Patents Examined by Nguyen Q Ha
  • Patent number: 11892375
    Abstract: An inspection method of the present invention includes supplying water from a tank to an interior of a conduit through a hose provided at one end of the conduit, releasing air from the interior of the conduit to an outside of the conduit through an air vent tube provided at another end of the conduit, determining whether or not water that does not contain air is drained from the air vent tube, when it is determined in the determining that water that does not contain air is drained from the air vent tube, stopping supplying water to the interior of the conduit, closing a valve of an air vent portion, and blocking both ends of the conduit, and performing pressurization by increasing a pressure of the interior of the conduit whose both ends are blocked and whose interior is filled with water, and measuring a pressure value of the interior of the conduit when the pressurization ends and a pressure value of the interior of the conduit when a predetermined period of time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Shintaku, Yoshihiro Iriyama, Keisuke Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 11873627
    Abstract: A portable apparatus that can be temporarily attached to plumbing angle stop valves and the like, for the purposes of: (i) providing a controlled supply of water for repair and construction operations in a building; and (ii) testing for leaks in plumbing systems. This invention consists of the following components as depicted in FIGS. 1 through 4. Control unit consists of manifold interconnected with valve. Gauge is mounted into gauge port. Inlet pipe is attached to inlet port via matching threaded ends. Posterior end of inlet hose connects to inlet pipe via supply fitting. Anterior end of inlet hose can be attached onto a plumbing angle stop valve via supply fitting; said fitting has circumferential finger grips to facilitate attachment/removal without tools. Outlet port has outlet pipe mounted via matching threaded ends; said pipe can be fabricated in a straight or curved configuration. Quick-disconnect snap coupler can be installed between inlet pipe and inlet fitting as an alternate connection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventor: Randy Storey
  • Patent number: 11869479
    Abstract: A 1D ultrasonic converter unit having at least three ultrasonic converters and a control unit for individually controlling each ultrasonic converter, wherein each ultrasonic converter has a housing, a piezoelectric body, and a sound decoupling layer for decoupling sound waves in a gaseous medium, is embedded in a common carrier structure, and emits and/or receives the same frequency between 20 kHz and 400 kHz. Each ultrasonic converter has one sound channel having an input opening associated with one sound decoupling layer, and an output opening. The output openings are arranged along a line, a distance between two adjacent output openings corresponds at most to the whole or half the wavelength of the sound frequency and is smaller than the distance of the input openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Pepperl + Fuchs SE
    Inventors: Thomas Kaindl, Regine Augenstein, Mario Kupnik, Axel Jaeger, Matthias Rutsch
  • Patent number: 11860562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming target to be transported along one direction, three or more image formers arranged away from each other along the one direction and configured to form images on the image forming target, and an image forming target winding motion correcting roller rotatably in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the image forming target and positioned on a downstream side of the image former at an upstream end in a transport direction of the image forming target so that plural image formers are positioned on a downstream side of the image forming target winding motion correcting roller. A distance between the plural image formers positioned on the downstream side of the image forming target winding motion correcting roller is an integral multiple of an outer peripheral length of the image forming target winding motion correcting roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Chihiro Iijima, Yoshiki Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 11860056
    Abstract: A shaped body, in particular for a pressure sensor, can have a membrane and having a supporting section supporting the membrane. The membrane can be produced at least in layers from a ceramic material by means of additive manufacturing, in particular 3D screen printing, and having an outer circumferential shape with at least one corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Exentis Knowledge GmbH
    Inventors: Srdan Vasic, Rafael Schmitt
  • Patent number: 11851606
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a new test method of evaluating lost circulation prevention with expandable geopolymers. The expandable geopolymer is tested using a permeability plugging tester, slot disk, drilling fluid, and a piston to determine how much fluid is released from the test cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignees: CNPS USA CORPORATION, BEIJING HUAMEI INC., CHINA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Weibin Zha, Meng Lu, Janine Shipman
  • Patent number: 11846645
    Abstract: In a method of measuring parameters of superabsorbents, the absorption capacity of superabsorbents is determined under pressure, by reducing the pressure applied to a sample of the superabsorbent stepwise and determining the absorption capacity at each pressure. In addition, the rise in absorption capacity after a reduction in pressure is measured as a function of time and this is used to calculate the swelling constant k or the characteristic swelling time ?. Swelling constant or characteristic swelling time or the magnitude of the difference in absorption capacity at two different pressures are used to determine further parameters of the superabsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Thomas Daniel, Markus Toennessen, Christophe Bauduin
  • Patent number: 11846568
    Abstract: In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a fluid system of an aircraft includes a primary fluid conduit that conveys a primary fluid, and a leak detection system disposed around at least a portion of the primary fluid conduit and forming one or more detection volumes. The leak detection system determines whether there is a primary fluid leak into the one or more detection volumes by sensing a pressure change in the one or more detection volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Antwan Shenouda
  • Patent number: 11842822
    Abstract: Techniques for inspecting a weld of a nuclear waste canister include positioning a gamma ray image detector near a nuclear waste canister that encloses nuclear waste. The nuclear waste canister includes a housing that includes a volume in which the waste is enclosed and a top connected to the housing with at least one weld to seal the nuclear waste in the nuclear waste canister. The techniques further include receiving, at the gamma ray image detector, gamma rays from the nuclear waste that travel through one or more voids in the weld; generating an image of the received gamma rays with the gamma ray image detector; and based on the generated image, determining an integrity of the at least one weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Deep Isolation, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard A. Muller
  • Patent number: 11815419
    Abstract: Examples are directed towards apparatuses, systems, and methods. For example, an apparatus includes a weight including a first side and a second side. The first side of the weight forms a receiving hole in the first side. A pin includes a first end and a second end. The second end of the pin is inserted into the receiving hole of the weight. The pin includes a reduced portion. A pin detonator is coupled to the reduced portion of the pin to sever the pin when detonated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Nansteel, Xianzhi Yang, Roger Veldman, Chih-Tsai Chen, Matthew Ghent
  • Patent number: 11808684
    Abstract: A permeameter device comprising a pedestal base, wherein said pedestal base comprises an inner raised wall and an outer raised wall, wherein the inner raised wall is lower in height than the outer raised wall, a trough defined between the outer and inner walls of dimensions to accept therein a cylindrical tube, and at least one passage, having an inner port on said inner wall and extending through the outer wall through an outer port for fluid connection through said passage, and a loading rod, wherein a sample is prepared to fit within the cylindrical tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Lafayette College
    Inventors: Michael P. McGuire, Mary J. S. Roth
  • Patent number: 11808683
    Abstract: A particulate filter inspection system for a particulate filter includes a compressed air source, a primary conduit, a controller, a probe, and a gauge. The compressed air source is configured to draw air from an air source. The primary conduit is configured to receive the air from the compressed air source. The probe is coupled to the primary conduit and communicable with the controller. The probe is configured to interface with a face of the particulate filter to provide the air to only a sector of the particulate filter. The gauge is configured to determine a pressure of the air within the primary conduit when the probe is providing air to only a sector of the face of the particulate filter. The controller is configured to receive the pressure from the gauge, compare the pressure to a target upper pressure, and provide an indication that the particulate filter is dirty if the pressure is not lower than the target upper pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Krishna Pradeep Chilumukuru, James C. Clerc, Richard Adotey Allotey, Luis Fernando Loo Zazueta, Todd M. Wieland, Rafael Ernesto Vasquez Lombardo
  • Patent number: 11808682
    Abstract: An oil-gas-water three-phase automatic metering device and method includes a liquid inlet pipe, a pump body, a degassing assembly, a water inlet assembly, first and second liquid storage pipes, a weighing assembly, and a control unit. The liquid inlet pipe, degassing assembly, one end of the first liquid storage pipe and one end of the second liquid storage pipe are connected to four valve ports of a first changeover valve, respectively. The water inlet assembly, one end of the pump body, the other end of the first liquid storage pipe, and the other end of the second liquid storage pipe are connected to four valve ports of a second changeover valve, respectively. The degassing assembly, the water inlet assembly and the other end of the pump body are in communication with the weighing assembly, and the pump body, degassing assembly and weighing assembly are communicatively connected to the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Chengdu University of Technology
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Chuhao Chen, Hongbo Liu
  • Patent number: 11808898
    Abstract: A method for measuring an ultrasonic attenuation parameter guided by harmonic elastography including applying, using a vibrator included in a probe in contact with a viscoelastic medium, of a continuous low frequency vibration, the continuous low frequency vibration generating an elastic wave within the viscoelastic medium and generating, during the propagation of the elastic wave, using an ultrasonic transducer in contact with the viscoelastic medium, a series of ultrasonic acquisitions, the series of ultrasonic acquisitions including groups of ultrasonic acquisitions, the groups of ultrasonic acquisitions being generated with a repetition rate, each group of ultrasonic acquisitions including at least one acquisition; the ultrasonic attenuation parameter being measured from the ultrasonic acquisitions realised during the application of the continuous low frequency vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: ECHOSENS
    Inventors: Laurent Sandrin, Stéphane Audiere
  • Patent number: 11802827
    Abstract: A single stage high pressure mercury injection capillary pressure measurement apparatus includes a sample sub-assembly, a transducer sub-assembly, a hydraulic intensifier, and a gas cylinder. The sample sub-assembly includes a casing having walls defining an interior volume, a penetrometer arranged in the casing, the penetrometer having walls defining a sample volume, an annular space defined between the walls of the casing and the walls of the penetrometer, and a common chamber fluidly connected to the annular space by a fluid line and to the sample volume of the penetrometer by a tubing. The transducer sub-assembly is fluidly connected to the sample sub-assembly via the common chamber and includes a plurality of high-pressure transducers a plurality of low-pressure transducers. The hydraulic intensifier is fluidly connected to the common chamber and is configured to apply a high pressure to the annular space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mustafa A. Al-Huwaider, Shouxiang Mark Ma
  • Patent number: 11796481
    Abstract: An inspection device that inspects a structure with a crack, including: an obtainer that obtains images of the structure captured at mutually different times while the structure is subjected to varying loads; a crack detector that detects a crack on a surface of the structure in each image; a motion estimator that divides each image into blocks having a predetermined size, and derives motion vectors of the blocks based on a positional relation between a position of each block relative to a reference in a first image and a position of each block relative to the reference in a second image, the reference being a tip of the crack detected, the first and second images being included in the images; and an inspector that determines safety of the structure based on a difference between ones of the motion vectors of symmetric positions with respect to the crack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Hiroya Kusaka, Akihiro Noda
  • Patent number: 11794713
    Abstract: A method for leakage monitoring of a compressed air system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The compressed-air system has a compressed air supply system, a compressor, and a plurality of compressed-air consumer circuits. The method includes: a) successive detection of a supply pressure via a pressure sensor in a main supply line or in a supply line of at least one compressed air consumer circuit at a predefined time interval; b) successive calculation of pressure gradients of the supply pressure from at least two consecutively detected pressure values; c) comparison of the determined pressure gradients with a predefined gradient limit value; and d) output of a warning signal when the pressure gradient within a predefined monitoring time period which comprises a plurality of delivery pauses of the compressor has not exceeded the gradient limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Hannover GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Brinkmann, Heinrich Diekmeyer, Dirk Hillbring
  • Patent number: 11788922
    Abstract: A burst-duct detection system is provided. The system may include a manifold; a rolling diaphragm dividing a chamber within the manifold into a top portion and a bottom portion; a high pressure chamber in fluid communication with the top portion of the manifold; an ambient pressure chamber in fluid communication with the bottom portion of the manifold; a piston disposed within the top portion of the manifold and operably connected to the diaphragm; a mechanical link may include a proximal end, a distal end, and a middle portion, the mechanical link being disposed within a core chamber of the manifold and the proximal end operably connected to the piston; and an indicator piston operably connected to the mechanical link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: PTI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Marban, Kanwar Suri
  • Patent number: 11788919
    Abstract: A leak detection sensor may be capable of dynamically adjusting a sampling time for acoustic data based on monitored fluid flow. The leak detection sensor monitors leak detection information associated with a fluid in a fluid transporting medium over a predetermined time interval, where the leak detection information comprises flow and pressure of the fluid in the fluid transporting medium, and processing the leak detection data monitored at the sampling time in the predetermined time interval, where the sampling time is determined based at least in part on the monitored flow of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Itron, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Kann, Philip Alan Cole
  • Patent number: 11781936
    Abstract: An airtightness evaluation device includes a differential pressure gauge to output a pressure difference between two spaces connected to two joints. A system joint for connecting a refrigeration cycle system is connected to one joint of the differential pressure gauge. A pressure vessel is connected to the other joint of the differential pressure gauge. The airtightness evaluation device includes a bypass circuit to connect the system joint and the pressure vessel to each other with bypassing the differential pressure gauge, and a bypass valve to open/close the bypass circuit. The airtightness evaluation device also includes a supply source joint for supplying a pressurization gas to the pressure vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Koyano, Naohiro Ichikawa, Katsuya Taniguchi