Patents Examined by Patrick Orme
  • Patent number: 9975792
    Abstract: A device for the treatment of waste material in a waste water collection system includes an inner core and an outer portion partially surrounding the inner core such that at least one surface of the inner core is exposed. The inner core has a greater water solubility than the outer portion. In another aspect, a device for the treatment of waste material in a waste water collection system includes an outer portion defining a hollow core portion, the hollow core portion defining an interior and having at least one end plug sealing said interior against ambient atmosphere, the outer portion partially surrounding the hollow core portion such that only the end plug is exposed. The end plug has a greater water solubility than the outer portion. Methods of treating waste material in a waste water collection system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Vincent J. Thorgersen, John H. Bacon, Eric D. Frazier
  • Patent number: 9938744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a sweep tail for a pool cleaner including a hose, a connector coupled to a first end of the hose and connecting the hose to the pool cleaner, and a scrubber coupled to the hose near a second end of the hose. The scrubber can include a first bearing coupled to and positioned around the hose, a second bearing positioned around the first bearing, and a scrubbing element positioned around the second bearing. The second bearing is capable of rotating around the first bearing and the scrubbing element is capable of rotating with the second bearing around the first bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh C. Gopalan, Jayamurali Kaladharan, Adam Key, Narender Sanwal
  • Patent number: 9931455
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a chamber for a blood treatment system with at least one space defined by a chamber wall and with at least one blood inlet and with at least one inlet for a further fluid, which are connected with the space, wherein both the at least one blood inlet and the at least one inlet for the further fluid are formed on tube sections which protrude into the space of the chamber, wherein in the operating condition of the chamber the space of the chamber is at least partly filled with blood or with a mixture of blood and the further fluid or some other fluid and wherein at least one, preferably both or a plurality of the tube sections have a length such that the blood inlet and/or the inlet for the further fluid are located below the blood or fluid level in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhold Reiter, Paolo Stabilini
  • Patent number: 9919253
    Abstract: A filter assembly for a fluid filter includes a plurality of filter units assembled in series, and each filter unit includes: a connecting member, an input member and an output member. The input member of each of the filter units has an extending pipe connected to a connecting pipe of another filter unit, so that the filter units can be easily assembled by directly screwing the connecting pipe of the connecting member of one filter unit into the extending pipe of the input member of another filter unit, without using tools or fasteners. Hence, the assembling cost is relatively reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Po-Hui Chen
  • Patent number: 9908067
    Abstract: A waste water treatment system including primary settling tanks. The waste water treatment system includes a trough which causes waste water to flow in a direction parallel to a bar screen placed in the trough with the base of the bar screen being at a lower elevation than the trough weir. Each primary settling tank has a fine screen box for screening waste water. Each primary settling tank has a scum and floatables trough for collecting scum and floatables which pass through or over a top edge of the bar screen. The scum and floatables troughs are in fluid communication with one another. When a scum valve is open, scum, floatables and waste water in the scum and floatables trough flow from the scum and floatables trough of the first primary setting tank to the scum and floatables trough of the second primary settling tank and into a collection container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ClearCove Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Terry Wright
  • Patent number: 9884274
    Abstract: A filter apparatus has a filter housing (1) accommodating at least one filter element (17) having an inner filter cavity (23) enclosed by a filter medium (27). The housing (1) contains an element holder (19) that interacts with the filter element (17) located in its functional position. The element holder (19) has a projecting accommodating part (43) with an outer configuration adapted to the shape of an opening (37) located at the end of the filter element (17) to be secured to the element holder (19). The accommodating part (43) fits through the opening (37) of the filter element (17) located in the functional position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTER TECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Sann, Martin Braune
  • Patent number: 9861721
    Abstract: A system for disinfecting a fluid, including: a flow cell including one or more inlet ports and one or more outlet ports, wherein the flow cell is configured to communicate a fluid containing a biological contaminant from the one or more inlet ports to the one or more outlet portions through an interior portion thereof; and one or more point radiation sources disposed about the flow cell, wherein the one or more point radiation sources are operable for delivering radiation to the biological contaminant; wherein an interior surface of the flow cell is operable for reflecting the radiation delivered to the biological contaminant by the one or more point radiation sources; and wherein the interior surface of the flow cell is operable for reflecting the radiation delivered to the biological contaminant by the one or more point radiation sources such that a radiation intensity is uniform throughout the interior portion of the flow cell. In one exemplary embodiment, the flow cell is an integrating sphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventors: Edward Brittain Stokes, Jennifer Godwin Pagan, Thomas Andrew Schmedake
  • Patent number: 9855363
    Abstract: A system for disinfecting a fluid, including: a flow cell including one or more inlet ports and one or more outlet ports, wherein the flow cell is configured to communicate a fluid containing a biological contaminant from the one or more inlet ports to the one or more outlet portions through an interior portion thereof; and one or more point radiation sources disposed about the flow cell, wherein the one or more point radiation sources are operable for delivering radiation to the biological contaminant; wherein an interior surface of the flow cell is operable for reflecting the radiation delivered to the biological contaminant by the one or more point radiation sources; and wherein the interior surface of the flow cell is operable for reflecting the radiation delivered to the biological contaminant by the one or more point radiation sources such that a radiation intensity is uniform throughout the interior portion of the flow cell. In one exemplary embodiment, the flow cell is an integrating sphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: AquiSense Technologies LLC, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Edward Brittain Stokes, Jennifer Godwin Pagan, Thomas Andrew Schmedake
  • Patent number: 9844741
    Abstract: A liquid chromatography column, utilizing horizontal or radial flow of sample material passing there through, includes a housing defining a chamber therein, at least one removable screw lid, and first and second longitudinally extending porous frits positioned within the chamber. A bed or packing of particulate, chromatographic separation material is positioned within the chamber and intermediate the porous frits, the first of the porous frits being adjacent the housing and an inlet channel, the second of the porous frits being positioned adjacent a core member and an outlet channel. A distributor is operatively connected to the inlet channel, and a collector is connected to the outlet channel. The distributor and the inlet channel are constructed to direct associated material to be separated in the bed evenly across a longitudinal length of the bed in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: JEMP HOLDING BV
    Inventor: Marcellus Johannes Hubertus Raedts
  • Patent number: 9839868
    Abstract: A fluid treatment apparatus and related methods involving the use of replaceable treatment cartridges that include a treatment media, wherein the treatment cartridge is electrically enhanced to form regions of differing polarity within the cartridge. The treatment cartridge can include a pair of fixed polarity conductors that can be electrically connected to a power source so as to induce regions of differing polarity within the cartridge. The fluid treatment apparatus can be utilized to treat liquids including aqueous solutions as well as gases such as an air supply by exposing the fluid to the regions of differing polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Inventor: Karl J. Fritze
  • Patent number: 9815009
    Abstract: A filter device has at least one filter element (37) accommodated in a filter housing fluid-connected to a fluid tank (1). The filter housing has at least one connection fitting (29) forming a fluid connection to the filter element (37). The filter housing is formed by a filter bowl (13) molded into the tank (1). The bowl bottom (17) has the connection fitting (29) associated with the element receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Ralf Schmitt, Thomas Scholl
  • Patent number: 9814818
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for dialysis treatment which has device(s) for balancing fresh and used dialysis fluid. The present invention also relates to a method of balancing fresh and used dialysis fluid. The apparatus and method according to the present invention for balancing fresh and used dialysis fluid are characterized in that the individual balancing chambers of the balancing system receive both fresh dialysis fluid and used dialysis fluid, the functions of the balancing chambers being alternately interchanged. In this way, exact balancing can be achieved even when the volumes of the individual chambers differ from one another. Over the period of the treatment as a whole, the differences between the volumes balance each other out due to the cyclic interchange of the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Weis, Martin Lauer, Stefan Kreber
  • Patent number: 9815004
    Abstract: A liquid filter has a hollow-cylindrical filter element is flowed through in a radial direction. The fluid after having passed through the filter element drains in axial direction from the interior of the filter element. A drain plug is disposed at an axial end of the interior of the filter element. The drain plug forms a moveable valve member. A drain passage for draining fluid is open in the open position of the drain plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: MANN+HUMMEL GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Uhl, Herbert Jainek
  • Patent number: 9808746
    Abstract: A filter device has a filter element (37) in a filter housing having a connection unit (29) forming a fluid connection to the filter element (37). The connection unit (29) feeds fluid to be purified to the dirty side (41) of the filter element (37) and is a component of the element receiver mounting the filter element (37) in the functioning position. The connection unit (29) is a component of the filter housing. The valve arrangement (61; 67, 69) is movable such that by removing the filter element (37) from the filter housing, the valve arrangement (61; 67, 69) closes and by insertion of the filter element (37) into the filter housing, the valve arrangement (61; 67, 69) opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Ralf Schmitt
  • Patent number: 9808744
    Abstract: A multi-component end cap is provided. The multiple components combine to form one or more seal carriers where each seal carrier is formed in part by at least two different ones of the components. Methods of manufacturing an end cap having multiple components are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Baldwin Filters, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy L. Krull
  • Patent number: 9789423
    Abstract: A filtration apparatus whose interior is divided into a filtrate zone and a filtering zone. The filtering zone is adapted to receive a stream of raw-water and a lower portion of its volume is filled with filtering grains, and the filtrate zone is adapted to receive a filtrate obtained from passage of said stream of raw-water via the filtering grains and a perforated member. The apparatus further includes a pressure reducing device in fluid communication with the lower portion of the filtering zone and with an upper portion thereof. The pressure reducing device is adapted to receive a stream of water and responsively to continuously remove filtering grains from said filtering zone and separate filtration residues therefrom by the reduction of pressure conditions thereinside, and direct a stream comprising the stream of water and the separated filtering grains and filtration residues to the upper portion of said filtering zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: LIQUID AUTOMATION LTD., KESSLER ILAN MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (2001) LTD.
    Inventor: Haim Ben-Dosa
  • Patent number: 9764261
    Abstract: A suction filter for an automatic transmission utilizes two different types of filter media: a coarse filter media and a fine filter media. The two types of media are arranged in series within a housing such that fluid flows through only one of the two filter media. A hinge valve is arranged in series with the coarse media. The hinge valve passively opens in response to a pressure differential. The hinge valve defines a non-zero flow area when in the closed position and an increasing flow area as it opens. The flow restriction associated with the hinge valve permits a larger ratio of coarse media area to fine media, thereby decreasing the flow restriction when the oil is cold without decreasing the clean-up rate in normal operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin E. Norris, Lev Pekarsky
  • Patent number: 9757669
    Abstract: A filtration element including a cylindrical housing enclosing a fluid filtration media extending along an axis (X) between opposing ends with a first and second end cap located at each end, wherein each end cap includes: i) an annular surface co-extensive with the housing, and ii) outer face laying in a plane perpendicular with the axis (X). The outer face of at least one end cap comprises an annular groove. A face seal including a base is located within the annular groove. A flexible lip extends axially from the base and axially beyond the outer face of the end cap and is adapted to engage with an abutting outer face of an end cap of an adjacently positioned filtration element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Jon E. Johnson, Matthew D. Mittag
  • Patent number: 9751030
    Abstract: A filter, in particular for fluids polluted by admixtures of water, such as diesel oil, includes a filter housing (1) receiving at least one filter element (9). During the filtering process, fluid can flow through the filter medium (11) from the outer unfiltered side (13) of the filter element into an inner filter cavity (17) forming the filtered side (19). A water passage (39) inside a pipe connector (35) of an end cap (23) forms a fluid path (51), which is separated from the other fluid path (55) that forms the connection between the inner filtered side (19) of the filter element (9) and a fluid outlet (37) of the housing (1) in the functional position of the filter element (9). The element receptacle (29) forms a through-passage (59) toward the water collecting chamber (31). Scaling assemblies (83, 87) located between the through-passage (59) and the pipe connection (35) of the end cap (23) delimit a connecting chamber (36) on the outside of the pipe connector (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Micha Kreibig, Richard Eberle
  • Patent number: 9751031
    Abstract: A filter device, in particular for fluids contaminated with water admixtures, such as diesel oil, has a filter housing (1) holding at least one filter element (9). The filter medium of the filter element separates an untreated side (13) from a treated side (19) during the filtration process in the filter housing (1). A water collecting unit (5) is provided and holds separated water on the untreated side. Water separated on the untreated side (13) also reaches the collecting unit (5). Mutually separated collecting chambers (61, 67) are present in the collecting unit (5) for the water discharged at the treated side (19) and at the untreated side (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Richard Eberle, Micha Kreibig, Thomas Scholl, Markus Dewes, Sven Brall