Patents Examined by John A. Jeffery
  • Patent number: 7171111
    Abstract: An improved scheme for dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen is provided in which a two dimensional matrix of electrodes is provided in a reaction vessel. The electrodes are connected to a source of electrical power for providing a potential difference there between sufficient for dissociating the water. The matrix includes a smallest two dimensional repeating group that consists of four electrodes arranged in a quadrilateral clockwise plus, minus, plus, minus. The hydrogen can be used for burning, running an internal combustion engine, or for providing electrical power in a fuel cell. Core water from the matrix can also be used directly as heating water. Direct current, or switched direct current can be used for generating hydrogen while AC sources can be used for generating heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: Carlton W. Sheldon
  • Patent number: 7091451
    Abstract: One or more heating elements comprise a heating element. One or more elongated beams comprise an elongated beam. The heating element is coupled with the elongated beam and induces a time-varying thermal gradient in the elongated beam to cause one or more oscillations of one or more of the one or more elongated beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Robert E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 7087868
    Abstract: In order to create a heating device which can operate in different power stages, but only has to be contacted from one side, the invention provides a heating device with at least two plate-like ceramic heating elements, which are electrically contacted on opposite flat sides and on at least one side is provided at least one flat, electrical conductor, in which on one side of the elements there are at least two conductors electrically insulated from one another, each of the conductors being in contact with at least one heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignees: Eichenauer Heizelemente GmbH & Co. KG, Beru AG
    Inventors: Andreas Hamburger, Werner Fassbinder
  • Patent number: 7084374
    Abstract: A heating flange especially for the preheating of the intake air of an internal combustion engine with a frame (8), a supporting ceramic element (2) with a heating band (10) fitted thereto. The supporting ceramic element 2 is held in the frame at an inner side of the frame, and a support spring (1) is arranged between the supporting ceramic element (2) and the inner side of the frame. The support spring (1) is a leaf spring which is straight in the non-stressed state, and sits under an initial prestess between the supporting ceramic element (2) and the inner side of the frame. As a result of this configuration, low friction arises between the supporting ceramic element (2) and heating band (10), as well as leaf spring (1), which reduces failures due to vibratory loading, and a defined initial spring tension with a defined spring deflection is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Beru AG
    Inventors: Steffen Geiger, Thomas Giffels, Martin Eller
  • Patent number: 7081601
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an oven cavity, an electric heating element and a rapid cook heating system both of which being operable on either one of first and second supply voltages, and a controller including a memory module having stored therein first and second control algorithms. The controller will operate the cooking appliance based on one of the first or second control algorithm depending upon whether the cooking appliance is connected to the first or second supply voltages respectively. Preferably, the appliance includes a sensor for signaling the controller as to the presence of either the first or second supply voltage. In the alternative, the appliance can be manually set for use with a particular voltage supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Boyer, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7078656
    Abstract: A device for electrically heating a vertically erect chamber comprising several heating zones arranged vertically one above the other. The components of the device, with the exception of the insulating components, are made from graphite materials. Each zone (Z) comprises a number of supports (1), arranged in an essentially even distribution around the chamber for heating, which simultaneously serve as electrical supplies for the heater, and the heater for each zone (Z) is fixed at one end and longitudinally displaceable at the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Solarworld Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heiko Herold, Günter Holdenried, Leslaw Mleczko, Matthias Pfaffelhuber, Theo König
  • Patent number: 7075034
    Abstract: An air supply device is provided for a vehicle seat of an open-top motor vehicle having at least one air outflow opening which is provided in the upper region of the vehicle seat and via which an airstream can be applied to the head area, shoulder area and nape area of the sitting vehicle occupant in order to reduce undesired draft phenomenon. The airstream can be regulated by way of a control device. In order to provide improved comfort for the sitting vehicle occupant when driving with the top open, the airstream is adjusted, when the air supply device is switched on, by way of the control device as a function of an automatically sensed external parameter value or of a predefined value selectable by the sitting vehicle occupant, to an assigned basic value, starting from which the further adjustment of the airstream is carried out as a function of an automatically sensed further parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Dietmar Hartmann, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 7075036
    Abstract: An electronic part compression bonding apparatus includes a compression bonding unit which bonds the electronic parts onto the substrate by thermocompression, a pressure supply unit, a pressure control unit which controls pressure, a heating unit which heats the compression bonding unit, a temperature control unit, and a thermocompression bonding control unit which controls the pressure control unit and the heating unit based on thermocompression bonding condition data in which at least one of pressure and heating temperature is variably set during a process from start until completion of a thermocompression bonding operation of the electronic parts. In the thermocompression bonding condition data, the pressure is set to a first pressure in a first stage in a process of the thermocompression bonding operation and a second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure, in a second stage that follows the first stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Ogimoto, Koji Morita
  • Patent number: 7072578
    Abstract: A carbon wire heating element sealing heater is provided. Therein, a carbon wire heating element using carbon fibers is sealed in a quartz glass member, wherein absorption water quantity of the carbon wire heating element is 2×10?3 g/cm3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignees: Toshiba Ceramics Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihiko Saito, Hiroyuki Honma, Hiroshi Mori, Eiichi Toya, Tomio Konn, Tomohiro Nagata, Sunao Seko, Akira Otsu, Takanori Saito, Ken Nakao, Kazutoshi Miura, Harunari Hasegawa, George Hoshi, Katsutoshi Ishi
  • Patent number: 7067773
    Abstract: A food warming is provided with a partially open housing having an open side extending along a longitudinal length of the housing. A heating element is also provided, extending along the longitudinal length of the housing. A support member is disposed to maintain a position of the heating element at the open side of the housing. Thermally insulative material disposed within the housing insulates a surface of the housing from heat generated by the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: BSI Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Chuck DeWitt
  • Patent number: 7064292
    Abstract: A grip heater control apparatus enabling a driver to visually identifying the electrified condition of a heater and to control the temperature of the heater easily during vehicle driving and enabling the configuration for the temperature control and the visual identification to be space-saving. A single light emitter (4) is provided as an indicator along with heater temperature operators (5, 6) at an end of a grip (1). The indication control unit includes a unit for executing an operating state indication control process including a process of variably setting a first predetermined cycle, which is a blinking cycle of the light emitter (4), according to target electric energy set by a target electric energy setting unit in response to an operation of the heater temperature operator (5, 6) when operated and a process of blinking the light emitter (4) in the set first predetermined cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignees: Honda Access Corp., Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oishi, Katsuya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7064294
    Abstract: An electric load control device of a heating unit of a heating blanket comprises an actuating unit; a power supply for supplying power to the device; a microprocessor as a control center of the device for generating at least one pulse signal; the microprocessor being actuated by the actuating unit; and a driving unit; the driving unit receiving the at least one pulse signal from the microprocessor for actuating the heating unit to generate heat to heat the heating blanket; the driving unit serving to actuate the heating unit. An actuation time period of the heating unit is controlled by the pulses from the driving unit. In the driving unit, the negative parts of the pulses from the microprocessor are converted into positive pulses so that all the pulses become positive pulses; after the pulses pass through the driving unit, only selective positive pulses are passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Inventor: Shu Chih Wu
  • Patent number: 7060937
    Abstract: A soldering iron heats the tip and emits inert gas near the tip. This is accomplished by providing a heater cartridge having a top or tip end and a base end with a soldering tip at the top end, an input opening closer to the base end and an output opening closer to the top end. The soldering iron also includes a gas injector having a gas chamber adapted to receive the heater cartridge such that the input opening of the heater cartridge is within the gas chamber so that gas is injected into the input opening. At least a portion of the top end and the output opening of the heater cartridge is enclosed with an exhaust pipe to form a gas passage between the outer surface of the heater cartridge and the exhaust pipe. As such, gas injected through the input opening passes through the opening within the heater cartridge and exits through the output opening, then passes through the gas passage and emits through an outlet defined by the space between the top end and the exhaust pipe to provide inert gas near the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Hakko Corporation
    Inventor: Hirofumi Konishi
  • Patent number: 7058292
    Abstract: A method of controlling the input and output of heat to and from a heat-storing material. The method includes the step of externally supplying thermal energy to the heat-storing material capable of being supercooled and filled into a plurality of small containers together with a phase-segregation preventive agent by use of a structure for supplying heat, whereby the heat-storing material is melted. The method also includes the steps of maintaining the heat-storing material in the supercooled state after the emission of sensible heat, and releasing the supercooled state of the heat-storing material by use of a structure for releasing the supercooled state of the heat-storing material, when the release of the stored heat energy is required, whereby the heat at the melting point is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventor: Satoshi Hirano
  • Patent number: 7045744
    Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a hair curling iron having a pair of curling tongs and a heat generating means mounted on the tongs, comprising a tong control unit to control the up and down movement of the curling tongs; a rotary body connected to the tong control unit to rotatably support the tongs; a fixed body to support the rotary body so that the rotary body rotates on its own axis; a drive motor mounted at a predetermined portion of the fixed body to rotate the rotary body; and a drive button to actuate the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Inventor: Young Ho Oh
  • Patent number: 7046921
    Abstract: A reflective bracket for a radiant refrigerator defroster includes a channel fabricated from a reflective material and a plurality of ventilation openings through the sides and bottom of the channel. The ventilation openings reduce the operating temperature of the heater element, improve convection heating of a refrigerator evaporator, and allow direct line-of sight heating of evaporator compartment components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert Leonard Fulks
  • Patent number: 7043146
    Abstract: An all season fan with heated circulating blades includes heating elements mounted in slots defined in the rear surface of the fan blades for heating of air blown outwardly therefrom. Resilient biasing devices such as a bow springs are mounted in the fan blades extending over the slots to retain the heating elements in the slots. Electrically conductive ball bearings are included to facilitate rotation of the fan blade and hub while simultaneously providing electrical power to the heating elements during fan rotation. At least two bearings each individually maintain separate electrically conductive abutment respect to two separate conductive rings mounted in an insulating insert within the fan hub. Each ring is electrically conductive with respect to one end of each heating element for heating thereof during fan rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Inventor: Solomon Semaza
  • Patent number: 7038169
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heater for an electric central buffer coupling in which at least one heating element (3) is placed in a recess of the coupling head (1) and is covered toward the outside. To improve the transfer of heat from the heating element (3) into the coupling head (1) and to reduce the expense of assembling and dismantling the heating element (3), the recess is precision fitted to the diameter of the heating element (3) and the recess is constructed in such a way that after completion of the recess the heating element (3), including its seal to the front side, can be introduced into the recess and is to be removably affixed to the coupling head (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Voith Turbo Scharfenberg GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Goetz Dittmar, Dirk Behrens
  • Patent number: 7039301
    Abstract: After washing, the hands are dried rapidly and comfortably by using a shaped high speed flow of heated air. The air flows in a direction controlled by an air outlet shaped to retain much of the exiting forceful air flow and temperature at a distance where the hands are dried. The air entrainment is controlled so that the properties of the air flow are not diluted by the air entrainment to a point where the drying performance is degraded. The forceful air flow blows off most of the loose water on the hands. The forceful air flow also reduces the stagnation boundary layers in the hands so that the evaporation removal of the remaining film of water is improved. These result in reduced drying time and comfort during and after drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Excel Dryer, Inc.
    Inventors: Sol Aisenberg, George Freedman, A. Ze'ev Hed, Richard Pavelle
  • Patent number: 7039300
    Abstract: An electric heater is provided with an identifying resistor associated with a connection between the heater and a fan control. When the electric heater is connected to the control, the identifying resistor provides information with regard to the capacity of the particular electric heater that is being attached to the control. The control then utilizes this particular capacity to control both the electric heater and an associated fan motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Rajendra K. Shah, Eugene L. Mills, Jr., Jerry D. Ryan