Patents Examined by Desmond C Peyton
  • Patent number: 10555641
    Abstract: The grill of the present disclosure provides multiple heating zones within a front-to-back direction of each cooking platen. Each cooking zone has a heating element associated therewith. The heating elements can be independently controlled, so that each of the heating zones can be operated at a different temperature if necessary. A controller can monitor and adjust the heat output of each element with a temperature probe that measures the temperature of the surface of the grill plate. One or more of the heating elements can be a gas burner. Electrical heating elements may also be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: GARLAND COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIES LLC.
    Inventors: Douglas S. Jones, Michael Robin Sykes, Christopher John Reis
  • Patent number: 10495316
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for an ignition control module for a gas appliance. The housing of the ignition control module, and/or the mounting points for mounting the module to a gas appliance, can be configured to dispose the battery in a manner that provides for potential battery leakage to flow away from most operable components of the module. Further, the ignitor connection terminals can be configured to provide for ease of connection, by providing a connector guide disposed in a cylindrically-shaped terminal housing. Additionally, an ignitor actuator terminal can be configured to selectably engage with an ignitor actuator connector, where the ignitor actuator terminal comprises at least two connector points that engage with a single ignitor actuator connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Channel Products, Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Becker, Florin N. Lazar
  • Patent number: 10488044
    Abstract: A method of assembling a pilot burner assembly for use with a gas fired appliance includes inserting a retention element of a gas supply line through a slot defined by a retaining ledge of a second bracket plate, rotating an outlet orifice of the gas supply line such that the second retention element engages the retaining ledge, and inserting a pilot guard through first and second pilot guard apertures defined by respective first and second bracket plates such that a retention element of the pilot guard cooperatively engages the retention element of the gas supply line to maintain a connection between the pilot guard and the gas supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: James B. Prichard, Mark H. Stark, Soraya C. Mendoza, Arturo U. Olague, Jorge D. Viesca, John S. Haefner
  • Patent number: 10468146
    Abstract: Provided is a combustion controller for a combustible gas of a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant, and more particularly, to a combustion controller for a combustible gas installed in a rear end of a filtered vent system outside a containment vessel or an external chimney, configured to convert a combustible gas such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or the like, into steam, carbon dioxide, or the like, and simultaneously, operate by itself with no external power supply. Accordingly, the combustion controller for a combustible gas can perform stable combustion control with no probability of explosion of hydrogen through a recombining reaction of the combustible gas, prevent discharge of carbon monoxide, which is a toxic gas, and prevent backward flow of the flame through the quenching mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jin Ho Song, Hwan Yeol Kim, Yong Mann Song, Kwang Soon Ha
  • Patent number: 10458648
    Abstract: A wick configured from a single metallic meshed wick material continuously includes a spiral section with a shape including at least one loop, and a folded section with a shape including a fold. A first length extends away from the spiral section to the fold and along a first imaginary plane, and a second length extends from the fold to the spiral section and along a second imaginary plane. A wrapped section has a shape including at least one contour conforming shapes of the spiral and folded sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Pro-Iroda Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Wei-Long Chen
  • Patent number: 10443892
    Abstract: A linear fireplace system, assemblies, modular units, and related methods that can be installed in a modular fashion at a selected installation location so as to avoid drawbacks experienced in the prior art. The system can include modular linear units, corner units, and/or end units interconnectable to form a modular linear fireplace assembly. The system can include an alignment track system with a track member that receives alignment rails on the bottom of the modular units to axially align the interconnected units. The system can include a combustion air flow passage within the fireplace that maintains a relatively low exterior temperature of the assembly and that allows combustible and non-combustible building materials to be installed against or immediately adjacent to the top and base portions of the modular units of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Travis Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt W. F. Rumens, Alan R. Atemboski, William Ross Fotheringham, Nicholas Barber
  • Patent number: 10429064
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling flow of a material includes an inlet for receiving the material from a source, and a seal mechanism connected to the inlet, the seal mechanism having a fluidizing bed configured to receive the material from the inlet, a first discharge passageway and a second discharge passageway. The fluidizing bed includes a first transport zone associated with the first discharge passageway and a second transport zone associated with the second discharge passageway, wherein the first and second transport zones are configured to receive transport gas from a transport gas source. The transport gas is controllable to selectively divert a flow of the material into the first discharge passageway and the second discharge passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Jonq-Hai Chiu, Herbert E. Andrus, Jr., Christoph Herbert Weingaertner, Hans-Peter Dornik, Olaf Stallmann
  • Patent number: 10378760
    Abstract: A gas burner for burning a gas with a low calorific value. The gas burner may be for burning a synthesis gas issuing from the gasification of biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Cogebio
    Inventors: Louis Rousseau, Etienne Lebas, Christian Bedrossian, Adrien Queuche
  • Patent number: 10371414
    Abstract: Burner holders and cartridges of a furnace are described herein, which include a support assembly and a manifold. The support assembly is configured to support one or more burners. For example, the support assembly may include a burner holder with a cutout region, which may allow a burner to be moved between an operational position and a disengaging position by twisting the burner. The cutout region can allow the one or more burners to be removed or installed relatively easily, without the need of removing the manifold from the support assembly. The manifold can be attached to the support assembly by, for example, using one or more orifices as fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Hamilton Hanks, Delbert Steven Christopher
  • Patent number: 10364984
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a burner system including at least one Coanda surface and at least two electrodes that are biased in a manner to influences a location of fuel flow relative to the at least one Coanda surface and related methods. In an embodiment, a burner system includes at least one Coanda surface, at least one nozzle positioned and configured to emit a fuel flow at least proximate to the at least one Coanda surface, at least two electrodes, and a voltage source operably coupled to the at least two electrodes. The voltage source may be configured to bias the at least two electrodes to generate an electric field at least proximate to the at least one Coanda surface that influences a location of the fuel flow and/or a flame relative to the at least one Coanda surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: CLEARSIGN COMBUSTION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Colannino, Igor Alexeevitch Krichtafovitch, Christopher A. Wiklof
  • Patent number: 10359190
    Abstract: A catalytic burner, especially for a vehicle heater, for the catalytically supported combustion of a fuel/combustion air mixture, includes a mixing chamber (24) and a combustion air feed device (36), for feeding combustion air to the mixing chamber (24) and a fuel feed device (28, 34), for feeding fuel to the mixing chamber (24), upstream of the mixing chamber (24). A catalyzer device (46) is provided with at least one catalyzer unit (48, 50, 52, 70), through which the fuel/combustion air mixture can flow. The fuel feed device (28, 34) includes an evaporator device (28) receiving liquid fuel from a fuel feed line (34) and releasing fuel vapor into the mixing chamber (24) or/and the at least one catalyzer unit (48, 50, 52, 70) includes a grid-like support with catalyst material on a surface of the a grid-like support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: EBERSPÄCHER CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Günter Eberspach, Klaus Beetz, Wolfgang Pfister
  • Patent number: 10337730
    Abstract: A wick configured from a single metallic meshed wick material continuously includes a spiral section with a shape including at least one loop, and a folded section with a shape including a fold. A first length extends away from the spiral section to the fold and along a first imaginary plan, and a second length extends from the fold to the spiral section and along a second imaginary plane. A wrapped section has a shape including at least one contour conforming shapes of the spiral and folded sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Pro-Iroda Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Wei-Long Chen
  • Patent number: 10322661
    Abstract: A mobile kitchen comprises a housing disposed atop one or more wheel axles and a plurality of appliances disposed within the housing. Each appliance is heated by combustion of a distillate fuel. One or more air channels are disposed about each of the appliances, such that each air channel substantially isolates excess heat from combustion of the distillate fuel from a workspace within the housing. One or more first air blowers are associated with the air channels, and each is adapted to force air through the air channels and vent the excess heat to the exterior of the housing. One or more second air blowers are coupled to the housing, and each second air blower is adapted to vent a predetermined volume of air from within the workspace at least once per minute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: BABINGTON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Robert S. Babington, Victor Worsley, Luther Barnes, Larry Viverette, Ramiro Andrade, Juan C. Lemus
  • Patent number: 10309645
    Abstract: A cover member of a gas supply manifold has a bent rising wall portion that is formed by bending a part of the cover member so as to rise in an opposite direction of a main body. The bent rising wall portion is in a form of a loop surrounding the entire circumference of a gas supply flow path and an area around the gas supply flow path. Such configuration increases the rigidity of the cover member and prevents large distortion of the cover member and leakage of gas from the gas supply flow path. As a result, the thickness of the cover member is reduced and the weight and the production cost of the gas supply manifold are also reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: NORITZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuta Tsuji, Naoki Se, Hideyuki Fujisawa, Katsuya Imaoka, Keizo Kawano, Tatsuya Karaki, Ryosuke Umakoshi
  • Patent number: 10302300
    Abstract: A system includes a feed injector that may supply a feedstock to a gasifier. The feed injector includes one or more conduits extending toward a tip portion having an outlet, cooling coil coupled to the tip portion, and a protective shell including a first protective shell portion coupled to a second protective shell portion. The protective shell surrounds the tip portion and at least portions of the one or more conduits and the cooling coil. The feed injector also includes one or more mounting structures disposed along an outer perimeter of the feed injector. The one or more mounting structures may facilitate coupling of the first protective shell portion, the second protective shell portion, and the feed injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allam Nanda Kishore, Madhu Deena Dayal Naidu
  • Patent number: 10240785
    Abstract: A solenoid valve driving apparatus includes switching means for ON/OFF-controlling application of a direct current voltage to a solenoid of a solenoid valve, and signal outputting means. A first period and a consecutive second period are set as a valve opening operation period of the solenoid valve. When the signal outputting means outputs the PWM signal to the switching means, a duty ratio of the output signal is set to be higher in the second period than in the first period so that a power supplied to the solenoid is larger in the second period than in the first period. As a result, a valve opening operation is performed in the solenoid valve reliably, and loud noise generation during the valve opening operation is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Noritz Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Konishi, Akira Ohta, Yoshihisa Kitano, Tomoya Nakano, Yoshifumi Atobe, Haruki Inoue, Yoshitaka Kimura, Ryo Ikeda, Tomoki Kishimoto, Yasuhide Ikeuchi, Tomoko Ikeuchi
  • Patent number: 10240787
    Abstract: An integrated damper control system is used with a gas fired appliance including a gas burner, a flue and a damper for selectively opening the flue. The damper control system comprises an appliance control including a programmed processor for controlling the gas burner and a communication interface device. A damper control comprises a programmed processor for controlling the damper and a communication interface device for communication with the appliance control communication interface device. The damper control programmed processor is programmed to selectively open or close the damper responsive to status of a damper request register and to control status of a lockout register to indicate status of the damper. The appliance control programmed processor is programmed to control status of the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and to operate the gas burner only if the lockout register is set to unlock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Field Controls, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Andrew Hokanson
  • Patent number: 10226036
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling weeds using concentrated solar energy is disclosed. Solar energy may be concentrated by Fresnel lens and directed by manual or automated methods at surfaces of weed plants to heat portions thereof causing damage. Shutters or other devices may be used to direct, and control intensity of concentrated, solar energy, such control preferably applied before significant concentration. In some embodiments, solar energy concentration apparatus may be integrated with ground, air, or water vehicles which may use solar photovoltaic cells for electric power for propulsion and other purposes. Vehicles may use global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers or other methods and apparatus, including video cameras, for navigation and selection of areas (e.g., row middles), plants, or portions of plants to be exposed to concentrated solar energy. Air vehicles may use hydrogen gas electrolyzed from water condensed from humid air to replenish hydrogen gas lost from containment vessels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Inventors: David L. Guice, Remigius Shatas, William V. Dent, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10228142
    Abstract: A wood-burning stove includes a first baffle spaced apart from the stove's front wall and extending from the stove's floor towards its ceiling to a height in a range of (0.65-0.75) of the stove's internal height. An air intake chamber is defined between the stove's front wall and first baffle. A firebox is defined between the first baffle and the stove's back wall. A second baffle is coupled to the stove's back wall at a position thereon below the stove's flue port. The second baffle extends from the back wall towards the first baffle to a second baffle depth of (0.7-0.85) of the stove's firebox depth. The second baffle terminates at an outboard edge that is spaced apart from the stove's ceiling to define a flow area in a range of 0.5-1.0 times a cross-sectional area of the flue port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Inventor: Carroll J. Sanders
  • Patent number: 10174944
    Abstract: A method for staged combustion in a combustor assembly includes introducing an oxidant stream and a fuel stream at a first location into a combustion chamber to produce a heated stream. A Liquid water stream and an additional oxidant stream, fuel stream or both are then introduced into the heated stream in at least one location along the heated stream downstream from the first location. The additional oxidant stream, fuel stream or both react in the heated stream to generate additional heat that vaporizes liquid water from the liquid water stream to water vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Mays