Patents Examined by Phuong T Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11969109
    Abstract: There is provided a drinks stirrer (10) for stirring an infusion pouch within a drink. The infusion pouch comprises a pouch soring an infusion media, a tag for holding the infusion bag, and a string connecting the pouch to the tag. The drinks stirrer (10) comprises a proximal end (14) having a retainer device (32, 34) for retaining the tag to the proximal end, and a distal end (12) having a scoop (20) for holding the pouch. The scoop (20) comprises a slot (24) for receiving the string to constrain the pouch to adjacent the scoop. A drinks apparatus comprising the infusion pouch and the drinks stirrer is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: D.J. LIMBREY DISTILLING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Dominic Limbrey
  • Patent number: 11962116
    Abstract: A resistance soldering device configured for using with an electrical terminal having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface on which a layer of a solder composition is disposed includes an electrode having a first electrical conductor configured to be connected to a positive pole of an electrical power supply, a second electrical conductor configured to be connected to a negative pole of the electrical power supply and an electrically resistive bridge interconnecting the first and second electrical conductors. A method of using such a device is also presented herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventor: William Falk
  • Patent number: 11957269
    Abstract: A coffee machine for wirelessly driving a coffee filter cup to rotate relates to a coffee brewing device. The coffee machine comprises a machine body and a cup holder, wherein an annular frame is provided on the cup holder, an annular bracket for supporting a coffee filter cup is provided in the annular frame, and the annular bracket is rotatable relative to the annular frame; the machine body is provided with a charging coil, the cup holder is provided with a power receiving coil, and the power receiving coil is provided corresponding to the charging coil; a motor is provided on the cup holder, and the motor is capable of obtaining power through the power receiving coil to drive the annular bracket to rotate, thereby driving the coffee filter cup to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SHENZHEN BUYDEEM TECHNOLOGY CO.
    Inventors: George Mohan Zhang, Huajin Chen
  • Patent number: 11957272
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a liquid foodstuff, in particular milk, includes a heating device for heating the liquid foodstuff, which has a fluid path for the liquid foodstuff and an electric heater. The fluid path and heater are in thermal contact with a heat store made from a material of high thermal mass and conductivity, and the heat store is brought by the heater to an operating temperature which lies below 80° C., preferably below 70° C. The fluid path is connectable via at least one directional control valve to a flushing line via which water and/or detergent can be conducted through the fluid path for cleaning purposes. A control device is provided that is configured to heat the heat store of the heating device to a temperature above 100° C. to carry out thermal regeneration, and to open the directional control device one or more times for conducting water or detergent solution through the fluid path of the heating device heated to a high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Franke Kaffeemaschinen AG
    Inventors: Serge Waechter, Simon Mueller
  • Patent number: 11950724
    Abstract: A beverage producing apparatus includes: a mixer having a stand, a bottle, and a lid; a mixer controller that operates an operation button of the stand; a liquid input part that inputs a liquid; a solid input part that inputs powder or a granule; a lid transfer device that holds the lid in a state in which the lid can be transferred between an above side of the bottle and a position off the above side of the bottle; an operation part that is used to select at least either of a type and an amount of a beverage to be produced by the mixer; and a housing that holds the stand, the liquid input part, the solid input part, the lid transfer device, and the operation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: New Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Keito Nakao
  • Patent number: 11956863
    Abstract: A multi-zone heater includes an outer circumferential zone heater and first and second elemental wire portions. The outer circumferential zone heater is a coil that is provided in an outer circumferential zone of a ceramic substrate in the same plane as a plane in which a central zone heater is provided and that is routed throughout the outer circumferential zone in a unicursal manner from one end portion to the other end portion in the outer circumferential portion. The first elemental wire portion extends from a first terminal, passes through a central portion, is connected to the one end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view. The second elemental wire portion extends from a second terminal, passes through the central portion, is connected to the other end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Nobuyuki Kondou
  • Patent number: 11937732
    Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating brewing of beverages in a container includes an apparatus container and a plunger assembly. The apparatus container includes a base and a side wall extending from the base to define an interior space. A bottom end of the side wall is peripherally attached to the base and a top end of the side wall defines an opening. The apparatus container includes openings disposed on the side wall and disposable in the container for brewing a beverage in the container comprising a brewing fluid. The apparatus container receives a beverage ingredient in the interior space through the opening for the brewing. The plunger assembly includes a plunger handle and a plunger head and moves the plunger head into the interior space based on a force applied to the plunger handle. The brewing of the beverage is further based on the moving of the plunger head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MIE Concepts INC
    Inventor: Zihni Enes Yigit
  • Patent number: 11937737
    Abstract: An air circulation roaster for tables with a safety function enabled to remove foreign substances (oil and nitrogen dioxide) generated during cooking of meat, reducing contamination of the air around the roaster, has a safety function that cuts off power pending the sensed temperature of the roast plate. The air circulation roaster has a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of the roast plate, a control box placed outside the body when the temperature cuts off power supplied to the heating lamp when the heating unit exceeds the set limit. A platinum catalyst filter placed around the outside of the heating unit is coated with platinum on a network-shaped ceramic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Chan Park, Yong Goo Cho
  • Patent number: 11927396
    Abstract: A safety auditor is designed to perform opening and closing of every safety switch that is used in an industrial bakery oven. Every pressure sensor can be tested for on and off states. The low gas pressure switch can be vented and the high gas pressure switch pressurized. All thermocouples associated with the high temperature circuits are tripped. Fans are started and stopped over a communications signal or via the hard-wired interface as required to generate the safety testing. Once the safety testing is complete, the results along with time, date, name of tester, pass or fail will be printed out via a small kiosk printer. This ticket can then be filed in an office. As the operation is easy to do and requires little effort, it is much more likely to be performed and therefore safer for the host bakery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Flynn Burner Corporation
    Inventor: Simon Walker
  • Patent number: 11918022
    Abstract: Apparatus, system and method for cold pressing juice from a food including a food delivery chute, a food grinder, and a pressing chamber which may removably fit together as a single, stand-alone unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Goodnature Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Wettlaufer, Eric Wettlaufer
  • Patent number: 11910956
    Abstract: Grill grates include side walls defining the perimeter of the grill grate and flavor bars, with grease channels between them. The grease channels have continuous, closed bottoms. The flavor bars include dormers. The dormers are configured to direct drippings around the openings, to the grease channels. The dormers can have openings facing substantially towards the grease channels. The grill grates can be formed by methods such as stamping or casting. Stamping the grill grates can include providing metal with flanges and tabs to ensure sufficient material to allow the flavor bars and dormers to be formed, and the grease channels and side walls then sealed through welding. The grill grate can trap drippings in the grease channels while allowing smoke and heat to reach cooked items through the dormers in addition to heat transfer through the material of the flavor bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Lynn Ringdahl
  • Patent number: 11910952
    Abstract: An automatic beverage brewer for coffee, tea, and the like, and more particularly, which is customizable both in physical configuration including number and location of external brewing fonts, optionally in association with a bulk brewing font and receiving container, and in automatic operation to dispense hot water to the respective fonts and a main brewing basket or baskets responsive to user inputted beverage brewing commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NEWCO ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Webster, Jody G. Jacobsen, David L. Brandsma, Thomas Liebe
  • Patent number: 11903518
    Abstract: A coffee holder includes a holder body and a holder lid. The holder body includes a holder base, a holder sidewall extending from the base and defining an interior configured to receive loose coffee, and an open receiving end opposite the base. The holder lid is configured to engage the holder body to cover the open receiving end. The holder lid includes a recessed portion that extends into the holder body interior when the holder lid engages the holder body, and a passage in the recessed portion configured to allow fluid to flow into the holder body interior from the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventor: Adrian Rivera
  • Patent number: 11901531
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to establishing a direct electrical bond between a bonding connector of a contact plate and a battery cell in a battery module. In a first embodiment, an oscillating laser is used to weld the bonding connector to a battery cell terminal over a target area over which the bonding connector makes non-flush contact. In a second embodiment, the bonding connector is flattened to reduce a gap between the bonding connector and the target area on the battery cell terminal, and then laser-welded (e.g., using an oscillating or non-oscillating laser). In a third embodiment, at least one hold-down mechanism is applied over the bonding connector to secure the bonding connector to the battery cell terminal, after which the bonding connector is laser-welded to the battery cell terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Heiner Fees, Andreas Track, Alexander Eichhorn, Ralf Maisch, Jörg Damaske, Martin Eberhard
  • Patent number: 11882964
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are directed to automated preparation of food or consumable items, such as for preparation of fried foods. An example cooking apparatus may include processing devices for the consumable items. In some examples, a robot arm is provided that extends from a moveable base. Locators may define a relative position of the moveable base relative to processing device(s) of the cooking apparatus, such that the robot arm is configured to determine robot arm movements to move the consumable items to and from the processing device(s). In some examples, one or more zones may be used to detect movement near a robot arm, with one or more restrictions being placed upon robot arm and/or base movement in response. In some examples, a cooking apparatus provides automated transport of food ingredients for preparation of food or other consumable items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lab2Fab. LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Lewis Tanaka, Hogan Hall Hempy, Peter Elliot Ishiguro, Shawn Michael Lange, Cory David Lent, John Paul Norman
  • Patent number: 11877586
    Abstract: A food dehydrator with a heating element located beneath a fan in a chamber of the food dehydrator. The heating element includes resistors, connected in series, sandwiched between and in thermal contact with two heatsinks to heat and dry the air within a volume defined by the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Richard Weldon-Ming
  • Patent number: 11871868
    Abstract: A coffee machine includes a grinder for grinding coffee beans, and collects wastes such as chaff and fine powder. The coffee machine includes a grinder to grind coffee beans; a separation unit to separate a waste from coffee beans; and a reservoir unit to store the waste separated from the coffee beans in the separation unit. The reservoir unit includes an outer case body and an inner case body inside the outer case body, and the inner case body has, in a circumferential wall thereof, an opening connected to the inside of the outer case body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DAITO GIKEN, INC.
    Inventor: Toshio Saito
  • Patent number: 11866249
    Abstract: Capsule containing a substance for the preparation of a potable beverage, the capsule having an aluminum capsule body having a side wall and an outwardly extending flange and a sealing member at the outwardly extending flange for providing a fluid sealing contact with an enclosing member of a beverage preparation device. The beverage preparation device comprises an annular element having a free contact end which may be provided with a plurality of radially extending open grooves. The sealing member is integral with the outwardly extending flange and comprises a projection. An annular trough between the inner projection foot and the side wall has a bottom axially spaced from the outer projection foot towards the bottom of the capsule body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Kamerbeek, Arend Hendrik Groothornte, Hielke Dijkstra, Erik Pieter Van Gaasbeek
  • Patent number: 11857101
    Abstract: The coffee dispenser disclosed herein may serve a single serving of coffee. The coffee dispenser may including a coffee concentrate fluid line which intersects with a water fluid line at a junction to allow mixing of coffee concentrate with water as the respective fluids flow through the coffee dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Singer
  • Patent number: 11857106
    Abstract: Inline fluid foaming device (10) for providing a foamed fluid directly into a container, the device (10) comprising an air path (120) for introducing a certain quantity of air into the device (10), and a fluid path (130) for introducing fluid into the device (10) coming from a fluid container (16), the mixture of air and fluid passing to a centrifugal pumping and foaming element (11) such that the amount of fluid into the device (10) is pumped by the centrifugal movement of the pumping and foaming element (11) and the foaming of the mixture is provided by driving it under a certain level of shear stress in the element (11), the device (10) further comprising a heating unit (14) to where the foamed mixture of fluid and air is conveyed for its optional later heating. The invention further relates to a beverage system comprising such an inline fluid foaming device (10) and a beverage dispensing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventor: Gregory Savioz