Patents Examined by John J Norton
  • Patent number: 11510524
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of a kamado-style cooker configured for use with pelletized fuel are disclosed. Certain embodiments include a cooking space above a firebox space. Various novel aspects of the cooker provide for thermal energy management within the firebox space such that temperature sensitive components of a wood pellet storage, delivery and combustion subsystem (e.g., electronic controllers, motors, pellet hopper and auger) may be housed within the firebox space, I.e., housed internal to the ovoid structural envelope of the cooker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Align Machine Works, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Pruitt, Jeffrey Broadrick, Kyle Aasness
  • Patent number: 11503944
    Abstract: A beverage brewing assembly includes a mixing chamber configured to receive a first beverage material and defining an aperture configured to be selectively opened. A hot water source is operably coupled with the mixing chamber and is configured to selectively provide a predetermined quantity of hot water to the mixing chamber and thereby form a mixture comprising the first beverage material and the predetermined quantity of hot water. A brew basket is positioned below the mixing chamber and includes an outlet at a bottom of the brew basket. The brew basket is configured to house a second brewing material and is configured to receive the mixture from the aperture of the mixing chamber to interact with the second brewing material. A receptacle is positioned below the brew basket and is configured to receive a brewed beverage from the outlet of the brew basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: NORTHWIND HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Long, Sr., Bryan Real
  • Patent number: 11503939
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker includes a housing, an inner pot including a bottom part that includes a first area and a second area, and an inner pot storage part disposed in the housing. The inner pot storage stores the inner pot in a manner that the inner pot can be set or removed. Also, a first heating coil is below the inner pot storage part, arranged in a position facing the first area of the inner pot, that heats the inner pot by induction. Also, a second heating coil is below the inner pot storage part, arranged in a position facing the second area of the inner pot, that heats the inner pot by induction. A driving unit in the housing supplies high frequency currents to the first heating coil and the second heating coil, and a controller controls the driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Ito, Kyoko Ishihara, Toshihiro Saito
  • Patent number: 11504798
    Abstract: A method of raster scanning a surface of an object using a particle beam comprises determining a basic set of raster points within a surface; determining a surface portion of the surface of the object, wherein the surface portion is to be raster scanned; ordering a set of raster points of the basic set located within the surface portion; and scanning of the surface portion by directing the particle beam onto the raster points of the ordered set in an order corresponding to an order of the raster points in the ordered set from the outside to the inside, i.e. starting from the boundary of the surface portion towards its center, or in the reverse order, i.e. from the inside to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Biberger, Ralph Pulwey
  • Patent number: 11503938
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a base including an upper surface having a cooktop, and a lid separable from the base, and including a heater assembly disposed therein. The cooking appliance further includes a control unit configured to operate at least one of the cooktop in the base or the heater assembly in the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: CONAIR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph W. Zakowski, James Andrew Sandor, Inna Doliner, Tara Lorraine Moseley Dunn, Scott A. Leclerc, Bryan R. Hotaling, James R. Varney
  • Patent number: 11504802
    Abstract: A multifunctional laser processing apparatus includes a hollow milling shaft, a light path tool holder, a tool-holder-type melting module, a laser light source, and a temperature sensor. The hollow milling shaft includes a first light path channel and a connection portion. The light path tool holder can be connected to the connection portion. The light path tool holder has a second light path channel communicating with the first light path channel. The tool-holder-type melting module can be connected to the connection portion. The tool-holder-type melting module has a third light path channel communicating with the first light path channel. The laser light source is configured to emit a laser light beam toward the first light path channel. The temperature sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the hollow milling shaft and is configured to sense a temperature of a work piece during a multifunctional processing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: METAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
    Inventors: Yu-Ting Lyu, Hsiang-Pin Wang, Po-Chi Hu, Chao-Yung Yeh
  • Patent number: 11503796
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing processed cheese portions, comprising a plurality of modules that are arranged successively in the direction of production, in which the processed cheese is formed into a band, cooled, and divided into portions, wherein the modules define a production space through which the processed cheese travels during the production of the processed cheese portions. The production space is enclosed by a spray-proof casing, wherein the casing comprises a frame structure and a plurality of sheet metal elements which are detachably connected to the frame structure, and wherein a sealing hose is arranged between a sheet metal element and the area of the frame structure opposite thereto, and encircles the sheet metal element or the area of the frame structure opposite thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hochland SE
    Inventors: Andreas Biggel, Sebastian Schmidt, Richard Bechteler, Josef Burger, Thomas Handerer
  • Patent number: 11497347
    Abstract: A chafing dish, including a basin including a well to store items therein, the basin comprising a lower groove forming portion disposed on at least a portion of the basin, a retractable lid disposed on at least a portion of a top surface of the basin to retract to an open position to open access to the well, and to expand to a closed position to close access to the well, the retractable lid including a body to cover the well when the retractable lid is in the closed position, an edge side disposed at a first end of the retractable lid to contact a first side of the top surface of the basin, and a weighted bar disposed at a second end of the retractable lid to slide toward the edge side to open access to the well and to slide away from the edge side to close access to the well, a top rim to cover at least a portion of an outer surface of the retractable lid, the top rim comprising an upper groove-forming portion to be affixed to the lower groove-forming portion to create bar-sliding grooves disposed at side po
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Shawn Taylor
  • Patent number: 11490761
    Abstract: A cooking system is provided. The cooking system includes a housing, a lid, a heating element, a vent tube, and a piston. The housing has a hollow interior. The lid is movable relative to the housing, where the lid and housing cooperate to form a cooking chamber. The heating element is mounted within the lid. The vent tube is arranged within the lid and extends between the cooking chamber and an external environment. The vent tube includes an inlet channel, an outlet channel, and a central channel arranged between the inlet and outlet channel. A piston is arranged within the central channel and configured to alternate between a venting and a non-venting position such that a low-moisture fluid is drawn through the inlet channel into the cooking chamber from the external environment, and a high-moisture fluid is evacuated through the outlet channel into the external environment from the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Roger Neil Jackson, Oliver Thomas Joyce, Nicholas Christo, Adam Garland
  • Patent number: 11484972
    Abstract: The present invention benefits from the determination that pre-selected spectral bandwidths that avoid the spectrum of an electronic transition of a metal/alloy vapor allow for welds substantially free from detritus that may discolor the weld. Accordingly, the present invention provides analytical methods, welding methods and fiber lasers configured to provide high quality metal/alloy welds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignees: IPG Photonics Corporation, Medtronic, Inc., EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
    Inventors: Matthias Leistner, Sebastian Favre-Bulle, Audrey Mashkin
  • Patent number: 11485043
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus utilizing combined electron beam selective melting and electron beam cutting. One electron beam emitting, focusing, and scanning device (6) is capable of emitting electron beams (67, 68) in three modes of heating, selective melting, and electron beam cutting. The electron beam in the heating mode is emitted to scan and preheat a powder bed (7). The electron beam (67) in the selective melting mode is emitted to scan and melt powder (71) in a section outline to form a section layer of a component. The electron beam (68) in the electron beam cutting mode is emitted to perform one or more cutting scans on inner and outer outlines (74, 75) of a section of the component to obtain accurate and smooth inner and outer outlines of the section. The heating, melting deposition, and outline cutting processes are repeated to obtain a required three-dimensional physical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Feng Lin, Bin Zhou, Wentao Yan, Hongxin Li, Lei Zhang, Ting Zhang, Chao Guo
  • Patent number: 11478873
    Abstract: Method for welding two stainless steel sheets of thickness (e) 0.10 to 6.0 mm and having a particular composition having: a first welding step lasting a time (t) in ms: 0.10 to 0.50 mm, t=(40×e+36)±10%; 0.51 to 1.50 mm: t=(124×e 13)±10%; 1.51 to 6.0 mm: t=(12×e+47)±10%; with clamping force (F) in daN: 0.10 to 1.50 mm: F=(250×e+90)±10%; 1.51 mm to 6.0 mm: F=(180×e+150)±10%; appling a current between the welding electrodes, of intensity between 80 and 100% the maximum permissible intensity corresponding to expulsion of molten metal; a second step with an intensity between zero and 1 kA; and a third step with an intensity of 3.5 kA to 4.5 kA, for a time of at least 755 ms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: APERAM
    Inventors: Bertrand Petit, Frédéric Bridault
  • Patent number: 11478012
    Abstract: A fluid bed coffee roasting system is disclosed and configured for roasting batches of coffee beans of varying sizes. In at least one embodiment, the system provides a roasting unit configured for roasting a volume of coffee beans, a chaff collection unit positioned and configured for drawing off and capturing any loose chaff released by the coffee beans within the roasting unit, and a cooling unit positioned and configured for receiving and cooling the coffee beans after they are removed from the roasting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ASHE Industries, LLC
    Inventors: David Douglas Hart, Ernie Arquero Abdon
  • Patent number: 11471975
    Abstract: Laser welding methods include focusing laser radiation onto a first metal sheet disposed on a metal part, optionally with one or more intervening metal sheets therebetween. The laser radiation is steered to trace at least one spiral path to spot-weld together the metal parts. The laser radiation includes a center beam and an annular beam to maintain a stable keyhole. One method is tailored to weld aluminum parts, e.g., with high gas content and/or dissimilar compositions, and the laser radiation traces first an outward spiral path and then an inward spiral path. The center beam is pulsed during one segment of the inward spiral path. Another method is tailored to weld steel or copper parts having a coating at an interface therebetween, and the laser radiation traces an inward spiral path. The interface may be a zero-gap interface, or a non-zero gap may exist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Corelase Oy
    Inventors: Matti Närhi, Henri Pajukoski
  • Patent number: 11471969
    Abstract: An orbital welding device (1) having a welding head (2), the welding head having a tubular mount (3) and a welding electrode holder (4) rotatably supported with respect to the tubular mount (3), the orbital welding device (1) having an electric motor (6) activated by a motor controller (5) of the orbital welding device (1), which is configured to drive the welding electrode holder (4) and thus to rotate the same with respect to the tubular mount (3), wherein the orbital welding device (1) has an electric torque measuring device (7), which is configured to measure a torque applied by the motor (6) to the welding electrode holder (4), wherein the torque measuring device (7) is connected to the motor controller (5), and wherein the motor controller (5) is configured to stop the motor (6) automatically if the torque exceeds a predetermined first torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Tamm, Marcel Foh
  • Patent number: 11471977
    Abstract: A device for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece. The device includes a focusing unit for focusing a machining beam, in particular a laser beam, onto the workpiece for the formation of a kerf on the workpiece. The device also includes an image acquisition unit to generate at least one image of a region of the workpiece, and an evaluation unit configured to determine, based on the at least one image, at least one measured variable for the course of the gap width of the kerf in a thickness direction of the workpiece. The invention also relates to an associated method for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Winfried Magg, David Schindhelm, Boris Regaard, Oliver Bocksrocker, Volker Rominger
  • Patent number: 11477853
    Abstract: An article of clothing includes a garment body and a heater coupled to the garment body. A battery holder defines a cavity. A rechargeable battery pack is configured for use with at least one of a power tool and a sensing device. The rechargeable battery pack is slidably received within the cavity and detachably coupled to the battery holder by a latching arrangement. A controller selectively provides power from the rechargeable battery pack to the heater. A user input member for selecting a mode of the controller is coupled to the garment body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rick Gray, Jonathan A. Zick, Paul Fry
  • Patent number: 11458568
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a laser processing method includes a first irradiation process and a second irradiation process. In the first irradiation process, a first laser light is irradiated on a first region of a processing object including a metal. A first output value of the first laser light is 3000 W or more. In the second irradiation process, a second laser light is irradiated on the first region. A second output value of the second laser light is not less than 60% and not more than 70% of the first output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sakai, Yasutomo Shiomi
  • Patent number: 11445743
    Abstract: A system for preparing or semi-preparing food that includes at least one 3D printer and at least one food supporting device. The 3D printer includes at least one extruder for delivering and modelling at least one food paste and/or food powder onto the food supporting device, and at least one heating device for preheating the food paste and/or the food powder and at least one cooling device for precooling the food paste and/or the food powder. The 3D printer is controlled or controllable by a user interface, microcontroller, computer and/or computer program. The system includes at least one cooking hob for heating the modelled food on the food supporting device. The temperature for each food paste and/or food powder is individually adjustable. The food supporting device is a pan, cooking vessel, cooking pot, tray, plancha or container arranged on a cooking zone of the cooking hob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Fabienne Reinhard-Herrscher, Jennifer Burkhardt, Christoph Luckhardt, Kersten Kaiser
  • Patent number: 11445850
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for mixing with water the ingredients for yerba mate, tea, or similar beverages. The device has two connected compartments, a first sealed compartment connected to a second compartment. The first compartment is also connected to a duct on the bottom which can draw water from a common disposable bottle. The second compartment is also connected to a suction nozzle that protrudes from the top. The device is designed so that when the suction nozzle supplies suction water is drawn from the bottle through the first compartment and into the second. The beverage ingredient, such as yerba mate, is placed in the first compartment and is kept there by an input filter placed at the entrance to the first compartment and an output filter placed at the connection between the first compartment to the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: Bruno Gambarini Spagnolo