Patents Examined by Henry A. Bennett
  • Patent number: 7185654
    Abstract: The system and method for preventing snoring includes providing and selecting a perforated oral tape, drying the teeth, clenching the teeth, and applying the perforated oral tape to the upper and lower teeth of the user. The oral tape secures the upper and lower teeth together, thus preventing snoring. The oral tape is a flexible sheet of tear-resistant material having an adhesive back surface and a plurality of apertures defined therethrough. A pull tab is disposed on the front surface of the flexible sheet. The oral tape is adapted to adhere to the teeth of a user and secure the lower and upper teeth together so that the mouth of a user remains closed while the user is asleep. The apertures in the tape allow air and saliva to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Inventors: Thomas R. Haddix, Christine Francis
  • Patent number: 6782636
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a hot air generator having hand fastening means; projecting therefrom there is a rigid tube with a lower outlet, tilted so as to face the hair, and a rotatably mounted flexible hose, attached in the same manner at its other end and having a handgrip provided with an internal tube; the distal end of said internal tube can be alternately attached either to a brush intended for brushing purposes, having aeration holes in its body, or to a flat surface ironing accessory, said accessory being complemented by a similar and opposed accessory connected to the rigid tube, so that any of the two operations may be conducted with only one hand; the first operation by directing the air flow from the rigid tube towards the hair external layers while carrying out the styling and drying operations of the hair internal layers by means of the cylindrical brush, and the second operation, by contacting the flat area of the rigid tube ironing accessory, heated by the latter, with the external layer
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Inventor: Beatriz Monica Feldman
  • Patent number: 6503078
    Abstract: A heating furnace of convection type is provided for improving rising characteristics at an operation start-up time to stabilize conditions within the heating furnace in a shorter time and maintaining a uniform temperature in the furnace. The heating furnace comprises a conveyer unit for supporting an article to be heated and conveying the article through a heating chamber of a furnace body having an article inlet and outlet, a heating source provided in at least one of side and top portions of the furnace body such that the heating source is exposed to the interior of the heating chamber, an exhaust port formed in a lower portion of the heating chamber at a position displaced a predetermined distance from the heating source in the longitudinal direction of the furnace, the exhaust port being positioned below a lower end of the heated article, and an air inlet port associated with the heating source and provided below the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Inventor: Bunzo Hirano
  • Patent number: 6116171
    Abstract: A pulverized coal combustion burner has a circumferential distribution of pulverized coal density at an outlet portion of a pulverized coal nozzle made uniform, and a complete NO.sub.x decrease is attained. An oil gun (01) for stabilizing combustion is provided at a center portion. An annular sectional oil primary air flow path (02) surrounds the oil gun (01), and an annular sectional pulverized coal and primary air mixture flow path (14) surrounds the oil primary air flow path (02). Around the mixture flow path (14) is an annular sectional secondary air flow path (15), and an annular sectional tertiary air flow path (16) surrounds the secondary air flow path (15). A pulverized coal supply pipe is connected in the tangential direction to the mixture flow path (14). Further, an entering angle control (28) of the mixture is provided within the pulverized coal supply pipe (11). Within the mixture flow path (14), a pulverized coal density dividing cylinder (25) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Oota, Toshimitsu Ichinose, Masaharu Ooguri, Hitoji Yamada
  • Patent number: 6112675
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering and treating hazardous and non-hazardous components from process streams generated from a continuous system for selectively separating organic and inorganic constituents from contaminated material. The contaminated material is heated in a dryer to a first temperature sufficient to volatilize water and lower boiling point constituents contained in the material, thereby producing a dried solid material and a first gas containing water vapor and volatilized lower boiling point constituents. The first gas is separated from the dried solid material. The lower boiling point constituents are recovered from the first gas. The dried solid material is heated in a desorber to a second temperature sufficient to volatilize higher boiling point constituents contained in the dried material, thereby producing a substantially decontaminated solid material and a second gas containing volatilized higher boiling point constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation
    Inventors: Raleigh Wayne Potter, Michael Fitzgerald
  • Patent number: 6105515
    Abstract: A device for enabling oil spill waste materials to be incinerated in situ is provided. More specifically, the invention comprises an incinerator for reducing to ashes, used oil spill sorbent pads, oilsocks, and other materials employed in cleaning up oil spills. The device consists essentially of a stainless steel drum lid and flue secured thereto, with a dome screen mounted on the flue. The outlet of a stainless steel tube is formed into a spiral coil and deployed in the flue with the end thereof turned downward into the drum to cause a continuous circulating action in the drum which action provides fast, complete or substantially complete combustion of the materials with little pollution and leaving a residue of only a few inches of ashes. The device is carried on a hand truck and the blower motor is contained in a housing which is fastened to the hand truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Inventor: Timothy R. Kaylor
  • Patent number: 6079072
    Abstract: A frame assembly supports a work surface of either flexible material or of sections of foldable and unfoldable relatively rigid material all so that the frame assembly and material may either be unfoldable and rigidized or folded into a compact package. The flexible frame assembly includes a pair of spaced poles and a number of hinged sections aligned so that the poles and material can be folded in sections. The poles rotate to permit either a frame folded disposition or a frame rigidized disposition. Embodiments include stretchers, screens and enclosures. The rigid material assembly provides a collapsible and rigidizable space spanning structure formed with a number of hinged sections of center supports and plates hingedly connected together to be either folded into a relatively compact device or unfolded and hingedly positioned to form rigidized space spanning structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Philip Furgang
    Inventor: Elli Katsiri
  • Patent number: 6067811
    Abstract: A cold storage includes a room having a peripheral wall, and a plurality of cold storage container modules each received in the room and each including a plurality of hollow cold storage containers each having an open end wall attached to and flush with the outside of the peripheral wall of the room. Each of the cold storage containers includes a drawer slidably mounted therein and extending outward from the open end wall thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventors: Shu-Yen Peng Shih, Chao-Chang Shih
  • Patent number: 6065226
    Abstract: An exhaust particle and particulate containment system for a coffee roaster comprises a filter chamber for exhaust coffee roasting by-products including chaff and smoke particulates and oils is comprised of a screen for separating chaff from the exhaust coffee roasting by-product effluent and a filter for containing chaff and removing smoke particulates and oils when the screen is in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Inventor: Harold A Gell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6047649
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is a method in cooling medium circulation, whereby the recovery boiler comprises a furnace limited by wall tubes provided with cooling medium circulation and substantially horizontal floor tubes; a supply system for combustion air; and a supply system for black liquor, whereby a so-called smelt layer is formed in a combustion process on the floor composed of the floor tubes. At least in some of the floor tubes, at least on a section of their length, is arranged a longitudinal flow--particularly a spiral flow--for mixing the liquid and steam phases of the cooling medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Tampella Power Oy
    Inventors: Kari Kuukkanen, Jussi Mantyniemi
  • Patent number: 6044803
    Abstract: A water heater apparatus is shown which includes a water heating tank having generally cylindrical sidewalls with upper and lower ends, each of which is closed by a transverse wall section to define a closed tank interior. The tank also has a water inlet and a water outlet. A plurality of vertically arranged fire tubes are connected between the upper and lower transverse wall sections, each fire tube having an open interior for conducting products of combustion. A combustion chamber is mounted on the upper end of the water heating tank for providing products of combustion to the open interiors of the fire tubes. A flue collector chamber is located at the bottom end of the tank for collecting and exhausting the products of combustion from the vertically arranged fire tubes. An induction blower draws the products of combustion downwardly from the combustion chamber, through the fire tubes and out the flue collector chamber for exhaustion from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: PVI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hamos, Mark A. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 6042017
    Abstract: A vehicle heater for generating heat for heating a vehicle compartment. The heater includes a rotor rotated by a vehicle engine. The rotor has a predetermined thickness and a peripheral edge. The heater further includes a heating chamber for accommodating the rotor and a fluid. The fluid is heated in the heating chamber when the rotor rotates. The heater further includes a reservoir. The fluid from the heating chamber is stored in the reservoir. The heater further includes a return passage connecting the reservoir and the heating chamber. The fluid returns from the heating chamber to the reservoir through the return passage. The return passage has an entrance opening in an inner wall of the heating chamber. The entrance opening faces the peripheral edge of the rotor, and the maximum width of the entrance opening is greater than the thickness of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takashi Ban, Tatsuyuki Hoshino, Takanori Okabe, Takahisa Ban
  • Patent number: 6041618
    Abstract: An insulating mounting bracket for a pressure vessel in an engine compartment of an automobile, the pressure vessel having an elongated cylindrical sleeve having an outwardly projecting flange for attaching the pressure vessel within an engine compartment. The elongated cylindrical sleeve has a corrugated surface creating air pockets in the space between the insulating bracket and the pressure vessel contained therein. In one embodiment, the sleeve is open at both ends, in an alternate embodiment the lower end of the sleeve is narrowed and used as a connecting point. In both embodiments, the sleeve accommodates condensate run off and prevents moisture from accumulating in the air pockets. The flange has fasteners molded integral with the insulating bracket to facilitate mounting within the engine compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Automotive Fluid Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chhotu N. Patel, Kevin L. Lueschen
  • Patent number: 6032869
    Abstract: When the engine is stopped while the engine is warmed up, the cooling water in the engine stays therein without flowing out of the engine, and the cooling water in the radiator or the bypass passage is used for heating source for the heating operation. In this way, it is possible to heat the passenger compartment continuously even after the engine is stopped and to suppress the temperature of the cooling water from lowering to reduce the emission at restarting of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ito, Yoshihiko Okumura, Yoshimitsu Inoue, Kazutaka Suzuki, Yasutoshi Yamanaka, Yuichi Shirota, Hiroshi Nonoyama, Manabu Miyata, Hikaru Sugi
  • Patent number: 6027032
    Abstract: According to the present invention, in a heating apparatus having a viscous heater using viscous fluid for heating cooling water, when an engine rotational speed is lower than a set rotational speed relative to a temperature of viscous fluid, a viscous clutch is turned on to transmit a rotational driving force of the engine to a rotor of the viscous heater. In this way, a shearing force is applied to the viscous fluid in the heat-generating chamber, and the circulating cooling water is heated by generated heat of the viscous fluid to improve the heating capacity. When the engine rotational speed is higher than the set rotational speed relative to a temperature of viscous fluid, a viscous clutch is not turned on. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the engine is not transmitted to the rotor of the viscous heater, so that the shearing force is not applied to the viscous fluid to prevent the oil temperature of the viscous fluid from increasing excessively higher than 200.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignees: Denso Corporation Kariya, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shinji Aoki, Toshio Morikawa, Hajime Ito, Yasushi Kato, Goro Uchida, Takashi Ban
  • Patent number: 6024291
    Abstract: An auxiliary warming device includes a hollow enclosed housing with an inlet and outlet port to permit the flow of fluid through the housing. At least the top surface of the housing is thermally conductive, and a baffle is provided within the housing to cause the fluid to flow throughout the entire housing before exiting the outlet port. The auxiliary warming device is installed on a vehicle, and a pair of hoses connect the housing ports to the downstream side of the primary heater in the vehicle, so as to use the warmed fluid from the heater to warm the surface of the auxiliary warming device. A valve is provided to permit the selective bypassing of the auxiliary warming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Duncan L. Locke
  • Patent number: 6024030
    Abstract: A burner for combustion of a pulverized coal mixture having two kinds of rich and lean concentration has a height of a burner panel reduced and the overall burner simplified. A rich/lean separator (10, 20, 30) is provided within a pulverized coal conduit (2) so that a high concentration mixture is formed in an outer peripheral portion and a low concentration mixture is formed in a central portion within a single pulverized coal conduit. Thus, a rich mixture burner and a lean mixture burner, which have been conventionally provided separately, may be formed into a single burner. Recirculation of air is accelerated by a cutaway slit (20d, 30d) provided in a central portion of the rich/lean separator to make the air flow rate distribution uniform in a pulverized coal nozzle. Also, a duct and an air blow box for the combustion air to be supplied to the pulverized coal flame are not integrally formed continuous in the height direction, but are divided into a plurality of discontinuous units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiyasu Okamoto, Kimishiro Tokuda, Koutaro Fujimura, Hachiro Kawashima, Shouichi Kai, Tadashi Gengo, Kouichi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6014819
    Abstract: A green wood treating process for treating wood in a green stage prior to curing for preventing or minimizing staining of the wood. The process includes the heating of green wood in a heating enclosure (30, 40) within a maximum time period after felling or cutting of the tree forming the wood while maintaining the moisture content in the wood after the tree is felled without any appreciable loss of moisture. After the logs are cut into lumber, the lumber is placed in bundles in the heating enclosure for heating preferably by steam within a predetermined time period. The wood is heated in the enclosure to a temperature over 120 F. for a predetermined time period generally over about two hours and sufficient to provide a generally uniform heating of the lumber. After heating of the wood to a predetermined temperature, a cooling fluid having a temperature substantially less than the temperature of the heating enclosure is applied to the heated wood for a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Inventor: Danny J. Elder
  • Patent number: 6012235
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
  • Patent number: RE36553
    Abstract: In the conventional incineration of solid waste materials, flyash present in the combustion products gas stream catalyzes the formation of toxic dioxins from chlorinated organic materials. By providing a catalyst poison, such as carbon disulphide, in association with the flyash, typically by spraying onto the solid wastes prior to incineration, the catalytic effect is decreased, resulting in decreased dioxin formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: University of Waterloo
    Inventors: Francis W. Karasek, Leslie C. Dickson, Otto Hutzinger