Patents Examined by Joe E Mills, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11483002
    Abstract: A multi-loop controller component for an electric discharge machining (EDM) system includes a plurality of power loop circuits coupled to an output of a power supply of the EDM system and configured to receive DC electric power from the power supply. Each power loop circuits electrically-isolated from other power loop circuits. The multi-loop controller component also includes a plurality of transistors. Each transistor is coupled to a respective power loop circuit and is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state to generate a pulse of the DC electric power through the respective power loop circuit. In addition, the multi-loop controller component has a drive controller coupled to the plurality of transistors. The drive controller is configured to transmit at least one control signal to at least one of the transistors to facilitate switching the transistor between the ON state and the OFF state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yuanfeng Luo, Yuefeng Luo, Dale Robert Lombardo, Steven Robert Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11457669
    Abstract: A method of controlling an aerosol-generating system, and the associated system, are provided. The system includes an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device having a detector configured to detect the presence of the article and to distinguish the article from other articles configured for use with the system, based on a spectroscopic signature of a taggant incorporated within a material of the article. The method includes detecting the presence of the article; determining whether the article includes a taggant; comparing the spectroscopic signature of the detected taggant with a look-up table of taggant spectroscopic signatures corresponding to articles configured for use with the system; preventing activation of the device, including preventing the supply of power to a heating element unless the detected taggant spectroscopic signature corresponds to an article configured for use with the system; and activating the device if the detected signature corresponds to the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
    Inventors: Felix Fernando, Dominique Bernauer
  • Patent number: 11453082
    Abstract: A guide hole is constituted of a large-diameter hole, a medium-diameter hole, and a small-diameter hole. A sliding part fitted in the guide hole is formed of a synthetic resin material. A large-diameter portion of the sliding part is fitted in the large-diameter hole in a slidable state, and a medium-diameter portion is fitted in the medium-diameter hole in a slidable state. A movable end surface of the sliding part is in close contact with a stationary inner end surface of the guide hole. By configuring a width dimension of the movable end surface to be less than half of a thickness dimension of the large-diameter portion, a pressurizing force of the movable end surface is increased and a minute metal piece is pushed from the movable end surface into a base material of the sliding part, and a thickness dimension of the medium-diameter portion is set large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: AOYAMA, SHOJI
    Inventor: Shoji Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11453430
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel is provided that includes a core structure, a heater mat surrounding a portion of the core structure to define a heated portion, a gap in the heater mat defining an unheated portion, a cover wrap surrounding the heater mat and having first and second edges stitched together at a seam, and a thermally conductive polymer thermally coupled to the heater mat and extending across the gap below the first and second edges of the cover wrap for conducting thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Shaeff
  • Patent number: 11452313
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The apparatus includes a heating zone for receiving an article (1, 2, 3), and a magnetic field generator for generating a varying magnetic field that penetrates the heating zone. The article includes smokable material and heating material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field to heat the smokable material. The magnetic field generator includes a magnetically permeable core and a coil. The core includes a magnetically permeable first portion and magnetically permeable first and second arms extending from the first portion. The coil is wound around the first portion of the core. The first and second arms of the core are on different sides of the heating zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED
    Inventors: Duane A. Kaufman, Andrew P. Wilke, Thomas P. Blandino, James J. Frater, Raymond J. Robey
  • Patent number: 11440122
    Abstract: A welding accessory that allows a welder to easily maintain the proper electrical arc gap between the welding torch and the surface being welded, and that improves the consistency of the shield gas plume by reducing the variation of gap between the shield gas nozzle and the surface being welded while in motion is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the welding accessory is comprised of a body portion, a slidable and rotatable repositionable arm; and a wheel attached to one end of said repositionable arm. A kit that comprises the welding accessory of the present invention and other accessories for welding and/or oxy-fuel cutting is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventor: Martin Albrecht
  • Patent number: 11440130
    Abstract: A method of controlling operation of an electron beam gun and wire feeder during deposition of pools of molten matter onto a substrate to form beads upon solidification of the molten matter. The method includes providing a substrate and a wire source. A molten pool of liquid phase metal is formed on the substrate by melting the wire utilizing an electron beam generated by an electron beam gun. The liquid metal solidifies into a solid phase. A controller utilizes data from a sensor to adjust a process perimeter based, at least in part, on data generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Karen M. Taminger, Robert A. Hafley, Joseph N. Zalameda, Christopher S. Domack, Brian L. Taminger, Eric R. Burke, Richard E. Martin, William J. Seufzer, Theresa A. Butler
  • Patent number: 11433470
    Abstract: A system for controlling multiple wire feed motors for use in a welding-type system including a push motor controlled to operate at a target wire feed speed and a pull motor disposed in a welding torch controlled to apply a target torque to the fed welding wire. Such a system eliminates shaving and bird nesting of welding wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Steven Knoener
  • Patent number: 11433762
    Abstract: A device for supplying ammonia with solid adblue includes a urea tank, a gasholder, a heating apparatus, a mixing mechanism, a one-way valve, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a first baroceptor, a controller. The mixing mechanism includes a first pipe, second pipe a third pipe, and media. The device is easy to has the same temperature everywhere, and then the heat distribution of the urea tank can be evenly. Thus the effectiveness about the heating apparatus is elevated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HEFEI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hong Bao, Jing Yang, Tianci Liu, Hongzhen Li, Jinxuan Tao, Junguo zhang
  • Patent number: 11438973
    Abstract: A multifunctional assembly having a resistive element a conductive element in electrical communication with the resistive element, the conductive element defining at least one of a plurality of multifunctional zones of the resistive element, wherein the conductive element is configured to direct a flow of electricity across at least one of the plurality of multifunctional zones of the resistive element in a preselected manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Metis Design Corporation
    Inventors: Seth S. Kessler, Gregory A. Thomas, Christopher T. Dunn, Michael Borgen, Brian L. Wardle
  • Patent number: 11433469
    Abstract: A vibration assisted wire machining device is provided, the vibration assisted wire machining device allows a metal wire to be driven by a bi-axial sinusoidal vibration source during a wire machining process, wherein the bi-axial sinusoidal waveforms have the same amplitude, and preferably, the bi-axial sinusoidal waveforms are synchronous and always have a vibration phase difference of 90 degrees. Therefore, the present invention can reduce wire breakage risks and improve wire-cutting efficiency, and raise machining stability and material removal rate of a wire-electrical discharge machining (Wire-EDM) process performed on a workpiece, as well as achieve desirable precision of a geometric shape. It also relates to a vibration assisted wire machining device that enables metal wires associated with the abrasive slurry formed of hard abrasive grains, for performing bi-axial vibration assisted abrasive cutting or abrasive grinding on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NATIONAL KAOHSIUNG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Wen-Jeng Hsue
  • Patent number: 11419186
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thick film element having a coated substrate with high heat conductivity, which comprises a carrier, a thick film coating deposited on the carrier and a covering layer overlaid on the coating. The thick film coating is a heating material, and the mode of heating is electrical heating. The carrier, the thick film coating and the covering layer are selected from a material that fulfills every of the following equations: ? 3 ? A ? ? T 3 - T 0 d 3 = a × ? 1 ? A ? ? T 1 - T 0 d 1 , ? ? 2 ? A ? ? T 2 - T 0 d 2 = b × ? 1 ? A ? ? T 1 - T 0 d 1 , ? ? 2 ? A ? ? T 2 - T 0 d 2 = c × ? 3 ? A ? ? T 3 - T 0 d 3 ; wherein 10?a?104, 0<b?106, 0<c?103. The coated substrate of the thick film element of the present invention has high heat conductivity and is suitable for coating products with a heated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGDONG FLEXWARM ADVANCED MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Weicong Huang
  • Patent number: 11413410
    Abstract: An aerosol provision system comprises a heating element for generating an aerosol from a source liquid and control circuitry for controlling a supply of electrical power from a power supply to the heating element. The control circuitry is configured to measure an indication of a derivative of an electrical characteristic of the heating element with respect to time. Based on the measured time derivative, the control circuitry is configured to determine whether or not a fault condition has arisen for the electronic aerosol provision system. The overall change in the electrical characteristic for the heating element caused by the localized heating may be small and so difficult to reliably identify, but the rate at which the change occurs can be expected to be relatively high, such that the time derivative of the local characteristic is a more reliable indicator of occurrence of the fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED
    Inventors: Helmut Buchberger, Colin Dickens, Rory Fraser
  • Patent number: 11407050
    Abstract: An electrical discharge machining device provided, using a floating capacitance to provide a machining target with improved surface roughness. An electrical discharge machining device 1 includes a current supply circuit 3 that supplies a current to a gap between an electrode 17 and a machining target 19 so as to provide electrical discharge machining. A floating capacitance portion 21 occurs between the electrode 17 and the machining target 19 in the electrical discharge machining. The floating capacitance portion 21 supplies its stored charge to the gap in the electrical discharge machining. A capacitor 11 stores a charge before the floating capacitance portion 21 is discharged. After the floating capacitance portion is discharged, the capacitor 11 charges the floating capacitance portion 21. The floating capacitance portion 21 is discharged again after it is charged. Such an operation generates a pulse current, thereby providing electrical discharge machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Seibu Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Mitsuyasu, Keisuke Tasaki
  • Patent number: 11399656
    Abstract: A temperature regulation device for positioning in a well of food service equipment, the temperature regulation device including a housing and a support coupled to the housing. The housing includes a top surface and a bottom surface and the support includes a connector having a connector axis, an outer surface, and an inner surface. The support is rotatable about the connector axis between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position of the support, the housing is positioned in a first position relative to the well, and in the retracted position of the support, the housing is positioned in a second position relative to the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: The Vollrath Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Peter Roever, Jill Hundley, Jeremiah Kopiness, Megan Raspel
  • Patent number: 11401194
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides a device, comprising: a laser machining head configured to deflect laser radiation onto an optical system comprising a substrate, the device being configured to carry out a method for separating the substrate using the optical system, the optical system being configured to provide the laser radiation, a thickness of the substrate not exceeding 2 mm in a region of a separating line, the method comprising: applying pulsed laser radiation having a pulse duration (t) to a substrate material of the substrate using the optical system, the substrate material being transparent at least in part to a laser wavelength of the pulsed laser radiation, the pulsed laser radiation being focused using the optical system at an original focal depth (f1), an intensity of the pulsed laser radiation leading to a modification of the substrate along a beam axis (Z) of the pulsed laser radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: LPKF LASER & ELECTRONICS AG
    Inventors: Robin Alexander Krueger, Norbert Ambrosius, Roman Ostholt
  • Patent number: 11389905
    Abstract: A double fibre laser cutting system for laser cutting sheet metal that comprises: a cutting machine with a mobile gantry and fixed metal sheets, multiple heads both for straight cutting and bevel cutting, multiple cutting sources in each head, automated means for changing the cutting source in each head, means for controlling all the elements, wherein the multiple cutting sources in each head is carried out by means of two fibres sent from corresponding generator outlets to each head. The simultaneous cutting of one or more metal sheets with different thicknesses is achieved and, consequently, maximum laser cutting capacity in useful length, and in useful width, the use of a single generator, and the automatic adjustment of cutting conditions in accordance with the thicknesses, straight and bevel cutting simultaneously in multiple heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: TECOI CORTE, S. L.
    Inventor: Jorge Luis Rodriguez Ordas
  • Patent number: 11388786
    Abstract: An induction heating device for heating a metal article includes a support plate with an upper surface for receiving the metal article, and a plurality of induction coils, which are arranged concentrically around an axis and are provided at an underside of the support plate. Each induction coil is connected to and selectively powered by a generator, and at least one temperature probe is disposable on the metal article during heating in order to monitor and control the heating of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Alberto Javier Herrera Caballero, Ton Ramaker, Dave Spitzer
  • Patent number: 11379675
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for use with beverages and beverage making and dispensing equipment. The apparatus, system, and method of use monitors characteristics of the beverage, reports characteristics, or both and selectively affects the beverage and beverage making and dispensing equipment, a server containing the beverage, or both. The apparatus, system, and method of use employs an information vehicle device associated with each beverage server or dispenser and a reader which reads the information device. The reader communicates the information from the information device to a controller for use to individually or collectively display information, collect information, and/or selectively affect the condition of the beverage in response to the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
    Inventor: John T. Knepler
  • Patent number: 11370050
    Abstract: A welding system and method provide for generating a controlled waveform for welding power output, the waveform comprising a plurality of successive peak phases followed by a short circuit between a welding wire electrode and an advancing weld puddle. Each then present peak phase is regulated based upon at least the immediately preceding short circuit to control the short circuit that will occur following the then present peak phase. Some embodiments permit regulating at least one waveform phase based upon at least the immediately preceding short circuit to control the next short circuit that will occur, and regulating at least one short response phase based upon at least the immediately preceding short circuit to control the next short circuit that will occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Davidson, Justin Durik, Richard Schuh, David Almy, Richard Martin Hutchison