Patents Examined by Lien T Ngo
  • Patent number: 7766197
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing a viscous material in a selected one of a multiplicity of configurations comprises a container for a volume of a viscous material and having a squeezable body and a neck with a discharge opening at its upper end. Engaged on the container is a closure body of generally circular cross section having a top wall and a skirt, and the top wall has a discharge passage therethrough aligned with the discharge opening of the neck. The body top wall has a generally circular recess therein extending from the periphery thereof and beyond the discharge passage of the closure. Disposed in the circular recess is a generally circular rotating disc which has a multiplicity of discharge openings spaced about the disc in a circular array, and the discharge openings have a multiplicity of configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Silgan Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen B. Getsy
  • Patent number: 7766189
    Abstract: A removable and replaceable dispensing head for a fluid dispenser system adapted to deliver the fluid to a user includes a hollow shank extending on an axis. A shank hub is attached to the hollow shank, and an aperture aligned with the hollow portion of the shank extends through the shank hub. A first fixed body is removably attached to the shank hub, the first fixed body and shank hub each having corresponding first attachment means arrayed in a predetermined pattern. A fluid conveyance path is provided through the hollow shank, first fixed body and shank hub. A second fixed body is provided having a second attachment means arrayed in the same predetermined pattern, the second attachment means corresponding to the first attachment means in the shank hub enabling removable attachment of the second fixed body to the shank hub upon removal of the first fixed body from the shank hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Technical Concepts, LLC
    Inventors: Robert K. Shaw, Mario E. Semchuck, Don C. Arnold
  • Patent number: 7762437
    Abstract: A container for liquids and a lid for the same are shown and described. The disclosed embodiments incorporate a container and a lid, the lid having: a base removably, sealably coupled to the container; a mouth adapted to facilitate drinking and/or pouring liquid out of the container; and a valve member positioned therebetween. The valve member is rotatable between an open orientation in which an aperture in the valve member aligns with openings in the base and mouth, and a closed orientation in which the aperture does not align with one or both of the openings. A handle/actuator can be used to manipulate the valve member, and can be oriented to function as a handle for the container when the valve member is in the closed configuration, and to be moved out of the user's way when the valve member is in the open orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Chef'n Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Holcomb, Jason O. Germany, Adam A. Jossem
  • Patent number: 7762432
    Abstract: A pack with a hydration system is disclosed. The hydration system includes a reservoir and a hose. The reservoir comprises a front side and a rear side that maintain a fixed cross section as liquid is filled and/or drained from the reservoir. Also, as the reservoir empties, the rear side contracts towards the front side, which displaces the center of mass of the reservoir closer to a wearer's back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Fidrych, Tory M. Cross
  • Patent number: 7762438
    Abstract: A closure body has a closure deck with a dispensing orifice. A lower peripheral skirt depends from the closure deck and is configured to be mounted on a container. A closure cap has an upper wall and a wall flange which depends from the upper wall. A hinge structure joins the wall flange to the lower peripheral skirt. A latch recess is defined within the lower peripheral skirt. A latch protrusion is located on the wall flange of the cap and positioned respectively positioned above the latch recess when closure cap is in a closed position. The latch protrusion and the latch recess define interfitting mating formations which engage to secure the cap to the closure body when the closure cap is in an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Polytop Corporation
    Inventor: Clifford W. Skillin
  • Patent number: 7762431
    Abstract: A refrigerated liquid dispenser is disclosed. The dispenser has a pump configured for being in fluid communication with a source of a liquid product; a dispensing faucet configured for being in fluid communication with the pump, the dispensing faucet including a cold maintenance device located near the distal end of the dispensing faucet and an insulator device disposed adjacent to the cold maintenance device. The cold maintenance device has a distal end that projects beyond a lower surface of the insulator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Automatic Bar Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Tuyls, Antonio J. Jepson, John Dewing
  • Patent number: 7762435
    Abstract: A process for the manufacture of dispensing apparatus includes moulding a first component including a tubular outlet and moulding a second component about the first component. The first component is moulded in a first material and the second component is moulded in a second material, where the first material comprises a less rigid material than the second material. The first component is moulded with the tubular outlet in an open configuration and the moulding of the second component compresses the tubular outlet to a closed configuration. The tubular outlet is elastically deformable, by the application of pressure to the tubular outlet, from the closed configuration to the open configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Plasticum Group BV
    Inventors: Paul Ippolito De'Padova, Mark Anthony Ian Gidlow
  • Patent number: 7762430
    Abstract: A closing element for a packaging for receiving liquid or paste-like material, especially for film bags, and having a closable spout member, a weld member adjoining the closable spout member, and an outlet channel which extends through the weld member and the spout member, and also a film bag comprising such a closing element. To improve the pouring characteristics and for an easier emptying of the contents of the bag, the outlet channel in the weld member extends at least in part in funnel-like manner towards the spout member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Deutsche Sisi-Werke GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Wild, Erhard Schwartz
  • Patent number: 7757902
    Abstract: A dispensing assembly has a ferrule and collar for maintaining a coupling of a dispensing module to a receptacle neck. The ferrule has an annular plastic skirt open on one end, and plastic nibs extending radially inwardly from the skirt inner surface. The skirt outer surface is a regular polygon with flat surfaces between corners. The collar has a Nomar edge defining an annular recess adjacent the open end with an annular face facing the collar other end. At least the corners of the skirt open end extend radially outwardly into the annular recess of the collar inner surface when the dispensing assembly is secured to the receptacle to retain the collar on the ferrule while the dispensing assembly is secured to the receptacle by the ferrule nibs beneath the flange of the receptacle neck. Installation involves pushing the collar and ferrule onto the receptacle neck with the collar in a raised position on the ferrule, and then pushing the collar down relative to the ferrule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: EMSAR, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell E. Bevans, Franco Di Mascio, George R. Trepina
  • Patent number: 7753233
    Abstract: A spout unit having a tamper-evident function so that it is easy to determine visually that a sealed cap is opened when the cap is unsealed, wherein strong force is not needed to open while modification of moderate curve in convex from an easy-to-break portion of a tamper-proof ring is corrected when the spout is sealed with the cap, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hosokawa Yoko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Umenaka
  • Patent number: 7753231
    Abstract: A beverage dispenser has a faucet with a spout, a fitting for connection to a beverage supply, and a lever operated valve. A servo motor, coupled to the lever, operates the faucet and proportionally controls the flow of the beverage. That proportional flow control manages the amount of beverage foaming. A flow sensor has a magnetic turbine within the faucet and a Hall effect element that magnetically senses turbine motion and produces a signal indicating an amount of beverage flow. A keypad enables service personnel to designate various portions of the beverage to automatically fill serving containers of different sizes. A control circuit responds to activation of the keypad and to the flow sensor by operating the servo motor to dispense the related quantity of the beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Berg Company, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas E. Giles, William L. Pursell, Neil D. Roiland, David Timpel
  • Patent number: 7748574
    Abstract: A spring mechanism comprising an elongate cantilevered spring member extending along a longitudinal coupled at a first end to a first member and with a distal, second end of the spring member engaging a second member such that the spring member biases the first and second members relative to each other. The spring member has an unbiased condition and being resiliently deflectable generally normal to its longitudinal to assume deflected conditions from which the spring member inherently attempts to return to its unbiased condition. The longitudinal of the spring member preferably remains disposed in a flat plane in deflecting of the spring member between the unbiased condition and the deflected conditions. The spring member preferably has, in cross-section normal to its longitudinal, a shape including two legs disposed to lie in planes parallel the flat plane and joined by a bight normal to the flat plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: GOTOHTI.COM
    Inventors: Heiner Ophardt, Abdul Vali Syed, Andrew Jones, Tony Kortleve-Snider
  • Patent number: 7748569
    Abstract: A hanging spice dispenser comprises a plate assembly and a container assembly for storing spices. The plate assembly comprises a non-magnetic planer plate and a plurality of magnetic elements embedded at pre-determined locations. The container assembly comprises a generally cylindrical spice container, a removable cap and a magnetic element. Magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element of the container assembly and the magnetic element of the plate assembly is exerted when the container assembly is placed in proximity to the plate assembly. The container assembly is capable of detaching from the bottom surface of the plate assembly when force is applied to the container assembly. The removable cap and the plate assembly form self-seal in order to prevent air and moisture from entering into the generally cylindrical container. This invention relates to spice dispensers, and the principal use of the invention is for dispensing spices in a kitchen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Go Simon Sunatori
  • Patent number: 7743945
    Abstract: A dispenser includes a dispenser housing, a key device adapted to be mounted to a container and an indicating device. The key device is moveable between an engaged position wherein it is engaged with the indicating device and a disengaged position wherein it is disengaged from the indicating device. In other aspects, a resilient, flexible cap is fixedly secured to the dispenser housing and covers the container and prevents the valve stem from being disengaged from the dispenser housing. In another aspect, a dispenser housing has at least one guide and a connector has at least one arm having a catch portion. The arm is disposed through the at least one guide with the catch portion engaged with the guide such that the valve stem is prevented from being disengaged from the dispenser housing. In yet another aspect, a catch portion engages a ferrule portion of the container such the valve stem is prevented from being disengaged from the dispenser housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Trudell Medical International
    Inventors: Winston Lu, Mark Pickard
  • Patent number: 7740154
    Abstract: A pump dispenser has a large ergonomic actuator designed to ergonomically deliver a composition to a substrate in the consumer's hand without the consumer having to pick up the pump dispenser. The ergonomic design allows the composition to be delivered in a proper aspect ratio to the substrate. The composition can be delivered in such a way that the composition is not aerosolized into the air or delivered to an unintended surface. The method of delivery can be made intuitive to the consumer by providing an actuator skirt that suggests the pumping mechanism or by providing a depiction of a hand or substrate over the pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is also useful for compositions or substrates that are not stable together. The pump dispenser may be designed with refill bottle fitment such that only certain refill bottles may fit into the pump dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: The Clorox Company
    Inventor: Timothy James Kennedy
  • Patent number: 7735691
    Abstract: An insulated beverage dispenser (10) with an outer housing (24) having reinforcing cavities (86) and reinforcing ribs (88) on a canted surface (92) of a top closure (78) with a peripheral edge that is sealed to a cylindrical outer housing body, and a cylindrical reinforcing collar to resist distortion that is fitted over an integrally formed inner liner (48) in spaced relationship to provide a gap (52) that is evacuated to approximately 8%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Food Equipment Technologies Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Zbigniew G. Lassota, Christopher J. Wierzbicki
  • Patent number: 7735688
    Abstract: A manually operated, vertically reciprocating liquid pump dispenser is removably connectable to a bottle containing liquid and simultaneously pumps liquid from the bottle and air from the exterior environment of the dispenser and mixes the liquid with the air to produce a foam that is dispensed from the dispenser. The dispenser includes a closure connector and a rotatable collar on the connector that provides a mechanism for venting the interior of the bottle to the exterior environment of the dispenser while avoiding leakage of the liquid from the bottle, and also incorporate a mechanism for locking the dispenser to prevent unintended pumping of liquid from the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Meadwestvaco Calmar, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald D. Foster, Philip L. Nelson
  • Patent number: 7735686
    Abstract: A vacuum controlled valve mechanism providing two separate one-way valves, one for each of a pair of collapsible fluid containing reservoirs with each valve being in an initial sealed condition preventing flow therethrough until by operation of the pump mechanism a threshold vacuum is exceeded and with the threshold vacuum of a first of the valves being greater than the threshold vacuum of the other, second of the valves. When the threshold vacuum of the first valve is exceeded, that first valve separately permits dispensing of fluid from its reservoir under vacuum conditions less than the threshold vacuum of the first valve and the second valve until the first reservoir is substantially empty after which further operation of the pump mechanism creates a vacuum which exceeds the threshold vacuum for the second valve after which the second valve permits dispensing of fluid from the second reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Gotohti.com Inc.
    Inventor: Heiner Ophardt
  • Patent number: 7726525
    Abstract: A tap (1) is disclosed for dispensing liquids from a vessel, composed of: a body (3) made in a single piece comprising: a supporting member (5) from which a liquid dispensing mouth (7) and air entering mouths (9) project; a resilient thrusting member (11) that allows/prevents the dispensing of liquids; and winged abutting means (12); and a valve member (14) contained inside the body (3) and adapted to engage at one end the outlet mouth of the vessel in order to open/close it, and adapted to further engage the resilient member (11) to open and close the liquid dispensing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Vitop Moulding S.R.L.
    Inventor: Diego Nini
  • Patent number: 7717296
    Abstract: A portable, flexible, fabric-composite-based, tank system with internal baffles capable for transporting water and other liquids on a non-dedicated truck is herein disclosed. A heavy textile tank is impregnated with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is available in multiple sizes capable of being transported by pickup, flatbed or tractor-trailer trucks. The fabric tank have a series of internal inflatable baffles to aid in the stability of the tank by preventing sloshing of the liquid contents while traveling with the tank partially filled. The internal baffles inflate to sizes large enough to force liquids out of the tank through the discharge valve by displacing fluid with air without the need for a pump. When finished with use, the fabric tanks can be cleaned, dried, and collapsed for storage, thus allowing the truck's transport platform to be used for other tasks if necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Inventor: Jarred W. Guthrie