Patents Examined by Lisa Douglas
  • Patent number: 5570842
    Abstract: A typical solenoid-operated fuel injector comprises a housing forming an enclosure which contains a solenoid coil that is selectively energized by electric current to operate the fuel injector. An inlet connector tube extends into a stator to convey liquid fuel into the enclosure, to a valve via which fuel is ejected from the enclosure. A valve needle is disposed within the enclosure between the stator and the valve and is operated by the solenoid coil acting through a spring-biased armature to open and close a flow path through the enclosure between the inlet connector tube and the valve. The stator forms a portion of a magnetic circuit path that directs magnetic flux across a working gap that is disposed within the enclosure between an end of the stator and on one side of the armature wherein the one side of the armature causes impact forces to be exerted axially on the stator during the opening and closing of the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventor: David W. Kindley
  • Patent number: 5570816
    Abstract: A device to be used for making and combining warm sterile water with dry baby formula. Device must contain a source of water (10), enough to fill at least one bottle to desired amount and to properly combine with formula. A heating device (30) is contained in order to sterilize water by boiling it. A cooling device (50) within the unit brings down the temperature of the water to recommended mixing temperature with dry formula. Enough dry formula is contained to produce at least one bottle. A releasing device is provided to release recommended amounts of both water and dry formula directly into a bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Inventor: George LaBarbera, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5566886
    Abstract: A gardening-used variational sprinkling head with fully discharging openings, composed of a variational water-discharging cover and a base member associated therewith. The sprinkling head is associated with a sprinkling gun. The sprinkling gun has an inner water outlet. The water-discharging cover is formed with radial ribs inward projecting from inner periphery thereof to define several fully discharging openings. A circular mesh plate is placed within the radial ribs. Six different variational sprinkling holes and two close holes are integrally annularly arranged on a central portion of the mesh plate. The six variational sprinkling holes respectively have six rearward extending hollow posts which respectively abut against six water inlets annularly arranged on the base member. The base member is connected with the mesh plate by ultrasonic fusion and spaced from the radial ribs by a space so that water can pass through the fully discharging openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Yuan Mei Corp.
    Inventor: King-Yuan Wang
  • Patent number: 5562162
    Abstract: An improved portable fueling facility for aircraft or ground vehicles includes, in the disclosed embodiments, at least one storage tank, an outer tank for providing secondary containment about the storage tank, a number of saddle members for supporting the outer tank on a flat horizontal surface, and a pump for dispensing fuel. In one embodiment, a system is provided for suppressing combustion that might otherwise occur within the storage tank. To minimize heat transfer from outside the facility into the storage tank, fire-retardant insulation material is positioned between the storage tank and the outer tank. In addition, a heat sink may be positioned between the two tanks to intercept heat that would otherwise flow to the storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: U-Fuel, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Michael Webb
  • Patent number: 5562235
    Abstract: An apparatus disposed within a pressurized container for enabling product contained in the container to be dispensed at a predetermined constant pressure, which apparatus includes a vessel having first and second enclosures housing pressurized gas and a member exposed to the pressure in the container. Fluctuations of the pressure in the container cause the member to move to a first position when the pressure in the container equals the predetermined pressure and to a second position when the pressure in the container is below the predetermined pressure. Pressurized gas passes from the first enclosure to the container when the member moves to the second position, the passage of which is prevented when the member moves back to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: Rudiger J. C. Cruysberghs
  • Patent number: 5562252
    Abstract: A water cannon jet diffuser including a flexible tether, a diffuser head, an apparatus for storing and paying out the flexible tether, an apparatus for retaining the flexible tether to the cannon barrel, a motor for rewinding a reel, manual controls for controlling the motor, and a brake apparatus for controlling the rate of pay out of the flexible tether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: William H. Dunn
  • Patent number: 5560543
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for making uniformly-sized and predictably-spaced droplets from high-temperature liquids. Liquid droplet generators having electromechanical driving elements are coupled to a power supply to apply pulsed excitation forces through a wall of a delivery tube to a high-temperature liquid, e.g., a liquid metal, epoxy, or polymer. The excitation forces generated by the driver induce capillary vibrations in the liquid within the delivery tube. Liquid jet streams having capillary vibrations when exiting an orifice break up into groups of substantially uniformly-sized liquid droplets shortly after leaving the orifice. Droplets may be produced in a uniformly-spaced series, or individually on demand in response to a single burst of force from the driving element. A heat source is also thermally coupled to the delivery tube to maintain the liquid in a high-temperature state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Charles V. Smith, John W. Priest, Patrick N. DuBois
  • Patent number: 5560518
    Abstract: Delivery apparatus for a flowable material such as toothpaste wherein a two part container is employed, thereby to form a dispenser of which one part is replaceable to renew the contents. A preferred embodiment is a sachet (450) progressively rolled up with a roll-up spring (Tensator) within a housing (418, 426) which is openable to enable the sachet to be replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Cambridge Consultants Limited
    Inventors: Clive P. A. Catterall, Ian M. D. Gaylor, William G. Dando
  • Patent number: 5558250
    Abstract: A device for use in dispensing the contents of a collapsable tube, the device including a shaped spring clip the ends of which are inserted into the ends of a slotted member so that in use a folded tail of the collapsable tube is inserted into the slotted member, when the slotted member is rotated the spring clip contacts the exterior of the tube forcing it to wrap around the slotted member and if the cap of the tube is removed, material is dispensed from the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Inventor: Paulus Manders
  • Patent number: 5558278
    Abstract: The invention concerns a shower nozzle (7), equipped with two apertures (12) and (13), one for drainage and one for ventilation, at least the former of which being bigger than the spray perforations (9), which, inside the rose (4), emerge from an inclined surface (8) that counteracts the build-up of lime scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: A.B.G. S.r.l.
    Inventor: Massimo Gallorini
  • Patent number: 5558277
    Abstract: A pneumatic applicator for shear thinning viscous coating materials that includes a nozzle having a through material opening, and a distal end surface at an outlet end of the nozzle, an air operated system for dispensing viscous material at a steady rate through the nozzle, and an air directing housing defining, with the outer surface of the nozzle, an air chamber around the nozzle. The air directing housing includes a front end having a distal surface and defines an air outlet opening for the air chamber from an inner surface to the distal surface of the air directing housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ian R. Owen, Alan G. McKown
  • Patent number: 5556011
    Abstract: A container is provided for dispensing measured amounts of flowable solid material. The container includes a storage chamber, a measuring chamber having a predetermined volume and communicating with the storage chamber to be filled therefrom, and a dispensing chamber for receiving the measured volume of material from the measuring chamber while surplus material is returned to the storage chamber. A second measuring chamber may be provided to reduce the amount of the measured volume prior to dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Inventors: Robert M. Jennings, David A. Jennings
  • Patent number: 5556009
    Abstract: An adjustable, battery-powered, constant pressure gun for dispensing viscous materials such as caulk and adhesive. The gun includes a housing having a handle, an operator-actuated trigger, and a battery compartment with power supply terminals. A motor mounted within the housing drives a dispensing mechanism. The flow of current through the motor is controlled by an electronic switch. A current-to-voltage converter including a low-pass filter is coupled to the motor and provides a feedback pressure signal representative of the actual dispensing pressure as a function of the current drawn by the motor. A set-point voltage signal representative of a desired dispensing pressure is provided by an operator-adjustable pressure control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Wagner Spray Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew R. Motzko
  • Patent number: 5553790
    Abstract: Orifice elements for use in valves for injecting fuel or a fuel-gas mixture. The orifice elements include two silicon plates, joined to one another. An upper plate has one or more injection orifices. The lower plate has a through hole introduced in it, through which a fuel jet can emerge. The lower plate follows in the downstream direction and includes a jet splitter. The jet splitter divides the through hole into at least two passthrough openings so that a dual-jet characteristic is produced or maintained for the valve. At least two conduits are formed between the upper plate and the lower plate. Gas is provided via the conduits and is mixed with the fuel discharged through the injection orifice. The injection orifice and the valve are particularly suited for injection systems of mixture-compressing internal-combustion engines having externally supplied ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Guenther Findler, Juergen Buchholz, Udo Jauernig
  • Patent number: 5553789
    Abstract: A silicon orifice element includes an upper silicon plate and a lower silicon plate. A liquid can be injected through injection orifices of the upper silicon plate. Recesses which form air conduits are present in the lower silicon plate. The atomization and spray angle of the liquid stream passing through the injection orifices can be influenced by certain arrangements of the air conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Guenther Findler, Juergen Buchholz, Udo Jauernig
  • Patent number: 5553782
    Abstract: An improved atomizer removes deposits from the end cap. The atomizer housing carries a flow of atomizing slurry. A spraying head is connected at one end of the housing and an end cap is connected to the spraying head. A plurality of exit orifices are provided in the end cap for discharging atomized slurry into a flue gas. A connecting ring is detachably engaged with the end cap and has a elastomeric diaphragm for covering an outer surface of the end cap. Energizing fluid is provided through the sprayer head and end cap for expanding the diaphragm away from the end cap surface for releasing particles which adhere to the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Morten Licht, George B. Watson, Robert B. Myers, Dennis W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5551602
    Abstract: An apparatus for storing and dispensing beverages comprising an outside casing including top and bottom sections, a flexible inner container inside the casing, and a dispensing tube for conducting a beverage from the inner container. The bottom section of the outside casing includes a base and forms an outlet region, and the top section of the outside casing is removably supported by and extends upward from the base and defines a casing interior. The base of the bottom section includes an upper outside circumferential edge, and the top section of the casing includes a lower lateral edge extending around the outside circumferential edge of the base in a contacting, sealing relationship therewith. The flexible inner container is disposed in the casing interior, is comprised of a thin, flexible and collapsible material, and defines a container interior for holding a beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Jacobs Suchard, AG
    Inventors: Frithjof Kurtzahn, Wolfgang Heilmann
  • Patent number: 5551606
    Abstract: A funnel dispenser has a funnel portion to receive flexible pouches containing liquid products, a spike at the bottom of the funnel portion to puncture the flexible pouches and a pouring spout beneath the spike. The dispenser avoids having to cut a corner off a flexible container or pouch and hold it while it empties. The pouch sits in the dispenser and drains while being supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Inventors: Charn Rai, Barry R. Wertz
  • Patent number: 5551598
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring and displaying a time interval between a valve closure and subsequent termination of a flow at a spigot is provided. The apparatus has magnetic sensors coupled to a flow regulating valve for providing a signal indicative of a solenoid-activated valve closure and detectors for determining fluid flow. The detectors have an infra-red light source and associated photo-sensor mounted near the water outlet spigot such that when a fluid flow is present at the spigot, the fluid reflects light from the infra-red light source so that the associated photo-sensor provides an output signal. A differential amplifier compares the photo-sensor output signal with a constant to determine a water run condition. Logic circuitry is connected to the comparison signal output to provide a timer actuation. The timer measures and displays the time interval between a valve closure and subsequent termination of flow at a spigot. The apparatus may be embodied as a hand-held or stationary unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Thad J. Cutsinger
  • Patent number: 5551634
    Abstract: In a fuel injection nozzle for an internal combustion engine with a fuel injection opening including a nozzle opening control needle with a body portion with discharge openings whose size depends on the axial displacement of the nozzle opening control needle and with means for limiting the axial displacement of the nozzle opening control needle, a hollow nozzle needle is disposed around the stem of the nozzle opening control needle and forms at its end a fuel control valve seat for controlling fuel flow to the fuel injection opening and a control space is provided at the end of the hollow nozzle needle opposite its valve seat which is in communication with a pressurized fuel supply for holding the hollow nozzle needle in a seated position but from which the pressure can be released to permit lifting of the hollow nozzle needle by pressurized fuel supplied to the seating area end of the hollow nozzle needle whereupon the pressurized fuel released through the fuel control valve displaces the nozzle opening cont
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz A.G.
    Inventors: Alois Raab, Klaus Binder, Ulrich Augustin