Patents Examined by Paul J. Hirsch
  • Patent number: 6782852
    Abstract: A hydraulic actuator operates either an intake or an exhaust valve for an engine cylinder. A driver piston is adapted to be operably connected to open and close the engine cylinder valve. An electrically driven operator produces movement of a valve spool which controls flow of fluid to and from the driver piston. A feedback mechanism is coupled to the valve spool and responds to movement of the driver piston by moving the valve spool into a position at which fluid flows neither to nor from the driver piston. The feedback mechanism ensures that the stroke of the hydraulic actuator is proportional to the magnitude of the electric current applied to the operator regardless of variation of the fluid pressure applied to the driver piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Husco International, Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis L. Van Weelden
  • Patent number: 6779776
    Abstract: A solenoid operated hydraulic valve for electro-hydraulic controlled underground mining installations such as advancing support frame controllers, with an actuator housing holding coil bodies, an armature, a magnetizable core, and an operating pin of at least two solenoids. The head end for the operating pins of each solenoid has a cut-out for an operating stroke adjuster. A head plate removable from the actuator housing is provided with a manual operating device for each operating pin and is fastened to the head end of the actuator housing with a head seal between them, a removable valve block accepting the hydraulic multi-way valves and an interposed base seal fastened to the actuator housing base. A housing having a socket connects to an intrinsically safe current supply and accepts the operating electronics for the solenoids, and is located on the side of the actuator housing. In each head end cut-out, an electronic protective circuit for the associated coil body is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: DBT GmbH
    Inventors: Franz-Heinrich Suilmann, Michael Dettmers, Jens Titschert, Hans-Udo Rheiner
  • Patent number: 6779779
    Abstract: The valve device (1) includes a valve body (2) defining a fluid flow duct (30) having a plug (20) disposed therein, the plug having a main flow opening (21) and being movable between a first position in which the main flow opening co-operates with the flow duct, and a second position in which the plug closes the duct. The plug further includes secondary flow means (22) offset relative to the main flow means and enabling the hydraulic characteristic of the valve device to be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Thierry Lemmonier, Serge LeGrand
  • Patent number: 6779777
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pipe coupling socket that enjoys improved safety when connected to a plug. This socket comprises a socket body containing a ball valve and having locking elements at its distal end portion, a valve control sleeve fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the socket body for axial movement and capable of actuating the ball valve, a plug connecting sleeve fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the socket body for axial movement and capable of locking and unlocking the plug with the aid of the locking elements, first lock means which prevents the advance of the plug connecting sleeve, second lock means which prevents the retreat of the plug connecting sleeve and the advance of the valve control sleeve, and third lock means which prevents the retreat of the plug connecting sleeve and the valve control sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Nitto Kohki Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Toru Kouda
  • Patent number: 6776389
    Abstract: A feedback mechanism includes a feedback pin, feedback shaft, feedback sensor, and connecting member. The feedback pin displaces interlocked with a motion of an actuating shaft of a valve that opens and closes. The feedback shaft pivots interlocked with displacement of the feedback pin. The feedback sensor outputs a feedback signal, to be used for opening/closing the valve, in accordance with a pivoting amount of the feedback shaft. The connecting member connects the feedback pin and the feedback shaft, and has a cylindrical first bearing through which the feedback pin is inserted, and a cylindrical second bearing through which feedback shaft is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Yamatake Corporation
    Inventor: Kofuku Ito
  • Patent number: 6776307
    Abstract: A nozzle is attached to a tip of a fluid container which is formed of two flexible sheets overlapped with each other. The sheets have their internal surfaces fitted to each other in a normal state after contents are filled into the container such that even a very small portion of contents remaining in the container can be removed by a required amount without coming into contact with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Inventor: Tadashi Hagihara
  • Patent number: 6772993
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plug and seal assembly comprising an annular seat ring and a plug head for use in a fluid control valve utilized for regulating a flow of high-pressure fluid. The seat ring includes first, second, and third sealing discs alternately stacked with respective first, second and third resilient bearing discs. The inner annular edges of the first, second and third sealing and bearing discs collectively define a conical sealing surface. The plug head defines stepped first, second and third ramps, each ramp having a truncated conical shape of equal half-angle with the conical sealing surface half-angle being larger than the ramp half-angle. The direct engagement of the first, second and third ramps against respective ones of the sealing discs acts to deform the respective ones of the bearing discs to create three fluid-tight seals therebetween to reduce the risk of leakage of the valve when in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Control Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley F. Miller, Curtis George Sterud
  • Patent number: 6772730
    Abstract: A throttle-valve assembly (10) having a housing (12), which has a continuous throttle opening (16) through which a gaseous medium (62) can flow in a main flow direction (60), in which a throttle valve (20) fastened pivotably on a throttle-valve shaft (18) is arranged in the throttle opening (16), and the throttle-valve shaft (18) can be pivoted by an actuator (26) arranged in the housing (12), in which, starting from the axis of rotation (19) of the throttle-valve shaft (18) downstream along the main flow direction (60) of the gaseous medium (62), the throttle opening (16) has an approximately straight cylinder section (64) with a height H1 and a radius RZ and in which a spherical-cap section (68) adjoins the approximately straight cylinder section (64).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Kohlen
  • Patent number: 6761348
    Abstract: The invention relates to a throttle device for controlling a fluid flow in an internal combustion engine, with a multi-part housing, whose first housing part and whose additional housing half rest against each other at contact surfaces and the fluid flow is controlled by means of a flat valve element, which can be adjusted in the flow conduit of the fluid flow by an actuating drive. The throttle device contains at least one sealing and compensation element, whose shaping of its inner wall defines the flow cross section of the fluid flow in the throttle device and which has a contact surface, which can seal cavities on its side oriented toward the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Michels, Stefan Josten
  • Patent number: 6758457
    Abstract: A connecting member (4) for a fast-fit safety coupling (1), having a tubular main member (10) connectable to a first conduit (2) for conducting pressurized fluid; a valve member (11) fitted inside the main member (10) to slide axially between a first work position separating the first conduit (2) in fluidtight manner from the outside, and an open second work position; first retaining means (18) for releasably connecting an endpiece (5) of a second conduit (3) to the valve member (11); second retaining means (17) for releasably connecting the valve member (11), in the second work position and connected to the endpiece (5), to the main member (10); and control means (70, 71, 72, 54) for disconnecting the connecting member (4) and the endpiece (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Pres-Block S.p.A.
    Inventors: Aldo Nicolino, Giandomenico Caradonna, Massimo Pellegrino
  • Patent number: 6758458
    Abstract: Provided is a butterfly valve that prevents occurrence of erosion, thereby rendering it possible to secure fine adjustment of a volumetric flow rate of a fluid in an area of low degree of valve opening or in an area of minute degree of valve opening, to infallibly attain high range ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Kitz Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ando, Yoshiharu Sato
  • Patent number: 6759640
    Abstract: When a displacement of an armature of an electromagnetically driven valve fails to reach a predetermined threshold value even after an elapse of a predetermined time from switching opening/closing of the valve, it is determined that step-out has occurred or step-out is about to occur and then the valve opening/closing control is changed. The valve opening/closing control is changed, for example, by interrupting application of current to the valve for attracting the armature released from the other valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Yoeda, Isao Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Shiratani, Shoji Katsumata, Tametoshi Mizuta, Makoto Ogiso, Hideyuki Nishida
  • Patent number: 6755389
    Abstract: A flow regulating valve comprises a casing 1; a tube 10 which has elasticity and the both ends thereof are opened to an exterior, and is inserted and installed in the casing 1; and a pushing member 20 which changes an area of an aperture of the tube 10. The tube 10 has a double layered structure which is composed by unifying an inner tube 11 which is made of tetrafluoroethylene and an outer tube 12 which is made of teflon™ by adhesives. Furthermore, the pushing member 20 has diaphragms 21 and 22 provided in the casing so as to face with the tube 10, and a fluid pressure supplying portion 23 which moves the diaphragms to the tube side by supplying fluid pressure to one of surfaces of the diaphragms 21 and 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Surpass Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Igarashi
  • Patent number: 6752377
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for configuring a pressure relief valve to have a desired internal orifice size. A population of nominally identical inserts are provided having different internal orifice diameters. A resilient seal ring is placed upon a selected insert and both are inserted into a cup-shaped seat body to form a valve seat assembly. The valve seat assembly is secured within a housing of the pressure relief valve in facing relationship to a moveable piston assembly which is biased against the seal in a normally closed position. When a new internal orifice size is desired, the insert is removed and replaced with a new insert having the new desired orifice size. No changes are necessary in the remaining components. The resilient seal preferably comprises a stiffener ring of rigid material surrounded by an annular ring of resilient material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Taylor Innovations L.L.C.
    Inventors: Julian S. Taylor, Jason O. Taliaferro, Mason W. Buerger
  • Patent number: 6752374
    Abstract: In an electromagnetic valve, after a solenoid assembly, in which a housing surrounds an outer circumference of a solenoid composed of a coil and a bobbin and a resin connector is formed on the housing by injection molding, and a valve body assembly, in which a valve body member is slidably housed to move reciprocatingly in a valve case cylindrical hollow of a valve case member, are independently sub assembled, the valve body assembly is integrated with the solenoid assembly in such a manner that the valve case member is axially inserted into a cylindrical hollow of the bobbin and, then, an axial end of the housing is fixed to an outer circumference of the valve case member by crimping. Accordingly, if a malfunction of a component part occurs during manufacturing processes, less number of component parts are rejected as failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Miyamoto, Shigeiku Enomoto, Hirokuni Tomita, Yukihiro Shinohara
  • Patent number: 6749173
    Abstract: A valve arrangement that controls fluid flow of a working fluid in a fluid system. The valve arrangement including a valve body having first, second, and third pressure chambers functioning under pressure of an operating fluid. The operating fluid is independent of the working fluid. The valve arrangement further including a solenoid valve arranged with the valve body to operably provide fluid communication between the first pressure chamber and the second and third pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: The Hartfiel Company
    Inventor: Daniel Heiling
  • Patent number: 6745994
    Abstract: A device for restoring a rotary member into a defined normal position, with a spatially stationary fixed catch, which predetermines the normal position, and a driver catch, which is coupled to the rotary member and can be moved past the fixed catch, each of which has stop surfaces embodied on each of its opposing sides, and with a clamping spring, which encompasses the catches in a prestressed fashion with two bent spring legs, in order to prevent a rotary play between the clamping spring and the catches in the normal position, and an elastic spring element in at least one leg section of the spring legs extending across the stop surfaces of the catches, which spring element is supported against the associated stop surface with a spring force that is less powerful than the prestressing force of the clamping spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Klug, Alexander Braun, Friedrich Wendel, Claudio Pupo, Reiner Schweinfurth, Klaus Kaiser, Johannes Meiwes, Michael Brozio, Uwe Hammer, Stefan Josten
  • Patent number: 6742763
    Abstract: A linear spring-loaded actuator (10) for a valve (12) comprises a housing (14) and an actuating spindle (16) slidably supported in the housing (14). A cap (22) is associated with the housing (14). Spring means (36), arranged in the housing (14), bear on the cap (22) and the actuating spindle (16), so as to exert a spring force on the actuating spindle (16). A thread (26) on the housing (14) cooperates with a thread (24′, 24″) on the cap (22) for screwing the cap (22) on the housing (14) so as to preload the spring means (36) in the housing (14). At least one lock means (40) is associated with one of the threads (24′, 24″) and is capable of deforming this thread (24, 24″) so as to lock it in any position on the cooperating thread (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Luxembourg Patent Company S.A.
    Inventor: Paul Kremer
  • Patent number: 6739576
    Abstract: A microfluidic flow control device includes a fluidic chamber, a first and a second microfluidic channel, at least one sealing surface between the first and the second channels, and a floating element disposed within the chamber. The floating element is capable of intermittently engaging the sealing surface, and movement of the floating element affects fluid flow between the first channel and the second channel. The floating element may be moved by fluid pressure, gravity, or an applied force such as a magnetic field. Multiple flow control regions may be integrated into a flow control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Nanostream, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen D. O'Connor, Eugene Dantsker, Adrian Hightower
  • Patent number: 6736370
    Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a compact integrated fluid control valve useful in controlling process fluids handled as part of a semiconductor processing operation. In the wetted section of the valve, process fluids enter through one or more entrance ports and exit through an annular metallic valve seat. In the valve's drive section, a sliding cylinder, including an upper horizontal member tied to a lower horizontal member, moves up and down. The lower horizontal member presses a diaphragm against the valve seat to close the valve, and moves away from the valve seat to permit fluid flow through the valve. A spring presses at the top of the upper horizontal member of the sliding cylinder, while a controlled pneumatic pressure is applied at the bottom of the upper horizontal member. The balance between the force of the spring and the force of the pneumatic pressure determines the extent to which the valve is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Crockett, Michael DeChellis