Patents Examined by Ira S. Lazarus
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Patent number: 6755138Abstract: A balanced building ventilation system that employs a fireplace as an element of the ventilation system. The fireplace includes a firebox, and an exhaust gas flue is connected to the firebox for exhausting gas from the firebox to the outdoor ambient. A ventilation channel conveys outdoor ambient air into the building interior. A motor-driven draft inducer is connected to the exhaust gas flue for forcing exhaust gas flow out to the outdoor ambient. A motor-driven blower is provided for forcing ventilation airflow through the channel to replace building interior air lost to exhaust gas flow.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2003Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Woodlane Environmental Technology, Inc.Inventor: Gregory M. McCarren
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Patent number: 6754975Abstract: An apparatus for attenuating physical damage to a substrate, along with an attendant method, comprises as a first component a base plate having defined therein a location for receiving a substrate cassette. The apparatus also comprises a substrate retainer movably attached to the base plate such that when the substrate cassette having a substrate contained therein is positioned on the base plate at the location for receiving the substrate cassette, and the substrate is subjected to a mechanical force, the substrate retainer moves such as to retain the substrate within the substrate cassette with a retaining force. Both the apparatus and the method are particularly applicable for attenuating damage to a substrate when spin-drying the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2001Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., LtdInventors: Hung-Wen Chen, David Yen
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Patent number: 6751889Abstract: A dryer has a blower and means for dividing an airflow into two separate chambers. A drying channel is defined between the two chambers and material to be dried passes along the channel. The walls between the chambers and the channel are apertured to allow air to flow into the channel. The channel increases in cross-sectional area along the length thereof such that air flowing along the channel is subject to a pressure drop. The air thus flows substantially in one direction along the channel.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2002Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Leslie R. Wells
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Patent number: 6748672Abstract: A wafer dryer for use in a semiconductor cleaning apparatus includes an internal bath, an external bath, a solution supply line, a solution drain line, a pump, and drying means. The solution drain line has a first drain line and a second drain line. A pump for constantly maintaining a speed of a drained solution is installed on the first drain line. The drying means has an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) nozzle, a first gas spray nozzle for spraying N2 gas, and a second spray nozzle. The second spray nozzle is installed on all inner sidewalls of the external bath and has a plurality of holes. Thus, no wave is produced at a surface of the drained solution.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: June 15, 2004Assignee: DNS Korea Co., Ltd.Inventors: Sung-Hee Lee, Sang-Wha Lee
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Patent number: 6745708Abstract: A method and/or apparatus for efficiently operating a combustion device including at least one control zone, with each control zone including at least one burner assembly, is disclosed and includes a) individually supplying fuel to each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones, b) individually measuring a separate combustion characteristic of the collective combusted gas from each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones, and c) individually adjusting the flow of air to each of the burner assemblies in response to the value of the combustion characteristic corresponding to each of the control zones to keep the value of each separate combustion characteristic within a predetermined range. In a preferred embodiment, primary air and secondary air are separately supplied and controlled to each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones in response to the value of the combustion characteristic corresponding to each of the control zones.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2001Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignee: ConocoPhillips CompanyInventors: Peter N. Slater, Jimmie Joe Straw, Bruce W. Gerhold, Ricky E. Snelling, Steven A. Owen, Kent E. Jeffers
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Patent number: 6745489Abstract: Spin drying of a stack of flats such as egg trays is performed within a housing by movement of a rotatable lifting head into engagement with the undersurface of the stack. A stack lifting device lifts the lifting head and the stack of flats positioned thereon vertically upwardly into engagement with a drive engagement device thereabove which is rotatably powered by a drive with an optional braking device. Operation of the drive will cause rotation of the lifting head, the stack of flats and the drive engagement device simultaneously. The stack of flats will be held between the lifting head engaging the lower surface thereof and the drive engagement device engaging the upper surface thereof for fixedly securing these three elements together during powered rotation thereof. The rotation will spin off any liquids remaining on the flats such as would be present after being washed.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2003Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Inventor: Jeffrey B. Kuhl
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Patent number: 6745705Abstract: The invention relates to a furnace with a body (1) of a furnace, at the lower end of which a discharge device (2) for the ashes produced in the combustion chamber is provided. A continuous conveyor device in the form of a vibrating conveyor (3) is mounted below the discharge device (2). The vibrating chute of said vibrating conveyor reliably and effectively removes the dry ashes which are at the same time cooled with air.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2002Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignee: Steag Encotech GmbHInventors: Wolfgang Benesch, Reinhold Terhaar
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Patent number: 6745491Abstract: An intermediate assembly has a vertical plate with a rectangular opening. The intermediate assembly has a container with side walls and a rear wall and a horizontal upper wall. The upper wall has parallel side edges rearwardly and a semicircular edge forwardly. A securement frame has a forward periphery with a rearward projection removably positioned within the opening in the plate. A tube assembly includes an upper tube positionable above the upper wall and a lower tube coaxial with the upper tube and positionable below the upper wall.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2003Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Inventor: Rodolfo Hernandez-Zelaya
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Patent number: 6745496Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for drying and de-wrinkling an article of clothing, which includes a housing having an upper compartment, a lower compartment, and a dividing wall separating the compartments. An exhaust hole is disposed through one side of the upper compartment of the housing, and an intake hole and an outflow hole are disposed through the dividing wall. A mechanical assembly is disposed within the upper compartment and includes a fan, heater, thermostat and humidity sensor. An exhaust fan is in fluid communication with the exhaust hole and is adapted to control a flow of air through the exhaust hole in the side of the housing. A control system is disposed within the upper compartment and accepts an input from a user, a temperature input, and a humidity input, and controls the heater, the fan and the exhaust fan based upon the temperature input and the humidity input.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2002Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Inventor: Anthony Cassella
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Patent number: 6742278Abstract: The present invention relates to the treatment of wood, and is particularly concerned with a method for increasing the permeability of wood, especially moist wood.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2003Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: The University Of MelbourneInventors: Peter Vinden, Francisco Javier Romero, Grigory Torgovnikov
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Patent number: 6742282Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for detecting an occurrence of a liquid dry condition in a container containing a liquefied compressed gas while the gaseous phase of the liquefied compressed gas is being removed from the container over time. The apparatus includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a computer, preferably a programmed logic controller (PLC). The first sensor senses temperature (T) inside the container and provides a signal indicative thereof. The second sensor senses pressure (P) inside the container and provides a signal indicative thereof. The computer receives signals from the first and second sensors, and determines the rates of change in the pressure (dP/dt) and the temperature (dT/dt) inside the container over time.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Air-Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Naser Mahmud Chowdhury, Sukla Chandra, Warren Matthew Janigian
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Patent number: 6742279Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a spin rinse dry (SRD) chamber for a semiconductor processing system. The SRD chamber includes a selectively rotatable substrate support member having an upper substrate receiving surface formed thereon, and a selectively rotatable shield member positioned above the upper substrate receiving surface, the rotatable shield member having a substantially planar lower surface that may be selectively positioned proximate the upper substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Joseph J. Stevens
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Patent number: 6742283Abstract: Method for drying wood in a short period of time by maintaining the concentration of a combustion gas contained in a drying room atmosphere for use in drying the wood to a high value and by maintaining the pressure of the drying room atmosphere to a high value. Wood fuels such as waste wood are put into a combustion chamber ins lower area of a combustion gas generating furnace and then the wood fuels are burned, followed by introducing the high-temperature combustion gas generated by the burning of the wood fuels into an upper area of a drying room housing the green wood to thereby dry the wood. Thermal drying of the wood is carried out by maintaining the concentration of the combustion gas present in the drying room atmosphere at a the high value and by maintaining the pressure of the drying room atmosphere at a high value.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Technical System Keep Limited CompanyInventor: Sachio Ishii
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Patent number: 6742284Abstract: The invention is a drying system and a method for its use, the drying system having a container containing a product to be dried and a dryer. The dryer includes an inlet for providing the drying air, a drying air pathway, and a furnace for heating the drying air. The drying air flows through a supply route to the container, where the drying air dries the product and is converted into a return air. The return air flows through a return route back to the dryer. The return air flows through a return air pathway and a heat exchanger which intersects the return air pathway and the drying air pathway. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the return air to the drying air. The return air is exhausted through an outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the container is a tobacco barn and the product is tobacco.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Advanced Dryer Systems, Inc.Inventor: Khanh Dinh
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Patent number: 6742277Abstract: A hot air drying apparatus for noodles which makes possible steady production of high quality instant noodles by blowing hot air at an optimal velocity and in an optimal flow rate all over noodle ribbons to be dried in a short period of time and thereby makes a texture of noodle ribbons uniform and fine is to be provided. In a hot air drying apparatus, a conveyor runs from one end of a lengthwise direction of this apparatus to the other, and noodle ribbons carried from a preceding step riding on this conveyor move within an apparatus at a prescribed speed. The apparatus includes a plurality of drying chambers D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 and so forth into which it is divided in the lengthwise direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Fuji Manufacturing Corporation Ltd.Inventor: Hatsuo Sakurazawa
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Patent number: 6739069Abstract: An automatic clothes dryer has a drying cycle followed by a cool down cycle where the cool down cycle is terminated when the sensed output temperature of the dryer drum falls below a default temperature value preselected or altered by user. This permits the user to adjust the termination cool down cycle temperature to the user's preference and touch sensitivity to the warmth of clothing removed from the dryer. The user adjusts the setting of a user variable selection device on the dryer control panel to a preferred temperature signal representing the desired temperature of articles in the dryer when the cool down cycle is terminated. The dryer has a comparator that is connected to the outlet thermistor for receiving the sensed signal representing the temperature of the air leaving the drum and that is connected to the user variable selection device for receiving the user preferred temperature signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Camco Inc.Inventors: Silvia Ionelia Prajescu, Hugh Howard Hunt
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Patent number: 6735882Abstract: A concentration of a gas introduced into a circulation blower and an exhaust blower is reduced with a simple apparatus configuration. In an exhaust system, exhaust gases from a plurality of drying chambers are joined to a joining duct to be then exhausted by an exhaust blower. A plurality of exhaust ducts having inlets at different positions in each drying chamber are provided, and the exhaust duct having the inlet in the lowest gas concentration area is used as a duct for an exhaust gas circulated to a circulation blower.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shinsuke Takahashi
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Patent number: 6732446Abstract: A device for rapidly cooling a semiconductor wafer test/transfer machine and which includes a body which is provided with an interior gas passage one end of which is connected to a source of clean, dry air or other gas by a tubing. In typical application, the body is rested on the cover of a semiconductor wafer test or transfer machine, typically above or adjacent to the chuck or other wafer holder of the machine, with the other end of the gas passage in contact with the cover. The air or gas flowing through the gas passage impinges against the machine cover and rapidly cools the chuck or other wafer holder.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2002Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. LtdInventors: Pao-Kun Liao, Wen-Tsai Su
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Patent number: 6733276Abstract: A gas shut-off device is provided to automatically cut off gas supply to a gas appliance, such as an outdoor gas fueled barbecue grill, at the expiration of a predetermined time period thereby saving gas and preventing hazards usually associated with a grill that has been left on after use. The gas shut-off device of the present invention is tamper resistant thereby-reducing the risk of a child inadvertently directing gas to an unlit appliance.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2003Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Inventor: Jeffrey R. Kopping
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Patent number: 6729043Abstract: A method and an apparatus is proposed for drying stacked wood with the help of a drying gas guided in a circulatory flow. The stacks of wood (H1, H2) are charged zone by zone depending on the average moisture of the wood (u) in the respective zone with partial streams of the drying gas which differ with respect to their drying power.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Inventor: Kurt Mühlböck