Patents Examined by Peter DeVore
  • Patent number: 7070162
    Abstract: A valve actuating apparatus for control of fluid flow that has a housing having a valve body with a first port and a second port that extend through the housing. In one embodiment the valve actuating apparatus also has a toggle valve assembly that includes an armature, at least one sealing surface connected to the armature, and a spring biasing the armature to a first position where the sealing surface closes the first port. The valve actuating apparatus further includes a solenoid assembly with an electromagnetic coil and a pole piece having a first leg and a second leg. The first leg is shorter than the second, and the first leg and the armature define an air gap when the armature is in the first position. The electromagnetic coil creates a magnetic field in the pole piece when it is electrically energized to attract the armature toward the first leg to a second position where the air gap is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: South Bend Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Dzialakiewicz, Donald Sack, Peter G Hutchings
  • Patent number: 7065802
    Abstract: A novel bidet housing formed from a plurality of nesting plastic parts having control modules formed therein which maintain a constant water pressure in the housing notwithstanding the supply water pressure used to fill the same. The control modules have knobs accessible to the user for regulating the temperature and pressure of the water, the addition of soap and/or scented material and the exit pressure to the toilet seat nozzles. The fabrication of the parts in plastic sections leads to a reduction in overall cost compared to that of the prior art as well as ease of assembly and installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventor: Brian H. Jung
  • Patent number: 7063476
    Abstract: A dispensing applicator for applying liquid to the skin, comprising a handle having an internal reservoir for containing a liquid, a head having an applicator portion, and a liquid delivery mechanism interconnecting the reservoir of the handle to the applicator portion of the head, and operative responsive to pivotal movement of the handle to deliver liquid from the reservoir to the applicator portion when the applicator portion is positioned against a user's skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Inventors: Verna M. Pinnix, Thomas G. Pilcher, II
  • Patent number: 7059584
    Abstract: The present invention provides a diaphragm valve moveable between a fully open position and a fully closed position, the valve comprising: a bonnet having a first thread and an abutment surface; a stem having at least one aperture and a second thread that cooperates with the first thread to allow the stem to be axially moveable relative to the bonnet; a handwheel being freely rotatable on the stem and freely axially slidable on the stem and having a stop with a surface for contacting the abutment surface of the bonnet; and a pin extending through the handwheel and into the at least one aperture in the stem for limiting rotary motion of the handwheel relative to the stem. In one aspect of the invention, the at least one aperture is a slot. In another aspect of the invention, the at least one aperture is a plurality of apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Inventor: Kay Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 7055793
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve having a base body with a passage opening, a movable valve member for closing and opening the passage opening and an actuating mechanism for moving the valve member in order to open the passage opening. The actuating mechanism has at least two elements made from a shape memory alloy which are secured to the base body or a carrier body connected thereto, and can be alternately shortened in the event of the temperature rising above a threshold temperature and are connected to the valve member in such a way that the valve member can be moved from a position on the passage opening into a position alongside the passage opening when one element is shortened on one side and can be moved back into the position on the passage opening when the other element is shortened on one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignees: Aesculap AG & Co. KG, Christoph Miethke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Margit Biehl, Christoph Miethke
  • Patent number: 7048019
    Abstract: A method of forming a filler tube includes forming a funnel insert, forming a funnel portion in a first end of a filler tube, and joining the funnel insert and the funnel portion of the filler tube. The funnel portion includes a transition portion configured to induce a swirl to passing fuel for venting vapors from the gas tank during fuel filling. A fuel filler tube assembly includes the funnel portion including a tubular body defining a larger inlet and a smaller outlet, the position of the inlet relative the outlet and an internal configuration of the tubular body therebetween inducing a swirl to inventing vapors from fuel flowing through the tubular body. The larger inlet receives a funnel insert including a nozzle opening positioned to cooperate with the internal configuration of the tubular body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Shelby Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelo Pacitto, Jr., Marvin F. Smith
  • Patent number: 7048459
    Abstract: The liquid ink writing instrument has a body containing, from its rear end towards its front end, a reservoir for the ink and a front chamber containing a capillary element for transferring ink coming from the reservoir to a writing head. The front chamber communicates with ambient air. The writing head is fed with ink by the capillary element, and projects from the front portion of the body. The reservoir is separated from the front chamber by a flexible wall having shape memory and provided with slots. The flexible wall acts as a valve suitable for opening when the ratio of the pressure inside the reservoir over the pressure inside the volume of the front chamber facing the valve exceeds a first value, and of reclosing instantly as soon as the ratio becomes less than or equal to a second value, the valve releasing the ink in the form of a jet directed towards the rear face of the capillary element. The first value of the ratio of the pressures is preferably about 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Conte
    Inventors: Vincent Bedhome, José Duez, Didier Lange
  • Patent number: 7044440
    Abstract: An outfall valve structure conforming to ergonomics is primarily composed of a casing, which is moveably connected with a hollow pipe. The casing is in the form of a short pipe, the exterior wall thereof is provided with a coupler with an opening provided on the bottom such that the casing would become a tee; whereas the interior wall thereof is provided with a circle of hollow flow path along the position where the opening is. The hollow pipe is provided with a hook at one end of its pipe wall, and with a coupler at the other end. A barrier edge and an opening are provided between the hood and the coupler, such that the hollow pipe can be inserted into the casing with the end having a hook, thereby the casing can slidably move on the hollow pipe without detaching from the hollow pipe since it is stopped by the barrier edge and the hook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Inventor: Shih-Sheng Yang
  • Patent number: 7040601
    Abstract: Valve guides made of ferrous sintered alloy for internal combustion engines have improved durability of the valve stem without soft nitriding process. The valve guides include Cu: 8 to 20 mass %, C: 0.8 to 1.5 mass %, and at least one of MnS, WS2, and MoS2: 0.5 to 2 mass % and the balance of Fe, the valve guides have many pores, have a metal structure in which the copper phase dispersed in an iron pearlite matrix exists, and have a structure in which metal sulfides are dispersed between particles between the matrix and the copper phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi Powdered Metals Co., Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsunao Chikahata, Koichiro Hayashi, Katsuaki Sato
  • Patent number: 7040596
    Abstract: A diaphragm is clamped between a solenoid unit disposed in a casing and a second valve body in which hydrogen is introduced. A filter comprising a bottomed cylindrical mesh member is mounted in a first passage defined in the first valve body. A restriction having an orifice for restricting the flow rate of hydrogen supplied to first and second communication chambers is mounted in a first port that is disposed upstream of the filter. The restriction and the filter are disposed coaxially in line with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Sonoda, Masakazu Murai, Kouetsu Hikichi, Hideki Sasaki, Yoshio Saito, Koji Katano, Kazunori Fukuma, Hiroyasu Ozaki, Kouji Miyano, Katsumi Sahoda
  • Patent number: 7040600
    Abstract: A valve, e.g. of an aircraft drinking water system, has a rotatable adjusting shaft to adjust the valve between its open end position and its closed end position. A mechanism for operating the adjusting shaft includes a push-pull cable connected to a toothed rack that engages a toothed gear element secured to the adjusting shaft. The mechanism converts the push-pull linear motion of the cable to a reciprocating rotational motion of the adjusting shaft. End sections of the rack and the gear element have no gear teeth, so the rack automatically disengages from the gear element once the end position of the valve is reached. The disengaged rack can slide beyond the stopped end position of the gear element, and re-engages with the gear element once it slides back into the operating range. The valve cannot be forced beyond its end positions, despite excessive input motion of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Wilhelm Lutzer
  • Patent number: 7040594
    Abstract: When a plunger moves toward a side of a valve seat, an end face of a sealing member on a space side is separated from a surface of a seal housing groove, whereby a portion between a communication passage formed on an inner peripheral side of the sealing member is communicated with the space. At this time, an end face of the sealing member on a side of a damper chamber contacts the surface of the seal housing groove. However, since a part of a communication groove is communicated with the communication passage, the damper chamber is communicated with the communication passage through the communication groove. Accordingly, since the damper chamber is communicated with the space through the communication passage, a damping effect is not exerted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideharu Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7036537
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manifold for receiving fluid tubes in a bulk compounder. In its simplest form, the manifold includes a plurality of inlets, each inlet defining an opening to a respective fluid passageway, and each passageway contains a check-valve. Included in this manifold is an outlet in fluid communication with the fluid passageways and an inlet port which is coaxial with the outlet. The coaxial inlet port contains a check-valve. Included as a part of the present invention is a cannula adapted for use with the manifold of the present invention, tube sets for use with the manifold of the present invention, and a method of minimizing error in filling a bag using a manifold in accordance with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: B. Braun Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Aleandro DiGianfilippo, Kenneth C. Raines, Joel Bartholomew, Richard S. Pierce, Jeffery Steigerwalt
  • Patent number: 7032878
    Abstract: A method for the control of the switching operation of a valve by the fact that the two end positions and the intermediate position(s) of the valve are clearly determined each by the valve rod(s) bearing directly or indirectly on fixed position limiters, the fixed position limiters each are moved to in the course of the first switching operations of the valve, and the respective fixed position messages resulting therefrom are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Tuchenhagen GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Coura, Martin Gesikiewicz, Bernd Porath
  • Patent number: 7028976
    Abstract: A closing body is mounted in an axially displaceable manner in a bore of a fluidic valve to control a pressure medium flowing via the valve. The closing body has a sealing section, interacting with a seating edge of valve, and a guide section which serves to guide the valve cone in the bore. The guide section is provided with recesses which allow an overflow of pressure medium between the two sides of the closing body. To reduce costs of production, the guide section of the closing body is of cylindrical form and its surface is provided with at least one helical groove which leads from one side of the guide section to its other side. The closing body is useful in particular in constant pressure valves for controlling fluid pressure medium. The sealing section of the closing body is normally of conical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Bosch Rexroth AG
    Inventors: Peter Bachmann, Uwe Künzinger, Holger Mühlhoff, Hans Wölfges
  • Patent number: 7021605
    Abstract: A control valve (1) comprises a housing (2) manufactured by a pressure die casting process, whose housing edges of upper semicircular bore hole are located exactly vertically above housing edges of lower semicircular bore hole and for this reason, the mold slide that forms the control edges (21) no longer has any contact point with the housing (2) and, as a consequence, symmetrical control edges (21) arise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Otto Lutz
  • Patent number: 7017882
    Abstract: A valve assembly includes a valve stem which is connected with a valve. A drive member is disposed in engagement with the valve stem. A gear assembly is operable to rotate the drive member to effect axial movement of the valve stem. The gear assembly is driven by an electrical motor. In the event of a power failure, the valve may be moved to a closed condition by either a return spring or an auxiliary source of electrical energy. To facilitate movement of the valve between the open and closed conditions, the valve is pressure balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy L. Marsh, Steven T. Anderson
  • Patent number: 7013930
    Abstract: A fueling station is provided with apparatus for preventing accidental fires including communication with the person performing the fueling operation and preventing fuel delivery unless the person performing the fueling operation is safely purged of static electricity. Also a vehicle is provided with static discharge pad apparatus for safely discharging static electricity of a person leaving the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: 5 Tau, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Johnston Mann
  • Patent number: 7007923
    Abstract: A valve unit for controlling the delivery of a fuel gas through a delivery duct (3) comprises a valve seat (6) in the duct, a closure member (5) associated with the seat, a motor-driven actuator (7) acting on the closure member in order to control it so as to open/close the valve seat, as well as an electromagnetic unit (22) with a first portion (23) carrying a magnetizing winding (24) and a second portion (25) which can be fixed firmly to the first position by magnetization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Sit La Precisa S.p.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Dorigo, Massimo Giacomelli, Stefano Zanella
  • Patent number: 7004445
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manual operation of an actuator is disclosed. A mechanical override includes a housing coupled to the actuator, a drive ring, and a shaft extending through a bore of the housing. The drive ring rotationally keys to the bore such that the drive ring is capable of axial movement within the bore in response to automatic operation of the actuator. A backstop limits axial movement of the drive ring during manual operation. A thread located on an external portion of the shaft threads to the drive ring. In the manual operation, the shaft rotates through the drive ring imparting axial movement to the shaft capable of moving a valve between a first position and a second position. The override provides visual indication of the valve position during both automatic and manual operation. The backstop may be an insert that selectively permits movement of the shaft to a failsafe position in response to a temperature or pressure change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Safoco, Inc.
    Inventor: David Lymberopoulos