Patents Examined by Michael E Barr
  • Patent number: 12290244
    Abstract: A reconditioning apparatus for an endoscope including a controller configured to: supply an interior of the endoscope with a fluid at a predefined pressure; supply one or more channels of the endoscope and an exterior of the endoscope with a rinsing liquid to carry out a reconditioning process using the rinsing liquid; concurrently with the supplying of the rinsing liquid, determine a temperature and a pressure in the interior of the endoscope during the reconditioning process; and when the determined pressure decreases lower than a predetermined pressure: identify the endoscope as not defective, when the decrease in the determined pressure is preceded by a corresponding decrease in the determined temperature, and identify the endoscope as defective, when the decrease in the determined pressure is not preceded by a corresponding decrease in the determined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH
    Inventor: Jan Batista Andrade
  • Patent number: 12278121
    Abstract: The inventive concept provides a support unit for supporting a substrate. The support unit includes a support plate that has an interior space and on which the substrate is placed, a heating member that is provided in the interior space and that heats the substrate placed on the support plate, a heat insulating plate provided in the interior space and disposed under the heating member, a reflective plate provided in the interior space and disposed under the heat insulating plate, and a heat dissipation plate provided in the interior space and disposed under the a reflective plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kangseop Yun, Seung Hoon Oh, Ye Jin Choi, Youngil Lee, Byungsun Bang, Jungbong Choi, Gui Su Park
  • Patent number: 12268346
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages, may include a lighting system with a plurality of lights disposed on a housing of the beverage container washing system and configured to be illuminated with various types of animations to convey different types of information to a customer and/or retail establishment employee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman, Dylan Rowe
  • Patent number: 12234590
    Abstract: A washing machine appliance includes a wash basket that is rotatably mounted within a wash tub and that defines a wash chamber for receiving a load of clothes. A dispensing assembly selectively dispenses wash fluid through a discharge nozzle into the wash tub and a camera assembly is used to monitor the wash fluid and diagnose issues related to the detergent quantity. Specifically, a controller of the washing machine appliance uses the camera assembly to obtain one or more images of the load of clothes as fresh water is dispensed to determine whether detergent was added manually. The controller further determines whether a smart dispense feature is activated or deactivated and implements a responsive action in response to determining that either 1) detergent is present and the smart dispense feature is activated or 2) detergent is not present and the smart dispense feature is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Je Kwon Yoon, Khalid Jamal Mashal, Hoyoung Lee, Hyeonsoo Moon, Myunggeon Chung, JaeHyo Lee
  • Patent number: 12226808
    Abstract: A system includes a spray head comprising a spray head inlet for hydraulic connection of a cleaning fluid, a spray head outlet for directing the cleaning fluid at a planar surface of a louver, and a movable mount for positioning the spray head proximate the planar surface of the louver. The system may include a carriage frame attached to the cooling tower proximate the louver. The system may include the movable mount being movably mounted on the carriage frame and movable in at least two orthogonal directions along the planar surface of the louver. The system may include a control system for controlling movement of the movable mount on the carriage frame and supply of the cleaning fluid to the spray head so as to cause the cleaning fluid to be sprayed at preselected portions of the louver at preselected times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Kal M. Smiley, Farooq N. Jwesm, Abdullah A. Fuwaires, Turki A. Zahrani
  • Patent number: 12226807
    Abstract: A cleaning device for removing contamination on a substrate holder used with an electroplating cell includes an arm, a cleaning agent supplier, a nozzle and a receiver. The cleaning agent supplier is coupled to the arm and configured to supply a cleaning agent. The nozzle is coupled to the cleaning agent supplier and configured to spray the cleaning agent onto the substrate holder to remove the contamination. The receiver is coupled to the arm and configured to receive the cleaning agent after the cleaning agent is sprayed onto the substrate holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yu-Young Wang, Chung-En Kao, Victor Y. Lu
  • Patent number: 12208427
    Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic transducer having a state monitoring function, and an ultrasonic cleaning device using the same. The ultrasonic transducer having a state monitoring function is a Langevin ultrasonic transducer for use in an ultrasonic cleaning device configured to clean an object to be cleaned via cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibrations are applied, the ultrasonic transducer having a state monitoring function including a plurality of piezoelectric elements, which are arranged to be stacked on each other, and are expandable and contractable in a direction of the stacking, a part of the plurality of piezoelectric elements serving as a vibration exciting piezoelectric element configured to expand and contract by being applied with an AC voltage, another part of the plurality of piezoelectric elements serving as a state monitoring piezoelectric element configured to output a state monitoring voltage by the expansion and contraction of the vibration exciting piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: KAIJO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shugo Ohta
  • Patent number: 12203204
    Abstract: Disclosed is a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet having an opening defined therein; a tub disposed inside the cabinet; a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub; a detergent storage unit retractable into the cabinet through the opening, wherein detergent is stored in an storage space of the detergent storage unit; a detergent reservoir having a detergent injection hole defined therein communicating with the storage space of the detergent storage unit; and a detergent cap fitted into the detergent injection hole, wherein the detergent cap includes a ventilation path defined therein to communicate an outside of the detergent reservoir with the storage space of the detergent storage unit, wherein the ventilation path has an outer end communicating with the outside of the detergent reservoir, wherein the outer end is open and extends in a lateral direction of the detergent cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungwoon Jung, Hunjun Jang
  • Patent number: 12203205
    Abstract: A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a tub, a drum having a drum opening in communication with a tub opening, a gasket for connecting a laundry inlet of the cabinet and the tub opening to each other, a pump for pumping water discharged from the tub to the tub, and a circulation portion that supplies water pumped by the pump into the tub and includes a circulation flow path portion for guiding water pumped by the pump to the gasket and a nozzle portion connected to the circulation flow path portion to spray water into the tub. The nozzle portion includes a nozzle spray portion coupled to the gasket to pass therethrough to spray water into the tub, and a nozzle coupling portion extending from the nozzle spray portion to be coupled to the tub. The nozzle coupling portion supports the nozzle spray portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kilryong Lee, Bokyung Suh, Uikun Hwang
  • Patent number: 12165866
    Abstract: A wafer cleaning method is provided. The wafer cleaning method includes providing a wafer on a stage that is inside of a chamber. The wafer is fixed to the stage by moving a grip pin connected to an edge of the stage. First ultrapure water is supplied onto the wafer while the wafer is rotating at a first rotation speed. The grip pin is released from the wafer by moving the grip pin. A development process is performed by supplying liquid chemical onto the wafer while the wafer is rotating at a second rotation speed that is less than the first rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Hyun Park, Seo Hyun Kim, Seung Ho Kim, Young Chan Kim, Young-Hoo Kim, Tae-Hong Kim, Hyun Woo Nho, Seung Min Shin, Kun Tack Lee, Hun Jae Jang
  • Patent number: 12151257
    Abstract: A self-cleaning negative-pressure ejector at least comprises a suction chamber, a jet pipe and a flushing member. A side wall of the suction chamber has at least one suction port for communicating with a first fluid pipeline. An exit port of the jet pipe is disposed in the suction chamber and ejects a second fluid so that a negative pressure is generated in the suction chamber, a first fluid in the first fluid pipeline enters the suction chamber, and a first included angle is between a direction in which the first fluid being sucked into the suction chamber and an ejection direction of the second fluid. The flushing member optionally provides a third fluid to flush the suction chamber and/or the first fluid pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: HIGHLIGHT TECH CORP.
    Inventors: Zhi-Hao Chen, Ting Tsai, Wen-Hsien Chen
  • Patent number: 12145546
    Abstract: An apparatus to wash a vehicle that typically includes: a trolley frame having a first support beam and a second support beam, the trolley frame defining a first reference frame; a first translation beam extending from the first support beam to the second support beam, where the first translation beam is at an angle with respect to the first reference frame; a second translation beam extending from the first support beam to the second support beam, where the second translation beam is at an angle with respect to the first reference frame; a first brush extending downward from a first trolley, the first trolley movably disposed on the first translation beam; and a second brush extending downwardly from a second trolley, the second trolley movably disposed on the second translation beam. The second trolley typically moves independently from the first trolley using different and independent drive systems or motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: National Carwash Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Dennis Walker, Jose G. Avendano, Beau Joseph Hunt
  • Patent number: 12131919
    Abstract: A particle removed from a substrate is suppressed from adhering to the substrate again. A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a gas nozzle configured to jet a cleaning gas to the substrate on the substrate holder; and a nozzle cover provided to surround the gas nozzle. The cleaning gas is jetted to a decompression chamber of the nozzle cover from the gas nozzle, and a gas cluster configured to remove the particle on the substrate in the decompression chamber is generated. A gas for a gas curtain is jetted from an end portion of the nozzle cover toward the substrate, and the gas curtain is formed between the substrate and the end portion of the nozzle cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsunenaga Nakashima, Masami Akimoto
  • Patent number: 12116711
    Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, a valve, a spout, a dispenser, a motor, and a controller. The basket may be rotatably mounted and define a chamber for receipt of articles for washing. The valve may be disposed upstream from the tub. The spout may be directed at the tub downstream from the valve. The dispenser may be upstream from the tub for dispensing detergent into the tub. The motor may be in mechanical communication with the basket. The controller may be configured for controlling the washing machine appliance. The controller may be configured to initiate an oversuds-sensitive operation. The oversuds-sensitive operation may include detecting one or more resultant conditions from one or more previous wash cycles of the washing machine appliance, determining an adjusted operating parameter based on the detected resultant conditions, and directing detergent dispensing according to the adjusted operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Lee Welch, Ryan James Scheckelhoff, Ryan Ellis Leonard
  • Patent number: 12110626
    Abstract: A laundry processing apparatus includes an outer tub for accommodating washing water therein, an inner tub disposed inside the outer tub and containing laundry therein, a pulsator provided in a lower portion of the inner tub, a blade provided below the pulsator, a driving motor disposed outside the outer tub for rotating a washing shaft, a pulsator connecting shaft penetrating a lower side surface of the outer tub for rotating the pulsator, a blade connecting shaft which also penetrates a lower side surface of the outer tub for rotating the blade, and a gear module disposed outside the outer tub for transmitting a rotational force of the washing shaft to the pulsator connecting shaft and the blade connecting shaft respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Insik Yu, Dongcheol Kim, Youngjong Kim
  • Patent number: 12091804
    Abstract: A method of dispensing a treating chemistry received in a laundry treating appliance having a laundry treating chamber and a treating chemistry dispenser, the method comprising receiving at least one of a solid or liquid treating chemistry in an open receiving chamber, receiving a liquid in the open receiving chamber, siphoning liquid from a siphon outlet to the treating chamber when the liquid in the receiving chamber reaches a first level, floating a float until a flange abuts an underside of a grid insert when liquid in the receiving chamber reaches a second level, greater than the first level, dispensing the liquid treating chemistry through the siphon outlet when liquid in the receiving chamber reaches the first level, and dispensing the solid treating chemistry through the drain outlet when the liquid in the receiving chamber reaches the second level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Marcos Javier Rios Acebal
  • Patent number: 12065774
    Abstract: A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet having a detergent opening defined a front surface thereof, a tub located inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, and a storage for storing detergent to be supplied to the tub therein. The storage is retracted into or extended out of the cabinet through the detergent opening. The storage includes a storage frame having a detergent storage space defined therein for storing the detergent therein, where a top surface of the storage frame is opened such that the detergent storage space is opened, a cover seat portion formed on the storage frame and formed along a perimeter of the detergent storage space, and a cover detachably coupled to the cover seat portion to shield at least a portion of an open top surface of the detergent storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungwoon Jung, Hyehyun Sim, Hunjun Jang
  • Patent number: 12054869
    Abstract: A washing machine and a method of controlling the washing machine are provided. The washing machine includes a display configured to display a washing course and a first washing option set corresponding to the washing course, an inputter configured to receive a user's option change command for changing at least one washing option among a plurality of washing options included in the first washing option set from a user, a storage configured to store a washing option set including the changed at least one washing option, and at least one processor configured, based on the storage of the washing option set being more than a predetermined number of times, to control the first washing option set to be changed to a second washing option set based on the changed at least one washing option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeongwon Hahn, Jeongnam Kim, Kyungshin Moon, Byunggwon Park, Romon Son
  • Patent number: 12037728
    Abstract: A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet and a drawer retractably provided in the cabinet. An accommodation unit is disposed in the drawer and defines a space configured to receive washing water. A water supply channel is connected to a water supply source and is configured to supply washing water to the accommodation unit. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a body along which a water supply channel is provided, the body being rotatably provided at the cabinet. A body guider is provided at the cabinet and is configured to guide a rotational movement of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jihong Lee, Wooseong Kim
  • Patent number: 12029371
    Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus comprises a housing containing a series of zones, each zone adapted for performing a step of a dishwashing cycle. A drive means transports a shuttle loaded with a soiled item in a loop from a loading/unloading area atop the housing, into the housing, through each of the wash-step zones and out of the housing back to the loading/unloading area. Different shuttle types are provided, each type adapted to carry one of: an individual item of plateware, an individual item of cupware or an individual place setting of cutlery. A method of washing dishes utilising the apparatus is described. The apparatus is compact for installation flush with countertop adjacent to a kitchen sink. The apparatus and method permit rapid and efficient washing of small numbers of items such as a single place setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Inventor: Michael Di Lillo