Patents Examined by Nicolas A Arnett
  • Patent number: 11744777
    Abstract: A disposable fluid transfer and mixing device is disclosed and includes an injector support surface for receiving an injection device thereon. A lyophilized drug vial, a diluent vial and a syringe are also attached to the device. The device features fluid passageways and a manual valve that may be manipulated so that the syringe may be used to transfer diluent from the diluent vial to the lyophilized drug vial, for reconstitution of the drug. The valve may also be configured so that the reconstituted drug is transferred from the lyophilized drug vial to the injection device. An automated transfer and mixing device receives an injection device, a lyophilized drug vial and a diluent vial and transfers diluent from the diluent vial to the lyophilized drug vial and shakes or vibrates the lyophilized drug vial to reconstitute the drug. The device then transfers the reconstituted drug from the lyophilized drug vial to the injection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Enable Injections, Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan Bourelle, Matthew Huddleston, Joetta Renee Palmer, David Stefanchik
  • Patent number: 11738982
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid supply device including: a plug having a plug side liquid channel; and a socket having a socket side liquid channel. The plug has a groove having a fixing groove, the socket has a body having the socket side liquid channel, a gripping unit gripped by a robot, and a sleeve member configured to adjust a position of the body relative to the gripping unit, the tip of the body runs annularly about the socket axis and has lock balls, and the sleeve member switches a state between a connected state where the lock balls are secured in the fixing groove and a released state where the lock balls are not secured in the fixing groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Surpass Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Imai
  • Patent number: 11738992
    Abstract: Method for autonomously fueling machinery operating at fracking sites. A fuel tank with a plurality of fuel lines individually coupled to a fuel tank are used. Pumps are connected to some of the fuel lines. Pump outputs are coupled to hoses extending to machinery tanks to be refueled. A cap is detachably connected to the hoses and machinery tanks to be fueled. The fuel tank includes an intake filter capable of blocking approximately 10 micron contaminants with about 250 gallon per minute flow rate. The methodology of the present invention includes measuring the duration of machinery tank fuelings and the interval between fuelings. A first alarm is generated if the duration of fuelings is longer than a first interval. A second alarm is generated if the interval between fuelings is longer than a second interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Inventor: Aleem Mawji
  • Patent number: 11738981
    Abstract: A container fill station includes a seal bar configured to temporarily contact an open end of a container, to temporarily seal an interior of the container from a surrounding atmosphere, a fill head configured to be moved by a fill head actuator through a sealed opening in the seal bar, a fill head valve located in a fluid pathway between a liquid source and the fill head outlet, and an outflowing gas valve in fluid communication with the interior of the container. Therein, control of a liquid fill rate is provided by opening the outflowing gas valve a select amount while simultaneously opening the fill head valve. During a filling operation method, the interior of the container may be temporarily sealed and pressurized, or filling may be done at ambient/atmospheric pressure, preferably with the fill head outlet being disposed below the liquid's surface during filling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Wild Goose Canning Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Mercier, Alexis Foreman, Paul Wells, Dan Moody, Adam McKim, Josh Halvorsen, Jace Pivonka, John Bickers, Tyler Nickerson
  • Patent number: 11731845
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a loading device for loading particulate material, comprising a body with a first opening and a second opening, wherein a gasket is arranged at the first opening. The present invention also relates to a mixing device with a loading device according to the invention and a method of loading particulate material using the loading device according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: IMERTECH SAS
    Inventor: Thomas Höjer
  • Patent number: 11732843
    Abstract: A storage tank includes a tank wall, a pressure regulator, a low-pressure coupling, and a fill coupling. The tank wall of the storage tank is configured to contain a stored fluid at an internal pressure within the tank wall, the tank wall including an outer layer, an inner layer, and a regulator mount. The pressure regulator of the storage tank is connected to the regulator mount and is configured to receive a flow rate of the stored fluid and reduce the stored fluid from the internal pressure to an output pressure. The flow rate of the stored fluid is provided, via the low pressure coupling and at the output pressure to an external system. The fill coupling extends through the tank wall and receives the stored fluid from a fluid source to be stored within the storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: David T. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 11724278
    Abstract: An outpouring assembly, comprising an outpouring plate, wherein the outpouring plate is provided with a liquid outlet through hole, a paste discharge pipe is disposed in the liquid outlet through hole, the paste discharge pipe moves up and down in the liquid outlet through hole, and when a lower end of the paste discharge pipe extends out of the liquid outlet through hole, the paste discharge pipe is in a liquid outpouring state. A beneficial effect of the present invention is as follows: Because a liquid such as the color paste or water has surface tension, the color paste adheres to a surface of an outlet, outpouring precision of the outpouring assembly is affected. A paste discharge pipe is disposed in the liquid outlet through hole, so that a quantity of color pastes adhered to a paste discharge outlet of the paste discharge pipe can be effectively reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ZHENGZHOU SANHUA TECHNOLOGY & INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ruhua Shen, Kunkun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11723841
    Abstract: A filling aid. The filling aid includes a needle housing portion including at least one tab having a starting position and a filling position, and a filling needle cradle including a filling needle, the filling needle cradle slidable connected to the needle housing portion and having a starting position and a filling position, wherein when the at least one tab on the needle housing moves from a starting position to a filling position, the filling needle cradle slides from a starting position to a filling position, and wherein when the at least one tab on the needle housing moves from a filling position to a starting position, the filling needle cradle slides from a filling position to a starting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Richard J. Lanigan, Dean Kamen, Bright C. K. Foo, Kevin L. Grant, Lisa A. Gustin
  • Patent number: 11725168
    Abstract: A filling apparatus includes an upper hollow body having a top opening and a bottom opening; a first annular cylinder coupled to the upper hollow body via the bottom opening; a locking ring having a first keg lock slot and a second keg lock slot and coupled to the first annular cylinder; a second annular cylinder coupled to the first annular cylinder; a body seal ring coupled to the second circular cylinder; a bottom hollow cylinder coupled to the second annular cylinder and including a first vent opening probe, a second vent opening probe, and a probe divide wall. The filling apparatus can be connected to a valve on a keg, such as a Sankay-D valve, and can be used to pour alcohol and other liquids into the keg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: CRAFT STANDARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: William Ray, Don Ray, Benjamin Simon
  • Patent number: 11725782
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has at least one pressure vessel for storing storage medium, preferably fuel, at least one pressure relief device for pressure relief of the at least one pressure vessel, and at least one opening through which storage medium flows out during a pressure relief.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Ulrich Stahl
  • Patent number: 11718427
    Abstract: A new fluid fill piston pump device comprising a piston chamber defined by an inner surface. Inside this piston chamber is an oscillating piston having an outer surface forming a sliding seal to the inner surface of the piston chamber. The oscillating piston separates the piston chamber into a gas chamber and a fluid chamber such that the sum of the two chambers remains the same as the piston oscillates changing the volume of the two chambers in opposition. As fluid is pumped into the container from the fluid chamber of the piston chamber, gas is drawn from the container into the gas chamber in the same action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventor: Joshua Richard Bradshaw
  • Patent number: 11713231
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid supply device including: a plug having a plug side liquid channel; a socket having a socket side liquid channel; a hand configured to grip the socket and arrange the socket in a predetermined attitude at a three-dimensional position within the motion range; and an image capturing unit configured to recognize the orientation of the plug axis of the plug. The hand grips the socket so that the socket and the plug are in an attitude where the orientation of a socket axis matches the orientation of the plug axis recognized by the image capturing unit, and the socket gripped by the hand is inserted in the plug to couple the socket side liquid channel to the plug side liquid channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Surpass Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Imai
  • Patent number: 11701300
    Abstract: A fill adapter for filling a reservoir and a related method are disclosed herein. The fill adapter includes a button assembly actuator and a pump chamber plunger actuator hingeably attached to the button assembly actuator, wherein the actuation of the button assembly actuator actuates the pump chamber plunger actuator and wherein the pump chamber plunger actuator actuates a pump chamber membrane before the at least one button assembly is actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Gregory R. Lanier, Jr., Richard J. Lanigan, Stephen L. Fichera, Dean Kamen, Larry B. Gray
  • Patent number: 11702328
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling a vessel with a multicomponent filling product includes a filler having at least one filling unit set up to introduce the filling product into the vessel, and a filler tank set up for intermediate buffering of the filling product and in fluid connection with the filling unit via a product conduit to supply the filling unit with the filling product; and a mixer set up to blend the filling product from at least two filling product components, wherein the mixer has a circulation conduit; and the mixer has at least one dosage branch set up to introduce one filling product component into the circulation conduit, wherein the mixer has a heat exchanger set up to adjust the temperature of the filling product in the circulation conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Thomas Oehmichen, Christina Laumer, Johanna Justl, Frank Winzinger, Stefan Hoeller, Erwin Engel, Christoph Mieko, Holger Mueller
  • Patent number: 11702233
    Abstract: A filling aid device for filling a reservoir. The device includes a cover portion comprising a septum window; a slider beam comprising a septum cover; and a first filling aid tab attached to the slider beam, the first filling aid tab in slidable relation to the cover from a first position to a second position, wherein when the filling aid device is in an unlocked position, the septum cover is located below the septum window, wherein when the first filling aid tab is moved from the first position to the second position, the septum cover is moved from below the septum window, and the filling aid device is in the locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Kevin L. Grant, Richard J. Lanigan, Cory L. Adams
  • Patent number: 11702234
    Abstract: A table top appliance rapidly fills a pouch through some mechanical actuation or automation by inserting the pouch into the appliance and the machine fills the pouch. One embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be a mechanical version that includes a method to pump or push the contents of the container into the pouch. A second embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be an electric pump version that fills pouches and may have the option of controlling the amount of food dispensed. The food pouch filling station may also include a valve that connects to the pouch to control the flow to the pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ChooMee Inc.
    Inventors: Ray J. Hammi, Daniel Adamian
  • Patent number: 11679743
    Abstract: A pump head configured to secure various air valve types is disclosed. The pump head may include a housing and an interior unit sized and shaped to receive a valve head. A moveable pin disposed within the housing coaxially with the first axis may define a pin notch disposed about an exterior circumference of the moveable pin. A first taper unit may be disposed in the housing coaxially with the first axis and coupled to the pin return spring. A second taper unit may be disposed in the housing coaxially with the first axis and adjacent to the first taper unit. An elastic taper C-ring may be disposed between the first and second taper units. The second taper unit is moveable towards the first taper unit, thereby compressing the elastic taper C-ring circumferentially in at least one of two positions, the elastic taper C-ring compressed about the pin notch in the first position and about the valve head in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Park, Andy Yu Sang Chan
  • Patent number: 11679905
    Abstract: A stabilizing upper tray for stabilizing cartridges during automated filling operations includes fill ports matching cartridge support locations in a lower support tray. Each fill port includes a bore, a circular recess to engage the upper rim of a cartridge, and an inwardly tapered needle-engaging surface adapted to be engaged by a fluid injection needle; a counterbore extends between the bore and the circular recess. As the upper tray is lowered over the cartridges, the enlarged recess of each fill port engages a corresponding cartridge and guides it into a vertical orientation within the counterbore. During filling operations, a mis-aligned fluid injection needle engages the inwardly tapered needle-engaging surface of the stabilizing upper tray and is guided through the fill port toward the cartridge. A method is also disclosed to form such a stabilizing upper tray through conversion of a conventional lower support tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Credence Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: James Edward Ellis
  • Patent number: 11673790
    Abstract: A method and system of dispensing a fuel from a fuel tank to a recipient fuel tank. The method includes scanning a tag by a scanner from a smart device, wherein the smart device also comprises a communications processor, recording an initial inventory level of the fuel in the fuel tank, estimating a density of the fuel, opening a valve to dispense a predetermined amount of the fuel, and recording a final inventory level after the dispensing the fuel, upon estimating that the density of the fuel is within a predetermined range, and shutting the valve and communicating to relevant personnel about the difference in fuel density, upon estimating that the density is outside of the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Inventors: Wisam Nahhas, Joshua Stolberg, Nour Baki
  • Patent number: 11667507
    Abstract: The bottle filling system incorporates a bottle, a fill base structure, and a control structure. The bottle, the fill base structure, and the control structure are fluidically interconnected. The fill base structure and the control structure are electrically interconnected. The control structure controls the flow of a fluid from a pressurized fluid source into the fill base structure. The fill base structure transports the fluid received from the control structure to the bottle. The control structure detects the presence of the bottle relative to the fill base structure. The control structure measures the amount of fluid in the bottle. The control structure automatically replenishes the amount of fluid contained in the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Mullenaux