Patents Examined by Ned Landrum
  • Patent number: 9126559
    Abstract: A method for forming a prearranged rupture portion for an air bag door including the steps of setting an instrument panel on a fixing jig, and, then measuring, prior to forming grooves that make a prearranged rupture portion, the position of the back surface of a substrate of the instrument panel by a measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: INOAC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuzo Ito
  • Patent number: 9120240
    Abstract: A kitchen tool that cuts a zig-zag pattern into a vegetable or fruit which encompasses the total circumference is disclosed. This is accomplished by rotating two handles relative to each other so that movable blades, via cams, are forced into the fruit/vegetable. The movable blades are constrained to a linear motion by guiding surfaces in top and bottom plates along with cams and pins. The entire cutting assembly is readily cleanable by easy disassembly or thorough rinsing/washing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Inventors: Chester M. Haworth, Jr., Steven A Haworth
  • Patent number: 9114541
    Abstract: In an edge tool having a cutting edge made of a nonmetal inorganic solid-state material with a facet formed on a ridge of the cutting edge, a pre-wearing layer having a thickness of 5 nm or more and having a surface structure formed by a network of recesses and protuberances surrounded by the recesses is formed on a surface of the facet. The average width of the protuberances is 5 nm to 50 nm. A property value of the pre-wearing layer is different from the property value of the inorganic solid-state material underlying the pre-wearing layer, and there is no solid-solid interface between the pre-wearing layer and the inorganic solid-state material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: JAPAN AVIATION ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Akinobu Sato, Akiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9114546
    Abstract: A cutting guide assembly facilitates straight and circular cuts using a power cutting tool. The assembly includes a saddle and a tape measure coupled to the saddle. The tape measure has a tape extendable from the saddle. A tab is coupled to and extends from a distal end of the tape. A guide member is coupled to the saddle and has a guide flange alignable with a proximal end of the tape relative to the saddle. Thus, a distance between the distal end of the tape and the guide flange of the guide member is measured by the measuring tape. A tool attachment is coupled to a cutting tool. A slot is positioned in the tool attachment and aligned with a cutting blade of the cutting tool. The slot receives the tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Inventor: Walter R. Francis
  • Patent number: 9101095
    Abstract: A pole saw includes a long handle with cast end adapter, a cast saw-holding component pivoted to the end adapter for movement between an extended use position and a handle-adjacent storage position, and a saw blade pivoted to the holding component for movement between a blade-use position and a blade-protected position. The end adapter and holding component are cast aluminum for strength and light weight, and are pivoted together about an offset axis so that the blade and blade-holding component are positioned adjacent the handle in a partially protected position that is very compact; thus, no disassembly or separate tools are required. A folding lock mechanism includes a hook and pressure pad that cooperate for secure locking in the extended use position. An adjustable set screw eliminates blade looseness when in the use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Inventor: Todd Pringnitz
  • Patent number: 9096408
    Abstract: A clamshell dispenser for film bags includes a planar base shaped to fit beneath a bag roll. Side travel limiters are attached to the base. A retaining bracket is hingedly mounted adjacent a front edge of the base to prevent the roll from moving outwardly from the dispenser when the bracket is latched. The bracket opens for introduction of the roll. An upward facing snagging hook engages either a chisel cut or a perforation in bags from the roll. A downward facing snagging hook may be attached to the retaining bracket. An adapter for a bin includes first and second bag dispensers mounted to a fixture. The fixture is shaped to fit within the bin. First and second axles are orthogonally attached to the fixture. The axles mount first and second positioning wheels that are located to slidably engage first and second integral channels in vertical sides of the bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Inventor: Daniel Brian Tan
  • Patent number: 9085087
    Abstract: A palm jig saw includes a motor, a transmission mechanism connected to an output shaft of the motor, and an implementing element which is driven by the transmission mechanism and which movement trajectory is in the same plane called a swing plane. The palm jig saw further includes a switch locking structure including a push button assembly and a press button assembly, wherein a movement direction of the push button assembly is generally parallel to the swing plane, and a movement direction of the press button assembly is generally perpendicular to the swing plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Chervon (HK) Limited
    Inventors: Guigong Ni, Ping Wang
  • Patent number: 9079259
    Abstract: A saw blade includes saw teeth arranged along a toothed side. The saw teeth have a pitch that increases from a clamped end of the saw blade to a saw blade tip. The saw teeth include a tooth support and a hard metal tooth joined to the tooth support. The saw teeth have a plurality of tooth supports having the same shape. Larger tooth spaces are provided for the increasing pitch between tooth supports having an identical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Daniel Grolimund
  • Patent number: 9073224
    Abstract: A foldable box opener is securable to a writing or pointing implement and has a blade mount having a collar attachable to a top portion of the writing implement and a portion adjacent the collar, with the offset portion including an opening extending through the offset portion, a blade including a first blade edge and a second blade edge opposite the first blade edge, and a pin attached to the blade and the collar allowing rotation of the blade about the collar. The blade first edge is tapered to have a smaller thickness than the second edge, with the first edge thickness being sufficiently narrow to cut a cardboard box or packaging tape while being sufficiently wide to prevent a user's skin from being pierced or lacerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Inventor: James Joseph Mangan, IV
  • Patent number: 9050729
    Abstract: A self-loading utility knife including an elongate handle having an internal chamber defining an axis and at one end is flat aperture for the passage of an active blade. The flat aperture defines a cutting plane extending through said handle along the axis. A blade-holder is slidably mounted in the chamber for movements in directions along the axis and is adapted to secure a single active blade for movement through the aperture when the blade holder is in the extended position. A blade-holder release button is coupled to the blade holder and is slidingly movable relative to the handle to move blade holder between retracted and extended positions. The handle has a blade compartment which is open to the chamber and can receive a stack of spare blades when a cover to the compartment is opened and blades can be shifted transversely relative to the axis into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Inventors: Wen Hao, Huang Yuan De
  • Patent number: 9022736
    Abstract: A continuous serpentine cooling circuit forming a progression of radial passages (44, 45, 46, 47A, 48A) between pressure and suction side walls (52, 54) in a MID region of a turbine airfoil (24). The circuit progresses first axially, then tangentially, ending in a last radial passage (48A) adjacent to the suction side (54) and not adjacent to the pressure side (52). The passages of the axial progression (44, 45, 46) may be adjacent to both the pressure and suction side walls of the airfoil. The next to last radial passage (47A) may be adjacent to the pressure side wall and not adjacent to the suction side wall. The last two radial passages (47A, 48A) may be longer along the pressure and suction side walls respectively than they are in a width direction, providing increased direct cooling surface area on the interiors of these hot walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc., Mikro Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Nan Jiang, John J. Marra, Ronald J. Rudolph, John P. Dalton
  • Patent number: 9016535
    Abstract: A fiber cleaver is provided in which a circular blade can be efficiently used without increasing the workload imposed on the worker. The fiber cleaver includes a main body supporting a slider such that the slider is movable in the front-back direction. A disc-shaped circular blade configured to make a flaw in an optical fiber is rotatably provided to the slider. A columnar protrusion stands on a base of the main body. An engaging member engaging with a gear that rotates together with the circular blade is provided at the upper end of the columnar protrusion. The columnar protrusion is connected to an engaging member, which engages with the slider, with a spring interposed therebetween. The base has first to third recessed portions each anchoring the engaging member. The angle of rotation of the circular blade is changed among three angles with the position where the engaging member is anchored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: SEI Optifrontier Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hasegawa, Toshihiko Homma
  • Patent number: 9017018
    Abstract: An annular seal positionable in a gap is disclosed herein. The annular seal includes a plurality of leaves positioned about a center axis. Each leaf extends to a distal end that is elastically deflectable relative to the center axis to accommodate changes in a size of the gap. The annular seal also includes a ring encircling the center axis and at least partially interconnecting the plurality of leaves together for concurrent installation and removal. The annular seal also includes a plurality of tabs projecting from the ring along the center axis. Each of the tabs is directly connected to at least one of the plurality of leaves such that elastic deformation of one of the plurality of leaves induces bending in the corresponding tab before inducing bending in the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Wade Alan Vest
  • Patent number: 9016183
    Abstract: A sheet material punching device includes a plurality of punches and links, a driving mechanism having drive gears capable of transmitting a rotational driving force of an electric motor (driving source), and slide arms allowed to reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of a frame, the slide arms making the punches reciprocate in a punching direction along with their own reciprocating motions by the intermediary of links. The slide arms respectively have cams capable of converting the rotational motion of the driving mechanism into the reciprocating motions of the slide arms, and auxiliary cams capable of moving the slide arms to predefined initial positions. The drive gears respectively have cam followers to be engaged with the cams, and auxiliary cam followers to be engaged with the auxiliary cams. The sheet material punching device return the slide arms to the initial positions without increasing a driving energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Sugie
  • Patent number: 9009979
    Abstract: A system for locking a blade of a knife with a folding blade in an unfolded position includes a handle-forming part for a user to grasp, and a blade pivotably mounted relative to this handle-forming part. The blade pivots to adopt either an unfolded position for use, or a foldaway position for storage, wherein it is partially concealed in the handle-forming part. A first locking element on a top of the knife, cooperates with the blade and adopts a first position of locking the blade in the unfolded position and a second release position of the blade A second locking element cooperating with the first locking element, adopts a first position of locking the first locking element in the first locking position of the blade, and a second release position wherein the second locking element forces the first locking element to adopt the second release position of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Wildsteer
    Inventor: Edouard De Buyer-Mimeure
  • Patent number: 9004869
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump impeller includes front and back shrouds and a plurality of pumping vanes therebetween, each pumping vane having a leading edge in the region of an impeller inlet and a trailing edge, the front shroud has an arcuate inner face in the region of the impeller inlet, the arcuate inner face having a radius of curvature (Rs) in the range from 0.05 to 0.16 of the outer diameter of the impeller (D2) The back shroud includes an inner main face and a nose having a curved profile with a nose apex in the region of the central axis which extends towards the front shroud, there being a curved transition region between the inner main face and the nose. Fr is the radius of curvature of the transition region and the ratio Fr/D2 is from 0.32 to 0.65. Other ratios of various dimensions of the impeller are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Edward Burgess, Wen-Jie Liu, Luis Moscoso Lavagna
  • Patent number: 8997618
    Abstract: Disclosed is a quick release lock for blades mountable to a motor driven rotary tool consisting of a tool mount for mounting to the mandrel of a motorized tool. A blade retainer and lock ring positioned on each side of a user provided blade with the blade retainer providing a bore having a plurality of channels and rails and the tool mount having a collar with corresponding exterior helical channels and rails whereby the blade retainer can quickly mounted onto the tool mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventors: Marjan Majcen, Beverly Burke-Majcen, Robert Vreznik, Martin Vehovar
  • Patent number: 8997358
    Abstract: A box cutter includes a housing with a blade slide slidably received therein. A pivotal member is pivotably connected to of the blade slide. An inclined face is defined in one of surfaces of the pivotal member and is gradually raised. The inclined face is connected to a pressing area which has two respective rounded guide portions. A spring is connected between the pivotal member and the housing to maintain the blade slide at the initial position. A button is slidably connected to outside of the cover and a spring is connected between the button and the cover. The button is moved to move the blade slide from the initial position thereof to an extended position. When the blade is cutting a workpiece, the blade is tilt and the pivotal member is pivoted by the cover so that blade slide is retracted into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventor: Yin Han Huang
  • Patent number: 8991060
    Abstract: A fingertip mountable shaving device is provided by a flexible and breathable substrate layer including a first shaving surface, and a second adhesive surface opposite to the first shaving surface. The first shaving surface includes a plurality of rubber strips along the vertical peripheral edge and a plurality of blade assemblies affixed at predetermined locations. The blade assemblies of include a vertical stack of a plurality of rotary blades of different diameters alternately interspaced by spacers and having a hemi-spherical protective cap with a vertical stem, on the top. The second adhesive surface is coated with an adhesive suitable for temporarily mounting the device on a fingertip and is covered with a releasably connected protective peel off layer. The device can safely and closely shave hair from the face and other difficult to reach body surfaces, such as within the ear or nostrils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Samir Hanna Safar
  • Patent number: 8966771
    Abstract: An out of front knife with an assisted opening mechanism has a handle, a blade mounted in the handle, a thumb stud that drives the blade, and an extending assembly that assists with extending the blade out of the handle. With two sliders and two springs of the extending assembly, only when the blade is intentionally pushed to move a preset distance and overcome a preset resistance, one of the springs pulls and assists the blade of the out of front knife to extend out of the handle. Therefore, the out of front knife with the assisted opening mechanism is used safely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventors: Jitung Chu, Jiun-Yu Chu