Patents Examined by Ives Wu
  • Patent number: 7967900
    Abstract: In an air filtering apparatus for generating electrolytic water, infiltrating the electrolytic water into a gas-liquid contact member, and blowing air to the gas-liquid contact member by an air blowing fan, thereby filtering air, including a drain pipe for discharging the electrolytic water and a drain tank for receiving and stocking the electrolytic water discharged from the drain pipe which are mounted in a housing, the drain tank has a vertical tank body and disposed so as to be taken in and out through the front surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Uchida, Hiroaki Usui, Nobuhiro Ogura, Toru Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7967896
    Abstract: The invention provides a process and system for regenerating a solvent used to remove carbon dioxide from feed gases, such as natural gas and synthesis gas. The invention employs one or more hydraulic turbochargers to transfer energy from a higher energy solvent stream to a lower energy solvent stream. This provides for a significant reduction in operating expenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: William J. Lechnick, Nagaraju Palla, Paul A. Sechrist, Lamar A. Davis, Michael R. Van de Cotte
  • Patent number: 7967883
    Abstract: An extractor for a vacuum cleaning system of the type based on a cyclonic separator. The extractor comprises an annular body located adjacent the cyclonic separator and has an annular opening communicating with the cyclonic separator. A mesh covers the annular opening. In use the air circulating in the cyclonic separator vents through the extractor but debris in the air stream is stopped by the mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Maxivac Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: David Milton Spain
  • Patent number: 7964026
    Abstract: A gasification system having a combustor vessel, an optional scrubber vessel, an optional fixer vessel, an optional cyclone vessel and an optional demister vessel. A wide variety of possibly moist solid or semi-solid carbonaceous fuels may be partially combusted in the combustor to generate a combustible gas and a mineral ash. An improved ash support and removal subsystem reduces clogging and other problems. The combustible gas is conveyed by optional heavy-duty blowers through the optional vessels to remove liquids and particulates and to undergo catalytic chemical reactions to provide a relatively clean, dry, highly-combustible hydrocarbon gas that captures a relatively high fraction of the potential heating value of the fuel. Internal gases, liquids and particulates from the vessels may be recycled inside the system to improve efficiency and prevent liquid waste. A portion of the internal liquids may also be extracted for other uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Power Reclamation, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Rogers
  • Patent number: 7947109
    Abstract: A powered air purifying respirator and method for directing a forced flow of air to a wearer. A battery operatively powers a fan fluidly coupled with the air flow path which exhibits, in some circumstances, a passivation. A voltage delay sensing circuit, operatively coupled to the battery, provides an indication related to the passivation. A signal may provide an indication to a user of the passivation of the power source. A correction circuit may correct such passivation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: T. Mick Sayers, Desmond T. Curran
  • Patent number: 7938889
    Abstract: A CO2 recovery system includes an absorption tower that removes CO2 from exhaust gas, a regeneration tower that regenerates a rich solution, and a separation drum that condensates steam in CO2 gas released from the regeneration tower and separates water. The CO2 recovery system further includes a filtration membrane apparatus that filters solid content remaining in the lean solution using a filter, and cleans the filter using condensed water as cleaning water and again return the condensed water into the system. The CO2-absorbing solution attached to the filter is collected and the filter is cleaned without diluting the CO2-absorbing solution upon replacement of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Iijima
  • Patent number: 7938888
    Abstract: A liquid desiccant regenerator system, including a desiccant/air heat exchanger having a first desiccant inlet and a desiccant reservoir. The reservoir has a first desiccant outlet, a second desiccant outlet and a second desiccant inlet. The first desiccant inlet and the first desiccant outlet are connectable to a heat source, the second desiccant inlet conducts diluted desiccant of the reservoir and the second desiccant outlet conducts concentrated desiccant from the reservoir. The second desiccant inlet and the desiccant outlet are connected to a desiccant/desiccant heat exchanger for applying heat to the diluted desiccant flowing into the reservoir. A dehumidification method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Agam Energy Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Gad Assaf
  • Patent number: 7935166
    Abstract: A filter element arrangement is provided which includes a media pack comprising Z-filter media, a preform and an overmold sealing a portion of the interface between the preform and the media pack, and also forming an air cleaner seal for the filter element. The overmold preferably comprises molded, foamed, polyurethane. A variety of media pack shapes can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Schrage, Troy Murphy, Donald Raymond Mork
  • Patent number: 7935178
    Abstract: The invention provides a process and system for regenerating a solvent used to remove carbon dioxide from feed gases, such as natural gas and synthesis gas. The process and system employ a biphasic turbine to recover energy following pressure let down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: William J. Lechnick, Paul A. Sechrist, Douglas E. Kuper, Lamar A. Davis
  • Patent number: 7931815
    Abstract: A method of using a sulfided iron reagent to remove oxygen from gaseous and liquid fluid streams such as natural gas, light hydrocarbon streams, crude oil, acid gas mixtures, carbon dioxide gas and liquid streams, anaerobic gas, landfill gas, geothermal gases and liquids, and the like is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the reagent is made by mixing, agglomerating and shaping finely powdered ferrous carbonate, preferably siderite which are used to remove oxygen from a hydrocarbon or carbon dioxide stream that also contains sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: New Technology Ventures, INc.
    Inventors: Floyd E. Farha, James A. Kane
  • Patent number: 7927567
    Abstract: An adsorbent including a porous member having holes and a nanostructure formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous member, and an air cleaning device including the adsorbent. A porous filter including a porous member having holes and a nanostructure formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous member, and an air cleaning device including the porous filter. A method of cleaning air for decomposing a hazardous substance using the porous filter and a decomposition gas including a superheated water vapor. A method of manufacturing a porous filter including the steps of growing a nanostructure on at least a portion of a surface of a porous member having holes, allowing a catalyst particle to be contained in a dispersion gas including a superheated water vapor, and spraying the dispersion gas on a surface of the nanostructure to attach the catalyst particle thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikihiro Yamanaka, Jun Kudo, Keita Hara
  • Patent number: 7927394
    Abstract: Collection apparatus are installed in a horizontal separator vessel to aid conventional coalescing media to remove mist and droplets from a gas flow, typically downstream from a compressor. The collection apparatus have filaments which act to wick the coalesced droplets either from the conventional coalescing media or from the sides of the vessel toward an annular channel which collects the droplets and assists in delivering the droplets, by gravity, to the bottom of horizontal vessel where they are carried to a collection area. Use of the collection apparatus permits a reduction in the size of the separator vessel and further permits vapor load factors of up to about 10 times that in a conventionally designed separator vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd.
    Inventors: Douglas MacKenzie, Arnold Toews
  • Patent number: 7927403
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the absorption of acid gases, such as CO2 and H2S, from gas mixtures. According to the invention, acid gases are absorbed from a gas mixture by contacting this gas mixture with a liquid in which is dissolved so high a concentration of an amino acid or a salt thereof that a precipitate is formed. The contact takes place in a column of the packing-free type or a column suitable for processing slurries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Geert Frederil Versteeg, Paramasivam Senthil Kumar, Johannes Antonius Hogendoorn, Paul Hubert Maria Feron
  • Patent number: 7922792
    Abstract: A neutralization/sequestration process is provided for concomitantly addressing capture and sequestration of both CO2 and SO2 from industrial gas byproduct streams. The invented process concomitantly treats and minimizes bauxite residues from aluminum production processes and brine wastewater from oil/gas production processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Yee Soong, Douglas E. Allen, Chen Zhu
  • Patent number: 7918926
    Abstract: A CO2 recovery system includes an absorption tower and a regeneration tower. CO2 rich solution is produced in the absorption tower by absorbing CO2 from CO2-containing gas. The CO2 rich solution is conveyed to the regeneration tower where lean solution is produced from the rich solution by removing CO2. A regeneration heater heats lean solution that accumulates near a bottom portion of the regeneration tower with saturated steam thereby producing steam condensate from the saturated steam. A steam-condensate heat exchanger heats the rich solution conveyed from the absorption tower to the regeneration tower with the steam condensate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masaki Iijima, Takashi Kamijo, Takahito Yonekawa, Tomio Mimura, Yasuyuki Yagi
  • Patent number: 7909914
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of removing acid gases, notably carbonyl sulfide, contained in gaseous effluents, comprising: an acid gas absorption stage by contacting the gaseous effluent with an aqueous solution comprising 2-[2-amino-1-(aminomethyl)ethoxy]ethanol, and possibly another alkanolamine and an organic compound, and at least one aqueous solution regeneration stage. The method can comprise a second aqueous solution regeneration stage. The regeneration stages are carried out by expansion and/or thermal regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: IFP
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Julia Magne-Drisch, Bruno Delfort
  • Patent number: 7906575
    Abstract: The invention provides a molded and crosslinked rubber material for golf balls which is obtained by molding and crosslinking a rubber composition containing rubber and rubber compounding ingredients, including a base rubber, a filler and an organic peroxide, into a spherical body of one or more layers. A monomer is impregnated into the molded and crosslinked rubber material, and one or both of the following chemical reactions is induced: (i) chemical reaction of the monomer with the rubber and/or a rubber compounding ingredient, (ii) chemical reaction of the monomer itself. The depth of impregnation by the monomer from a surface of the molded and crosslinked rubber material to the interior thereof is at least 0.3 mm. The invention also provides a method for manufacturing such a molded and crosslinked rubber material for golf balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Nanba, Jun Shindo
  • Patent number: 7901487
    Abstract: An acid gas such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, or a mixture thereof is removed from gaseous streams using aqueous absorption and stripping processes. By replacing the conventional stripper used to regenerate the aqueous solvent and capture the acid gas with a multipressure stripper (51) that combines acid gas compression with stripping, less energy is consumed. The multipressure stripper is a multistage flash (52, 55, 59) in which the total vapor flow from each stage is compressed and fed to the bottom of the previous flash stage at a higher pressure. In this process, the heat in the water content of the vapor exiting each stage is utilized at a higher pressure in the previous stage. The described stripping process generates the acid gas at a higher pressure without operating the stripper at a higher temperature, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventor: Gary T. Rochelle
  • Patent number: 7896940
    Abstract: The present invention is a filter that includes a length of filter media and a continuous, substantially nonlinear adhesive strand. The filter media has a front face and a rear face. The filter media has a plurality of pleats defined by a plurality of fold lines, each fold line being intermediate oppositely sloping first and second wall surfaces. The plurality of fold lines comprise a first plurality of pleat tips and a second plurality of pleat valleys. The adhesive strand is provided on the front face of the filter media in discontinuous contact with the filter media. The adhesive strand contacts the filter media at a pleat tip and contacts the filter media at a portion of a first wall surface and contacts the filter media at a portion of a second wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Douglas C. Sundet, Dean R. Duffy, Donald E. Young, Lowell E. Christensen
  • Patent number: 7896264
    Abstract: A microstructured nozzle consists of a number of channels produced by microstructuring a plate-shaped member. In the nozzle the channels are located between projections which are arranged side by side in rows and project from a base plate. This microstructured base plate is covered with a cover plate. The channels are narrowly defined in terms of shape, cross sectional area and length. The nozzle contains a filter as the primary structure and a secondary structure downstream of the filter. The nozzle is used, for example, with an atomiser which produces an aerosol from a fluid containing a medicament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Eicher, Johannes Geser, Matthias Hausmann, Holger Reinecke