Patents Examined by Fenn Mathew
  • Fuel filler systems and methods of assembling same
    Patent number: 9393866
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assembling a fuel filler system for use in a vehicle are provided. A locking bracket is coupled within an end of a fuel filler tube. At least one passage is defined in the locking bracket for facilitating insertion of a closure device into the fuel filler tube end. At least one anti-removal structure on the closure device passes through the at least one passage during insertion of the closure device. The at least one anti-removal structure precludes removal of the closure device after insertion of the closure device, and rotation of the closure device from a first rotational position relative to the locking bracket to a second rotational position. First and second anti-rotation structures extending from the closure device engage first and second ends of the locking bracket to prevent further rotation of the closure device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Hidekazu Nobata, Masaru Tomimatsu
  • Multi-chambered lid apparatus
    Patent number: 9394086
    Abstract: A lid apparatus for a multi-chambered container. The lid apparatus has a top-lid that is hingedly attached to a bottom-cap. The top-lid includes one or more openings for fluid filling multiple passages that extend from the bottom-cap. A lower bottom-cap includes welding features for welding to the multi-chambered container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Cepheid
    Inventor: Paul Jordan
  • Glass bell jar for the protection and/or storage of food
    Patent number: 9392894
    Abstract: A glass bell jar for the protection of food such as desserts, pies and the like, which is designed to be rested on a dish, also made of glass, so as to cover the food contained in the dish, includes a U-shaped structural section, made of a soft plastic material such as polypropylene or the like, fitted along the edge of the bell jar to cushion the impact between the dish and the bell jar when the latter is rested on the dish, to prevent direct contact between the two glass parts, and to guarantee better airtightness. The risk is avoided, that one or both parts from crack, with the danger that shards of glass could contaminate the food contained in it. Health risks are thus avoided, and the unpleasant sound caused by the impact between two glass parts is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: VETRERIA DI BORGONOVO S.P.A.
    Inventor: Pier Francesco Piccioni
  • Cover guard for a rim of a paint can with an attached paintbrush well
    Patent number: 9393831
    Abstract: A cover guard for a rim of a paint can, includes a cover for covering a rim of a paint can to prevent entry of paint into the rim, the cover being at least part annular to surround an opening, and having an inverted U-shaped cross-section for receiving the rim therein, a brush wiper plate connected with the cover and extending within the opening, against which a paintbrush can be wiped for removing excess paint from the paintbrush which has been dipped into paint in the paint can, such that any excess paint falls back into the paint can, and a wet paintbrush cup connected to the cover for holding a web paintbrush therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: 360 Products, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Schmidt
  • Electronic tag holder for capped bottle neck
    Patent number: 9396670
    Abstract: A housing assembly supports an electronic tag to the extending neck of a bottle. The housing assembly includes a housing for accommodating the electronic tag. The housing has an annular bearing surface for engagement with the extending neck of the bottle. A strap is coupled to the housing about the bottle neck. The strap has a bearing surface for engagement with the extending neck where the bearing surface of the strap is tapered to match the taper of the extending neck of the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: B&G International, Inc.
    Inventors: Chester Kolton, Michael Norman, Alex Tetiyevsky
  • Filter holder for sterilization container
    Patent number: 9393332
    Abstract: A filter holder, for a sterilization container (1), has a wall area (5) with ventilation openings (7), through which an exchange of air takes place between the interior space of the sterilization container and the surrounding area, covered by a filter sheet (10) to form a sterile barrier, sterilizing air entering the interior space. The filter sheet is held on the wall area (5, 6) by an air-permeable pressing disk. A holding pin (20), with a mounting hole (34), by which the pressing disk (12) can be pressed against the wall area in the axial direction (41), can be attached to a mounting pin (11), which is stationary relative to the wall area. The holding pin (20) is connected with the mounting pin in a pressed position via a detachable positive-locking connection (19, 51). The connection can be secured by an adjusting sleeve (21) mounted displaceably on the holding pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Innovation Medical GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Kreidler, Jochen Kreidler
  • Fluid flow control device for a container
    Patent number: 9394087
    Abstract: A fluid flow control device having plurality of flexible fluid flow control elements disposed in spaced apart relation about the periphery of a solid body which insertably secured in a container provides a plurality of apertures in spaced apart relation about the periphery of the solid body which control the flow rate of an amount of fluid from the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Lids2Go Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Shandley K. Phillips, Allyson L. Phillips
  • Food container organizer
    Patent number: 9386885
    Abstract: A compact food container organizer by which variously sized food containers and their variously sized lids are stored and sorted in a neat and orderly manner. The organizer has stacks of pedestals lying side-by-side one another and attached to a flat support base. Each stack has one or more preferably disk-shaped pedestals lying one above the other over the base. The diameters of the successive ones of disk-shaped pedestals vary so that different food containers having different sizes can first be inverted and then positioned over the top of and around the correspondingly sized pedestals. A plurality of lid baskets having different sizes are attached to the support base to accommodate therewithin the variously sized lids that cover the food containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Inventor: Douglas S. Johnson
  • Container
    Patent number: 9387963
    Abstract: A container (10) for holding granular or powdered material. The container (10) includes walls, a collar (14), a lid (16) and a latch (200). The walls define an interior space (26) and an upper portion, the upper portion defining a sealing flange (30) and an opening to the interior space. The collar (14) is attached to the upper portion. The lid 816) is attached to the collar (14) for positioning between an open position and a closed position, and adapted to cover the opening while in the closed position. The latch (200) is attached to an outer surface of the lid (16). The latch may have an actuator (202) rotatable in two directions relative to the lid and detachably engaged to a catch (220) which protrudes from an outside surface of the collar (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ABBOTT LABORATORIES
    Inventors: Jeremy McBroom, James Perry
  • Closure
    Patent number: 9387959
    Abstract: A two-part closure (1) which has a disc (2) and a skirt (3). In one example, the skirt wall is smooth between upper and lower rims so that the disc is moveable between the rim features. Typically in a metal skirt or ring, the upper rim feature is a curl (11) and the lower rim feature is a curled edge (12) with equi-spaced lugs (13) on the skirt wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Crown Packaging Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Robert Dunwoody
  • Lid of disposable beverage cup
    Patent number: 9387966
    Abstract: A lid of a disposable beverage cup, which has at least one drinking hole provided for a consumer to drink the beverage stored in the beverage cup, and at least one vent hole provided for maintaining the pressure equivalence between an inner side and an outer side of the beverage cup, includes at least one drinking hole plug arranged for detachably coupling with the drinking hole to seal and close the drinking hole so as to prevent the beverage from leaking out of the beverage cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Inventors: Charles N. Chiang, Benjamin H. Chiang
  • Closure band for containers
    Patent number: 9382048
    Abstract: A retaining band is provided for a container, e.g. for a joint between a flexible plastics pouring spout and a container neck, or for a lidded drum or pail. The band is movable from an expanded position in which it can be placed over the container with a clearance fit, to a constricted position in which the band tightly engages about the container. The band comprises a detent formed by a toothed spigot lockingly receivable in a toothed receptacle that are mechanically interengageable to prevent movement of the band from the constricted position towards the expanded position. The band may be formed as a separate component or as an integral part of a closure, the spout or the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Greif International Holding BV
    Inventors: Cornelis Van De Klippe, Kevin Micallef, Dale Taylor
  • Utility handbag
    Patent number: 9375061
    Abstract: A 2-in-1 handbag with an adjustable compartment system for providing a foundation handbag, an insulated secondary inner handbag with an adjustable compartment system to create separate compartments for storage and organization of items such as wallet, cosmetics, baby items, clothing, shoes, toiletry and/or food within the handbag system. The 2-in-1 handbag with an adjustable compartment system generally includes a foundation handbag, insulated secondary inner handbag with an adjustable compartment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventor: Sherrill W. Mosee
  • Systems and methods for collapsible luggage
    Patent number: 9375063
    Abstract: In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for providing collapsible luggage are presented. Such exemplary collapsible luggage can have two states: (i) a fully extended state in which said luggage is used by a user to hold, for example, clothing and objects, and (ii) a compressed or folded state in which the luggage has a minimum volume and can be easily and conveniently stored, especially where space is a premium. Various novel technologies are used to obtain maximal compression in the compressed state, provide rigidity and structural support in the fully extended state, and to allow for convenient transformation between the two states. One of such technologies is a self-locking hinge mechanism requiring no direct contact from a user, which also provides audible feedback to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen Chi Yueh Chen, Ahron Hersh, Nancy Mei-Hui Hung
  • Waste container with gravity latch
    Patent number: 9376255
    Abstract: A waste container having a body and a lid pivotably connected to the body. The lid includes a gravity activated locking mechanism having a latch that engages the lid to the body when the container is in an upright position. The locking mechanism rotates to disengage the latch and allow the lid to open when the container is inverted for dumping the waste. The waste container further including a slideable member that is engageable with a locking member when the container is not in an upright position or inverted for dumping, to prevent rotation of the locking mechanism and opening of the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: ORBIS Corporation
    Inventors: Joachim Banik, Paul Mans, Mark D. Schaefer, James Marschalek
  • Toolbox handle
    Patent number: 9371157
    Abstract: A toolbox handle is provided, including a connecting portion and a grip portion. The connecting portion is provided for being connected to a tool box. The grip portion is connected to the connecting portion, and the grip portion has a circumferential side for gripping. The circumferential side has at least one through hole. An inner circumferential face of each through hole is formed with at least one rib portion, and each through hole is at least partly stepped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Yu-Hua Ou
  • Customizable clutch with interchangeable shells and drop-in clasps
    Patent number: 9370227
    Abstract: A customizable rigid clutch comprises a rigid main case having a pair of half sections, each attached along a bottom side by means of a hinge, an interchangeable outer shell having a pair of half sections, each having a lower clip along a bottom side, an interchangeable clasp having a pair of half sections, each having an insert, and a pair of hinge caps each having a pair of protrusions. A pair of upper insert receivers on the rigid case receives a pair of upper inserts on the interchangeable outer shell. A pair of hinge receivers on both sides of the hinge receives the lower clip of the interchangeable outer shell. A pair of inner slider housings attached along a top side of the main case receives the insert of the interchangeable clasp, and a pair of sliding bars is pushed into a locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventors: Eliana Ghantous, Sami E. Ghantous
  • Compact, foldable, weather protective cover
    Patent number: 9365099
    Abstract: A protective cover has a first and a second section that have adjacent panels in the section connected to one another by a laterally oriented expandable joint. Each laterally oriented expandable joint in the second section is placed on an opposite side of the cover relative to its corresponding adjacent lateral expandable joint in the first section. Within each section, every odd-numbered laterally oriented expandable joint lies on a same face surface of the cover and every even-numbered laterally oriented expandable joint lies on the opposing face surface of the cover. The laterally oriented expandable joints permit accordion style folding and unfolding of the panels. A longitudinally oriented expandable joint connects the first section to the second section and permits compact folding of the second section onto the first section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Inventor: Shaun Ehrhart
  • Cap with adsorption media
    Patent number: 9365109
    Abstract: A fuel cap configured to be coupled with the opening of a fuel tank defining an interior for containing a volume of fuel. An inlet opening is configured to establish fluid communication with the fuel tank interior. An exit is in communication with a surrounding atmosphere, exterior to the fuel cap. A flow path is defined from the inlet opening to the exit. Adsorption media substantially fills the flow path and is configured to reduce the emission of VOC vapors through the exit to the surrounding atmosphere. The flow path extends spirally about an axis of the fuel cap from the inlet opening to the exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Bemis Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Kevin W. Bork
  • Beverage lid with overflow chamber
    Patent number: 9364108
    Abstract: A beverage container lid is disclosed that includes an overflow chamber for liquid displaced when a straw is inserted through the lid's straw hole. The beverage container lid includes a top layer and a bottom layer that define an overflow chamber between the top and bottom layer. The top layer has a top opening and the bottom layer has a bottom opening, that are aligned along the vertical axis and through which a straw may be inserted into a beverage container to which the beverage container lid is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Inventor: David B. Chasin