Patents Examined by Derek S. Boles
  • Patent number: 6926207
    Abstract: An after-run heating system for a vehicle includes a pump and a control circuit therefor located in the engine compartment and a separate vehicle fan control circuit located in the passenger compartment. The after-run heating system is configurable at the time of installation as an interconnected system or as a divided system. The interconnected system has direct electrical connections between the control circuits. The divided system has no mechanical, electrical or electromagnetic connections between the control circuits. The components in both the engine and passenger compartments function co-dependently, either as an interconnected system or as a divided system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: Frank J. Perhats, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6923716
    Abstract: The invention provides an NBC protection and decontamination system, having a space delimited by an enclosure, the enclosure having a clean air inlet port and an air outlet, a decontamination unit attachable to the outside of the enclosure, the decontamination unit having a plenum and a chamber separated from the plenum by an air flow laminator. The system also includes at least one air inlet valve communicating with the air outlet of the enclosure and leading to the plenum and to at least one air exhaust valve made in the chamber, spaced apart from the air inlet valve. An opening is provided for controlled passage between the enclosure and the decontamination unit, and also an opening in the decontamination unit, for controlling the passage between the unit and the outside. There is also provided an NBC protection and contamination method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Beth-El Zikhron-Ya'Aqov Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Samuel Koeger
  • Patent number: 6923715
    Abstract: A device for regulating the air volume flow for a laboratory exhaust, has a rectangular housing (6) which can be arranged on the laboratory exhaust. The device is equipped with inflow devices that can be connected to the interior of the laboratory exhaust and with outflow devices (8, 12, 13) that can be connected to an exhaust air system. The interior of housing (6) is divided by a partition (17) into two parts, namely a calming part on the exhaust side and a measurement and regulating part on the outflow side, and these two parts are connected by an air deflection area (18). A rectangular measurement orifice (20, 25) has pressure measurement devices (22, 23, 24, 28, 29) and a rectangular regulating flap (21) arranged one after the other at a distance in the direction of flow between a housing wall and the partition (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignees: Waldner Laboreinrichtungen GmbH & Co. KG, Bayer AG
    Inventors: Konrad Kreuzer, Frank Barth, Horst Esch
  • Patent number: 6921329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air-distribution cap which is to be fitted on top of a heating or air-conditioning unit with natural or forced convection and the function of which is to regulate both the flow-rate and the direction of the air output by the convector. In particular, the present invention relates to a cap (1) for distributing the air output by a heating or air-conditioning unit with forced convection or with natural convection, characterized in that it comprises a deflector (3, 103) having one or more vanes (13, 113), each vane being orientable so as to adopt a position in which it is inclined to the vertical so that its outer end faces towards the wall against which the unit is fitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Aermec S.p.A.
    Inventor: Valerio Giordano Riello
  • Patent number: 6921327
    Abstract: An exhaust pipe cover adapted to resist wind-induced uplift and entry of any accompanying and/or independent rain, snow, dirt, dust, and/or other foreign matter, into the exhaust pipe and communicating engine, wherein such a device may be retrofitted to existing vertically-disposed exhaust pipes extending from engines incorporated into machinery such as, for exemplary purposes only, tractors, trucks, irrigation motors, generators, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Inventor: Richard Urash
  • Patent number: 6918543
    Abstract: A heating system for a vehicle comprises a heating air fan for producing a heating air flow to be introduced into a vehicle interior, a heating device with a heat exchanger arrangement for heating the heating air flow delivered by the heating air fan, a vehicle interior temperature sensor arrangement for producing an output in connection with the temperature in the vehicle interior, a vehicle interior reference temperature presetting arrangement, a heating air flow temperature sensor arrangement for producing a second output in connection with the outlet temperature of the heating air flow heated by the heating device, and also a control device which is arranged so as to set the delivery capacity of the heating air fan in dependence on the first output and on the vehicle interior reference temperature predetermined by the vehicle interior reference temperature presetting arrangement, and to set the heating capacity of the heating device in dependence on the second output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: J. Ebersdächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Patric Schlecht, Jürgen Wagner
  • Patent number: 6916239
    Abstract: Air quality within a building is controlled by maintaining a count of people in the building and by ventilating the building with an amount of air dependent on the count. The count may be determined in accordance with an access control system and/or entry and exit sensors, such as infrared sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Lokesh T. Siddaramanna, Arjuna Rao Chavala
  • Patent number: 6915959
    Abstract: An ice and snow melting heater control assembly including at least one sensor, at least one heater element and a controller communicatively coupled with the at least one sensor and the at least one heater element, the controller directing status information about at least one sensor to the at least one heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: MSX, Inc.
    Inventor: Thaddeus M. Jones
  • Patent number: 6913458
    Abstract: A portable griddle stove has two non-stick cooking surfaces, either of which can withstand being on the underside of the cooking surface in use and the heat applied to the underside surface. A heat shield and heat diffuser control the temperature applied to the underside of the cooking surface by providing radiant heat to the center portion of the cooking surface and cooling the combustion gas diffused to the perimeter of the cooking surface. Secondary air provided through openings in case the and heat shield assist in cooling the combustion gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: The Coleman Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Mosher, II, Norman D Neugebauer, Randall L. May, Robert L. Lawhon
  • Patent number: 6910961
    Abstract: Personal air supply devices integrated with chairs are adapted for use in conjunction with building or vehicle ventilation systems. The personal air supply devices include ducts, a tube and a nozzle arranged to direct a portion of the air from the building or vehicle ventilation system at the facial zone of a person sitting in the chair. The personal air supply devices include airflow regulating devices for regulating the flow of air through the nozzle. The tubes and nozzle are configured to release air from the ventilation system very close to the nose and mouth of a person in the chair to prevent mixing with ambient air and maximize the cooling and refreshing effect of the conditioned air. The building or vehicle ventilation system may be operated at lower ventilation rates without causing discomfort to persons provided with personal air supply devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Inventor: Jianlei Niu
  • Patent number: 6908039
    Abstract: A heat exchange system and method for heating outside air provided to a structure are disclosed. The system uses and recovers heat from waste products that are being exhausted from the structure. A heated products source generates heated waste products as a result of combustion. An exhaust duct passes the heated waste products through a heat exchanger before exhaustion from the structure. An intake duct that supplies fresh outside air to the structure also passes through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger couples the exhaust duct and the intake duct and transfers otherwise unused heat from the waste products to the outside air to increase the overall efficiency of the heated product source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: HNI Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: David Charles Lyons, Richard Donald Berg, Robb Edward Bennett
  • Patent number: 6905076
    Abstract: A system and method of incubating a liquid is provided. The system is well-suited for incubating small volumes of liquid at high temperatures. The liquid may be a reaction mixture comprising a glycoprotein. During the incubation process, oligosaccharides may be removed from the glycoprotein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Research and Technology Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Yunping Huang, Yehia S. Mechref, Milos V. Novotny
  • Patent number: 6902472
    Abstract: A control panel arrangement is provided for a motor vehicle in which the control panel arrangement includes a lower part and an upper part between which a first and second air circulation channel are constructed. The channels extend at least in some segments approximately transversely to the vehicle direction and run at least regionally parallel to each other and are separated from each other by a channel wall and furthermore lead to first and second air outlets arranged at least in the region of lateral ends of the control panel arrangement. The second air circulation channel is continued upstream from the second air outlet allocated to it at least in segments inside the first air circulation channel with a channel extension for a compact design of the control panel arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventor: Rainer Kuhlmann
  • Patent number: 6902475
    Abstract: A multi-layer barrier for insulation blocking an opening or passage of a building and for providing ventilation to or within a building. A plurality of inflated hollow membrane cube-like structures are formed adjacent to one another, which traverse a longitudinal width of the opening or passage. The hollow membrane cube-like structures are formed from generally rectangular sheets having two long parallel edges, two parallel short edges and a floor having one or more orifices in the forming floor of each non-bottom sheet between membranes, for air connection between membrane structures to be changed from an inflated and a deflated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Inventor: Jean-Guy Dubé
  • Patent number: 6902474
    Abstract: An air duct outlet that allows a user to redirect an air stream within a wide range of directions includes a housing having a planar first wall and a convexly-curved second wall in adjacent, spaced-apart relationship and that define an air passageway having an inlet and a flared outlet. A vane is pivotally attached within the air passageway and is movable within a range of positions that are increasingly transverse to the first wall. An air stream flowing through the air passageway is deflected by an amount that increases with each position of the vane in the range such that the air stream adheres to a portion of the second wall by an amount that increases with each position of the vane in the range and such that the air stream exits from the outlet in a direction that is increasingly transverse to a direction normal to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman Products Co.
    Inventors: Thomas F. J. Gehring, Ireneusz Jankowski, Dejan Havidic, Douglas Lim Hester, Peter Dominic Lewis
  • Patent number: 6902473
    Abstract: A vehicle ventilation conduit system for distributing heating or cooling air from an air vent to a rear vehicle compartment in a vehicle such as a police cruiser. The system includes an elongated main air flow conduit having an inlet end and a discharge end. A front sealing adaptor is provided on the main air flow conduit at the inlet end for releasably and sealingly engaging the air vent. A rear sealing adaptor is provided on the main air flow conduit at the discharge end for releasably and sealingly engaging the rear vehicle compartment. At least one auxiliary air flow conduit is typically provided in pneumatic communication with the main air flow conduit to facilitate cooling an electronic accessory such as a laptop computer in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Inventor: Kenneth D. Goobeck
  • Patent number: 6899615
    Abstract: An air duct system includes a conical fabric filter disposed within a cylindrical air duct. In some embodiments, both the filter and the air duct are inflatable. A fabric collar and a pair of zippers not only allow the filter to be readily removed for cleaning, but also allow the air duct system to continue operating with the filter removed. Pleats can provide the filter with more surface area, and the pleats can be interconnected in an alternating pattern to inhibit the filter from over-inflating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin J. Gebke
  • Patent number: 6896611
    Abstract: A computer system uses a modular fan design. Multiple fan modules can be used, and identical fan modules can be used for directing air into and out of the computer system enclosure. Each fan module is hot swappable, and can be replaced quickly without the use of tools or fasteners. Optional mounting features on the fan and the computer enclosure prevent misassembly, and an optional color coding scheme aids in assembly. An optional splitting light pipe directs light from a single status-indicating source to both the front and back of the fan module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mike D. Giraldo, Jeffrey T. Haselby, Christopher C. Womack
  • Patent number: 6896191
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device, in particular for motor vehicles, for generating frictional heat by liquid friction with a housing which is arranged in a stationary position and has a working space and a motor-driven rotor in the working space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Claus Augenstein, Armin Gramlich, Oezguer Kamsiz, Kuno Lindauer, Ralf Maus
  • Patent number: 6889910
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system enabling the control of a combustion environment thereby adjusting the affect of ambient temperatures on the combustion quality on all modes of operation. The system can be described as a system for controlling a combustion environment within a combustion chamber of a hydronic heating system comprising a boiler containing a heat transfer fluid (HTF), a burner within a combustion chamber, and a fluidic distribution network in fluidic contact with the boiler thereby enabling movement of HTF. The temperature control system comprises of a first heating unit for adjusting the temperature of the fuel fed to the burner, a second heating unit for adjusting combustion air temperature and a third heating unit associated with the boiler to heat the HTF in the boiler to operating temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Dry Air 2000 Inc.
    Inventor: Larry Dancey