Patents Examined by Diego F. F. Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 5683180
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling the use of optical techniques for temperature measurement of a semiconducting substrate coated with an optically opaque overlayer. A reflective mirror structure is inserted between the semiconducting substrate and the optically opaque overlayer. The reflective structure prevents the overlayer from absorbing light transmitted through the semiconducting substrate and instead reflects the light, thereby restoring the substrate front-surface reflectivity required for temperature measurement analysis by optical techniques such as absorption edge reflectance spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Terence J. De Lyon, John A. Roth
  • Patent number: 5678923
    Abstract: A thermometer stem is inserted into a thermally controlled receptacle housed by the calibrator to bring the thermometer to a calibration temperature. A socket in the housing engages and holds the adjustment nut of the thermometer so that the casing of the thermometer can be adjusted while the thermometer remains inserted in the calibrator. A wrench can be attached to the calibrator for rotating thermometer casings, enhancing ease of use of the device. An adapter can be placed over the socket to allow use with adjusters of various sizes and shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Germanow-Simon Corporation, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Germanow, Robert I. Marsh
  • Patent number: 5678926
    Abstract: A thermocouple probe 10 suitable for use in a gas turbine engine comprises a thermocouple element 12 which is coaxially arranged inside a protective sheath 16. The thermocouple element 12 is resiliently supported by a helical member 18 which insulates the element 12 from deleterious vibrations induced in the sheath 16. In use, the thermocouple probe 10 projects through an aperture 30 in the casing 32 of a gas chamber 34. Vibrations in the probe 10 are further reduced by ensuring that the longitudinal axis AA of the probe is angularly offset from the central axis BB of the aperture 30, such that the outer periphery of the sheath 16 is in contact with the inner periphery of the aperture 30 in two diametrically opposite and axially offset locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Solartron Group Limited
    Inventors: James Wolryche Stansfeld, Eric Metcalf
  • Patent number: 5678925
    Abstract: A hot beverage mug automatically senses the temperature of its liquid contents and generates an accurate aural and/or visual indication of the temperature sensed. The temperature is sensed by a thermistor in a resistive capacitive (R/C) circuit which operates to yield a signal of variable frequency corresponding to the temperature sensed. An integrated circuit (IC) logic controller treats this electrical signal as an input which triggers a further electrical signal from the IC controller to an aural or visual display generating device such as an annunciator, a light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD) or a simulated voice expressing the temperature sensed. The power for the R/C circuit, the IC and the aural/visual indicator(s) is supplied from a battery and controllable by a switch activated either manually or automatically upon sensing the pressure of the liquid contents or by physical contact with the mug handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Inventors: Ian Garmaise, David Garmaise
  • Patent number: 5676383
    Abstract: An annular elastomeric sealing member includes a static sealing lip and a series of projections facing the lubricant. Each projection has a convex front surface that provides two oppositely facing pumping faces and an angled rear surface that intersects the front surface at an acute angle so as to form a sharp leading edge. The sharp leading edge on each projection has a relatively small radial clearance with respect to the cylindrical surface that is to be sealed. This small clearance enables the projections to exert pumping forces on lubricant proximate to the cylindrical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventor: Jon Chandler
  • Patent number: 5674007
    Abstract: A method for calculating a PMV for an air conditioning system having a body sensor and a temperature sensor includes the steps of sensing a thermal change a human body senses due to room air circulation using the body sensor, and converting the sensed thermal change into a digital value, sensing a room temperature using the temperature sensor, and converting the sensed room temperature into a digital value, assigning parameters according to human bodily activities and amount of clothes a man wears classified by seasons and times, and calculating a PMV by computing the value of thermal change converted into a digital value, the value of room temperature converted into a digital value, and the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jong Uk Bu, Young Cho Shim
  • Patent number: 5674008
    Abstract: A temperature monitoring circuit comprises a thermistor which is connected with a power supply rail by means of a transistor. The transistor is pulsed to connect the thermistor intermittently in circuit with the power supply. The mean power drawn by the thermistor from the power supply is reduced, causing less drain on the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Switched Reluctance Drives, Ltd.
    Inventor: Damian Paul Allinson
  • Patent number: 5672008
    Abstract: A temperature sensor having a light fiber connecting a light source and a reflectometer. Temperature measurement zones are formed by sensing elements made of shape-memory alloy. The elements exert a stress on the fiber when they are subjected to an increase in temperature due to their memorized state. The change in temperature is detected by the reflectometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Thomson-CSF
    Inventors: Philippe Bonniau, Jean Chazelas, Marc Turpin
  • Patent number: 5672007
    Abstract: A radiometer is described which coherently detects the thickness of oil films on water by converting continuous-frequency microwave or millimeter-wave brightness temperature versus frequency measurements from the frequency/wavenumber domain to the oil-film-thickness domain (received power versus film thickness).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Elliott R. Brown, Gregory G. Hogan, Gerald M. Daniels
  • Patent number: 5669714
    Abstract: A spark plug temperature sensor adaptor which is removably attached to a spark plug to provide a temperature reading of conditions in an internal combustion engine cylinder. The temperature sensor adaptor has a hollow cylindrical shape with a hexangular cross-section to mate with the hexangular shape of a spark plug and a thermocouple to sense the temperature of a spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Inventor: Edward Runne
  • Patent number: 5667301
    Abstract: The measuring device comprises two flat-wall heat exchangers (3a, 3b), one to each side of a flat plate (1), two samples (2a, 2b) of similar thickness (E) of the material being tested, placed between the outer surface of the heat exchanger (3a, 3b) and one surface of the central plate (1), a device for positioning and holding the heat exchangers (3a, 3b) and at least two temperature sensors, one of which (T2) consisting of a thermocouple is incorporated in the central plate (1), the other (T1) also consisting of a thermocouple, being incorporated in the outer wall of the plate of one of the heat exchangers (3a). Application in the injection of plastics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Universite de Nantes, Laboratoire de Thermocinetique de l'Isitem
    Inventors: Thomasz Jurkowski, Yvon Jarny, Didier Delaunay
  • Patent number: 5664884
    Abstract: This invention involves apparatus for determining the thermal resistivities W.sub.s (=1/.kappa..sub.s) of electrically insulating, crystalline or polycrystalline samples under test (SUTs), all comprising host material such as CVD diamond. Once the optical absorptivities .alpha..sub.1 and .alpha..sub.2 and the thermal resistivities W.sub.1 and W.sub.2 of at least two other crystalline or polycrystalline bodies B.sub.1 and B.sub.2, respectively, comprising the same host material as the SUTs, and containing the same type of impurity or combination of impurities as the SUTs, are measured by some other technique--the inventive apparatus can then determine the thermal resistivities W.sub.s of the SUTs rather quickly from a measurement only of the optical absorptivities a.sub.s of the SUTs. These determinations of the thermal resistivities W.sub.s of the SUTs rely on our discovery that the following linear relationship exists: W=A+C.alpha.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: John Edwin Graebner, Sungho Jin
  • Patent number: 5664885
    Abstract: The electronic industrial thermometer combines a conventional industrial thermometer with an electrical resistance temperature detector thus providing a thermometer where the temperature can be read visually at the mounting site and where the detector electronically transfers an electrical signal to a remote site for continuing temperature observation or for recording the temperature on electronic display instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: H.O. Trerice Company
    Inventors: Roy E. Buntin, Gerald D. Tribble, Bruce J. Jarvie
  • Patent number: 5660471
    Abstract: A temperature distribution measuring device has a turnable sensor head section 1 in which a plurality of detecting sections are arranged, a shaft 2 to which the sensor head section 1 is mounted so that the array direction of the detecting sections is inclined to the axis of rotation thereof, a rotation driving motor for rotating the shaft 2, control circuit 8 for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of the rotation driving section 3, and an umbrella-shaped chopping member for intermittently blocking incident infrared beams. The device has high spatial resolution and can offer temperature resolution at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Yoshiike, Koji Arita, Katuya Morinaka, Hiroichi Goto
  • Patent number: 5660470
    Abstract: A housing having a base having a cavity within which a temperature scanner module may be mounted and which is readily clamped to a rail of a railroad track so that a scanner may detect an over-heated wheel or wheel bearing. The base includes a rail clamp support portion for extending beneath the rail. A clamping assembly is positioned on the clamp support portion with resilient compressible bumpers sandwiched therebetween. The clamping assembly includes a first rail clamp and a pair of spaced apart arms between which a second rail clamp is positioned and adjustably attached to the first clamping assembly so as to secure the assembly to a rail. The arms of the clamping assembly terminate at locations above the upper surface of the clamp support portion and may be forcibly urged to apply a bending moment to the clamping assembly adjacent the cavity to pivot the clamping assembly on the bumpers relative to the base. The base may thus be angularly adjusted relative to the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Southern Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Paul D. Mench
  • Patent number: 5655839
    Abstract: An IR temperature sensor comprises a sealed housing containing an inert gas atmosphere and enclosing a detector for conversion of heat radiation into an electrical signal, an optical system which images the heat radiation emanating from an object onto the detector, a heat-conducting temperature equalization element which maintains the detector and the optical system at a common temperature, and a temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the temperature equalization element. The sealed housing protects the sensor from the external environment and maintains uniform temperature between the optical system and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Raytek Sensorik GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Schmidt, Gerald Burkert
  • Patent number: 5655837
    Abstract: A radiation thermometer assembly comprises a radiation thermometer for detecting radiation and for generating at a first terminal an electrical output signal representative of the detected radiation. A cap assembly comprises a housing carrying a second terminal to which a cable can be connected, and electrical connectors to electrically couple the first and second terminals. An overcenter latch removably secures the cap assembly to the radiation thermometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Land Instruments International Limited
    Inventors: Ian Hamilton Ridley, Peter Fearnehough
  • Patent number: 5655841
    Abstract: An error-compensated temperature measurement system has a temperature sensor, an amplifying circuit and a compensation circuit for compensating non-linearities in the amplifying circuit of the temperature sensor. Specifically, the amplifying circuit has an analogue to digital converter exhibiting non-linearity characteristics, and the compensating circuit automatically compensates these non-linearities as well as correcting for the self-zero and self gain characteristics of the amplifying circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Whessoe Varec, Inc.
    Inventor: Harvey Storm
  • Patent number: 5655838
    Abstract: A radiation thermometer assembly comprises a housing to a front end of which is movably mounted an objective lens housing. An eye piece is mounted to the radiation thermometer housing and is arranged to receive light passing through the objective lens. A control system causes relative movement between the objective lens housing and the radiation thermometer housing, the control system being connected to a manual control member for operating the control system. The control member is mounted to the radiation thermometer housing at a position spaced from the objective lens housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Land Instruments International Limited
    Inventors: Ian Hamilton Ridley, Peter Fearnehough
  • Patent number: RE35639
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for monitoring in real time the mass and energy flow rate of a gas through a pipeline. The invention determines the mass flow ratio of a pipeline gas flowing through a pipeline compared to sample gas tapped from the pipeline line when the volumetric flow of pipeline gas through the pipeline is measured by a linear flow meter. Sample gas tapped from the pipeline is flowed to a chamber having a section with a fixed volume until the pressure in the chamber section is substantially equal to the pipeline gas pressure. The sample gas is maintained at substantially the same temperature as the gas in the pipeline while the sample gas is in the chamber section. A timer measures the time interval for the sample gas to flow from the chamber section at a selected rate for a calculated pressure drop the selected rate being controlled by a flow controller. The mass flow ratio is computed using the measured time interval and a signal from the linear flow meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Badger Meter, Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Vander Heyden, William H. Clingman, Jr., deceased