Patents Examined by Melvin Cartagena
  • Patent number: 7287673
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a refill container unit for an automatic dosing device. The purpose of the automatic dosing device is to control the dosing of stored material kept inside the container unit. The object of the container unit according to the invention is to achieve an agitating and transporting, cleanable and switchable storing arrangement for the automatic dosing unit. The refill container unit therefore comprises an agitating part (14) enclosed by a receptacle (1). The agitating part (14) agitates and feeds the material. Shaped as a pot containing the material, the agitating part (14) can also be lifted out of the receptacle (1) and cleaned or replaced by another pot. As an alternative the whole refill container unit can be replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Hakan Miefalk, Linda Menrik
  • Patent number: 7284681
    Abstract: A self-standing type bag-shaped vacuum container has a self-standing container including a wall formed of a soft sheet, a pouring port, and a check valve mounted in the pouring port. The check valve is opened to allow the migration of a content of the container when subjected to a pressure in the pouring direction, but is closed when subjected to a pressure in a filling direction, so that the inside of the container is evacuated. The self-standing container can be optimized for storing beverages or the like which are negatively effected by contact with air, because the content will be oxidized with the air. The vacuum type container will not lose its self-standing property even if the content is reduced, and can stand stably by itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventor: Tadashi Hagihara
  • Patent number: 7275662
    Abstract: A bottle support device for supporting a water bottle at angle to facilitate dispensing water in the water bottle. The bottle support device includes a body member comprising a first end and a second end. The body member tapers from the second end to the first end. The body member is designed for being positioned on a shelf of the refrigerator. The body member is designed for being positioned under the water bottle whereby the body member supports the water bottle at an angle to concentrate the water around a water nozzle of the water bottle to allow the pressure from the water to increase the rate at which water is dispensed from the water nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Inventor: Steve Milcetich
  • Patent number: 7261226
    Abstract: A closure for a container having a foil or membrane sealed opening. The closure includes a cap, a spout and a stem. The stem includes a downwardly extending piercing structure adapted for piercing the foil or membrane of the container upon rotation of the spout relative to the cap. The cap includes a cap top, a cap skirt depending from the cap top, an open sleeve and a stem guide. The open sleeve has an inwardly extending thread adapted to detachably engage the container. The open sleeve extends upwardly from the cap top. The stem guide extends along an internal surface of the sleeve. The spout rotatably engages the sleeve and includes a spout top having an aperture, an outer spout skirt and an inner skirt. The outer skirt depends from the spout top radially outward of the sleeve and rotatably engages the sleeve. The inner spout skirt depends from the spout top radially within the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Portola Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Adams, Mike Xiaoli Ma
  • Patent number: 7237693
    Abstract: A dual fluid cartridge for storing and dispensing fluids in unequal ratios is disclosed. The dual fluid cartridge disclosed defines two fluid chambers for a fluid to be held in greater amount and defines another fluid chamber for a fluid to be held in lesser amount. The two fluid chambers holding the fluid of greater amount are in fluid communication with one another through a delivery channel. Because of this arrangement, the dual fluid cartridge is very suitable and highly effective in situations where a dual fluid cartridge is needed to store and dispense fluids of unequal ratios (e.g. a 10:1 ratio, a 9:1 ratio, an 8:1 ratio, a 7:1 ratio etc.). With such an arrangement, the amount of space wasted in the cartridge is minimized, which maximizes the amount of fluids that can be stored in the cartridge. As a result, the total final product that can be dispensed from the dual fluid cartridge is also maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Tah Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Brennan, Phillip W. Hamilton, Jason E. Henning, Daniel William Mottram, Dwayne J. Pulcine, Robert W. Springhom
  • Patent number: 7228993
    Abstract: A food seasoning quantitative dispenser includes a body, a supporter, a center rod, a cap unit and a base. The body has a chamber for storing seasoning, and a conical neck. The supporter has plural feet, an annular wall, a central tubular member and an outlet between the feet, and located under the conical neck. The center rod has two flanges, an annular groove between the flanges and a bottom hole for a spring to fit in. The cap unit has a cap body, a button and a stop disc. When the button is pressed down, the center rod is moved down to let the seasoning fall down through the open bottom of the body and received in the base closed on the bottom of the body. The fallen amount is definite for one time of pressing, so a user can adjust the amount by repeating pressing the button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Inventor: Heng-Te Yang
  • Patent number: 7228994
    Abstract: A delay flow water reservoir for a clothes dryer cabinet and method of use is provided. The delay flow reservoir has a container having an opening and a cap engaging the opening. The cap has a delay chamber with a drain opening, a seal covering the opening with first and second seal holes, and the delayed flow reservoir. The delay chamber fills with water from the container before draining into the clothes drying cabinets. The method of using the delay flow water reservoir permits the user to fill a container while in an upright position and then moving the delay flow water reservoir to an overturned dispense position. The method permits water to drain into the delay reservoir rather than out the drain opening while the user moves the reservoir into operational communication in the clothes drying cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Bethany C. Noyes, Dennis S. Prows, Don J. Rydberg
  • Patent number: 7216782
    Abstract: A dispenser has a syringe having a nozzle at one end thereof and a plunger fitted in the syringe from the other end of the syringe. One end of a pipe is connected to a portion of the syringe between the one end and the other end of the syringe. A liquid material tank is connected to the other end of the pipe. The liquid material tank is arranged so that a level of the liquid material in the liquid material tank is higher than in the syringe. The dispenser can be used for drip injection method for producing a liquid crystal display device to stably drip droplets of a liquid crystal onto a substrate of a liquid crystal display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sugimura, Satoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kida, Shota Makimoto
  • Patent number: 7216780
    Abstract: Dilute chemical carrying systems include multiple embodiments of pressurizable and gravity feed reservoirs, and are provided for support and carriage of a segregated accommodation space, in some cases separately provided and in others integrally provided, for metered introduction of a concentrate into such reservoir. The structures both provide storage for concentrated chemical containers, and metered measurement while eliminating waste, make up time and minimizing contact between workers and the chemicals or nutrients in their concentrated state. Metering may be preferably provided by a pump assembly, and operational blocking of the pump assembly may be provided in separate or integrated structures. A concentrate container system enables users to recycle sealed containers to even further eliminate the necessity to directly handle concentrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventors: Andrew Durant, David Millar, Steven Baranek
  • Patent number: 7207467
    Abstract: Devices which contain tactile and visually readable identifying indicia to assist the visually handicapped in identifying room numbers and the contents of items such as condiment shakers and liquid containers. The visually readable indicia allow a sighted person to correctly associate the device with the proper item to be identified. The devices take the form of bands which fit around the condiment holders, tags which may be attached to items by tying or adhering, and sleeves which may partially or fully surround the item. The identifying devices for room numbers may be clip-on sleeves for doorknobs or plates which attach to peep-hole tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Inventor: Arjuna Raja
  • Patent number: 7204394
    Abstract: A container for storing and dispensing liquids such as gasoline has a gate valve wherein the gate valve comprises a thin, substantially flat slide member optionally angled at a portion thereof. The gate valve member is slidably positioned within a similarly shaped channel formed into a surface of a reservoir (storage) portion of the container, or other area of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Inventor: Douglas Mac Tackett
  • Patent number: 7178699
    Abstract: The present invention provides a faucet for tapping a liquid stored under pressure of a gas in a container that has less moving parts subject to wear or breakage, and has a housing made of multiple parts which can be disassembled so the faucet mechanism can be easily cleaned, repaired, or replaced. The faucet mechanism contains a piece of flexible tubing and an arrangement of a pinch valve mechanism that compresses the flexible tubing to shut off flow of liquid through the tubing. In one arrangement of the present invention, since the housing does not move and does not come in contact with the beverage being poured the housing is made of a non-metallic material, such as a plastic or petroleum-based material, which is less expensive than the previous brass or stainless steel housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Spray, Rex Loyd McAffee
  • Patent number: 7178701
    Abstract: The invention relates to a metering pump comprising a pump barrel (1) housing a dose chamber (32) and control means that can be moved between a discharge position and a rest position. The inventive metering pump is characterised in that the control means comprise: a push rod (2); a piston (3) that can slide in relation to the push rod (2) and in relation to the pump barrel (1) all the while remaining in permanent contact with said two elements; and an elastically-deformable annular valve (4) that rests permanently against the push rod (2). The control means are moved between the rest position and the discharge position in two steps; the push rod (2) slides in relation to the piston (3) in the pump barrel; and subsequently the push rod (2) and the piston (3) slide jointly in the pump barrel (1) and discharge opening (42) is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Inventors: Daniel Crosnier, Jean-Marie Dulery
  • Patent number: 7175054
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing sanitized water in a cabinet and spigot type bottled water dispenser features an ozone generating system to generate ozone for sanitizing the water. Ozone is generated and collected within an ozone generator housing. A blower transmits air to the ozone generator housing. The air carries the ozone that is generated through a flow line to an air diffuser that is positioned upstream of the spigot (or spigots) used to dispense water. In one embodiment, a valve that is activated on the spigot to dispense water also activates the blower and ozone generator. In other embodiments, a flow sensor activates the ozone generator and blower. Various spigot and flow sensor arrangements are disclosed as a part of the overall apparatus and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: S.I.P. Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Davis, James J. Shelton
  • Patent number: 7152767
    Abstract: A guarantee closure having a closure body with a guarantee foil and a pour-out spout as well as a closure cap fitting onto the closure body. The pour-out spout is arranged on the closure body such that it may be pivoted up. The guarantee foil, by pivoting-up the pour-out spout into the pour-out position, is cut open and thus frees the passage to the pour-out spout. The closure body comprises a relief for receiving the guarantee foil and forms above the relief, by two shoulders arranged over one another and distanced from one another, a free space for receiving the lying pour-out spout. This is enclosed and held by a film-hinge material bridge which in the lying condition connects the two shoulders with a surface which seen from the outside is concave and on the upper side of the lying pour-out spout runs together to a point which defines the pivoting axis of the pour-out spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: SIG Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Fritz Seelhofer
  • Patent number: 7143911
    Abstract: A closure for a liquid container comprising a base including a conduit extending therethrough, the base further including a substantially tubular spout guide and a plug positioned radially within the tubular spout guide, and a substantially annular spout mounted to the tubular spout guide for reciprocation between an open and a closed position, the spout including an annular wall and an annular deck extending radially inwardly from an upper end of the annular wall forming a central orifice, where the plug includes a leading end and an annular, outer seal surface that is received within, and blocks the central orifice when the spout is in the closed position and that is removed from the central orifice when the spout is in the open position, and where at least a substantial portion of the outer circumferential seal surface of the plug is axially recessed with respect to the tubular spout guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Creative Packaging Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Stoneberg, Terry E. Kubitz, Dennis J. Tortorella
  • Patent number: 7140516
    Abstract: The invention pertains to an emptying device for large-volume receptacles which consists of an auxiliary transport apparatus that is composed of at least four uprights, on the lower ends of which one respective stacking leg is arranged and in the lower end of which one respective lifting mechanism is arranged. This lifting mechanism can be connected to the carrying straps of the large-volume receptacle by means of carrying strap holders, wherein the uprights are respectively connected to one another by means of transverse braces in their lower region in order to accommodate a bottom plate. The bottom plate contains a central opening for accommodating a shutter mechanism with a shutter that is situated in a base plate arranged on the bottom plate and can be actuated by means of a hand crank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Inventors: Kerim Patrick Bothor, Olaf Torge
  • Patent number: 7124917
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages so as to enable easy and convenient drinking of liquid beverages contained in the container through an associated straw and easily dispense the liquid beverages into another container. The spout assembly includes a main body coupled on a top of a container, a fluid spout assembly having a first fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can flow out of the container in a state where the container is inclined and a second fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can be socked in a state where the container vertically stands; and a cap coupled to the fluid spouting assembly. The fluid spout assembly can be folded on a folding portion or be elected so that the user can drink or dispense the liquid beverages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Inventor: Jung Min Lee
  • Patent number: 7124914
    Abstract: A manually operated vertically reciprocated pump dispenser has a simplified construction with two separate pumps that pump two separate liquids from a container and keep the two separate liquids separated from each other as they are pumped through the dispenser, mixing the liquids for the first time in a discharge passage of the dispenser just prior to the mixed liquids being discharged from the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: ContinentalAFA Dispensing Company
    Inventors: Donald D. Foster, Philip L. Nelson
  • Patent number: RE39431
    Abstract: A kettle is provided which includes a body defining a storage unit and including a spout coupled to the body and defining an opening. The kettle also includes a handle having first and second ends and coupled to the body for rotation about a second axis disposed between the first and second ends and engageably coupled to the spout lid, wherein the rotation of the handle in a first direction causes movement of the lid to its open position and rotation of the handle in a second direction causes movement of the lid to its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
    Inventors: Mark Naden, Donald Strum