at a first end of the spacer. The method also includes disposing a replacement spiral wound gasket of the trim cartridge repair kit at a second end of the spacer opposite the first end of the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Anderson, Daniel M. Adams
  • Patent number: 11549243
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid dispensing device. The liquid dispensing device includes a cylinder body coupled to a sink and at least one nozzle coupled to the cylinder body. The at least one nozzle may include a first liquid discharge nozzle coupled to an upper region of the cylinder body to extend horizontally, the first liquid discharge nozzle being configured to supply a drinkable liquid, such as a purified liquid, a heated liquid, or a cooled liquid. The at least one nozzle may a second liquid discharge nozzle coupled to the cylinder body to extend horizontally, the second liquid discharge nozzle being positioned to be spaced apart from the first liquid discharge nozzle to supply a non-drinkable liquid, such as a sterilizing liquid containing hypochlorous acid or other additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Soongy Jeong, Jewook Jeon, Dongkoo Han, Jingyu Ji, Sangnam Kim, Jongwon Yun, Junki Yeo, Youngseok Kim
  • Patent number: 11549606
    Abstract: In a thermal fluid system, a control valve includes a flow valve and a solenoid pilot valve. The flow valve has an inlet and an outlet; a control chamber for receiving a pilot pressure; and a valve member operable by the pilot pressure to selectively open and close a fluid path from the inlet to the outlet. The pilot pressure acts in a closing direction of the flow valve. The pilot valve provides the pilot pressure to the control chamber and is a 3/2 way valve with a first port in fluid communication with the control chamber, a second port to be connected to a pressure source, and a third port. The pilot valve has a first position connecting the first port with the second port and a second position connecting the first port with the third port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Sourav Chowdhury, Daniel Rupp, Mark J. Zima, Brian Cripps, Kevin Curtin
  • Patent number: 11549244
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to multifunctional smart faucets able to dispense a plurality of cleaning and personal hygiene liquids. In accordance with aspects and embodiments, a multifunctional smart faucet system is provided comprising a faucet that, in addition to having traditionally plumbed hot and cold water lines, includes a plurality of reservoirs, each of the plurality of reservoirs having a reservoir channel extending from the reservoir through the body of the faucet. The faucet systems disclosed includes a manual push button able to dispense fluids in the reservoirs, as well automated systems for dispensing fluids on intervals and according to pre-determined programming. In some embodiments, the disclosed smart faucet systems are controllable by smart devices with the aid of a dedicated application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Inventor: Renande Alteon
  • Patent number: 11549330
    Abstract: A valve block may be assembled, in a controlled environment, a valve block to be modular and purpose built for a specific application. The specific application may be an operation to be performed at a well site. The modular purpose built valve block may be function tested, in the controlled environment. Additionally, the modular purpose built valve block may be pre-packaged, in the controlled environment, to have a digital system to operate and automate the modular purpose built valve block. Further, the modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be deployed to the well site, and the modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be fluidly coupled to a wellhead. The modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be operated to perform the operation at the well site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Cook, Gareth Boyd, Julian Keihany, Thiago Machado