Patents Examined by David A. Scherbel
  • Patent number: 7111798
    Abstract: A shower head having a plurality of nozzles capable of attachment to a flexible shower arm. The shower head has a unique nozzle construction that allows for the manipulation of an external flexible nozzle to remove mineral deposits and has an internal, rigid nozzle structure for efficiently forming an aesthetically pleasing water stream. The shower head may have two available flow configurations which are selectable by a valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Inventors: Gary J. Thomas, Russell S. Krajec, William J. Gillette, Timothy A. Bachman
  • Patent number: 7108199
    Abstract: A device for dispensing liquid scent includes a reservoir for containing liquid scent and a reducer tee disposed in an opening in the reservoir. The reducer tee has first, second and third orifices in fluid communication with one another, and the first orifice is located in the reservoir opening so as to be in direct fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir. The device also includes a pump having an inlet and an outlet. A first tube connects the interior of the reservoir to the pump inlet, and a second tube connects the pump outlet to the second orifice. Operation of the pump can be controlled, by a timer for example, so that a predetermined amount of liquid scent is dispensed through the third orifice at a predetermined time. An additional amount of liquid scent is returned to the reservoir via the first orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Inventor: Peter M. Brown
  • Patent number: 7108206
    Abstract: The present invention broadly applies to any fluid valve made up of a plurality of body components that create sealing lands where the body components are clamped together. The invention is further applicable to any such valves in which pressure differentials within the valve can cause fluid leakage in the region of these sealing lands. Fluid leakage is reduced by locating at least some of these sealing lands within a hollow clamp that holds the valve body components together. This clamping strategy that locates the clamping load where it is needed most is applicable to a wide variety of valves, but is particularly applicable to pressure control valves used in fuel injection systems that experience extremely high pressure differentials during their usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Victor I. Yacoub, Gene R. Slinkard, Charles D. Ellenbecker
  • Patent number: 7108074
    Abstract: The apparatus (1e, 1f) according to the invention has a storage tank (5) which is or can be filled with an active substance (3), a pyrotechnic charge (6; 39) in a first end region (9) of the storage tank (5), a cartridge-case base (13) which can be driven by propellant gases of the fired charge (6; 39) in order to drive the active substance (3) out, and has a unit (7) for atomizing the active substance (3) being driven out, and at least one sensor (35a; 35b) which interacts with the charge (6; 39) in order to initiate the latter. The atomizer unit (7) is formed as an atomizer pipe (7) having a plurality of outlet nozzles (15) in the pipe casing in order to fill a spatial region (14) with a mist of the material of the active substance (3). One (18) of the ends of the atomizer pipe (7) is arranged in a second tank end region (19), facing away from the first and extending from the latter. The apparatus is distinguished by a compact and economical configuration with good automatic filling of a space with mist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Piexon AG
    Inventors: Jürg Thomann, Raphael Fleischhauer
  • Patent number: 7104472
    Abstract: A rotary sprinkler system for both above-the ground and pop-up rotary sprinkler systems that controls the rate of nozzle rotation is disclosed. To maintain a relatively constant and controlled nozzle rotation, one or more chamfered spokes are included on the turbine of the sprinkler system. This turbine configuration together with a stator assembly that regulates fluid flow to the turbine control nozzle rotation despite variations in fluid flow. In particular, the chamfered spokes counteract the spin of the turbine in direct relation to the amount of water that bypasses the driving blades of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Steven C. Renquist
  • Patent number: 7104471
    Abstract: A liquid dispensing device for dispensing a liquid into the surrounding atmosphere employs a forced airflow through a small cross-section outlet nozzle (48) to draw the liquid from an adjacent exit nozzle (50) into the airflow. The air outlet nozzle preferably has a cross-section less than that of the liquid exit nozzle. The liquid exit nozzle may partially overlie the airflow path from the air outlet nozzle. The nozzle may be formed in or carried by a unit (24) having sealed connections with the airflow source (16) and a container holding the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Quest International B.V.
    Inventors: John Martin Behan, Kishen Gohil, Susan Hart, legal representative, Tony Lee, Gerry Hart, deceased
  • Patent number: 7104476
    Abstract: Disclosed is a showerhead of a CVD apparatus comprising a plate having an empty inside and provided with a plurality of injection holes at one surface thereof; and gas supplying pipes installed at the plate so as to supply gas, wherein introduced gas thereto is injected to an upper space of the wafer through the injection holes, the plate is divided in a radial manner on the basis of a center point to be divided into a plurality of sectors having respective inner spaces independently, and the gas supplying pipes are connected to the respective sectors. According to that, gas can be independently supplied to each sector of the showerhead, thereby easily applying the CVD apparatus not only to a batch type process but also to an atomic layer deposition method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 7104337
    Abstract: A fire's electrostatic field is used to directly control and extinguish a fire. A flame is, in and of itself, a virtual electrode. The inventive electro-static fire control and extinguishing device uses at least one common electrode and allows the fire's own electrostatic field to act as the other virtual electrode to repel the fire's flame, controlling the spread of the fire or to control its direction or to totally extinguish it. The electro-static fire control and extinguishing device exploits the electrostatic properties of the fire's flame, directly using at least one electrode set at the appropriate electrostatic charge to create the desired fire control while the fire acts as the second source of the electrostatic field in which the electrostatic attraction/repulsion interaction takes place. A high voltage electrostatic field is produced by a high voltage static generator and the desired charge level is delivered to the flame via a conductive grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Inventor: David Everett Jones
  • Patent number: 7104478
    Abstract: A material spreading device for spreading material over a targeted area includes a receiving portion for receiving a plurality of bags of material, a hopper assembly and a material moving device. The material spreading device is configured for use on a vehicle. The hopper assembly has a bag holding portion and a material dispensing bin. The bag holding portion receives at least some of the bags and retains the bags at or near the material dispensing bin. The hopper assembly includes at least one opening device for opening the bags such that material within the opened bags is deposited into the material dispensing bin. The material dispensing bin is operable to dispense or broadcast the material over the targeted area. The material moving device is operable to move the bags of material along the receiving portion and toward the hopper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Rockit Corporation
    Inventors: Cal G Niemela, Philip J Quenzi
  • Patent number: 7100839
    Abstract: A method for servicing companies associated with a spray device operating under guidelines of a regulatory body includes capturing in vitro actuation data associated with operation of the spray device and distributing the data to a company associated with an aspect of the spray device. The company may use the data for testing the spray device to ensure continued compliance with prior approval of the spray device by the regulatory body. The method may also include converting the data to parameters and distributing the parameters. Capturing the in vitro actuation data may include sorting the data based on in vitro age groups. Distributing the data may include providing the data in a format executable by an automated actuation system. The company receiving the data may be a drug development company, spray device manufacturer, or testing service. The regulatory body may be the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Image Therm Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Dino J. Farina, Donald C. Swavely, John A. Vennari, Leticia M. Broome, Franklin A. Bales
  • Patent number: 7100846
    Abstract: The water jet of a conventional water jet device is straight, bundled and impinges with its complete cross-section onto the biological structure to be separated. This renders the separating section frequently imprecise and requires an increased flow pressure. Therefore, a water jet device with a novel separating nozzle (14) is furnished. This separating nozzle (14) is furnished with a nozzle channel (15), wherein the nozzle channel (15) is furnished with one or several twisted grooves (16) at the circumference of the nozzle channel (15) and wherein the number of the twisted grooves (16) and the diameter and the length of the nozzle channel (15) are placed in such ratio that the separating jet subjected to pressure is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Andreas Pein Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Pein
  • Patent number: 7100843
    Abstract: A foam producing nozzle for attachment to a spray nozzle which is readily attached and removed therefrom. The foam producing nozzle has air channels which do not lend themselves toward leaking. The dilution rate of the chemical concentrate is not affected by the foam producing nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: JohnsonDiversey, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Boticki, James L. Bournoville, Christopher F. Lang, Curtis H. Hubmann
  • Patent number: 7100838
    Abstract: A novelty drinking straw assembly and its method of construction. The drinking straw assembly has a straw tube through which fluid is drawn. A first magnet is disposed within the straw tube. The first magnet is part of a rotor mechanism that rotates when fluid is drawn through the straw tube. A novelty object is disposed around a section of the straw tube. The novelty object has at least one second magnet. The magnets in the novelty object interact with the first magnet contained within the straw tube. This magnetic field interaction causes the novelty object to move about the straw tube whenever the straw is in use and the first magnet is rotating within the straw tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Inventor: Stephen T. Epstein
  • Patent number: 7097116
    Abstract: An underground sprinkler with a pop-up head and a corresponding underground casing has two differentiated cylindrical parts, closed by a corresponding cover fixed to the pop-up sprinkler head, which, being a part coupled to the piston, pops-up due to the effect of the water pressure pushing the piston in a portion calculated for this purpose and which is so maintained for as long as the pressure lasts, to be recovered by the action of a permanent draw-spring when the pressure stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: VYR-Valvuleria y Riegos Por Aspersion, S.A.
    Inventor: Pablo Rodriguez Fernandez
  • Patent number: 7097119
    Abstract: The present invention is a dispenser adapted to couple to a fluid container having an opening surrounded by a neck. The dispenser comprises a cap, a dispensing head, an energy source, and a conduit. The cap is adapted to seal the opening fluid tight when the dispenser is coupled to the container. The dispensing head is pivotably secured to the cap and includes a fluid pump, a motor adapted to power the pump, a trigger adapted to actuate the motor, and a nozzle orifice in fluid communication with a discharge end of the pump. The energy source is electrically connected to the motor and extends inside the container. The conduit has a first end in fluid communication with an intake end of the pump and a second end inside the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Cepia, LLC
    Inventors: James Russell Hornsby, Marcellus Rambo Benson, James Augustus Keefe, III, Joseph Lee McGowan
  • Patent number: 7093778
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device to convey and/or spray free-flowing media, in particular fluids, which works in accordance with the energy storage principle and is designed as an electromagnetically-powered reciprocating pump with at least one armature device as a drive element, whereby the armature device includes at least two armature elements and the armature elements are assigned magnetically corresponding yoke elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: BRP US Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfram Hellmich, Klaus-Jürgen Peter, Robert Kotter, Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 7093769
    Abstract: In a dynamic flow rate adjusting method, a press-fitting degree of an adjusting pipe is adjusted to regulate a load applied to a needle by a spring in a direction for closing an injection hole. Thus, a dynamic injection quantity of an injector is adjusted. An injection command signal having one-minute long pulse width is applied to the injector to measure a static flow rate, from which the press-fitting degree is calculated. Thus, the press-fitting degree, in which variation in the static flow rate is taken into consideration, can be calculated. Therefore, variation in the dynamic flow rate of each injector, which is calculated from the press-fitting degree, includes only a dynamic flow rate error, while a static flow rate error is eliminated from the variation in the dynamic flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Seigi Toiyama
  • Patent number: 7093773
    Abstract: An improved fragrance dispenser, domestic appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, including such a fragrance dispenser, and cartridge for such a fragrance dispenser is provided in which the dispenser includes a housing portion through which an air discharge passage interconnecting an upstream side of the housing portion and a downstream side of the housing portion extends, and a cartridge carrying a fragrant substance and having vents for allowing air to pass for entraining fragrance from said cartridge, wherein the cartridge is removably mounted and rotatably adjustable about an axis of rotation between at least a first position and a second position, at least a portion of at least one of the vents being obstructed by a housing portion if the cartridge is in the first position and being open if the cartridge is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Bernardus Lubbertus Kuiper
  • Patent number: 7093780
    Abstract: A shower head includes a main body, a locking seat, a locking nut, a water outlet faceplate, an O-ring, an adjusting bolt, and a connecting unit. Thus, the water outlet faceplate is moved toward the main body by rotation of the adjusting bolt, so that the O-ring is closely urged between the water outlet faceplate and the main body, thereby forming a closely sealing effect. In addition, the water outlet faceplate is integrally formed with the locking sleeve, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication, and thereby simplifying the process of assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignees: Shong I Copper Ltd., National Craft Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Chin-Tang Chung
  • Patent number: 7093775
    Abstract: A fragrance dispensing shower head apparatus includes a shower head including proximal and distal end portions and a central bore extending therebetween. The proximal end portion has a threaded inner surface. The shower head further includes a wire-mesh screen traversing water flow such that foreign debris can be sustained upstream of the distal end portion. A mechanism is included for ejecting a quantity of the fragrance into the bore and includes a plurality of reservoirs for holding the fragrance. The reservoirs introduce the fragrance adjacent to the distal end portion and have substantially similar shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Inventor: Travis D. Bingham