Patents Examined by Jessica Cahill
  • Patent number: 11273479
    Abstract: An extrusion press shearing device includes: a converter that converts rotational motion of a ball screw into linear motion of a shearing slide drive frame; a shearing slide attached to the leading end of the shearing slide drive frame; and hydraulic cylinders attached to the shearing slide drive frame, wherein the ball screw of the converter and the hydraulic cylinders are arranged in parallel, and the ball screw is rotated to move the shearing slide vertically so that a discard is cut off by the hydraulic cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ube Machinery Corporation, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeharu Yamamoto, Kouji Nakano
  • Patent number: 11268345
    Abstract: An electromechanical actuator having a servo valve is described. The servo valve has a valve housing having a wall surrounding the servo valve, the valve housing having a first end and a second end with the servo valve positioned between the first end and the second end. The valve housing also includes at least one debris vent positioned on an exterior surface of the wall between the servo valve and the first end of the valve housing, the debris vent having a first dimension; and, at least one fluid vent positioned on the exterior surface of the wall between the servo valve and the second end of the valve housing, the fluid vent having a second dimension. The first dimension is smaller than the second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bench Tree Group, LLC
    Inventor: Pedro R. Segura
  • Patent number: 11268629
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for operating water meter valves is disclosed herein. A water meter tool includes a body extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end. The body includes a water meter valve key at the first end and a hole formed through the body between the first and second ends, where a center line of the hole is in a transverse plane of the body. The water meter tool includes a movable cross arm disposed through the hole, where the movable cross arm extends along a longitudinal axis from a first arm end to a second arm end, and where the movable cross arm includes a first box key proximate the first arm end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Olympia Tools International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Beckwith, Roger Dale Hurley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11266996
    Abstract: A control method of a treatment plant for elements to be recycled or disposed of, which includes a crushing roll adapted to reduce the size of the elements to be recycled or disposed of, a screen operatively arranged upstream of the crushing roll and adapted to enable passage therethrough only of elements to be recycled or disposed of having a size larger than a predetermined size, and a conveyor belt arranged operationally upstream of the screen to provide the screen with the elements to be recycled or disposed of, includes a measuring step of the volume of material lying on the conveyor belt; a comparing step of the measured volume value to a first predetermined value; and an increasing step of the vibration intensity of the screen if the measured volume value exceeds the first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventors: Marco Venturi, Mauro Biavati
  • Patent number: 11261984
    Abstract: A combination regulator valve for conveying fluid is disclosed. The valve comprises a bonnet, a body, a flexible diaphragm, a first spring, and a spindle unit. The spindle unit comprises a pin, a first seat disc, and a seat screw. The bonnet is secured to the body. The flexible diaphragm is compressed between the bonnet and the body. The first spring is disposed in the bonnet. The spindle unit is disposed in the body. The first seat disc is disposed between the pin and the diaphragm. The first seat disc and the pin define a first void. The first spring biases the diaphragm toward the first seat disc. The seat screw is engaged with the body and is slidably engaged with the pin. The seat screw and the pin define a fluid passage in fluid communication with the first void.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Engineered Controls International, LLC
    Inventors: Guangbin Cao, Patrick N. Morefield
  • Patent number: 11259497
    Abstract: A countertop cooking appliance is an apparatus that is used to manufacture food, particularly cheeses, with controlled heating, mixing, drainage, and pressure cycles. The apparatus is also configured to accept various cooking patterns for different foods based on different recipes. A perforated drainer is used to hold ingredients for mixing, completed cheese curds, and the finalized cheese product. A processing receptacle is a container that holds the perforated drainer and temporarily stores whey and process byproducts. A byproduct receptacle is a storage unit for whey and other liquid byproducts produced in the cheese development process. A fluid pump applies pressure to fluids collected in the processing receptacle, transferring them to the byproduct receptacle. A linear actuator provides mechanical power to one of several detachable food-interacting heads, which consequently chops, mixes, or otherwise agitates the contents of the perforated container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventor: Glen Andrew Feder
  • Patent number: 11260444
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a forming device for a large thin-walled part with a curved surface, which includes a punch, a blank holder, a die, a lower die plate, a first annular sleeve and second annular sleeves. The first annular sleeve is connected with first driving oil cylinders. An inner diameter of the die is greater than an outer diameter of the punch. The first annular sleeve is arranged in a gap between the punch and the die. The second annular sleeve is arranged at the bottom of the punch. The first annular sleeve is arranged outside the second annular sleeve. The second annular sleeve is connected with second driving oil cylinders. The first driving oil cylinders and the second driving oil cylinders are connected with a hydraulic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yongchao Xu, Shijian Yuan
  • Patent number: 11260437
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of shredding treated medical waste, cleaning it of all traces of biological gunk, and sorting it into separate components for recycling. To clean biological gunk from materials, all materials must be first shredded into small parts to expose the interior. The cleaning is performed by submerging the gunk coated materials into a caustic solution that breaks down and dissolves the gunk off of the materials. The caustic solution may comprise sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a similar chemical, which is highly effective in producing a corrosive chemical that can break down blood, bone marrow, urine, unused medication, food waste, organs, tissues and any other biologic materials. After all of the biological material is removed from the cleaned materials, they are sorted into component materials, such as plastics, metals, rubbers, glass, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventor: Brian Michael Hays
  • Patent number: 11246803
    Abstract: A vial puck configured for attachment to a vial containing a drug is provided. The vial puck includes various features for facilitating uniform control of vials of various sizes in an automatic compounder system. The vial puck features may include a vial recess for receiving a vial of a particular size and securing the vial within the vial recess. The features may also include a cylindrical central portion, perpendicular extensions that extend from a top of the cylindrical central portion, a gear extending from the cylindrical central portion, and a sealing member disposed in the cylindrical central portion. The vial puck may include a cylindrical protrusion configured to press against a septum of the vial to form a seal between the vial puck and the vial. The sealing member may be configured to receive a needle of the compounder system therethrough to allow access to the vial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION 303, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Zollinger, Neil Quitoviera, Dereck S. Ferdaws
  • Patent number: 11249496
    Abstract: According to one embodiment a gas pressure regulator valve is provided that includes a valve body with an inlet gas conduit and an outlet gas conduit, a pressurized gas chamber into which the inlet gas flows after passing through a regulation valve and which is in fluid communication with the outlet gas conduit. The valve also includes a diaphragm having a central protuberance which houses a valve member. A closure cap closes the valve body. Adjusting means is provided for adjusting the regulated nominal pressure of the gas output from the regulator valve. An air chamber and the pressurized gas chamber are delimited in part by the diaphragm which is assembled and fixed between the valve body and the closure cap having the possibility of being axially displaced. The regulator valve further includes a rigid cover which covers the central protuberance, cooperating the cover with the closure cap in the event of an unexpected high pressure of the inlet gas to limit the displacement of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: COPRECI, S.COOP.
    Inventor: Roberto Etxeandia Gartziaetxabe
  • Patent number: 11241363
    Abstract: A carousel configured to house a plurality of pump cartridges for a compounder system is provided. The carousel may include a plurality of cartridge pockets each having an extended portion that covers a portion of a cartridge and a bottom surface Shaving an extension with a recess. The bottom surface recess of each cartridge pocket may be shaped and sized to receive a needle housing of a pump cartridge in the cartridge pocket. A recess may be provided in the extended portion of each pocket that receives a protrusion that extends from a top surface of a backpack coupled to the pump cartridge to secure the pump cartridge in the cartridge pocket. The bottom surface recess may have an additional bottom surface that prevents actuation of the needle housing of the pump cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION 303, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Zollinger, George Michel Mansour, Kraig Kruger
  • Patent number: 11242941
    Abstract: A method of adaptively sampling data to determine the start of injection in a solenoid actuated valve of a fluid injector includes, in an operating cycle or portion thereof of the valve, sampling the signal of current through a solenoid of the valve at sampling points having a pre-defined interval therebetween. At each sampling point, determining the value of the first derivative of current and detecting the sampling point at which the first derivative achieves a maximum as the start of injection. Values of the first derivative of the sampling points immediately preceding and immediately following the start of injection are determined. In a subsequent operating cycle, synchronisation of sampling is altered to shift sampling times depending on the values of the first derivative of the sampling points immediately preceding and immediately following the start of injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventors: Martin A. Sykes, Peter Knowles
  • Patent number: 11236838
    Abstract: A temperature pressure relief device includes a body including an inlet passage into which high-pressure gas is introduced, an interior passage extending from the inlet passage in a predetermined first direction, and a high-pressure gas exhaust passage that is formed between the inlet passage and a reference end that is a distal end of the interior passage in the first direction and that connects the interior passage to an outside, a blocking part disposed in the interior passage of the body and selectively placed in one of a blocking state or a connecting state, and a support part arranged between the blocking part and the reference end, in which the support part is maintained in a solid state at a reference temperature or less and is in a molten state at more than the reference temperature and discharged from the interior passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jeong Hyun Ham
  • Patent number: 11236844
    Abstract: A shut-off device for a fluid includes a housing conducting the fluid, an inflow opening provided in the housing, an outflow opening provided in the housing, a flow channel formed in the housing between the inflow opening and the outflow opening, and a blocking device arranged in the flow channel. The blocking device has a blocking body receptacle and a blocking body movable in the blocking body receptacle. The flow cross-section for the fluid in the blocking device, and thus in the flow channel, can be changed by moving the blocking body in the blocking body receptacle. A reliable detection of the position of the blocking body is ensured in that an ultrasonic measuring device is arranged in or aligned on the housing such that the position of the blocking body can be determined by means of the ultrasonic measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: FOCUS-ON V.O.F.
    Inventors: Adriaan Hendrik Boer, Kavreet Bhangu, Jeroen Martin van Klooster
  • Patent number: 11230896
    Abstract: A vertical hydraulic tank includes an upper cylindrical section and a lower conical section, with an outlet in the lower conical section. A lower multi-path manifold is attached to the outlet, the manifold including a vertical conduit in fluid communication with the outlet and a plurality of horizontal conduits in fluid communication with the vertical conduit. An upper multi-path manifold can also be attached to the tank with a plurality of upper horizontal conduits and a vertical conduit in fluid communication with the upper cylindrical section of the tank. Valves may be provided along the vertical conduit and the horizontal conduits to regulate flow of material through the conduits. A pump may be connected to either the upper manifold or the lower manifold, or both by way of a pump conduit. Multiple tanks can be connected together by way of tubing between the manifolds of each tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Stan Ellis
  • Patent number: 11231196
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a product fluid flow valve disposed along a flow path in a site duct, and including damper blades, an actuator coupled thereto, a differential pressure sensor, and a blade controller adapted to define adjustable product flow apertures, comprising the steps: with a calibration fluid flow valve in a calibration duct remote from the product fluid flow valve, and characterized by a geometric shape and operational parameters corresponding to those of the product fluid flow valve, and with a calibration controller, establishing a plurality of calibration conditions including pressure drop across the calibration blades and area of the calibration apertures, determining a calibration flow rate (CFM) function, transferring the CFM function to the product blade controller and adjusting the adjustable product flow apertures so that a parameter set point is attained. In a form, fluid flowing through the product flow apertures forms a vena contracta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Best Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Karamanos, Herbert Willke
  • Patent number: 11226045
    Abstract: A valve includes a valve body, a sleeve within the valve body and a rotatable valve element that has one portion within the sleeve to control flow of media through the valve and another portion extending from the valve body and coupled to an actuator that rotates the valve element. The valve element is rotatable to a first position to flow media to one port and to a second position to flow media to another port. The sleeve has a pair of side openings. Each side opening has an angled perimetrical edge and is aligned with a corresponding port member. A half dovetail shaped groove is formed by the angled perimetrical edge of each side opening, the corresponding port and the valve body. A seal is lodged within each groove to form a seal that exhibits reduced unswept volume and which wipes debris off the valve element as it rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: James A. Richard, Christopher T. Griffith
  • Patent number: 11224326
    Abstract: A system for refilling, emptying and/or recharging of an autonomous floor cleaner includes a docking station adapted to be coupled with a household plumbing infrastructure. The docking station can be provided on a household appliance, which may be a toilet, a dishwasher, or another appliance coupled with the plumbing infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Buehler, Jeffrey A. Scholten, Adam Brown
  • Patent number: 11224311
    Abstract: The invention involves a grinder safety cap suitable for medicinal items such as herbs or other consumable substances that may be desirably restricted from children, and which may require grinding and/or homogenizing before ingestion. The grinder safety cap is comprised of a cover shell and base shell, wherein the cover shell fits snugly over an upwardly extending top wall of the base shell. The base shell may have upwardly extending grinding protrusions, having sharp and/or serrated edges, capable of grinding, cutting, or otherwise reducing the particle size of a consumable substance. The cover shell may also have downwardly extending grinding protrusions. A consumable substance may be placed within a cavity or receptacle of the base shell, the cover shell may be placed over the top wall of the base shell so as to close the grinder safety cap, and the consumable substance may be ground by turning the cover shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventors: David Aryanpanah, Brian Anav
  • Patent number: 11215287
    Abstract: A hydraulic assembly, particularly for supplying a brake circuit of a vehicle brake system with fluid at brake pressure, includes a throttle element, which in the unpressurized state rests with an upper side on a first support and with an underside on a second support, the supports being formed on opposite sides of the gap. The throttle device advantageously dispenses with a spring element for axial pre-tensioning, is accordingly of compact and cost-effective construction and is moreover easy to assemble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Haeusser, Oliver Gaertner