Patents Examined by Jessica Yuen
  • Patent number: 10323343
    Abstract: A water removal device for a water jet loom includes a suction member. A cloth route is formed between a cloth fell of a cloth and a surface roller of the jet loom. The suction member is arranged at the cloth route and removes water from a lower side of the cloth. Between a location proximate to the cloth fell and the suction member, the cloth route forms an ascending slope from the location proximate to the cloth fell to the suction member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Koichi Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 10323881
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying a wet textile article with a radio frequency (RF) applicator and a controller, the method includes energizing the RF applicator to generate a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field), determining a dynamic drying cycle of operation in the controller, and controlling the energization of the RF applicator according to the determination of the dynamic drying cycle of operation, wherein the wet article is dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Mark L. Herman, Daniel M. Putnam
  • Patent number: 10316460
    Abstract: A dryer exhaust duct power ventilator which is free of any dedicated internal air flow contacting devices for sensing air pressure or measuring fan RPMs and free of any hall effect sensor, but instead utilizes the auxiliary winding of a PSC motor on a centrifugal duct fan to measure the rotation of the motor and fan and thereby determine the pressure in the duct. A clip-on current sensor is located in the dryer power connection compartment and is used to detect operation of the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Suncourt Inc.
    Inventor: David J Forman
  • Patent number: 10306966
    Abstract: A hair cooling and dehumidification apparatus includes a wearable headgear. The wearable headgear includes an outer layer, an insert layer, and an inner layer. The outer layer includes a supply port. The supply port is in fluid communication with a high-pressure storage tank via a vortex tube. The insert layer, detachably attached to the outer layer, includes a network of ducts and detachable insert elements. The ducts are in fluid communication with the supply port to receive a cooling gas from the vortex tube and distribute the cooling gas to the hair. The detachable insert elements are detachably attached to the insert layer via fasteners. The detachable insert elements, spaced apart to accommodate the network of ducts there between, comprise desiccant materials embedded within for absorbing moisture. The inner layer is proximal to the hair of the user to transfer the cooling gas to the hair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Tight & Right Hair Revolution, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Maurice Sumerville, Tumajah Vernet Sumerville
  • Patent number: 10309052
    Abstract: An air flow pressure compensator system maintains substantially constants air flow within a clothes dryer system and adjusts the speed of one or more exhaust fans by monitoring one or more sensors/transmitters positioned in one or more exhaust ducts and/or one or more incoming air ducts. The system includes a compensator controller; a variable frequency drive electrically coupled to the compensator controller; and an anemometer and/or a differential pressure sensor/transmitter electrically coupled to the compensator controller that allow for real-time monitoring and system adjusting, which improve clothing drying time and dryer efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce R. Villella, James Beaudreault
  • Patent number: 10307037
    Abstract: A shoe deodorizing degerming dehumidifier includes a housing, a main control circuit installed in the housing, a fan and an ozonizer. The housing is detachable from the shoes and is in a shape suitable for putting into and out from the shoe cavity. The housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet. The ozonizer is used for producing ozone for sterilizing in the shoe cavity. The fan is used for pushing air into the air inlet and draining the air from the air outlet, so as to promote ventilation in the shoe cavity. The shoe deodorizing degerming dehumidifier can be detached from a shoe and used repeatedly. Compared with prior shoe and deodorant degerming product, this product is more convenient in use, easier for maintenance, more environment friendly, more energy saving, and may reduce the purchase cost of the buyer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SHENZHEN LIFEN TECH CO., LTD
    Inventor: Liwen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10301765
    Abstract: A method of controlling a dryer includes rotating a drum within the dryer in a first direction, detecting at least one of temperature or relative humidity of air discharged from the drum while the drum is rotating in the first direction, and sensing occurrence of entanglement inside the drum by comparing a variation rate of at least one of the detected temperature or the detected relative humidity with a corresponding reference value. The method also includes, based on sensing that the entanglement has occurred, reversing a rotation direction of the drum by rotating the drum in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, and further, based on reversing the rotation direction of the drum upon sensing that the entanglement has occurred, maintaining the second direction of rotation of the drum for a preset time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sunki Lee, Byeongjo Ryoo, Jongseok Kim, Yongju Lee
  • Patent number: 10299560
    Abstract: A battery operated hair dryer includes a battery management and control module to control how to efficiently dry a user's hair while maintaining the health and charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Follicle, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Nelson, Christopher Rebholz, Erik Stafl, James Meredith, David Kirkland
  • Patent number: 10302359
    Abstract: A grain dryer having a column with an interior wall, an exterior wall, an inlet and an outlet. The column has an upper heated pressurized plenum and a lower, low pressure, suction plenum. Attached to the interior wall within the column is a narrowing divider that increases the path of the heated air at the pressure gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Sukup Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Mitchell Chase Meier
  • Patent number: 10288348
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for generating electricity using a drive for the electrical generator that is powered by an engine (e.g., turbine). The method and system uses high pressure hot gases produced by combustion of a fuel and an oxygen-bearing gas, using at least a portion of the electricity generated to power manufacturing plant equipment. Additionally, hot waste gases from the heat engine are transported to a process dryer (e.g., rotary kiln dryers) to dry minerals, salt, pigments, sands, and clay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Compass Minerals America Inc.
    Inventor: Dan Pinkham
  • Patent number: 10281210
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus (1) includes a table (4) configured to support a substrate W, a solvent supply unit (8) configured to supply a volatile solvent to a surface of the substrate W on the table (4), and an irradiator (10) configured to emit light to the substrate W, which has been supplied with the volatile solvent, and function as a heater that heats the substrate W such that a gas layer is formed on the surface of the substrate W to make the volatile solvent into a liquid ball. Thus, it is possible to dry the substrate successfully as well as to suppress pattern collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Miyazaki, Konosuke Hayashi, Takashi Ootagaki, Yuji Nagashima
  • Patent number: 10273626
    Abstract: A portable, collapsible clothes dryer, for use in drying small articles of clothing while traveling and/or for use in households with limited space, is composed of a cylindrical collapsible central housing with an inlet opening at the bottom, an airflow adapter at the inlet to attach a portable hair dryer, a spin-able clothes hanger, and a removable top member with air exhaust vents. When collapsed, the assembly assumes a compact, flat disk shape. When expanded, the portable hair dryer can blow hot air into the housing, forming a vortex stream within the cylindrical enclosure that exits through the exhaust vents in the top. The top member can be removed to attach articles of clothing to the spin-able clothes hanger. The unit is designed such that the vortex air stream that flows upward within the cylindrical enclosure and out the upper exhaust vents spins the clothes hanger with the articles of clothing, thereby ensuring complete coverage of the hot air over the clothing surfaces and speeding the drying time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Inventors: Robert K. Spitz, John Spitz, Beth K. Wallach, Brian Wallach
  • Patent number: 10267511
    Abstract: Waste heat is extracted in two stages from the exhaust (20) of a biomass dryer (14) in a grain alcohol plant (10). A boiler circuit (56) provides high pressure steam to a balance of the plant (54). A first energy recovery circuit (36) extracts heat from the exhaust via a non-contact heat exchanger (24) and provides a first relatively lower pressure steam (78) to the balance of the plant, thereby bypassing a portion of the boiler circuit. Working fluids in the boiler and first energy recovery circuits are maintained within boiler water quality specifications and are intermixed to allow the production of the first relatively lower pressure steam without a pressure reduction device. A second energy recovery circuit (44) extracts heat from the exhaust downstream of the first energy recovery circuit using a direct contact heat exchanger (38) and provides a non-boiler quality heated fluid (52) to the balance of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Bioleap, Inc.
    Inventors: James Knight, Jr., Olan Wayne Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10260807
    Abstract: An airflow drying device includes a granulated substance introduction portion, a dry process portion, and a product ejection portion. The granulated substance introduction portion includes a granulated substance inlet into which granulated substances are to be put, and a hot air inlet into which hot air is to be supplied. The dry process portion includes a loop pipe. The loop pipe is positioned laterally in a horizontal direction, and is able to dry granulated substances. The product ejection portion includes a cyclone collector where the granulated substances are collected after being dried through the loop pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: FREUND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasutoyo Fusejima, Hirotsune Yasumi, Shigemi Isobe, Norikazu Saitou, Takashi Terada, Naoko Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10254044
    Abstract: A method for efficient utilization of hot air flows in a dryer system for goods to be dried is provided, in particular for a vehicle painting plant. Waste air from the dryer is heated in a thermal post-combustion plant and, as clean gas is conducted through circulating air recuperators, the circulating air extracted from the dryer is heated up and returned into the dryer. A device for efficient utilization of the hot air flows in a dryer system for goods to be dried is also provided, in particular for a vehicle painting system. The device includes a dryer, the waste air of which is heated in a thermal post-combustion plant. Clean gas is fed to circulating air recuperators and at least one fresh air recuperator. At least one additional heat source for the clean gas is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Inventors: Sabine Schindler, Norbert Heckmann
  • Patent number: 10253448
    Abstract: A laundry dryer (2) has a casing, a laundry storing compartment (18) arranged within the casing for receiving laundry (19) to be dried by passing process air (A) through the laundry storing compartment (18), and a heat exchanger (10) for dehumidifying the process air (A) after passing the laundry storing compartment (18). Furthermore, the dryer (2) has a condensate collecting device (30) for collecting condensate formed at the heat exchanger (10), and a removable condensate reservoir (40) for storing condensed water formed at the heat exchanger (10). Moreover, the dryer has a control unit (42) for controlling the operation of the laundry dryer (2), and a pumping and feeding arrangement (36) for pumping condensate collected in the condensate collecting device (30) through an internal line (38) to the removable condensate reservoir (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Alberto Bison, Nicola Reid, Giuseppe Rossi
  • Patent number: 10229764
    Abstract: A system for preparing a container holding radioactive waste for dry storage. In one aspect, the invention can be a system for preparing a container having a cavity loaded with radioactive elements for dry storage, the system comprising: a gas circulation system comprising a condenser module, a desiccant module, and a gas circulator module; the gas circulation system configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop path when operably connected to the cavity of the container; and means for adding and removing the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Inventors: Krishna P. Singh, John D. Griffiths
  • Patent number: 10226112
    Abstract: A hand held appliance including a handle having an outer wall, an inner structure disposed within the outer wall and an end wall extending across the outer wall wherein the end wall is attached to the handle via the inner structure and the end wall extends away from the outer wall. The handle may have a longitudinal axis along which the outer wall extends; the end wall may extend away from the outer wall towards the longitudinal axis. The end wall may extend from the outer wall towards the longitudinal axis as the end wall extends away from the outer wall and may taper as it extends away from the outer wall. The end wall may be frustoconical in shape. The end wall may include at least one first attachment member that extends from the end wall to engage with one or more cooperating attachment members of the inner structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Thomas James Kerr, Christopher William Hedges, Robert Mark Brett Coulton, Adam James Bates, Andrea Ee-Va Lim
  • Patent number: 10214851
    Abstract: A lint catching system is provided for a clothes dryer. The lint catching system filters lint from exhaust air expelled from the clothes dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: ADR Products, LLC
    Inventors: David George Gregory, Adrienne Francesca Szabady
  • Patent number: 10213001
    Abstract: An attachment for a hand held appliance, the attachment including an outer wall with a first part which is generally conical in shape, and a fluid inlet into the outer wall, wherein the fluid inlet is formed from a discontinuity in the outer wall. The outer wall may be formed from a first wall and a sleeve. The first wall may define a fluid flow path through the attachment. The sleeve may extend around the first wall forming a second fluid flow path from the fluid inlet in the outer wall, the second fluid flow path extending between the first wall and the sleeve. An outer surface of the sleeve and an outer surface of the first wall may be collinear. The fluid flow path may extend from a first fluid inlet into the attachment to a first fluid outlet. The first fluid inlet may be annular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Philip Jonathan Stephens, Stephen Farrar Smith, William Keith Hassett, Antoine Francois Atkinson