Patents Examined by Matthew O. Savage
  • Patent number: 11608284
    Abstract: A system (10) for washing items (12) with purified water alone, comprising a washing machine (11), a water purification apparatus (19), and a reservoir (20) for storing purified water, wherein the water purification apparatus (19) comprises a reverse osmosis device (26) and first and second deionizing materials. The washing machine (11) comprises a container (13) for receiving the items (12) to be washed, and said container (13) is arranged with an inlet connected to the reservoir (20), so that the items (12) are washable inside the container (13) with the purified water. The system (10) further comprises a tank (24) for collecting used water from the container (13), wherein an inlet of the tank (24) is connected to an outlet of the container (13). The system (10) also comprises a sediment filter (28) for filtering off particulate solids from the used water, wherein the sediment filter (28) is arranged between the tank (24) and the water purification apparatus (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SWATAB SCANDINAVIAN WATER TECHNOLOGY AB
    Inventor: Per Hansson
  • Patent number: 11339358
    Abstract: Pouring spouts used to filter bottled liquids as they are poured from a bottle containing such liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventor: Andrew Leverich
  • Patent number: 11319220
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods to remove organic and/or inorganic compounds (e.g., contaminants) from water containing organic and/or inorganic compounds, involving contacting the water with an effective organic and/or inorganic compounds removing amount of hemoglobin/Fe3O4 composite where the compounds in the water adsorb onto the hemoglobin/Fe3O4 composite, and removing (e.g., using a magnet since the composite is magnetic) the hemoglobin/Fe3O4 composite from the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by The Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Matthew Essandoh, Rafael A. Garcia
  • Patent number: 11299404
    Abstract: A reactor system may comprise a housing; and a condensation catalyst layer within the housing comprising a condensation catalyst comprised of at least one of a base-substituted zeolite, a stannous salt, or a phosphonitrile chloride. The condensation catalyst layer may be configured to catalyze a condensation reaction of a plurality of silane diols in water flowing through the housing into a plurality of siloxanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: John W. Steele, Barbara M. Peyton, Tony Rector
  • Patent number: 11298680
    Abstract: A retention media for removing substances from water that includes an aggregate; at least one granular adsorbing material capable of adsorbing nutrients and metals; and a psyllium, wherein the psyllium performs as a binder to adhere the at least one granular adsorbing material to the aggregate to form a high permeability media mix is disclosed. A method of manufacturing a media mix is disclosed that includes creating a dry mixture of aggregate, at least one granular absorbing material, and a psyllium; and saturating the dry mixture with water to create a bond between the at least one granular absorbing material, and the aggregate via the psyllium thereby forming a high permeability media mix (HPMM). A method of using a media mix to reduce concentration of substances in water includes installing materials over granular adsorbing material, aggregate; and psyllium to reduce concentration of phosphorous or nitrogen or metals in the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, PAVERGUIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Allen P. Davis, Travis Ostrom, Charles White
  • Patent number: 11286190
    Abstract: The invention discloses and claims various methods for the treatment of various wastewater streams of varying chemical composition using sonication in combination with a variety of other methods, including nucleation, ozonation, flocculation, clarification, adsorption, polishing, and filtration. The methods disclosed and claimed are useful in the treatment of industrial wastewater, brackish water, seawater, and for the treatment of oil and gas-well water as well as wastewater from hydraulic gas-fracturing processes for the production of oil and natural gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Columbia Water Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Roberts, Lee Shull, Michael P. Mehlhoff
  • Patent number: 11274048
    Abstract: A portable water filtration apparatus has a top panel, a mounting surface, an electric pump mounted to the mounting surface, at least one filter, and at least one filter housing coupled to the top panel, with the at least one filter filtering water from the pump. The portable filtration apparatus has a housing, such as a bucket, to fully contain the components and which may be used for collecting either filtered or unfiltered water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Inventor: Robert Maughan
  • Patent number: 11261104
    Abstract: Oil-absorbent skimmers of the present invention include an upper oil-absorbent flotation head that floats on water and several absorbent strands attached to the underside of the flotation head. The flotation head has a liquid-permeable cover with absorbent strips inside. The absorbent strips and strands are made of oil-absorbing materials that resist absorption of water. The passive oil-absorbent skimmers may be free-floating and may be used in stormwater catch basins, water holding tanks, vaults, sumps, bilges and the like for capturing hydrocarbons such as oil and oil-based liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: New Pig Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew James Riley, Benjamin David VanOuse
  • Patent number: 11260324
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a filtering apparatus (1) for the filtration of liquids, in particular water. It comprises, inside a container (11), a first chamber (50) intended to receive liquid to be filtered, a second chamber (54) intended to receive filtered liquid, a first porous wall (51) and a second porous wall (53) which delimit a filtration chamber (40) between them. The first porous wall (51) divides the first chamber (50) from the filtration chamber (40) and the second porous wall (53) divides the second chamber (54) from the filtration chamber (40), so that the filtration chamber (40) is interposed between the first chamber (50) and the second chamber (54). A granular filter material (4) is housed in the filtration chamber (40) and is enclosed between the first porous wall (51) and the second porous wall (53).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventor: Filippo Bussinelli
  • Patent number: 11253799
    Abstract: A filtration device comprising a media basket, a baseplate, and a canister. The media basket is affixed to the baseplate. The canister has a cavity therein and is detachably coupled with the baseplate to enclose the media basket. The media basket contains a porous filtration material that efficiently removes contaminants from liquid. The device is configured to establish a first siphon to convey liquid from outside the device into the canister cavity through a canister pipe when a liquid level outside the filtration device is higher than the top of the weir in the canister pipe and configured to establish a second siphon to convey liquid from canister cavity through the top of a center riser pipe and out an outlet pipe when the first siphon has been established and the liquid level outside the filtration device is higher than the top of the center riser pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeff Mason
  • Patent number: 11235984
    Abstract: A water treatment device can include a main body in the form of a main chamber and having an upper portion, a lower portion, a main inlet for receiving a flow of water into the main body and a main outlet for discharging a flow of water from the main body. In some embodiments an insert member disposed within the main chamber at the upper portion includes a return and bypass channel providing fluid communication between the main inlet and the main outlet. In some embodiments a filter assembly disposed within the main chamber and below the insert member includes a treatment chamber in fluid communication with the main inlet and is adapted for filtering water that flows through the filter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Charles Kelly, Peter Baker, Anton Bardak
  • Patent number: 11235988
    Abstract: The inventive subject matter disclosed herein includes multiple novel filter media made of activated rice husks, as well as filtration systems and methods for removing contaminants from an aqueous solution, such as wastewater produced as a byproduct of various industrial processes, including mining, oil and gas exploration and extraction, farming, manufacturing, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Glanris, Inc
    Inventors: L-Yu Lin, Thomas W Volinchak
  • Patent number: 11235307
    Abstract: A synergistic composition can be used to treat water containing nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds. The synergistic composition includes iron filings, clay particles, aluminum particles, and sand particles. The iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles act synergistically to remove nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds from water. Specifically, the clay particles attract the nitrogen compounds and the phosphorus compounds to be absorbed onto a surface of the iron filings and the clay particles. The aluminum particles react with the nitrogen compounds via an oxidation reaction to form ammonia compounds, and react with the phosphorus compounds to produce aluminum phosphate. As such, the synergistic relationship between the iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles remove nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from water and recover the compounds in usable forms, namely, ammonia and aluminum phosphate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista
  • Patent number: 11234681
    Abstract: Provided are fish tank effluent sampling systems, e.g., for use in recirculating aquaponics systems, methods of using same for sampling effluent, and kits for assembling such an effluent sampling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Michele T. Jay-Russell, Esteban Soto Martinez, Elizabeth Antaki-Zukoski, Christopher Zukoski
  • Patent number: 11224855
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to a carbon-based boron removal medium with hydroxyl group and amine group, and in particular, to a method for forming the carbon-based boron removal medium. In various embodiments, nitrogen-doped (“N-doped”) graphene oxide is synthesized by a simple two-step process: (1) oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide, and (2) nitrogen-doping (“N-doping”) the graphene oxide to form the amine group. The resultant N-doped graphene oxide can efficiently remove boron from aqueous solutions. The invention also generally relates to a boron sensing medium and its use in conductometric measurement techniques to detect and measure the amount of boron present in aqueous solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
    Inventors: Fuming Chen, Hui Ying Yang
  • Patent number: 11219298
    Abstract: A method of forming a hybrid, hand-held drinking bottle includes connecting a top element to a bottom element to form a seam therebetween. The top element includes a top wall extending around a top axis, and a top opening extending within the top element between opposed ends of the top wall. The top element is formed from a material that is of a first hardness. The bottom element comprises an end wall, a bottom wall extending around a bottom axis, and a bottom opening extending between the end wall and an opposing end of the bottom wall. The bottom element is formed from a material that is of a second hardness less than the first hardness. The top opening is in communication with the bottom opening when the top element is connected to the bottom element. The method further includes over molding a collar around the seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Aqua Fix USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Pasupathicoil Ramaswamy Soundar Rajan, Sowmya Soundar Rajan
  • Patent number: 11203533
    Abstract: A method of removing from water at least one of algae, bacteria, toxins produced by algae, toxins produced by bacteria, and algae nutrients by placing an open-cell foam material into the water, leaving the material in the water for sufficient time to adsorb/absorb at least one of algae, their toxins, and their nutrients, and then removing the open-cell foam material from the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Inventor: Scott C. Smith
  • Patent number: 11203849
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed here include a containment system and methods of containment which may include a segmented buoyant rim. Certain embodiments also include an inflatable rim with at least one inflation/deflation valve in the rim segments and ballast in the rim segments. Additionally, certain embodiments include material connected to the rim segments, to enclose a void created in the rim and to hang below the buoyant rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Innermost Containment Systems L.L.C.
    Inventor: Michael Zlotkin
  • Patent number: 11198622
    Abstract: A water purification system, a water dispenser and a washing basin applying the same for purifying a raw water to be treated without filtering to a usable fresh water. The water purification system includes a water filtering device coupled to a water intake to filter a raw water to be treated; a first water storage tank coupled to the water filtering device for storing the raw water after being filtered; a nebulization device coupled to the first water storage tank for nebulizing the raw water after being filtered into a water fog; a condensation device coupled to the nebulization device for condensing the water fog; and a second water storage tank coupled to the condensation device for storing a recycled water generated by condensing the water fog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignees: Ginger Water Processing Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lin-Song Weng
  • Patent number: 11198625
    Abstract: A system and method for backwashing a sand filter in a wastewater treatment system. In one aspect, the invention can be a system for backwashing a sand filter comprising: a sand filter configured to remove solids from an untreated wastewater; a container storing chlorine fluidly coupled to the sand filter by a chlorine supply manifold; a flow control mechanism positioned on the chlorine supply manifold between the container and the sand filter, the flow control mechanism alterable between a first position whereby chlorine cannot flow from the container to the sand filter and a second position whereby chlorine flows from the container to the sand filter, the flow control mechanism being biased into the first position; and a processor operably coupled to the flow control mechanism and configured to automatically actuate the flow control mechanism into the second position upon detecting that the sand filter is being backwashed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Gerard Willem Smiddy, Frank Leslie Smiddy