Patents Examined by Nathaniel E Wiehe
  • Patent number: 11889947
    Abstract: A dual brewing mechanism is provided. The dual brewing mechanism includes a hot water pipe, an espresso brewing device, a first solenoid valve, a pour over device and a second solenoid valve. The espresso brewing device includes a brewing head that has a flow channel configured therein, and hot water can be transported to the flow channel through a first pipe body of the hot water pipe. The first solenoid valve is in communication with the flow channel of the espresso brewing device, the hot water is transported to the pour over device through the second pipe body of the hot water pipe, and the second solenoid valve is in communication with the pour over device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: GINO CREATION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kuang-Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 11890704
    Abstract: A welding-type system includes a wire feeder to provide an electrode wire to a welding-type torch. A welding-type power supply to provide power to one or both of the welding-type torch or the wire feeder. A controller is configured to control a sense voltage circuit to provide a sense voltage to charge a control capacitor, monitor a voltage feedback signal, determine that a wire feeder is activated based on a first change in the voltage feedback signal, control the switched mode power supply to provide a constant voltage output signal during a welding operation, control the switched mode power supply to provide the pulsed power output in response to completion of the welding operation, determine that the wire feeder is deactivated based on a second change in the feedback signal, adjust a pulse rate of the output signal to achieve an RMS value below a predetermined RMS level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Al J. DeCoster, Mark S. Kadlec
  • Patent number: 11889941
    Abstract: A modular brewing system is described for providing hot water and managing power to multiple brew tower modules using a single centralized boiler and power management module so as to limit the number of high-power circuits required in a coffeehouse or store. The boiler and power management module manages power of components of the centralized boiler assembly and any brew tower modules connected thereto, including the boiler heaters, the grinder motors, and the brew chamber heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
    Inventors: Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Joseph E. Gormley
  • Patent number: 11883908
    Abstract: A securing system, such as a welding system, includes a robot configured to transfer a part to a home position. A securing station has a frame and a gun supported on the frame. The gun includes first and second members movable relative to one another, which are first and second weld gun electrodes, for example. The gun is configured to secure a component to the part in a securing position during a securing operation. A float assembly interconnects the gun to the frame and is configured to permit the gun to glide relative to the welding frame between the home position and the securing position. A homing assembly includes a homing guide configured to release the welding gun from the home position during the securing operation, such as resistance welding fasteners to sheet metal workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: DOBEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Larry Koscielski, Gregory I. Heuchan, Eric Michaud, Matt Branoff, Darcey D. Renaud
  • Patent number: 11882863
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying and/or roasting beans, such as cocoa beans, or parts of beans, such as nibs, includes a frame, a drum for receiving the (parts of) beans, rotatably mounted in the frame and provided with an inlet for a fluid, in particular a gas, such as heated air, a fan for feeding the fluid via the inlet to the drum, and a drive for rotating the drum. The fluid inlet and the drive are located on the same end of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ROYAL DUYVIS WIENER B.V.
    Inventor: Reiner Ernst Koelemeijer
  • Patent number: 11882965
    Abstract: A micro puree machine has a mixing shaft attachable to a blade that is subject to both linear and rotational movement. A drive motor is contained within a lower portion of the machine housing and operatively couples to a first gear that engages a second gear on the mixing shaft for rotation of the mixing blade. A position motor within the upper housing operates to move the mixing blade linearly to engage the ingredients in the bowl. During both axial and rotational movement of the mixing shaft, the drive motor and the position motor remain stationary within their respective positions in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
    Inventors: Ping Chu, Thomas Zhang, Yanfeng Wang, Ming Li Shi, Xu Sheng Deng, Kai Ping Hu
  • Patent number: 11883903
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for cutting dielectric or semiconducting material with a laser. The method includes the following steps: emission of a laser beam including at least one burst of N femtoseconds laser pulses; spatial separation of the laser beam into a first split beam having a first energy, and respectively, a second split beam having a second energy; spatial concentration of energy of the first split beam in a first zone of the material, respectively, of the second split beam in a second zone of the material, the first zone and the second zone being separate and staggered by a distance dx; and adjustment of the distance between the first zone and the second zone in such a way as to initiate a straight micro-fracture oriented between the first zone and the second zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: AMPLITUDE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX, ALPHANOV INSTITUT D'OPTIQUE D'AQUITAINE
    Inventors: Konstantin Mishchik, John Lopez, Rainer Kling, Clémentine Javaux-Leger, Guillaume Duchateau, Ophélie Dematteo-Caulier
  • Patent number: 11883904
    Abstract: In various embodiments, laser beams of two different wavelengths are utilized, sequentially and/or simultaneously, to process workpieces in various processing stages such as melting, piercing, cutting, and welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wang-Long Zhou, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo, Bien Chann, Mark Mordarski, Bryan Lochman
  • Patent number: 11885501
    Abstract: A water supply device, and a steam supply device and a cooking device including the same are disclosed. The disclosed invention comprises: a housing installed in a body of a cooking device; a water tank having a storage space formed therein to store water, wherein the water tank is installed at the housing to be movable between an insertion position at which the inlet port is located in the receiving space and a withdrawal position in which the inlet port is exposed to the outside of the receiving space; and a connector which is installed at the housing so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction inside the receiving space, and moves in the longitudinal direction to move the water tank to the insertion position or the withdrawal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jihyun Kim, Sungho Choi
  • Patent number: 11878370
    Abstract: A method of supplying cooling water to a laser processing head includes arranging a cooling water supply path connected to the laser processing head, connecting, to the cooling water supply path, a water supply path for supplying water and an antirust supply path for supplying antirust, keeping constant a ratio between a water quantity fed by a water feed means connected to the water supply path and an antirust quantity fed by an antirust feed means connected to the antirust supply path, mixing the water and antirust in the cooling water supply path, and supplying cooling water to the laser processing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: AMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 11877688
    Abstract: A brewing device for producing a beverage from two differently sized capsules; the brewing device comprising two parts opposite and mutually movable between an open or loading position of a capsule and a closing or brewing position, one of the two parts defined by a cup-shaped body formed by a first portion and by a second portion defining between them a seat designed to receive the capsule during a movement of the cup-shaped body towards the closing position; the second portion designed to slide with respect to the first portion between a smaller seat position and a larger seat position due to the interaction with the larger capsule during the movement of the cup-shaped body towards the closing position; and a blocking device provided to define, in the closing position, a constraint to keep the second portion still only when the second portion is in the normal smaller seat position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SGL ITALIA S.R.L. CON UNICO SOCIO
    Inventor: Andrea Bertolina
  • Patent number: 11872654
    Abstract: A device for structuring a surface of a through opening in a component, in particular a cylinder opening of a cylinder crankcase for an internal combustion engine. The device comprises a lance, which can be moved into the through opening by a displacement device. The lance has means for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source in the direction of the surface of the through opening. A preferably plate-shaped cover is provided, which is designed for placement on an end face of the component. The cover forms a passage opening which is dimensioned such that the lance can be moved through it. A compressed gas feed is integrated into the cover and comprises a connector for connecting to a compressed gas source and forms one or more outlet openings at the edge of the passage opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Laser Zentrum Hannover EV
    Inventors: Stefan Richter, Joachim Woehle, Mike Hirschfeldt, Marius Lammers, Joerg Hermsdorf
  • Patent number: 11871864
    Abstract: A compression type ramen cooker according to an embodiment includes a main frame including side plates formed on both sides thereof, an upper main bar connecting the upper portions of the side plates, and a lower main bar connecting the lower portions of the side plates, a cooking vessel part rotatably mounted on the inner sides of the side plates, a compression chamber mounted above the upper main bar to seal or open the cooking vessel part by moving up and down, an induction heater rotatably mounted on the rear side of the cooking vessel part to heat the cooking vessel part, a ramen discharging part for discharging cooked ramen from the cooking vessel part, and a drain mounted in the lower end of the side plates on both sides to discard the water used for cleaning the cooking vessel part after cooking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Seung Hun Shin, Se Yeol Choi, Young Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 11871869
    Abstract: A coffee machine makes use of a valve arrangement for controlling the coupling of a water heater outlet selectively to one of two or more outlets, such as a steam delivery nozzle, a brew chamber and a water collection unit (e.g. drip tray). The valve arrangement comprises a rotatable routing element, wherein the angular position of the routing element controls the coupling of the inlet channel to one of the outlets. The rotation is driven by rotational coupling to a brew chamber motor. This coffee machine design makes use of a single valve arrangement to provide the flow control from the water heater. This provides a compact arrangement with a low component count and simple control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: VERSUNI HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Hotze Bernhard De Vries, Rodin Enne Bruinsma
  • Patent number: 11874249
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for manufacturing sensors and circuit structures. The method can include providing a substrate including a layer of polymer capable of producing graphite in response to the application of energy, a first electrode adjacent to a first via location on the layer of polymer, and an insulating layer over at least a portion of the first electrode and the layer of polymer at the first via location; and applying sufficient energy to the layer of polymer at the first via location through the insulating layer to ablate the insulating layer and to form a first via as mass of graphite that extends into electrical contact with the first electrode and is surrounded by the insulating layer in a plane of the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
    Inventor: Raymond Iezzi
  • Patent number: 11874180
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic plate having a surface that serves as a wafer placement surface, resistance heating elements that are embedded in the ceramic plate, a tubular shaft that supports the ceramic plate from a rear surface of the ceramic plate, and a thermocouple passage that extends from a start point in a within-shaft region of the rear surface of the ceramic plate, the within-shaft region being surrounded by the tubular shaft, to a terminal end position in an outer peripheral portion of the ceramic plate. The thermocouple passage includes a stepped portion formed at an intermediate position between the start point and the terminal end position, a long-distance portion extending from the start position to the terminal end position, and a short-distance portion extending from the start position to the intermediate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryohei Matsushita
  • Patent number: 11872659
    Abstract: In order to easily regulate the supply of welding wire to the welding point during a welding process, the electrical potential produced by the welding current around the electrode is tapped with the welding wire and the control of the welding wire feed speed is carried out on the basis of the tapped potential and this control results in an average welding wire feed speed being established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: FRONIUS INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Willinger, Josef Artelsmair, Peter Lattner, Wolfgang Kruglhuber
  • Patent number: 11871870
    Abstract: A spiral water filling device including a fixing base, a rotating shaft tube, a motor, a carrier frame, a reciprocating screw, a transmission gear set, a nut slider, and a water filling pipe. The rotating shaft tube is pivotally disposed on the fixing base. The motor engages with the rotating shaft tube. The carrier frame is connected with the rotating shaft tube and has a first guiding structure. The reciprocating screw is perpendicular to the rotating shaft tube and parallel to the first guiding structure. The reciprocating screw and the rotating shaft tube are non-intersected. The transmission gear set is connected between the rotating shaft tube and the reciprocating screw. The nut slider engages with the reciprocating screw. The nut slider has a water outlet and a second guiding structure. The water filling pipe passes through the rotating shaft tube and connects with the water outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: FLAVOR DRIPS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chih-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11871866
    Abstract: A modular brewing system is described for providing hot water and managing power to multiple brew tower modules using a single centralized boiler and power management module so as to limit the number of high-power circuits required in a coffeehouse or store. The boiler and power management module manages power of components of the centralized boiler assembly and any brew tower modules connected thereto, including the boiler heaters, the grinder motors, and the brew chamber heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
    Inventors: Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Joseph Emil Gormley
  • Patent number: 11867412
    Abstract: Photovoltaics and an MPPT DC/DC converter powers a DC bus of a controller. It uses an electric heat pump to heat a mass like water, and also has a resistive heating element to heat the mass. A microcontroller controls a variable frequency (VFD) motor drive to power the electric heat pump when sufficient solar power is available to run the heat pump and uses the resistive element to heat the thermal mass when insufficient solar power exists for the heat pump or when excess solar power is available. A controller has an MPPT input for solar power and a VFD to provide power through an output to a heat pump-based water heater and an output to power a resistive water heating element. A microcontroller determines solar power available and runs the heat pump when possible and the resistive element when insufficient power is available or when excess power is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PREMIER ENERGY HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Yusuf Gurkaynak, Nikola Milivojevic, Keegan Landreth, Michael Dean Steingrebe