Patents Examined by Michael J. Early
  • Patent number: 7156087
    Abstract: An outdoor multi-method cooker for preparing a wide variety of different foods at the same time using selective convection, radiant, or conduction cooking operations with or without smoke, or combinations thereof, using a single heat source. The cooker has a horizontal central longitudinal chamber with a firebox at one end and a pair of stacks at the opposed end, a main oven, a pair of lateral smokeless ovens, a warming compartment, and a griddle above the firebox, all disposed transversely on the longitudinal chamber in parallel spaced relation, and a steam table along the upper portion of the longitudinal chamber. The cooker operates on the principle of equalization of natural differential pressures caused by rising warmer air, similar to the draw created by the upper portion of a fireplace, for drafting hot gases or smoke laden hot gases from the combustion source and selectively routing it through passageways into and around the various components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Inventors: Albert B. Churchill, III, Robert S. Churchill
  • Patent number: 7152417
    Abstract: A battery cooling apparatus for positively cooling an in-vehicle battery is disclosed. Air that has passed through a cooler (5) is supplied to batteries (1), and only internal air, but not external air, passes through the cooler (5). In this way, the batteries (1) can be cooled without being greatly affected by the disturbances such as the heat of an exhaust pipe and sunlight. Thus, the batteries (1) can be sufficiently cooled without increasing the heat radiation area, i.e. the surface area of the batteries (1). Noise of cooling air flow can be reduced while at the same time suppressing increases in both size and production cost of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Morishita, Yoshimitsu Inoue
  • Patent number: 7144246
    Abstract: A candle with conformal polymer ornaments providing the appearance of an intricately carved candle is presented. The candle body has a plurality of cavities along its exterior surface and directly beneath each ornament. Adhesive is provided between the candle body and conformal ornaments and fills the cavities within the candle body. Ornaments are fixed to the candle via adhesive and mechanical bonds between each conformal ornament and the candle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Inventor: Keith Barnstead
  • Patent number: 7140363
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a gas burner crown for kitchen hob, of the type with a radial series of notches, composed of shallower notches alternated with deeper notches, which act as small burner nozzles, from which small radial flames originate; the crown is characterised by the presence of eight regularly spaced angular sectors with shallower radial notches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: SO. M. I. Press - Societa′ Metalli Iniettati S.p.A.
    Inventor: Piero Armanni
  • Patent number: 7104263
    Abstract: A detergent supply system for a kitchen hood has a mounting case perpendicularly attached to the kitchen hood, a detergent dispenser with a pump, a wastewater collector and a detergent reservoir mounted higher than the detergent dispenser is mounted. By mounting the detergent dispenser, wastewater collector and the detergent reservoir inside the mounting case, the detergent supply system can be conveniently attached to a self-cleaning kitchen hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Inventor: Po-Chang Chen
  • Patent number: 7100597
    Abstract: A modular burner/blower system and method directed to an independently operable direct fired burner unit and an independently operable blower unit that are also configured to be interconnected to one another and to operate together. The direct fired burner unit includes a burner casing and a direct fired burner mounted within the burner casing. The blower unit includes a blower casing configured to interconnect with the burner casing and a blower mounted within the blower casing. The burner unit may be interconnected to the blower unit in a vertical or horizontal configuration and includes heating components and controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Inventor: Tyler B. Rand
  • Patent number: 7100389
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the temperature of an electronic device under test utilizes a thermal head spaced apart from a movable support structure by a mechanical isolation assembly. The support structure has a manifold configured to route refrigerant fluid between the evaporator head and components of a refrigeration system. The mechanical isolation assembly is configured to compensate for variations in the planar orientation of the device under test. Moreover, the mechanical isolation assembly preferably includes bellows through which the refrigerant fluid is conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Delta Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis S. Wayburn, Ian G. Spearing, Charles R. Schmidt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7096688
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method comprising: (a) a first step whereby natural gas (1) is subjected to a first refrigerating cycle to obtain cooled natural gas (4), and brought to a temperature less than 20° C. by a first coolant (201); a second step whereby the cooled natural gas (4) is subjected to a second refrigerating cycle wherein the cooled natural gas (4) is cooled and condensed by a second coolant (103) comprising methane, ethane, propane, and nitrogen. The second coolant (103) further contains ethylene, the total ethane and ethylene content being close to 50 mole %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventor: Henri Paradowski
  • Patent number: 7096689
    Abstract: A method of separating volatile organic components, so-called VOC, from crude oil, where, as it is loaded onto a ship, the crude oil is passed into a process vessel (2) in which is established a negative pressure adjusted according to the vapour pressure of the oil, from where the liquid phase of the crude oil flows to the ship's cargo tanks, while the gas phase, the VOC, is extracted from the process vessel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7086395
    Abstract: A barbeque grill assembly includes a base unit, a barbeque grill mounted on top of the base unit, and a pair of leg units. The base unit includes a pair of leg coupling seats provided respectively on opposite lateral sides of a base plate. Each leg unit includes a pair of leg members connected by a foldable stretcher. The leg members of each leg unit have upper insert ends inserted removably into corresponding insert grooves formed in a respective one of the leg coupling seats. The leg units are operable so as to be disposed from a removable state, in which movement of the insert ends of the leg members into and out of the insert grooves is permitted, to a supporting state, in which removal of the base unit from the leg units is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Shuan Li
  • Patent number: 7076960
    Abstract: To provide a preserving system capable of re-using vaporized nitrogen, and moreover, capable of always cooling the specimens at a predetermined temperature or lower. The preserving system comprising a cylinder and the preserving vessel which is supplied with liquid nitrogen from this cylinder, is provided with a Stirling refrigerator and a condensing chamber arranged outside of said preserving vessel, and the gas phase part of this condensing chamber is made to communicate with that of said preserving vessel and also the liquid phase part is made to communicate with that of said preserving vessel, and further the cooling part of said Stirling refrigerator is arranged in said condensing chamber, therefore, the nitrogen vaporized in the preserving vessel is cooled by the cooling part of the Stirling refrigerator in the condensing chamber and liquefied again, and so this liquid nitrogen can be reused for cooling the preserving vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Takemasa
  • Patent number: 7076964
    Abstract: In a heat-pump water heater with a super-critical refrigerant cycle, a valve open degree of a decompression valve is controlled to control a pressure of high-pressure side refrigerant so that a temperature difference between refrigerant flowing out from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger and water flowing into a water-refrigerant heat exchanger is set in a predetermined temperature range. Thus, the pressure of high-pressure side refrigerant in the super-critical refrigerant cycle can be controlled, thereby suitably adjusting heat-exchange performance of an internal heat exchanger, and restricting the temperature of refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant compressor from being uselessly increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Hisayoshi Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 7073339
    Abstract: An economizer circuit assembly for a cryogenic liquid vessel assembly is disclosed. The cryogenic liquid vessel assembly includes a first, outer shell and a second, inner shell defining a storage space. The storage space has a liquid space and a vapor space. The cryogenic vessel also has a delivery line extending from outside the first, outer vessel shell into the liquid space. The economizer circuit assembly includes a vent line and an integration device. The vent line extends from outside the first, outer shell into the cryogenic vessel. The vent line has a first end and a second end. The first end is disposed in the vapor space. The vent line and the delivery line are coupled, and in fluid communication at, the integration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Harsco Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ivan Keith Hall, Justin Charles Gish
  • Patent number: 7069733
    Abstract: Gas compression system comprising a driver; a refrigerant compressor driven by the driver and having an inlet and an outlet; a relief pressure safety valve having an inlet in flow communication with the outlet of the compressor, an outlet, and a set point; and a recycle pressure safety valve having an inlet in flow communication with the outlet of the compressor, an outlet in flow communication with the inlet of the compressor, and a set point that is lower than the set point of the relief pressure safety valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford E. Lucas, Philip A. Brochu, William Carl Rooney