Patents Examined by Dennis L. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 6439665
    Abstract: An ergonomic chair comprising a frame having outer and inner peripheries and an upper surface. A mesh supporting surface is supported on the outer periphery of the frame. The mesh supporting surface deflects to at least a first predetermined angle when a person is sitting on the chair. The inner periphery of the frame is located below the angle of deflection of the mesh so that the mesh does not engage the inner periphery when it supports a person sits on the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Stylex
    Inventor: Sava M. Cvek
  • Patent number: 6438912
    Abstract: A door or window unit adapted for use in a sliding or window assembly wherein said door or window unit includes an infill panel or panels (4) housed in a surrounding frame (3) characterised in that said panel is fined substantially flush to a face surface of said frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Inventor: Trevor Adrian Avent
  • Patent number: 6434890
    Abstract: A simple, economic and rapid method for the reliable and precise erection of sturdy room delimiting means in new and semi-finished building and, respectively, for incorporation in pre-existing room and the room delimiting means includes modular prefabricated elements, stiffening and connecting elements and fastening elements. The prefabricated elements include groove and tongue like recesses and projections at their ends for connecting to other prefabricated elements. The stiffening and connecting elements stiffen, fasten and/or connect the prefabricated elements and are arrangable at a recess and/or space to connect the prefabricated elements. The stiffening and connecting elements may be adapted in an extremely simple fashion for different stiffening and connecting purposes so that erection of the room delimiting means requires only a few different parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Inventor: Alfred Konnerth
  • Patent number: 6434895
    Abstract: A folded building, after having been trailered on its own wheel assemblies to a site, is unfolded at the site by first reorienting 90° the wheel assemblies attached to each of a pair of side walls and removing an attached trailer hitch. The side walls are drawn apart from one another while having supported by the rolling wheel assemblies. As the side walls are drawn apart, pivotally attached front and rear bifold walls unfold. Each of a pair of foldable roofs attached to a respective one of the side walls is unfolded from a location adjacent the interior of the respective side wall. Roof end caps are attached to the top edges of each of the front and rear walls. After raising the wheel assemblies the building is lowered onto the site. To remove the building from the site, the building is folded by reversing the unfolding steps and the trailer hitch is attached. The building may then be trailered to another site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Bendon, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Craig Hosterman, D. L. Bennett
  • Patent number: 6431646
    Abstract: An infant seat assembly is made up of a resilient frame with a leg rest portion designed to support a displacement mechanism which will either impart a shaking or bouncing motion to the frame; and, when a baby is placed in the seat assembly, the frequency of vibration imparted to the frame can be selectively tuned to be in harmony with the natural frequency of vibration of the frame when an infant is placed in the seat assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Summer Infant Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Jose P. Longoria
  • Patent number: 6430887
    Abstract: For a truss, a hinge assembly for connecting truss members that form the truss. The hinge assembly may include a first hinge plate having a first boss formed thereon and a second hinge plate having a second boss formed thereon. The second boss defines an opening for pivotal receipt of the first boss. The hinge assembly also includes a retainer for maintaining the pivotal receipt of the first boss in the second boss. When the first hinge plate is attached to a first portion of a truss and the second hinge plate is attached to a second portion of a truss, the first and second truss portion can be pivoted relative to each other to enable portions of the truss to be collapsed for transporting purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Aegis Metal Framing LLC
    Inventor: Larry R. Daudet
  • Patent number: 6425219
    Abstract: A modular partition system is based upon a panel frame structure formed of vertical members of substantially lesser thickness than the panels to be formed, which may be joined end-to-end in a modular manner, and side-by-side to join vertical ends of adjacent panels, and horizontal C-section rails secured to opposite sides of the vertical rails with mouths of the C-sections facing outwardly. Cladding panels are secured by vertically-spaced sets of spring clips engaging respectively upper and lower surfaces of vertically-spaced horizontal rails, and panels and other furnishings are secured to brackets engaged within the C-section of horizontal rails. The relationship of the horizontal and vertical members allows for easy cabling, and the use of the clamps permits panels and furnishings to be located without substantial regard to the horizontal modularity of the system. The basic panelling system requires a minimum number of different modular parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Inventors: Jack Barmak, David Shamir
  • Patent number: 6418674
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a line barrier system and method of installing such a system which includes, a plurality of modular supports having a base for mounting to the structure, with the supports having at least one projecting member extending in a fixed position from said base; a fastener for mounting said plurality of modular supports to the structure; and, at least one generally translucent line fixedly attached to said projecting member on more than one of said plurality of modular supports to provide a line barrier between the bird and the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Inventor: Robert Deraedt
  • Patent number: 6412233
    Abstract: A system (100) for positioning and securing structural members (20, 30) to supporting walls (10) of a building includes at least a pair of mounting devices (105) respectively mounted to a pair of longitudinally extended laterally spaced building supporting walls (10). Each mounting device (105) includes a base plate (110) having a plurality of pairs of fixing members (120) disposed in spaced longitudinal relationship. A space (118) between each of the pairs of fixing members (120) is provided for receiving the structural member (20, 30) therein. Each mounting device also includes a pair of second fixing members (122) disposed adjacent opposing ends of the base plate (110). Each of the fixing members (120 and 122) are formed by vertically directed C-shaped channel members. Each channel member has a central web portion (130) bounded on two vertically directed sides by a pair of flanges (132) expending in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: Terry V. Jones
  • Patent number: 6412251
    Abstract: A panel system includes a first skin, a second skin, a web core constructed from sheet material for securing the skins together in a spaced, sandwich relationship, and a connecting means for affixing the web core within the skins. The web core includes a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal members having longitudinally spaced projections extending therefrom and further having transversely aligned, longitudinally spaced slots therein. The web core further includes a plurality of spaced-apart, transverse cross members each having spaced slots therein receiving the longitudinal members at corresponding transversely aligned slots thereof to provide an interlocked grid between the first and second skins. The grid is connected to the skins utilizing the projections, which extend through slits in the skins to facilitate welding or otherwise bonding the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Aero Transportation Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen R. Early
  • Patent number: 6412247
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a composite structural member comprising a body part and multiple rigid strips which are attached to and separated by the body part. The body part is formed by a core having substantially flat parallel sides and opposed edges, and the opposed edges are covered by the rigid strips. As an example, the core is made of gypsum, and the strips are made of sheet metal. The rigid strips enable screw fasteners to be secured to the structural member. The sides of the core are preferably covered by side sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: National Gypsum Properties, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Menchetti, Matthew J. Kessler
  • Patent number: 6412240
    Abstract: A flashing assembly includes a sill horizontal, a sill flashing for attaching the assembly to a substrate, and at least one sill clip for interconnecting the sill horizontal and the sill flashing. The sill horizontal, sill flashing, and sill clip all preferably include aluminum alloy extrusions. The sill clip connects the sill horizontal to the sill flashing without through fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Kawneer Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick T. Treleven, Kyle A McDaniel
  • Patent number: 6408582
    Abstract: A heat insulation system of a building includes a plurality of interior walls surrounding an inner space of the building, a plurality of exterior walls constructed outside of the plurality of interior walls with certain distance therebetween. Further included are an air-flow zone defined by a space formed between the plurality of interior walls and the plurality of exterior walls, and a plurality of air-flow zone dividers dividing the air-flow zone into a plurality of air-flow blocks, where air-flow zone dividers of the plurality of air-flow zone dividers are placed appropriately so as to define each air-flow block of the plurality of air-flow blocks in accordance with facades of the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Himmsen Esco Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shang Kooun Shim
  • Patent number: 6398302
    Abstract: This invention relates to an adjustable child-restraint seat for a vehicle comprising a seat shell, a harness panel, and a restraint harness, The seat shell has a top-portion formed to include two spaced-apart belt-receiving openings. The harness panel consists of a harness casing, a slot panel, an adjustable anchor-point shaft and a spring biased medium that retains the shaft in the corresponding slot of said slot panel . The restraint harness is coupled with the adjustable anchor-point shaft and couples with the restraint coupler which is attached to the bottom-seat portion to provide an adjustable shoulder harnessing system. The apparatus allows the user to easily adjust the height of the shoulder harness from the front of the seat shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventors: Gerald Freedman, Michael Douglas Moffa, Erin Renée Reichenberger
  • Patent number: 6393782
    Abstract: A stackable wall panel system including at least one upper and lower wall panel and a first and second post. The second post is disposed on the first post. One or more upper wall panels are connected to a pair of lower wall panels having a rail with a pair of draw blocks and a draw rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Herman Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Longstreet Berridge, Scott Walter Compton, Bruce Robert Gezon, Anthony David Lufkin, Shane Michael Ramsdell
  • Patent number: 6394553
    Abstract: An armrest assembly for a chair which can be adjusted in multiple aspects with the use of single actuating mechanism. The adjustment aspects of the preferred embodiment include a vertical adjustment with respect to the chair and a horizontal rotational adjustment. Such an armrest assembly can include an armrest base securable to a chair and having a tubular portion, a hollow armrest support slideably and rotationally disposed about the tubular portion and an armpad attached to the top of the hollow armrest support. A handle to disengage the actuating mechanism is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. McAllister, Gregory P. Allison, Harald Wurl
  • Patent number: 6393791
    Abstract: A freestanding wall is constructed by erecting at least two upright supports. The upright supports are either posts or columns. Upper and lower horizontal structure members are fastened to the upright supports. Vertical intermediate framing members are secured between the upper horizontal structure member and the lower horizontal structure member. Cladding is attached to at least the front and optionally the back of each vertical intermediate framing member to conceal each vertical intermediate framing member. The upper horizontal structure member is then covered with a cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Kenneth N. Mann
  • Patent number: 6389762
    Abstract: Lintels having metal side plates are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a lintel constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a generally rectangular frame of a height, length and thickness substantially corresponding to the dimensions of the opening in which the lintel is to be installed. The frame is formed by connected, first and second elongate chord members (e.g., nominal “2×N” members) that extend in spaced, substantially parallel, overlying relationship to each other. The subject lintel also includes at least one generally rectangular, metal side plate having at least first and second spaced groupings of integrally formed teeth extending from one side along opposite longitudinal edges thereof. The respective teeth groupings engage the first and second chords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: MiTek Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Le Poire
  • Patent number: 6390549
    Abstract: A backrest for a vehicle seat, having a head restraint and backrest padding, and having a supporting element which is intended for the seat occupant's back and, is compliant, at least in the upper backrest region, in such a manner that the seat occupant's back is able to shift rearwards relative to the head restraint in the event of a rear-end collision of the vehicle. The supporting element is formed by a shaped cushion that is integrated in the backrest padding in the upper backrest region, and filled with a gaseous medium, in particular air. In the event of a collision this supporting element can suddenly be deflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Christian Mayer, Vasilios Orizaris, Albert Reitinger, Oana Schüszler
  • Patent number: 6390440
    Abstract: A locking device for use with a concrete framing structure having a plurality of frame panels which form opposed first and second sides. The locking device includes a first locking half having a first mounting member and a first clamping member mounted to the first mounting member and a second locking half having a second mounting member and a second clamping member mounted to the second mounting member. The first mounting member rigidly holds one of the frame panels of the first side of the concrete forming structure and the second mounting member rigidly holds the opposite frame panel of the second side of the concrete forming structure. The locking device also includes means for clamping the first clamping member to the second clamping member such that the first mounting member is locked at a predetermined distance from the second mounting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Kenneth Morin