Patents Examined by Michael A Laflame, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10875439
    Abstract: A split-type car cigarette lighter includes a cigarette lighting device and a car charging device movably connected to the cigarette lighting device. The cigarette lighting device includes a first housing formed a first receiving room therein for receiving a first PCB and a battery therein, and a heating plate electrically connected to the first PCB. The battery is tightly fixed with the first housing and electrically connected to the first PCB. Both the heating plate and the first PCB are tightly fixed with the first housing. the heating plate is electrically connected to the at least one electrical contact when the cigarette lighting device is partially received in the first mounting recess and movably connected to the second housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN JIEMEISI INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Liming Wang
  • Patent number: 10874141
    Abstract: A vaporizer may include a battery housing and a cartomizer connectable to the battery housing. A battery may be housed within the battery housing. The cartomizer may have a cartomizer body dimensioned to hold a vaporizable substance. The cartomizer may also include a heating element to heat the vaporizable substance. A cutoff device may be connectable to the heating element to disrupt the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: VMR Products, LLC
    Inventor: Jan Andries Verleur
  • Patent number: 10875623
    Abstract: A heated floor panel assembly for aircraft includes structural layers made of a fiber matrix and a high temperature thermoplastic resin. The structural layers are within the heated floor panel assembly to protect the other assembly components from damage and absorb stress. The heated floor panel assembly further includes a heating layer with a heating element, an impact layer, and a core layer to take shear stress exerted on the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Hu, Nathaniel Ching, Wenping Zhao, Casey Slane, Galdemir Cezar Botura
  • Patent number: 10871327
    Abstract: A waterless portable precision heating device includes an ingredient container to contain a food-related, a health-related, or a crafting-related ingredient; a thin heating element configured to surround and contact the ingredient container; an insulation layer configured to surround and contact the heating element; an outer shell surrounding the insulation layer; a lid that encloses the product container and fluidly seals it from the environment; at least one sensor configured to detect the temperature of the device; and a circuit board with a controller that controls the heating of the heating in response to signals received from the at least one sensor indicating whether the product container has reached a threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Ardent LLC
    Inventor: Shanel A. Lindsay
  • Patent number: 10869575
    Abstract: The present application discloses an automated cooking system comprising: a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking container and a stirring motion mechanism configured to produce a motion in the cooking container; ingredient containers; an dispensing apparatus to dispense the food ingredients from an ingredient container into the cooking container; a transfer apparatus to move an ingredient container; food canisters; a cooking container unloading mechanism to dispense cooked food from the cooking container to a food container; a receiving apparatus to hold a plurality of food containers; a transfer apparatus to move a food container; a cyclic transport apparatus configured to move food containers; a lid apparatus; and, a cleaning apparatus to wash or otherwise clean the cooking container after a cooked food is produced. A computer system with algorithms is configured to control these mechanisms and apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Inventor: Zhengxu He
  • Patent number: 10864605
    Abstract: A high strength welding joint having excellent toughness at low temperature obtained by welding a cryogenic high-strength high-Mn steel, comprising 0.1-0.61 wt % of C, 0.23-1.0 wt % of Si, 14-35 wt % of Mn, 6 wt % or less of Cr, 1.45-3.5 wt % of Mo, 0.02 wt % or less of S, 0.02 wt % or less of P, 0.001-0.01 wt % of B, 0.001-0.2 wt % of Ti, 0.001-0.3 wt % of N, and balance of Fe and inevitable impurities; and a flux-cored arc welding wire comprising 0.15-0.8 wt % of C, 0.2-1.2 wt % of Si, 15-34 wt % of Mn, 6 wt % or less of Cr, 1.5-4 wt % of Mo, 0.02 wt % or less of S, 0.02 wt % or less of P, 0.01 wt % or less of B, 0.1-0.5 wt % of Ti, 0.001-0.3 wt % of N, 4-15 wt % of TiO2, 0.01-9 wt % of at least one of SiO2, ZrO2 and Al2O3, 0.5-1.7 wt % of at least one of alkali elements including K, Na, and Li, 0.2-1.5 wt % of at least one of F and Ca, and balance of Fe and inevitable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: POSCO
    Inventors: Bong-Keun Lee, Sang-Chul Lee, Il-Wook Han, Jeong-Kil Kim
  • Patent number: 10863850
    Abstract: An electric cooker is configured to cook food in a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state of an inner pot, thereby improving the cooking quality and convenience of use. The electric cooker includes a main body having an inner pot configured to accommodate food and a heating unit; a lid coupled to an upper portion of the main body and opened/closed by an opening/closing unit; and a pressure switching selection unit arranged to pass through the lid and configured to switch or maintain opened/closed states to discharge internal steam from the inner pot by interworking with the opening/closing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: CUCKOO ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won Young Kim, Won Joo Kim, Seung Yun Kim, Jun Seok Oh
  • Patent number: 10861613
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma furnace which can efficiently treat various types of waste in large amounts. The plasma furnace comprises a melting chamber 101 for accommodating a melt, an upper surface forming the upper portion of the melting chamber 101 with a horizontal upper surface 111 and an inclined upper surface 112 having a slope with respect to the horizontal upper surface 111, a melt discharge portion 130 formed through a bottom surface of the melting chamber for discharging molten material therethrough, and an input apparatus 120 having a slope for inputting waste into the melting chamber 101, and the mixed type plasma torch 191, 192 provided on the inclined upper surface 112 with a slope for generating melting heat in the melting chamber 101.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun-Je Cho, Cheon-Woo Kim, Young-II Kim, Young-Hwan Hwang, Sang-Woon Shin
  • Patent number: 10849451
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable household beverage machine comprising a body structure and a cup which is detachably connected to the body structure. A tank, a pump, a capsule bin for containing a substance to be brewed and a capsule bin pedestal for closing the capsule bin which are communicated in sequence are provided in the body structure. The capsule bin pedestal is detachably connected to the body structure or the capsule bin and is communicated with the cup. A space formed when the cup is connected to the body structure can contain all beverages that are output. In the portable household beverage machine according to the present invention, by arranging the tank, the pump, the capsule bin and the capsule bin pedestal in the body structure, and by detachably connecting the body structure with the cup, beverage machine is small in size and convenient for a user to carry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignees: FOSHAN IMONS INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED, GOLDEN COFFEE ELECTRICAL COMPANY LIMITED, NUEVO PTY LTD
    Inventor: HuiZhen Su
  • Patent number: 10845774
    Abstract: A cooking device includes, in one embodiment, a body and a cooking surface. The body defines a cavity. One or more sensors are located within the cavity. The cooking device also includes a processor operable with the one or more sensors to sense an ingredient characteristic with respect to an ingredient that has been deposited onto the cooking surface. The processor is also operable with the one or more processors to sense a cooking environment during the cooking of the meal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SmartyPlans, Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul Baxi, Prachi Baxi
  • Patent number: 10843360
    Abstract: A fruit cutting apparatus includes an appliance housing having a bottom wall a body portion extending upwardly therefrom. A cutting chamber is coupled to the appliance housing and includes a continuous side wall defining an open top and bottom. A rotating platform assembly is coupled to the appliance housing and has a second portion extending upwardly into the cutting chamber, the rotating platform assembly including a support surface having a plurality of prongs configured to impale and secure the fruit piece. A cutting blade is positioned in the body portion and is slidably movable between deployed and retracted configurations. An input assembly enables selection of a cutting style, each selection being associated with programming instructions that cause a processor to selectively actuate the blade to deploy, orient its blade tip, and actuate the rotating platform to rotate the fruit piece as it is cut as selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Michelle J. Sirles
  • Patent number: 10843644
    Abstract: A rear liftgate window assembly for a vehicle includes a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle so as to be pivotable between a closed position and an opened position. A heater grid includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces established at the inner surface of the glass window panel. A pair of busbars are established at the inner surface of the glass window panel and extend outboard of at least one side region of the inner surface of the window panel that contacts a seal at the vehicle when the glass window panel is in the closed position. Electrical connectors are electrically connected to the busbars outboard of the side region. The electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect to a power source of the vehicle when the rear liftgate window assembly is mounted at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Darin J. Snider, David L. Guillozet
  • Patent number: 10835074
    Abstract: A capsule containing a substance for the preparation of a potable beverage. The capsule comprises an aluminum capsule body having a side wall and an outwardly extending flange and a sealing member at the outwardly extending flange for providing a fluid sealing contact with an enclosing member of a beverage preparation device. The beverage preparation device comprises an annular element having a free contact end which may be provided with a plurality of radially extending open grooves. The sealing member is integral with the outwardly extending flange and comprises at least one projection projecting from the outwardly extending flange. The projection comprising a projection top and is configured such that its projection top exerts a radial force on the free contact end of the annular element if the capsule is positioned in the enclosing member of the beverage preparation device and the enclosing member is closed by means of a closing member of the beverage preparation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
    Inventors: Hielke Dijkstra, Arend Hendrik Groothornte, Erik Pieter van Gaasbeek, Marc Henrikus Joseph Ottenschot, Ralf Kamerbeek, Armin Sjoerd Eijsackers, John Henri Flamand, Andrew Michael Halliday, Nicholas Andrew Hansen
  • Patent number: 10834944
    Abstract: A retort system includes a vessel having an access opening accessible via a movable door, a basket supporting assembly within the vessel and along which container baskets are movable for loading into the vessel and unloading from the vessel and a heating system for heating containers for treatment within the vessel. A container basket load/unload system moves container baskets into the vessel and for moving container baskets out of the vessel, and includes a rigid chain unit aligned or alignable with the access opening such that a rigid chain can be moved along a chain feed path into the vessel via the access opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ALLPAX PRODUCTS LLC
    Inventors: Beau R. Moreau, Philip M. LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 10827569
    Abstract: A microwave heating apparatus is disclosed. The heating apparatus comprises a cavity comprising a ceiling and a bottom support plate. The cavity is arranged to receive a food load. The apparatus further comprises at least one microwave supply system configured to supply microwaves at the cavity bottom. The at least one microwave supply system comprises at least one microwave source and at least one antenna arranged below the bottom support plate. The apparatus further comprises a heat element and a crisp plate. The heat element is connected proximate the ceiling and extends substantially over a ceiling area formed by the ceiling. The crisp plate is disposed in the cavity and vertically spaced from the bottom support plate by a rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Andrea Francesco Grassi, Vince Huang, Jack Xu, Tingting Yu
  • Patent number: 10820633
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a cartridge and an aerosol-generating device. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing, a first aerosol-forming substrate and a second aerosol-forming substrate in the cartridge housing. The aerosol-generating device defines a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge along a first direction and the aerosol-generating device includes a transfer element extending from an end wall of the cavity, the transfer element having a longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to the first direction, the transfer element contacts the second aerosol-forming substrate when the portion of the cartridge is in the cavity, an electric heater including a resistive heating coil wrapped around a portion of the transfer element, the resistive heating coil being wrapped around the longitudinal axis of the transfer element, a power supply, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power to the electric heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventor: Tony Reevell
  • Patent number: 10821517
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus that includes a high energy beam configured to make a first weld at a first position on a workpiece; at least one deflection lens configured to deflect the high energy beam so as to cause the high energy beam to make a second weld at a second position; at least one focusing lens configured to focus the high energy beam; at least one astigmatism lens; and at least one controller. The controller is configured to shape the high energy beam so that the shape of the high energy beam on the workpiece is longer in a direction parallel to a deflection direction of the high energy beam than in a direction perpendicular to the deflection direction of the high energy beam. A length ratio is varying as a function of the power of the energy beam, while the width in the perpendicular direction is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Arcam AB
    Inventors: Johan Backlund, Tomas Lock
  • Patent number: 10813494
    Abstract: An air-based fryer apparatus (100) includes a shield (101) for use in a cooking apparatus (100), the cooking apparatus having a food preparation chamber (102) to receive a food support (103), a system (104) for circulating a flow of hot air inside the food preparation chamber (102) and a heating element (105) to heat at least the circulated air. The shield (101), disposed between the heating element (105) and the food support (103), comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces (112) and a plurality of apertures (111) between the inclined surfaces (112) through which the flow of hot air can pass. The inclined surfaces (112) block a direct line of sight through the apertures (111) in the shield (101) from the heating element (105) to the food support (103) to prevent air flowing from the food support (103) to the heating element (105) through the apertures without being deflected by the inclined surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Ingolf Ronald Eberhart, Gerald Kauer, Ingrid Hiet-Brink, Jan Vaupot, Stefan Hans Sauer
  • Patent number: 10808213
    Abstract: A beer maker may include: a fermentation container having a beer brewing space, a thermoelectric module (or device) for heating or cooling inside of the housing, an ingredient supplying device, and a main channel connecting the ingredient supplying device and the beer brewing space to each other. Ingredients may be fermented in the fermentation vessel container, which is protected by a housing. Ingredients may be provided into the beer brewing space in a state that a lid is closed, a foreign substance may be minimized from being contained in the beer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sunyoung Park, Heeyeon Kim
  • Patent number: 10800308
    Abstract: A two-in-one car cigarette lighter includes a first housing, a second housing connected to the first housing and a heater partially received in the second housing. The first and second housings cooperatively form a receiving room for receiving a battery and a PCB therein. The battery is electrically connected to the PCB and the PCB is tightly fixed with the first housing. A first port and a second port are perpendicularly and electrically connected to the PCB and formed parallel to each other. The second housing includes a first mounting recess so that the heater can pass through the first mounting recess to electrically connect to the PCB. The structure can accordingly not only realize the function of a cigarette lighter, but also have at least one charging interface to conveniently and optionally charge mobile phones, tablet computers and other electronic devices through the charging interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN JIEMEISI INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Liming Wang