Patents Examined by Patrick Williams
  • Patent number: 9759335
    Abstract: A flow restrictor for use on a pilot operated relief valve (PORV) assembly with a pilot valve that regulates operation of a main valve to reduce pressure in a system or vessel. In one embodiment, the flow restrictor is configured with a plurality of flow modifying regions, namely, a first region and a second region that is spaced apart from the first region. These regions are configured to generate flow at the outlet of the flow restrictor that induces operation of the pilot valve that is favorable for operation of the main valve. In one example, the first region and the second region define, respectively, a first flow area and a second flow area for the flow pathway, wherein each are configured to assign a ratio of the second flow area to the first flow area with a value of less than 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Dresser, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Jones, Lamar Edward May
  • Patent number: 9752685
    Abstract: A flow rate control apparatus includes a valve mechanism capable of controlling a flow rate of a pressure fluid that flows from a second port to a first port. Second stopper walls are formed on a seating section of a needle valve constituting the valve mechanism and which is capable of advancing and retracting in an axial direction. In addition, in a total valve-closed state when the seating section of the needle valve is seated on a seat of a first body, the second stopper walls come into abutment and are stopped in a circumferential direction of the needle valve with respect to first stopper walls of the first body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Shishido
  • Patent number: 9739395
    Abstract: A grid valve may include an annular stationary plate having a first annular surface, and an annular rotatable plate disposed on the annular stationary plate and rotatable relative to the annular stationary plate. The annular rotatable plate may have a second annular surface, and each of the annular stationary plate and the annular rotatable plate may define a plurality of holes in the respective annular surfaces thereof. The grid valve may further include a first magnet disposed on the first annular surface and a second magnet disposed on the second annular surface such that the first magnet repels the second magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventors: Luke P. Zimmer, Alan LePain, Fred Woehr
  • Patent number: 9733649
    Abstract: To provide a flow control system with build-down system flow monitoring that realizes flow monitoring close to real-time monitoring by combining build-down system flow rate measurement with the upstream side of the flow control system without using a thermal type flow sensor by effectively utilizing high pressure fluctuation resistance characteristics of the flow control system, and can be significantly downsized and reduced in cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Masaaki Nagase, Atsushi Hidaka, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9695781
    Abstract: A valve system for an internal combustion engine includes a housing, a drive unit arranged in the housing, at least one valve unit, at least two gas inlet ducts, and a gas outlet duct. The at least one valve unit comprises at least one valve rod, at least one valve closure body, and at least one valve seat. The at least one valve unit is connected to the drive unit. The at least two gas inlet ducts form exactly one of the at least one valve seat which is configured to cooperate with exactly one of the at least one valve closure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: PIERBURG GMBH
    Inventor: Holger Paffrath
  • Patent number: 9689501
    Abstract: A slide valve having a valve slide which can be acted on by an actuator in a first direction, and by an impingement device in a second direction which is opposite the first direction, and which may hydraulically connect a first working connection to an inlet connection or to an outlet connection, and a second working connection to the inlet connection or to the outlet connection, with the aid of control sections. A control section associated with the first working connection has a diameter stage and/or an axially extending groove and/or an axially extending flattened portion, so that when the actuator does not act on the valve slide, the first working connection is hydraulically connected to the outlet connection with the aid of the diameter stage and/or the groove and/or the flattened portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Andrzej Pilawski
  • Patent number: 9687082
    Abstract: A gas communication device comprises a main body, at least one gas delivery pipe and a cover. The gas delivery pipe is at least partially disposed in the main body and forms a gas outlet at one end; the cover is movably pivoted to the main body and comprises at least one sealing structure for correspondingly sealing the gas outlet, wherein the cover is movable along an axis relative to the main body and away from the gas outlet so as to break the seal of the sealing structure on the gas outlet such that the cover is rotatable relative to the main body to expose the gas outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: APEX MEDICAL CORP.
    Inventors: Jian-Cheng Huang, Ming-Lung Chang
  • Patent number: 9684310
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a solenoid valve and associated method of control for compensated performance based on environmental conditions and optionally product life. The solenoid coil power consumption is proactively optimized based on predetermined database information to cross reference a given operating temperature and optionally, valve operating cycles. The net effect is to reduce power consumption under normal conditions and selectively apply higher power to the valve coil when required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOMATIC SWITCH COMPANY
    Inventor: John J. Haller
  • Patent number: 9665107
    Abstract: A pressure regulator assembly comprising a pressure regulator arranged to regulate the flow rate of a gas source from a gas cylinder. The pressure regulator comprises a restriction device located in the pressure regulator, positionable to restrict the flow of gas therethrough, a biasing arrangement to apply a predetermined bias to the restriction device, a selection device operable to select a configuration of the biasing arrangement and restriction device to provide a selected gas pressure at said outlet, and a rotatable handle rotatable about an axis of rotation. A rotary control member and said rotatable handle are operable to move a control device between maximum and minimum linear positions in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation. The bias from said biasing arrangement is dependent upon the linear position of the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Gareth Ross Pemberton
  • Patent number: 9657861
    Abstract: A flow passage switching unit includes side-by-side arranged rotary valve parts. The valve part includes a casing, side walls, a peripheral wall, first fluid ports, a second fluid port, a rotary shaft, and a valving element. A flow passage, through which the first fluid ports and the second fluid port selectively communicate, is formed by rotation of the valving element. The unit includes a driving mechanism driving each valving element by its corresponding predetermined rotation angle. The driving mechanism includes one driving source, and a motive power transmission member transmitting rotation motive power of the driving source respectively to the valve parts. Motive power of the driving source is transmitted to each rotary shaft of the valve parts to drive each valving element to a position, which position of the valving element relative to the first and second fluid ports is different from one another among the valve parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiko Enomoto, Michio Nishikawa, Nobuharu Kakehashi, Kengo Sugimura, Yoshiki Katoh
  • Patent number: 9638339
    Abstract: A diaphragm valve comprises at least one valve body which has at least one inlet, at least one outlet, at least one flow channel and at least one shutoff web dividing the flow channel into channel portions. The diaphragm valve furthermore comprises a diaphragm which rests on a circumferential sealing seat of the valve body, and a drive having a drive housing, the drive being coupled to the diaphragm to press the diaphragm against the shutoff web for closing the valve. The diaphragm valve furthermore comprises a fastening unit for detachably locking the drive to the valve body, the fasting unit having a bayonet cap and an additional central retightening unit by means of which an axial tightening force is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Buerkert Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Schwetz, Marcel Konstandin, Jan Westermann
  • Patent number: 9638334
    Abstract: The flow control gate for detention ponds includes a movable gate that discharges fluid at a constant flow despite the depth of the fluid for a given depth range. The gate is moved by a lever that supports a float on the opposite end of the lever than the gate. As the fluid level around the flow control gate changes, the float tracks the changes, therefore raising and lowering the gate. Since the fluid head to discharge area relationship is not linear in the orifice equation, the curved track that the lever rests on is shaped in such a way so that the gate is moved non linearly to match the orifice equation. The flow control gate for detention ponds does not use electricity and can vastly reduce the required size of detention ponds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Inventor: Alexander William Ewers
  • Patent number: 9599232
    Abstract: A single coil dual solenoid valve includes: first and second moving cores having connected to respective ends thereof first and second valve bodies; first and second plunger tubes having slidably inserted thereinto the first and second moving cores, respectively; first and second stationary cores disposed at respective opposite ends of the first and second plunger tubes so as to lie opposite to the first and second moving cores, respectively; a first frame disposed to connect the first and second stationary cores; a second frame disposed to connect one end of the first and second plunger tubes, respectively; and a single solenoid disposed to enclose one of the first and second plunger tubes. By activating the solenoid, the first and second moving cores are sucked to move toward the respective first and second stationary cores, whereby the first and second valve bodies are changed over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kimihiro Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9593790
    Abstract: An appliance for treatment of items may include: a body defining a chamber to hold the items during treatment; a door to close the chamber during treatment; a base having an opening at an edge of the base, the body being supported on the base; a valve located in the opening; and a clip attached to the base at the opening such that the valve is secured in the opening between the clip and the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignees: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, BSH Home Appliances Corporation
    Inventor: David Hite
  • Patent number: 9562527
    Abstract: An unloader for a valve element (30) of a compressor valve (40) includes an unloader finger (2) and one carrier bushing (14), wherein the unloader finger (2) is fabricated from a first material, the carrier bushing (14) is fabricated from a second material using a casting method, and at least part of the unloader finger (2) is mold in with the material of the carrier bushing (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Spiegl, Markus Testori, Andreas Schloffer
  • Patent number: 9541209
    Abstract: Provided is an attachment structure of a check valve that is easily attached to piping, and does not need time and effort of manufacturing. A valve casing having a collar part is attached so as to be sandwiched between a pair of flanges joined to each other through an annular seal body in an upstream side in a fluid flow direction. In this valve casing, a valve is biased in a seating direction to a valve seat through a shaft and a biasing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: SANKEI GIKEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kaneyoshi Hayashi, Shigeyoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9541217
    Abstract: A water conservation device for lever actuated faucets having a pair of donut-shaped rings formed of a non-abrasive material, the apertures of the donut-shaped rings of such a dimension that they are slidably received onto a faucet head of a faucet associated with a sink and the lever of the faucet which activates the flow and termination of water, the pair of donut-shaped rings having secured there between a length of expandable/retractable band fabricated from suitable material which is expandable and stretchable upon upward pressure on the lever handle of the faucet to allow the lever handle to open the valve and initiate the flow of water, the retractable band having sufficient elasticity to exert downward pressure on the lever moving the lever downwardly to close the valve and terminate flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Inventor: Russell Javaruski
  • Patent number: 9533268
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, for supplying high-pressure mixed gas of a low-vapor-pressure first gas as an active gas and a high-vapor-pressure second gas, are arranged to reduce an amount of the first gas discarded. The mixed gas in a high-pressure state is supplied from a mixing container to a use point. Upon reduction of pressure in the mixing container to a setpoint as a result of supply to the use point, a predetermined amount of the first gas is charged into a replenishment container connected to the mixing container by a replenishment line having a replenishment valve, and which is evacuated. As the second gas is charged into the replenishment container charged with the first gas, the replenishment valve is opened such that the first gas in the replenishment container is forced out by the second gas, thereby charging the mixing container with the mixed gas in the high-pressure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignees: IWATANI CORPORATION, CENTRAL GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Yu Yoshino, Naohisa Makihira, Takehiko Senoo, Toshihiro Aida, Tomoya Biro, Hiroshi Ichimaru, Masahiro Tainaka
  • Patent number: 9518675
    Abstract: A manual gate valve operator used in the oil and gas industry. The operator does not allow an increase or decrease in height when manually rotating the hand wheel. Instead, the operator has an internal indicator nut of the position of the valve. The indicator nut is observable electronically or visually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Safoco, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Cook, Brandon Marbach
  • Patent number: 9517590
    Abstract: A device for expelling/containing a predetermined liquid. The device configured to be built into a liquid tank operable at low or zero gravity and comprising a unitary three-dimensional sponge structure. The sponge structure comprises a set of substantially wire-like elements that extend between a peripheral area of the sponge structure and an area for expelling/containing liquid. The wire-like elements are substantially oriented in the direction of flow of the fluid within the device. The wire-like elements are connected together by crosspieces and are arranged such that the capillary gradient is positive or zero in the direction of flow of the fluid from the peripheral area to the area for expelling/containing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
    Inventor: Louis Dandaleix