Patents Examined by Devon C. Kramer
  • Patent number: 8894389
    Abstract: A utility pump is provided featuring a housing and battery configuration, where the housing is configured with a series configuration of integral pumps, and also configured with a battery receiving portion having electrical terminals for receiving power for providing to the series configuration of the integral pumps, and where the battery has a protruding portion with corresponding electrical terminals configured to contact the electrical terminals to provide power to the series configuration of the integral pumps when the protruding portion of the battery is inserted into the battery receiving portion of the housing and rotated in one direction to an “ON” position, and also configured not to contact the electrical terminals when the battery is not rotated to the “ON” position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Flow Control LLC.
    Inventors: Humberto V. Meza, Randall H. Moormann, Mark F. Ingersoll, Jeffrey B. Schopperle, Joel A. Kenney
  • Patent number: 8896144
    Abstract: A wind turbine energy storage system includes a hollow wind turbine tower shaft having a top end and a bottom end covered by top and bottom end caps respectively to form a tank. A compressor is coupled to the wind turbine for compressing air into the tank through a high pressure pipe and valve assembly. The compressed air stored in the tank can be released on demand or on a fixed schedule. A method of storing energy in a wind turbine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventors: Carlos Wong, Livia Wong, Zhaohui Xiong
  • Patent number: 8827659
    Abstract: In an oil supply apparatus, a valve body includes first and second radially protruding lands, and a small-diameter portion continuously connecting the first and second lands and having a diameter smaller than at least the outer diameter of the first and second lands. Rotational speeds of a rotor are set as first, second and third rotational ranges in the ascending order. In the first rotational range, work oil from a second discharge port is fed to a first oil passage via the small diameter portion. In the second rotational range, work oil from the second discharge port is fed to a return oil passage via the small diameter portion. In the third rotational range after the second oil passage is blocked relative to the return oil passage by the second land, work oil from the second discharge port is fed to the first oil passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshito Uno
  • Patent number: 8235683
    Abstract: A Inlet pipe (151) communicating the space inside the hermetic enclosure with sound absorbing space (147) of inlet muffler (145) is provided so as to be inclined downward from inlet-pipe inlet (155) toward inlet-pipe outlet (157). Outlet pipe (153) communicating sound absorbing space (147) with an inlet valve includes outlet-pipe inlet (161) and outlet-pipe outlet (163). Inlet-pipe inlet (155) and outlet-pipe inlet (161) are formed at substantially same height. Herewith, introducing a refrigerant gas to outlet-pipe inlet (161) making efficient use of potential energy of the refrigerant improves the compression efficiency and stabilizes the performance of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Kinjo, Akira Nakano, Takahide Nagao
  • Patent number: 8021130
    Abstract: Apparatus and Method for Handling Fluids at Nano-Scale Rates. A linear displacement pump produces non-pulsatile liquid flow rates as low as the nl/mm range. The pump includes a servo motor, a gear reduction, a lead screw, a linear stage, a barrel, and a plunger extending into the barrel and coupled to the stage. A microfluidic interconnect device can be coupled to the barrel. One or more of these pumps can be disposed in a thermally controlled pump assembly that includes a pump housing, a thermally conductive body disposed in the housing and including first and second opposing sides, and a temperature regulating element such as a thermoelectric device disposed in thermal contact with the thermally conductive body on a side thereof opposite to the barrel or barrels of the pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: AB Sciex, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory A. Votaw, Charles A. Buckner, Daniel M. Hartmann, William Karsh, Frank Anthony Montefusco, Joshua T. Nevill, Mehul Patel, David W. Wyrick, Hugh C. Crenshaw
  • Patent number: 7959419
    Abstract: A cooling system for an electric device such as a personal computer is disclosed. The cooling system includes a receiving assembly and a removable fan assembly. The receiving assembly has a first component of a bayonet lock and first electrical contact, while the fan assembly has a fan blade, a motor for the fan blade, a second component of the bayonet lock, and a second electrical contact. The first and second electrical contacts are situated with radial respect to each other such that turning the fan assembly to engage the bayonet lock forces an electrical connection between the first and second electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Olaf Borowski, Denis J. Crovo
  • Patent number: 7942647
    Abstract: An opening 22d of a supply/withdrawal passage 22b is positioned at the center part of the internal wall surface 22c of the operating chamber 26 (concave area 22a), and a pin 24 that protrudes toward the diaphragm 23 is provided in a position that is offset from the center of the wall surface 22c. When the diaphragm 23 is deformed toward the operating chamber 26 by the suction of an operation air into the operating chamber 26 during drawing in the chemical liquid, a part of the diaphragm 23 opposing to the pin 24 rides on the pin 24 and this part becomes a slightly convex shape toward the pump chamber 25. When the operation air is supplied from the opening 22d into the operating chamber 26 during the discharge of the chemical liquid, the deformation begins first from the part of the diaphragm 23 riding on the pin 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignees: Octec Inc., CKD Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuya Okumura, Shigenobu Itoh, Kazuhiro Sugata, Kazuhiro Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7942644
    Abstract: A capillary pump is provided for producing pressurized and unpressurized vapor emissions from liquid feed. In its simplest form, the capillary pump incorporates a liquid feed intake, a porous vaporization component, and a heat transfer component. Additional components, such as an insulator component, a feed pre-heat component, a liquid feed reservoir and/or delivery system, an integrated or associated heater component, a vapor collection chamber, a heat distribution component, an orifice component and/or vapor release component, may also be associated with or integrated in the improved capillary pumps. Capillary pump arrays are provided, and numerous applications for capillary pumps are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Vapore, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Young, Mark Richardson, Robert A. Lerner, Barry H. Rabin
  • Patent number: 7896621
    Abstract: Provided is a micro pump having a simple structure. The micro pump includes a pump chamber including inflow and outflow passages through which a drive fluid flows, a first valve configured to open or close the inflow passage, a second valve configured to open or close the outflow passage, and a pump chamber heating and cooling unit configured to heat or cool the pump chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-sik Park, Young-il Kim, Jung-ho Kang, Moon-chul Lee
  • Patent number: 7771175
    Abstract: A link mechanism provided between a lug plate and a cam plate in a variable displacement compressor includes a first transmitting portion for transmitting rotation of a lug plate to a cam plate and a second transmitting portion for transmitting compression reactive force from the cam plate to the lug plate, which are arranged along a rotational direction of the drive shaft. The first transmitting portion includes a first transmitting surface and a first receiving surface. The link mechanism also includes a movement restrictor arranged between the first and second transmitting portions. The movement restrictor includes a restricting surface formed in the lug plate and a restricted surface formed in the cam plate and restricts the first receiving surface to move away from the first transmitting surface in the rotational direction of the drive shaft in such a manner that the restricted surface comes into contact with the restricting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Yuji Kaneshige, Motoaki Okuda, Takayuki Imai
  • Patent number: 7413418
    Abstract: A compressor system that is configured to compress the fluid from low pressure source to a higher pressure magnitude is powered from the same low pressure fluid source. The compressor system includes two piston assemblies that are coaxially coupled to one another, and that are of differing cross sectional areas. The low pressure fluid is used to move the larger piston assembly, which is in turn used to move the smaller piston assembly. Low pressure fluid is selectively admitted to the smaller piston assembly, and movement thereof is used to compress the low pressure fluid to a higher pressure magnitude. The compressor system uses a fluidic bistable amplifier, which also coupled to the low pressure fluid source, to control low pressure fluid flow to the larger piston assembly, to thereby control its movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn H. Lane, David M. Mathis, John F. Thurston, William F. Ryan, James A. Wissinger
  • Patent number: 7399167
    Abstract: A check valve is provided to each discharge port, which communicates between a corresponding working chamber and a high pressure chamber in an integrated compressor/expander apparatus. A valve mechanism, which is opened in a motor mode, is provided to communicate between the working chamber and the high pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Yamanaka, Yasushi Suzuki, Atsushi Inaba, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida
  • Patent number: 7396215
    Abstract: A water pump comprises a pump body, a cylindrical supporting portion, a pulley, a shaft portion, an impeller, a seal member, a pulley cylinder portion, a wall portion, a through-hole formed, a cover covering the wall portion and the pulley cylinder portion of the pulley from one side of the pulley, and the cover formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom portion and including a reservoir for receiving fluid that has leaked through the seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Ozawa, Yojiro Koga, Atsushi Chiba, Itsuro Hashiguchi
  • Patent number: 7390175
    Abstract: A double-acting, simplex, fluid handling pump is designed to facilitate an optional configuration as either a plunger pump or a diaphragm pump. An injection molded plastic pump body comprises two bilaterally symmetrical halves that include internal pockets and grooves for clamping and retaining first and second generally identical valve assemblies at opposing end portions of the pump body. When configured as a plunger pump, first and second plunger are arranged to move 180° out-of-phase with respect to one another within stationary guide sleeves that are clamped within the pump body where one plunger effecting a suction stroke while the other effects a compression stroke. When configured as a diaphragm pump, the plungers are removed from the connecting rods and replaced by diaphragms and a change is made in the valve casing employed but a majority of the remaining parts of the pump assembly remain unchanged from what is used in the plunger pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Hypro, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce A. Maki, Daniel A. Beilke
  • Patent number: 7384245
    Abstract: An air compressor assembly including a rotatable handle that provides protection and structure for transporting the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a plurality of air tanks each of which are configured to be removable and replaced when necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Alltrade Tools LLC
    Inventors: Hector R. Hernandez, Jaime W. Nash
  • Patent number: 7384248
    Abstract: A fuel metering pump provides a compact and reliable fuel delivery system meeting the stringent contamination resistance, accuracy, pressure and flow requirements of jet engine combustion. The metering pump has a motor driven dual face cam drive arrangement that reciprocates a pair of double-acting spool pistons to both pump and meter fuel to the engine. The motor rotates the cam shaft mounted face cams, which have oppositely clocked ramps on which rollers ride to transfer the rotation forces from the face cam to reciprocate the pistons. The double-acting pistons each provide both compression and suction on each stroke. The tandem face cams arranged at opposite sides of the cam followers provides consistent and precise metering with minimal pulsation. Low pressure drop at the inlets allows the metering pump to operate very near true vapor pressure without risk of cavitation or the need for a boosted inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Jansen's Aircraft Systems Controls, Inc.
    Inventor: Harvey B. Jansen
  • Patent number: 7377035
    Abstract: A miniature cooling device includes numerous improvements capable of increasing the reliability and useful lifetime of the device, as well as improving electrical power to cooling power conversion efficiency. The improvements include a unitary DC motor shaft design that incorporates a unitary mass flywheel into the shaft element and provides a solid shaft cross-section for increasing magnetic flux density in the DC motor. Additional improvements include a bend resistant flexible vane in the DC motor to compression piston drive coupler, reduced dead space volume within the compression cylinder, improved heat dissipation by a cylinder head cover and an athermalized compressor design that provides uniformly efficient operation over a wide range of operating temperatures. Further improvements include fabrication and coating improvements that increase the life of compression piston and compression cylinder wear surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Fursystems Inc.
    Inventors: Uri Bin-Nun, Daniel L. Manitakos
  • Patent number: 7377754
    Abstract: A compressor includes a swash plate, and a shoe connected to an outer periphery of the swash plate. A surface of the swash plate slides upon a flat surface of the shoe. A sliding film is applied to the surface of the swash plate. The sliding film is formed of binder resin which contains a solid lubricant and titanium oxide powder. This allows the surface of the swash plate and the flat surface of the shoe to smoothly slide upon each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Akio Saiki, Noriyuki Shintoku, Toshihisa Shimo, Noriaki Baba, Hitotoshi Murase, Takahiro Sugioka
  • Patent number: 7377753
    Abstract: In a fuel supply pump, a fuel relief path relieves a part of fuel, which is supplied through a part of fuel supply path connected between a control valve and a compressing chamber of a pump element, into a slidably contact portion between a plunger of the pump element and a plunger driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Kuroda
  • Patent number: 7374409
    Abstract: A suction passage (1) and a discharge passage (2) for a to-be-transferred fluid are disposed in a pump body (3). A bottomed cylindrical bellows (6) is integrally coupled to the axial rear side of the pump body to form a closed space (7). The suction passage (1) has an upstream portion (1A) having a larger diameter and a predetermined passage cross section area, and downstream portions (1B) which are formed by branching the upstream portion into a bifurcated or Y-shape while reducing the passage cross section area. Two first small check valves (15) of the spring type in each of which the pressure receiving area is reduced in accordance with the reduced passage cross section areas of the smaller-diameter downstream portions (1B) are attached respectively to outlet portions of the smaller-diameter down-stream portions (1B) so as to be arranged in parallel. The outlets of the first check valves (15) are opened in the closed space (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Nippon Pillar Packing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Kawamura