Patents Examined by Leonard J Weinstein
  • Patent number: 8070464
    Abstract: While ceramic materials possess properties that make them suitable for use in fuel system components, they tend to be susceptible to failure when exposed to tensile stresses. The retention system described herein helps to reduce the tensile stresses experienced by a retained member by providing a retained member with an engagement structure, a multi-piece retention ring that engages the engagement structure, a resilient member coupled to the retention ring, and a retainer coupled around at least a portion of the retention ring and resilient member and spaced apart from the retention ring and/or resilient member by a gap. The retained member, retention ring, resilient member, and retainer are configured so that the retention ring is moveable in an axial direction relative to the retained member and so that the movement of the retention ring acts to expand the resilient member against the bias provided by the resilient member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Marian B. Grant, Rahul H. Gramopadhye
  • Patent number: 8011901
    Abstract: A pump has a pump barrel formed from a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section. Each section has a biased piston moveable within the section and the pistons are connected together to form a variable volume chamber between the pistons. As the connected pistons move toward the larger diameter section, a volume of fluid is moved through an inlet valve into the variable volume chamber of increasing volume. When the pistons are moved toward the smaller diameter section, a differential volume of fluid is discharged from the variable volume chamber of decreasing volume through a discharge valve into a discharge conduit. The pistons are actuated to move within the pump barrel by application and release of pressure at a remote end of the discharge conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Suncor Energy Inc.
    Inventor: Grant Duncan
  • Patent number: 7988430
    Abstract: A linear compressor is provided. The linear compressor may include a cylinder in which refrigerant flows in an axial direction, a piston that reciprocates within the cylinder so as to compress the refrigerant, and a linear motor that drives the piston. At least one of the cylinder or the piston may be sintering molded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Seok Kang, Yang-Jun Kang, Min-Woo Lee, Chul-Gi Roh
  • Patent number: 7980832
    Abstract: A stationary structure is mounted on the floor of an ocean or other body of water subject to wave motion. The structure provides a floatation body that moves with the waves and is able to drive a sealing plate in a compression chamber. When the water level changes, or wave action magnitude changes, a second sealing plate is able to move automatically to maintain a constant size of the compression chamber. Air compressed in the chamber is let into a tank to maintain a constant elevated pressure in the tank and the air pressure is used to power a turbine to generate electricity. In an alternate embodiment, a mechanical linkage drives the turbine directly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Inventor: Ned M. Ahdoot
  • Patent number: 7972119
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a swash plate, a suction pressure region, a suction throttle valve, an oil reservoir, a lubricating oil passage, a gas flow passage, a communication passage, and a throttle mechanism. The suction-pressure region includes a suction chamber and a suction passage. The suction throttle valve is arranged in the suction passage and defines an upstream suction-pressure region and a downstream suction-pressure region. The lubricating oil passage connects the oil reservoir to the upstream suction-pressure region. The gas flow passage connects the crank chamber to the suction chamber. The communication passage connects the lubricating oil passage to at least one of the downstream suction-pressure region, the gas flow passage and the crank chamber. The throttle mechanism is provided in the lubricating oil passage between the oil reservoir and a position where the communication passage connects to the lubricating oil passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Taro Ozeki, Yoshinori Inoue, Suehiro Fukazawa, Masaya Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7967576
    Abstract: The invention concerns an operating unit to generate a flow of air under pressure in aerosol therapy equipment, comprising a pump group (12) powered by a motor and having a head (19), with an air inlet duct (22) complete with filter (24) and an air outlet duct (23). The pump group is enclosed in a body made up of two shells, top and bottom, (13, 14) which overlap and fit together on a transversal plane at the level of their edges. The shells forming the body receive and hold the air inlet duct (22) with filter, the air outlet duct (23) and a plate with socket and switch following their overlapping for automizable assembly of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Flaem Nuova S.p.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Abate, Luigi Abate
  • Patent number: 7967574
    Abstract: The invention concerns a variable pump or hydraulic motor with a drive shaft with a first axis of rotation and first plungers connected to the drive shaft and rotatable around the first axis of rotation. A port plate mounted in the housing can rotate around an axis intersecting the first axis, for adjusting the stroke volume. The port plate positioning drive comprises two counter-acting hydraulic actuators acting on the port plate in the direction of the first plungers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Innas B.V.
    Inventor: Peter A. J. Achten
  • Patent number: 7955057
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medical pump, especially for water jet surgery, in which a pump unit is assembled as a single use article and can be reversibly connected to a pump actuating device. Within the pump, the pump actuating device is also used to open up the connection between the pump unit and the pump actuating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: ERBE Elektromedizin GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kuehner, Martin Hagg, Jochen Queck
  • Patent number: 7954674
    Abstract: A pump comprising a tubular body delimiting internally a metering chamber and comprising an inlet orifice, an inlet valve, a stem mounted so as to be able to move inside the body and comprising an actuation tube delimiting an outlet duct, an insert assembled to the actuation tube and comprising a base placed inside the metering chamber and facing the inlet orifice, and a discharge orifice, an annular piston mounted so as to slide inside the body and on the stem, the piston and the base comprising annular surfaces suitable for forming a discharge valve, a ball-and-socket joint being arranged between the insert and the actuation tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Rexam Dispensing Systems S.A.S.
    Inventors: Christophe Roy, Yohann Langlois
  • Patent number: 7950907
    Abstract: A fluid fuel pump and its electrically driven brushless motor are located at opposite ends of a common housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nagata, Shinji Sumiya
  • Patent number: 7946831
    Abstract: To improve a compressor for refrigerant, comprising an outer casing, a scroll compressor disposed in the outer casing, a drive unit, disposed in the outer casing, for the second compressor body, having an eccentric drive, a drive shaft running in lying arrangement or approximately horizontally in the outer casing and a drive motor, which includes a stator and a rotor seated on the drive shaft, as well as a lubricant supply, in such a manner that the minimum possible quantity of lubricant is required, it is proposed that a lubricant collection space is disposed in the outer casing, that the lubricant supply has a delivery wheel which delivers lubricant from a delivery sump into a feed space for the drive shaft, and that a lower pressure prevails in a lubricant delivery space accommodating the delivery sump than in the lubricant collection space, so that the lubricant which collects in the lubricant space, on account of the pressure difference, passes into the delivery sump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Roller, Gernot Balz, Thomas Varga
  • Patent number: 7931452
    Abstract: A compressor has a suction throttle valve, which includes a suction passage, a suction port, a valve body, an urging member, a valve chamber, a first communication hole, a closing valve and a valve seat. The closing valve closes the hole of the valve body by pressure difference between the valve chamber and the suction port. The valve seat limits movement of the closing valve toward the suction port. The hole of the valve body is closed when the closing valve is in contact with the valve body, and open when the closing valve is in contact with the valve seat. A communication passage is formed in the closing valve or the valve seat, which enables communication between the hole of the valve body and the suction port when the closing valve is in contact with the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Sokichi Hibino, Shiro Hayashi, Masaki Ota
  • Patent number: 7927082
    Abstract: A highly efficient fluid pump and pumping method are disclosed. The pump includes a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder defining a first and second volume in the cylinder, and a motive actuator for driving reciprocatively a rod attached to the piston at a rate of substantially sinmx for x=0 to ?, where m is a number greater than one, during a power stroke of that piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: GTH Water Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Haudenschild
  • Patent number: 7922466
    Abstract: The invention relates to a radial fan (1), preferably a high-speed radial fan, comprising a blower wheel (8), a housing (2) which receives a rotor (6) and a stator (5) of an electrical drive (4) of the blower wheel shaft (7), and a cooling system. The aim of the invention is to develop one such radial fan in terms of the cooling system required. To this end, paths (30, 37) for a first cooling medium (K1) and a second cooling medium (K2) are provided in the housing (2), the second cooling medium (K2) being cooled by the first cooling medium (K1) as provided for by the housing (2), and the paths (30, 37) are separated from each other by intact material walls (40) of the housing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Gebr. Becker GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Radermacher, Frank Diedrichsen, Achim Von Kathen
  • Patent number: 7922462
    Abstract: The invention provides a pump assembly comprising an actuator lever, a supporting structure, a pump comprising a pump member moveable by actuation of the actuator lever, and an actuator for moving the actuator lever. A first stationary pivoting joint is formed between the actuator lever and the supporting structure, and a second floating pivoting joint is formed between the actuator lever and the pump member allowing the pump member to float relative to the actuator lever, the floating pivoting point providing a constant-length actuator arm defined between the first pivoting joint and the second pivoting joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
    Inventors: Jan Harald Preuthun, Ole Christian Nielsen, Steffen Hansen, Bjørn Gullak Larsen, Henrik Bengtsson, Leif Johannsen, Finn Jensen
  • Patent number: 7909588
    Abstract: Portions of the drive system for a piece of rotating equipment are pre-assembled into a subassembly. The subassembly can be held together by a carrier that is fabricated to accept the components in a proper alignment so that the carrier can be installed as a unit. In one embodiment, the carrier becomes a gearbox housing component that is installed, saving the need for individual component alignment. This modular approach allows an assembly having a single part number to apply to a given compressor unit and further allows standardization of air ends of compressors with specific impellers and inlets added to meet requirements of a specific application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Edward S. Czechowski, Robert Small, John R. Battershell, Robert M. Kolodziej
  • Patent number: 7909586
    Abstract: A fan includes a frame, a stator and a rotor. The stator is disposed in the frame, and the rotor is disposed in the frame and coupled with the stator. The rotor includes a connecting element, an impeller and a shaft. The connecting element has a flange. The impeller is disposed on a periphery of the connecting element. The flange is embedded with the impeller. One end of the shaft is connected to the connecting element and the impeller is rotated when the shaft rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Po-Hao Yu, Wen-Shi Huang
  • Patent number: 7901191
    Abstract: An enclosure (100) comprising a wall structure (110) defining a container space (112) and electronic devices (114) contained within this space (112). The wall structure (110) includes an entrance for providing an operative fluid (e.g., a heat-transfer fluid) into the container space (112) and an exit for draining the operative fluid therefrom. The wall structure (110) includes an inducement chamber that, when a motive fluid is introduced through an inlet (120), produces a differential pressure that induces the operative fluid in the container space (112) to flow through the exit to an outlet (122). The wall structure (110) can be at least partially constructed from a stack (400) of plates having openings and grooves forming the inlet, the outlet, the entrance, the exit, the fluid circuits, and the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Parker Hannifan Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew M. Odar, Rex J. Harvey, Michael A. Benjamin, Peter V. Buca
  • Patent number: 7896624
    Abstract: A method of running a down hole rotary pump using a top drive, sucker rod or any drive shaft from surface. A first step involves providing a gear box having an input end and an output end. The gear box is being capable of receiving an input of a first speed at the input end and producing an output of a second speed which is one of either faster or slower than of the first speed at the output end. A second step involves positioning the gear box down hole with the input end coupled to a remote lower end of a sucker rod and the output end coupled to a rotary activated pump. A third step involves applying a driving force to the sucker rod to rotate the sucker rod at the first speed, with the rotational force being transmitted to the rotary activated pump through the gear box which rotates the rotary activated pump at the second speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventor: Pradeep Dass
  • Patent number: 7878773
    Abstract: An improved peristaltic pump whereby the elastomeric tubing communicates with the peristaltic pump in a way that allows for axial movement of the tubing thereby extending the flex life of the pump tubing. A tubing element is fitted with a flange that allows tension to be applied to the tubing in a way that changes depending upon the location of the rotor at any given time. The tension can be applied via an elastic material located between the flange and the housing or between the housing and a device that communicates with the flange. The dynamic tension reduces the amount of stress on the tubing material when the rollers first engage the tubing on the suction side of the pump and when they depart the tubing on the discharge side of the pump. The invention is particularly useful for materials that have limited axial flexibility and for those with very large axial flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Maztech, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Allen Zumbrum, George H. Coates, III