Patents Examined by Matthew Gitlin
  • Patent number: 9869095
    Abstract: A roof-mounted venting device or assembly adapted for use with roof mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels is provided. Venting devices and assemblies can include a replacement flashing that fits over a cut-down roof pipe vent as well as venting assemblies that redirect airflow from a roof pipe vent. Such replacement flashing can include a substantially planar flashing portion from which protrudes a hood portion with one or more vent openings to allow airflow into and out from the interior of the hood portion. The vent openings can be configured as a series of louvered openings that open in a down-roof direction to prevent flow of run-off and debris into the hood portion. Venting assemblies can include a coupling portion for mating with a vent-pipe, a section of hose or piping to redirect airflow, and a venting portion disposed outside or between roof-mounted solar panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Jack Raymond West, Brian Atchley, Johann Karkheck
  • Patent number: 9856663
    Abstract: A truss setting bracket and a method relating to setting a truss using the truss setting bracket are disclosed herein. In various embodiments the truss setting bracket includes an elongated body member, a first cradle, a second cradle, an elongated catch guide, and a locking arm. The second cradle may include the elongated catch guide on a first finger and the locking arm on a second finger. In various embodiments, the method of setting the truss may include sliding the truss setting bracket over a desired location next to a first truss, lifting the first truss towards a second truss, and removably locking the truss setting bracket to a desired location next to the second truss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Raymond E. Koetter
  • Patent number: 9849750
    Abstract: A mounting structure of two resin components includes a primary component including an insertion piece extendedly provided from a base portion, and an engagement recessed portion formed in the insertion piece; and a secondary component formed capable of being mounted to the primary component and including an insertion portion configured to guide the insertion piece formed at the base portion, an engagement protruding portion formed in the insertion portion and configured to fit into the engagement recessed portion of the insertion piece, and a restriction wall configured to cover a root side of the insertion piece inserted into the insertion portion, and in a top plan view, a width of the restriction wall being gradually decreased toward a direction separating from a side where the primary component is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9840288
    Abstract: A joint for a motor vehicle body comprises a first structural member fabricated from aluminum attached to a second structural member fabricated from steel. The second structural member has an adjoining portion that is in substantially juxtaposed abutting relation with the first structural member when the second structural member is attached to the first structural member. The second structural member has a ramp portion terminating in a bare exposed edge on the second structural member and upon which the bare exposed edge is disposed. The bare exposed edge is displaced from the first structural member to form a gap between the first structural member and the bare exposed edge to prevent corrosion of the bare exposed edge without the use of adhesives and sealants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dragan B. Stojkovic, Colleen Marie Hoffman, Kimberly Ann Lazarz, Jack Lashbrook, Chris Verschaeve
  • Patent number: 9840847
    Abstract: A curved staircase including a double helix form with no center support column includes a plurality of stair segments, wherein each of the stair segments is formed from a plurality of rods coupled to a plurality of connecting nodes. The plurality of rods are arranged in a skewed tetrahedral geometry, which causes the plurality of stair segments to form a helical structure when the plurality of stair segments are coupled together. The plurality of rods form a spine on an underside of the plurality of stair segments. A tread is coupled to each of the stair segments. In alternate embodiments, the curved staircase may be formed from sheet metal creased to form a plurality of linear support locations and connecting nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Inventor: Moritz O. Bergmeyer
  • Patent number: 9828768
    Abstract: A concrete slab system includes a bed of a first concrete having a top surface and edge surfaces. The bed's top surface has shrinkage cracks and induced cracks. The widths of the induced cracks are greater than widths of the shrinkage cracks. Non-concrete material is disposed on the bed's top surface and on each of the bed's edge surfaces. A second concrete covers the non-concrete material and the bed. The second concrete has stretchable fibers mixed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ductilcrete Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: S. Allen Face, Gregory M Scurto
  • Patent number: 9821693
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to bearings, guide sleeves and head restraint assemblies for automobiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN PERFORMANCE PLASTICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy J. Hagan, Abe Sanchez, Paul Haines, Heiko Jessler, Brandon S. Murphy, Vincent DiMartino, Chloe Echikson
  • Patent number: 9816310
    Abstract: A door assembly providing a door frame including an inside steel panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a C-shaped section extending about a periphery thereof with a portion of the C-shaped section extending in part parallel to the inner surface of the inside steel panel; an outside steel panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a C-shaped section extending about a periphery thereof with a portion of the C-shaped section extending in part parallel to the inner surface of the outside steel panel; an insulating material interposed between respective C-shaped sections of the inside steel panel and the outside steel panel to thermally isolate the inside steel panel and the outside steel panel from each other, and said inside steel panel and outside steel panel being secured together at respective C-shaped sections to form the thermal break system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Donatello Doors Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Haynes
  • Patent number: 9816263
    Abstract: A pre-fabricated dome and a spherical structure include strut assembly sets, into which glass panels or synthetic resin transparent plates are to be inserted, are assembled into 5 sets of hexagonal modular assemblies around a pentagonal assembly to build a primary pentagonal modular assembly, and further 5 sets of primary pentagonal modular assemblies, into which upper and lower, (outer and inner) struts are assembled in 2 layers (of outer and inner walls), are interconnected to build a semi-spherical dome, and if 12 sets of primary pentagonal modular assemblies are assembled, a solid cylindrical structure can be built to provide a perfect block between the outdoor and the indoor so that the room temperature will not be affected at all by the outdoor temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventor: Yeon Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 9809358
    Abstract: An interbox connector used in intermodal transportation systems is provided. The interbox connector is adapted to secure a top container to a bottom container in which the top container and bottom container each have corner castings. A plate is configured to be positioned between a corner casting of the bottom container and a corner casting of the top container prior to the top container being stacked on the bottom container. A first latch extends upwardly from the plate in which the first latch is configured to be disposed in the corner casting of the top container. A second latch extends downwardly from the plate in which the second latch is configured to be disposed in the corner castings of the bottom container. Placement of the top container on top of the bottom container causes the second latch and the first latch to automatically rotate and secure the top container to the bottom container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Mi-Jack Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Lanigan, Sr., Martin C. Conneally, Antonio Carlos Callado Souza, Jason Schmidt, Kevin Gerald Muszynski
  • Patent number: 9809945
    Abstract: A frame has a crosspiece with a pair of longitudinal branches, and is used for installing an adapter on earth moving equipment. This equipment has an implement support structure with one or more bearing plates for accommodating azimuthal rotation of a working implement. This working implement is removed from the implement support structure before attaching a frame there. The frame's crosspiece has walls that engage the bearing plates on the implement support structure. An adapter is rotatably mounted on the frame. Any one of a plurality of working accessories can be selected and installed on the adapter. For equipment that originally lacked bearing plates, a cross member with bearing plates is provided in a kit. The frame will then attach to the kit's cross member and to the implement support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Middleton
  • Patent number: 9803375
    Abstract: Floor panels are provided with a mechanical locking system including a flexible locking element in a locking groove which during a horizontal motion is displaced vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: VALINGE INNOVATION AB
    Inventor: Darko Pervan
  • Patent number: 9797140
    Abstract: A skylight assembly, having framing members that define an interior space and rafters that span the interior space between framing members, for supporting panes of glass, each pane having at least one structural glass panel and a thermal panel. The framing members each have a vertical portion and support assembly extending inwardly, including an upper support surface, a lower support surface, and a vertical step therebetween. A glass setting block made of a rubbery material rests upon the upper support surface, vertical step, and lower support surface. The structural glass panels are fully supported by the upper support surface. The thermal panel is supported by the lower support surface, and is sealed to the upper support surface by a spacer, forming an insulating glass unit therewith. The full support of the structural glass, independent of the support of the thermal panel, allows the skylight to be thermally insulated and walkable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventor: Wayne Conklin
  • Patent number: 9795060
    Abstract: A modular thermal isolation barrier for use in sealing gaps in a data processing equipment structure includes an extruded edge seal and a panel. The extruded edge seal has a seal portion and a base portion with one or more channels. An edge of the panel is disposed within one of the one or more channels of the base portion of the edge seal such that the edge seal is seated against the edge of the panel with the seal portion in position to abut, and establish a seal with, an adjacent structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Chatsworth Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Blaine Greeson, Steven J. Gibble, Joshua James Young, Jared Keith Davis
  • Patent number: 9790731
    Abstract: Fenestration units with spacer blocks and methods of manufacturing the same are described herein. The fenestration units may include shim wedges that cooperate with the spacer blocks to raise the fenestration unit within a rough opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ANDERSEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Corey Bishman, Jeremiah Boe, Duane Fier, Todd E. Dombrock
  • Patent number: 9783992
    Abstract: A spacer for use in spacing a cladding component from a building component has a support member, a base spaced apart from the support member, the base having a contact surface facing away from the support member, a web connected between the support member and the base, and a guide configured to locate the cladding component on the support member. A plurality of the spacers can be used by resiliently deforming them to accommodate and retain by restorative bias force a corresponding plurality of portions of the cladding component. Thereafter, the spacers are secured to the building component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Cascadia Fiberglass Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Bombino, Kevin Joseph Michael Ganzert, Warren Samuel Knowles, Edward Peter Thiessen, Michael James Wilson
  • Patent number: 9777502
    Abstract: A multi-level (ML) fulfillment center is designed to accommodate landing and takeoff of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), possibly in an urban setting, such as in a densely populated area. Unlike traditional fulfillment centers, the ML fulfillment centers may include many levels (i.e., stories, floors, etc.) as permitted under zoning regulations for respective areas. The fulfillment center may have one or more landing locations and one or more deployment locations to accommodate UAVs, which may delivery at least some of the items from the fulfillment center to locations associated with customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Christopher Curlander, Asaf Gilboa-Amir, Lauren Marie Kisser, Robert Arthur Koch, Ricky Dean Welsh
  • Patent number: 9777487
    Abstract: Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system on long and short edges allowing installation with vertical snap folding that could be accomplished automatically without tools and where the short edge locking system has a tongue made in one piece with the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: VALINGE INNOVATION AB
    Inventors: Darko Pervan, Marcus Nilsson Ståhl
  • Patent number: 9777531
    Abstract: A spacer member, for allowing a walkable skylight with an insulating glass unit to be created with a structural glass panel and a thermal glass panel. The spacer member includes a slab part and a tube part having substantially the same thickness. The tube part is hollow, containing desiccant material for absorbing moisture within the insulating glass unit. The spacer members may be joined together to create a spacer frame. The spacer frame defines an inner rectangular region. When the spacer frame is sealed between the structural glass panels and the thermal glass panel, an air gap is created within the inner rectangular region. The desiccant material effectively removes moisture from air within the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventor: Wayne Conklin
  • Patent number: 9777931
    Abstract: An underlayment system is provided that includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a common base member. The protrusions and base member can include an opening therethrough that allows for subsequent layers of material, such as adhesive, to interact and bond to each other. The protrusions are arranged in such a way to contain a wire, string, or heating element, within a receiving area. The arrangement of the protrusions allow for routing of the wire, string, or heating element in a variety of angles, bends, and other routing layouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: PROGRESS PROFILES SPA
    Inventor: David D. Larson