Patents Examined by Kevin P. Shaver
  • Patent number: 9493300
    Abstract: An impactor is externally securable to a container of flowable material to break up bridging or clumping of the material in the container. The impactor comprises a strike plate mountable to an outlet hopper or the like and a drive which axially reciprocally moves the hammer, such that operation of the drive causes the hammer to impact the strike plate to thereby pass vibrations into the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: The GSI Group LLC
    Inventors: Brad Eversole, Thomas D. Fleshner, Thomas Stuthman
  • Patent number: 9486298
    Abstract: Provided is a cartridge assembly comprising a cartridge for containing a dental substance. The cartridge comprises a dispensing opening for the dental substance. Further the cartridge assembly comprises a piston having a receptacle for establishing a screw connection with a spindle for moving the piston for dispensing the dental substance. This assembly helps minimize costs in the manufacturing and use of dental cartridges and/or dental dispensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Marc Peuker, Helmut Pauser, Jens Gramann, Andreas J. Boehm, Manfred Harre
  • Patent number: 9488299
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing flexible pipe body and flexible pipe body of a type suitable for transporting production fluids is disclosed. The flexible pipe body includes an armour layer comprising interlocked windings of armour tape comprising at least one armour locating element and a reinforcement layer comprising a layer of reinforcement tape comprising at least one reinforcement locating element over the armour layer. The armour locating element and reinforcement locating element locate windings of the reinforcement tape with respect to respective windings of the armour tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK Limited
    Inventor: Geoffrey Stephen Graham
  • Patent number: 9481495
    Abstract: A dispensing system which has a dispenser housing assembly, and a bag assembly that fits within the dispensing housing assembly. The bag assembly includes a flexible bag and an integrated spout and valve member. The integrated spout and valve member includes a spout portion which has an annular base flange and a spout body extending therefrom. A valve is positioned within the spout body. The valve including an opening that can be selectively opened to allow the passage of a flowable material from within the flexible bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Scholle IPN Corporation
    Inventors: David Bellmore, Kyle Erickson
  • Patent number: 9469450
    Abstract: An assembly for aseptic connecting of a beverage ingredient container to a beverage dispensing apparatus, having a collapsible sheath of pliable material connecting the container to the dispenser at a distance away from the container. The sheath passes through a conduit of the apparatus to provide an aseptic passageway for fluid from the container to the beverage apparatus. A protective cover houses the collapsible sheath when in a collapsed configuration, and the sheath is brought to a second configuration of an extended length to provide an inner passageway of the fluid to a distal end of the sheath positioned a distance away from the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: PepsiCo, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Jersey
  • Patent number: 9462895
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dispensing device (10) for delivery of items of candy, tea, coffee beans, nuts or the like, said dispensing device comprising: a stationary container (20); a conveyor screw (30) and drive means (50). The conveyor screw (30) comprises a downstream (31) and an upstream member (32) arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis (A) and at least two elongated rods (37) extending helically from the outer periphery of the upstream member (32) to the outer periphery of the downstream member (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: MIXMO AB
    Inventor: Fredrik Junkell
  • Patent number: 9462917
    Abstract: A novel and useful mountable and rotatable fluid dispenser comprises a container or fluid reservoir and a coupler. The container is adapted to be suspended from, and rotationally coupled to, a mounting point selected by a consumer. The container has at least one outlet at a first position on an outer surface thereof. The coupler is located at a second position on the outer surface and attachable by a consumer to the selected mounting point. The coupler is adapted to be re-attachable as desired by the consumer. The fluid dispenser further comprises a position stabilization mechanism for maintaining the user-determined position of the container when not being acted upon, whereby a consumer controls the dispensing of fluid from the container by re-orienting the height of the outlet between any non-dispensing position and any dispensing position without decoupling the container from the mounting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Inventor: Yaffa Sheina Licari
  • Patent number: 9463907
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a combination of a deformable package (20) containing a cream product; and a tool (10) for dispensing the cream product from the deformable package (20) comprising a first member (12) which supports the deformable package (20), and a second member (14) connected to the first member (12) by a hinge (40), wherein the tool (10) is arranged so that, in use, when a user pushes the first and second members (12), (14) towards one another, the deformable package (20) is squeezed between the first and second members (12), (14) to dispense the cream product from the package (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: RECKITT & COLMAN (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Louise Margaret Barlow, Geoffrey Robert Hammond, Jonathan Mark Law
  • Patent number: 9459128
    Abstract: A device for dispensing or receiving a liquid volume includes a liquid reservoir having an outlet, a pressure generator which provides a compressible enclosed gas volume of a constant amount of substance with a pressure, wherein the gas volume is in direct or indirect fluidic contact with the liquid in the liquid reservoir, a dosing device coupled to the outlet of the liquid reservoir and operable in order to enable the liquid to pass the outlet, a pressure sensor arranged to measure a current pressure in the gas volume and to output an output signal indicating the current pressure in the gas volume and a controller coupled to the pressure generator, the dosing device and the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignees: Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft fuer angewandte Forschung e.V., Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg
    Inventors: Peter Koltay, Andreas Ernst, Chris Steinert, Laurent Tanguy
  • Patent number: 9457927
    Abstract: A novel container is described having an outer chamber adapted to hold an amount of a first liquid; an inner chamber displaced within the outer chamber, the inner chamber adapted to hold an amount of a second liquid; and a cap having a mouthpiece adapted to allow the first liquid and second liquid to flow therethrough. The cap may be adapted to allow passage of the first liquid, but not the second liquid, when the mouthpiece is in a first position. The cap may also be adapted to allow passage of the second liquid, but not the first liquid, when the mouthpiece is in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ShotWater, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kenworthy, Nick Trahan
  • Patent number: 9453613
    Abstract: An apparatus configured for displacing fluid from a fluid container comprises first and second actuators configured to be movable together until the first actuator compresses a first part of the fluid container and then moveable independently until the second actuator compresses a second part of the fluid container. Fluid containers comprise a first vessel, a second vessel, and a sealing partition preventing fluid flow from the second vessel and further include piercing means for piercing the sealing partition to permit fluid flow from the second vessel. A fluid container comprises a vessel configured to be collapsed to displace fluid from the vessel, a housing surrounding at least a portion of the vessel, and a floating compression plate movably disposed within the housing and configured to permit an external actuator to press the compression plate into the vessel to collapse the vessel and displace the fluid contents therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: GENMARK DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
    Inventors: David Walter Wright, Dominic Aiello
  • Patent number: 9440781
    Abstract: An example of droplet discharge device includes a discharge path (12) having an end that constitutes a discharge opening (11), a plunger (30), a liquid chamber (50) into which the plunger (30) is inserted, a plunger driving mechanism that moves the plunger (30) forward and backward, and a plunger position determining mechanism that specifies a position of a tip portion of the plunger (30). The liquid material is discharged in a droplet state by applying inertial force to the liquid material with forward movement of the plunger (30) in a state where the tip portion of the plunger (30) and an inner wall of the liquid chamber (50) are not contacted with each other. A minute droplet is formed by moving the plunger (30) forward to push the liquid material out of the discharge opening (11) in an amount necessary to form a droplet of a desired size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: MUSASHI ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Ikushima
  • Patent number: 9440840
    Abstract: A water dispenser includes a raw water container having an inner tube a water outlet port of the raw water container. The inner tube is provided with a stepped portion having a smaller diameter at its portion closer to the interior of the raw water container, and a fastening belt portion formed contiguous to the stepped portion on the smaller diameter side thereof. The water server also includes a joint portion in the form of a cylindrical member including a straight portion (73) configured to be fitted tightly to the fastening belt portion, and provided with a water flow hole formed in a size so as not to cover the entire axial width of the fastening belt portion while the straight portion is being inserted into the fastening belt portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Cosmo Life
    Inventor: Yoshinori Orita
  • Patent number: 9433960
    Abstract: A dosing device for dispensing liquid from a container (1) in which flow through flow openings (23) to an outlet tube (44) is blocked after controlled delay by an obturator (3) moveable within a control chamber (2) mounted in a container neck (101) behind the outlet tube (44). Movement of the obturator (3) is governed by restricted flow through control openings (28) at the rear of the control chamber. Restoration of the obturator to the back of the control chamber facilitates repeated dosing. An elastomeric element (6) of resiliently deformable material promotes a seal to achieve a cleanly defined dose. In one proposal the elastomeric element coats the surface of the obturator and/or the outlet tube (64) to cut off the flow. Another proposal provides a one-way elastomeric valve element (63) for blocking the flow openings to enable rapid recovery after a dosing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Rieke Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Robert Law, Jeffrey William Spencer, David John Pritchett
  • Patent number: 9422102
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing material through a refillable cartridge, comprising a container having a receptacle for receiving a refill cartridge, the container having a lid cooperating with the container to enclose the refill cartridge, the container further comprising an exit port and a channel for communicating material from the refill cartridge to the exit port, and a valve for controlling the flow of material out of the refill cartridge; and a reusable, refill cartridge sized to be received in the receptacle, the refill cartridge including compressed gas and material separated by a bi-conical thruster, the refill cartridge further comprising a first end having a material inlet and outlet manifold, and a second end having a compressed gas inlet. The system's performance can be improved by applying a surface treatment to the wetted surfaces of the system to change the physical properties at the fluid/vessel interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: C.H.&I. TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Lawrence M. Levenstein, Robert D. Thibodeau, Eric A. Williams
  • Patent number: 9415897
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a container assembly having a first container part (2) with a dispensing opening (8), and a second container part (3) with a dispensing opening (9). Thus, the first container part (2) and the second container part (3) can be connected to one another such that the dispensing opening (8) of the first container part (2) points in a first direction and the dispensing opening (9) of the second Container part (3) points in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventor: Jean Paul Corbeil
  • Patent number: 9415990
    Abstract: A bag-in-box system for use in dispensing a pumpable product includes a carton, a flexible thermoplastic pouch disposed in the carton, a spout joined to the pouch, a spout closure, and a pumpable product disposed in the pouch, the flexible thermoplastic pouch including an outer wall including a coextruded film having a polyethylene layer, a tie layer, and a polyamide layer, and a discrete inner wall including an ethylene polymer or copolymer, or a composition like that of the outer wall, the outer wall sealed to the inner wall at the perimeter of the pouch. Optionally, a discrete intermediate wall can be disposed between the outer wall and inner discrete wall of the pouch. The system can further include a pump operatively connected to the pouch and carton to dispense the pumpable product from the pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Cryovac, Inc.
    Inventors: John Richard Campanelli, Thomas Duane Kennedy, Elizabeth Roberson McGee, Daniel Lee McKamy, Jeffrey Linyard Walker
  • Patent number: 9410663
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a fluid module, including a collapsible vessel supported on a planar substrate, comprises a first actuator component configured to be movable in a first direction is generally parallel to the plane of the substrate, a second actuator component configured to be movable in a second direction having a component that is normal to the plane of the substrate, and a motion conversion mechanism coupling the first actuator component with the second actuator component and configured to convert movement of the first actuator component in the first direction into movement of the second actuator component in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: GENMARK DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
    Inventors: David Walter Wright, Dominic Aiello, Robert Clark
  • Patent number: 9403290
    Abstract: A valve for forming a foam from a fluid, the valve includes an outer valve wall including a first end and a second end in fluid communication with each other and defining a chamber within the valve; an air intake bore intermediate outer valve wall first end and outer valve wall second end that provides fluid communication between a space outside of valve and the chamber; and at least two barriers within the chamber, wherein each of the at least two barriers defines an aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Inventor: Scott Frailey
  • Patent number: 9404579
    Abstract: A sealing device is suitable, for example, for conducting verification and testing of fluid-tightness, and includes a body supporting an end piece equipped with a gasket. The gasket presents an outer surface in which at least one area is in the form of a truncated cone. A sealing method concerns the sealing of an aircraft pipe presenting an opening arranged behind a wall, with the aid of a sealing device as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)
    Inventor: Stéphane Mateo