Patents Examined by Joseph Man-Fu Moy
  • Patent number: 6877627
    Abstract: A polymeric fuel tank having a first body joined to a second body is constructed having a substantially continuously barrier layer surrounding the tank. The first body has an inner surface terminating at a free edge and a first mating surface adjacent the free edge. A first barrier layer is fixed adjacent the inner surface of the first body. The second body has an inner surface terminating at a free edge and has a second mating surface adjacent to the first mating surface and the free edge of the second body to define a fuel cavity. A second barrier layer is fixed adjacent the inner surface of the second body. At least one weld joint joins the first mating surface to the second mating surface and the first barrier layer to the second barrier layer to provide the continuous barrier layer in the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: TI Group Automotive Systems, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Brian W. Brandner, Vladimir Franjo, Masahiro Higashi
  • Patent number: 6877654
    Abstract: A container primarily for hot (or cold) beverages such as gourmet coffee has an outer shell formed of a stiff sheet material having heat insulating properties such as cardboard which can be erected from a flat storage condition to enclose an inner lining member for containing the liquid. The inner liner is blow molded from a plastics material to form an integral structure including a neck and a handle projecting through openings in the shell so as to be exposed on an exterior of the container for manual transportation and lifting of the container. The use of a blow molded integral liner allows the handle to be integral with the liner and relatively stiff as a tubular member parallel to an inclined upper surface of the liner. An optional folded leg can be provided to allow the liner to be drained through an optional spigot on the neck. An optional accessory box can be slung on a flap engaged around the neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignees: Reliance Products Limited Partnership, The Seanet Group Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn J. Bartlett, Edward F. Urquhart
  • Patent number: 6877607
    Abstract: A can end (1) having a chuck wall (3) which is inclined at an angle of between 30° and 60°. The chuck wall (3) is provided with an image (9) such as a logo, pattern, printed or etched image, typically for promotional purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Leonard Anthony Jenkins
  • Patent number: 6874651
    Abstract: The invention concerns a tank for a fluid product, having a bottom (4) and a resistant side wall (10) composed of juxtaposed prefabricated panels (1) each comprising a wall element (2) covered, on an internal face (22), with a continuous sealing sheet (3) extended by three sections (33, 33?, 34) which cover respectively the lateral sides (23, 23?) and the lower side (24) of the wall element (2) and overlap on the outside of the wall (10). Said panels are placed on a slab (4) covered with a sealing sheet (42) and the adjacent overlapping sections of the sealing sheets (3, 42) covering the set of the panels (1) and the bottom (4) are connected together in a sealed fashion. Such a tank which is easy to build and to maintain, can contain drinking water or a polluting product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Societe Civile de Brevets Matiere
    Inventor: Marcel Matiere
  • Patent number: 6863191
    Abstract: A bail holder for a container, such as a paint can, includes a planar body having an upper portion engaging the bail and a lower portion engaging the upper rim of the can. The upper portion includes a hole and a slot connecting the hole to an edge of the body, thus allowing the bail to be placed in the hole for retention therein. The lower portion of the body includes a notch for engagement with the inner lip of the can, a tab on one side of the notch that engages a channel on the upper side of the rim, and a leg on the other side of the notch extending to the underside of the rim to engage the ridge formed by the bottom of the channel. A hook extending from edge of the body is provided for hanging a paint brush over the can interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: David L. Kesling
  • Patent number: 6860398
    Abstract: Low permeation fittings and low permeation plastic containers using same are constructed by molding an outer component into the wall of a plastic container while it is being formed. This causes the opening of a passageway in the outer component to be covered with wall forming material. The inner component is then inserted into the outer component through the wall forming material thereby trapping the wall material between the internal and external components. The barrier layer of the container wall is therefore continuous from the container to inside the fitting. A new fuel container, fuel neck fitting, and flange for mounting components on a fuel tank are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Fuller Potter, Duane Allen Fish, Erich James Vorenkamp, John E. Thorn, Link E. Vaughn
  • Patent number: 6857535
    Abstract: An interlocking device for use with rectangular containers, such as metal ammunition containers having a top lid, is shown. The interlocking device comprises a substantially flat plate, coextensive with the top lid of the containers, and having a set of locking tabs to attach to the top lid. The device also has a set of positioning tabs to engage the bottom of another container, when such containers are stacked. The device is attached to similar devices by a set of interconnection mechanisms, which may be male-female connectors located along each edge of the device, such that the interlocking mechanisms on the front and rear edges of the device are of opposite interlocking design and the locking mechanism on the front edge of one device will demountably interlock with the locking mechanism on the rear edge of another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Edward S. Zuckerman
  • Patent number: 6857533
    Abstract: A motorcycle storage assembly for protecting a motorcycle from the elements of the weather and also from possible theft. The motorcycle storage assembly includes a base member having a top side and a bottom side and being adapted to support a motorcycle thereupon; and also includes mirrored cover members each having a wall and a rim being disposed along a perimeter of the wall with the mirrored cover members being detachably attached to one another about the motorcycle; and further includes an assembly for securely fastening the mirrored cover members together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Inventor: Anthony Jackson
  • Patent number: 6857534
    Abstract: A plastic fuel tank is formed by welding together an upper plastic shell (1) having an upper closing wall (8) and a lower plastic shell (2) forming a bottom (7). The two plastic shells (1, 2) are produced by the injection molding method. In order to adhere to an exact distance between the upper closing wall (8) and the bottom (7), spacers (9) coming into abutment during the welding operation are provided in the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens AG
    Inventor: Dieter Keller
  • Patent number: 6851566
    Abstract: A work bucket vertical extension apparatus provides a lower pedestal bucket, an upper, elevated bucket vertically aligned into a nested position above the lower pedestal bucket, an da a sliding track mechanism such that the internal volume of the upper bucket is sufficient to receive the upper, elevated bucket when nested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Inventor: James D. Bonner
  • Patent number: 6851570
    Abstract: Briefly, the present invention is a paint tray assembly comprising a multi-use paint tray having a trough located therein and at least one removable paint containers retained in a lateral fit within the trough of the paint tray with the removable paint container being separately removable from the trough of the paint tray to allow for individual emptying of paint compartments in the paint tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Inventor: Robert Ives Janssen
  • Patent number: 6851571
    Abstract: A holder for assisting in holding a paint container includes a sleeve adapted to receive a thumb of a hand. The holder also includes a retainer connected to the sleeve adapted to retain a handle of a paint container and allow a weight of the paint container to be transferred to a remainder of the hand supporting a bottom of the paint container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: The Painter's Thumb, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph R. LaLonde
  • Patent number: 6848591
    Abstract: Tray-like pack with a sealing rim passing round the removal opening for sealing on a sealing foil or film and a rolling rim radially outwardly connected to said sealing rim and at least in a partial area the rolling rim has a smaller height than in the remaining area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Mars Incorporated
    Inventors: Hans-Richard Kiel, Bernard De Turckheim
  • Patent number: 6848472
    Abstract: A liquid stabilizing deflector baffle system, including a method and an apparatus, including a plurality of deflectors interconnected together to provide a baffling effect on liquid in which it is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventor: John A. Bambacigno
  • Patent number: 6845875
    Abstract: A transformable storage and protection apparatus comprising a top half portion; a bottom half portion; a back portion; first hinge means disposed between the top half portion and the back portion; and second hinge means disposed between the bottom half portion and the back portion, wherein the transformable storage and protection apparatus transforms between (1) a first configuration in which the top half portion, the bottom half portion and the back portion form a closed container; and (2) a second configuration in which the top half portion is pivoted along the first hinge means, and said back portion is pivoted along the second hinge means thereby forming a single planar bottom area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventor: Alan Grattan
  • Patent number: 6843384
    Abstract: An internal reinforcement structure of a plastic fuel tank resists deformation of opposing walls of the fuel tank and provides an integral, and directionally sensitive, stress relief feature when pre-determined forces are exceeded. The stress relief feature is contained within a fuel chamber of the fuel tank defined by the opposing walls. Each wall has an inward projecting indentation of the structure which engage one-another at their distal ends or bottom portions, preferably, via a welded plastic engagement area. The indentations have a consistent wall thickness which has a higher cross-sectional area than the stress relief feature causing the stress relief feature to tear as opposed to the tank walls thereby assuring fuel tank integrity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: TI Group Automotive Systems Technology Center GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Schmidt, Klaus Nagler, Hartwig Hartung
  • Patent number: 6843385
    Abstract: Container for electronic apparatus and for tools of one's own or professional use, characterized in that it comprises:—an openable case made up of a first half-shell (2) and a second half-shell (3) which are disposed substantially coplanar and connected to each other via a relevant hinge (4) in correspondence of a common corner, so that they can be disposed at least in a closed configuration in which they are juxtaposed, and an open position in which they are stretched apart;—at least a movable plane (5) able to be positioned internally of said half-shells (2, 3);—means for guiding the movement of said plane (5) relative to said half-shells (2, 3), which means consist of projections or pins (6) slidingly fitted within corresponding guides or slots (7, 8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Editoriale S. R. L.
    Inventor: Chanan Gardi
  • Patent number: 6843386
    Abstract: A collapsible container is provided, the container having a base and two pairs of opposed sidewalls pivotally attached to the base. A latch member is disposed at an end of one of the sidewalls and a latch is pivotally connected to a corresponding end of an adjacent sidewall. The latch has a body with a biasing means attached thereto, for releasably engaging the latch member when the sidewalls are in an assembled position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Norseman Plastics Limited
    Inventors: Narayan Raghunathan, M.U. Don Ogden
  • Patent number: 6840397
    Abstract: Containers for beverages, e.g. cans for soft drinks are provided with a tubular lever arranged on the top part of the can. The lever (L) is mounted with possibility to pivot and once pivoted to pierce by its one extremity (17) the can's top and to perforate it. The piercing extremity (17) is connected to a flexible extension (38) protruding into the can and through which the content of the container can be consumed. In one of the embodiments the extension (38) is formed as folded tubular member made of plastic material. Once the can is perforated the extension is capable to unfold and fall into the can so as to approach the beverage and to allow its consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Inventor: Baruch Rosenberg
  • Patent number: RE38692
    Abstract: A drinking device including a body having an open end and for containing a liquid, and a lid for sealingly closing the open end of the body. The lid has an outlet incorporating a first one-way valve for dispensing liquid from the body upon the application of suction at the outlet and an inlet incorporating a second one-way valve for air intake to automatically balance the internal pressure within the body with external pressure outside the body while liquid is being dispensed. The first valve includes a chamber having a resiliently deformable wall including a hole in communication with the outlet. The hole is normally closed by being pressed against an internal surface of the body by the resilience of the wall and is openable upon the application of suction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Fu Hong Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung Lun Wong