Patents Examined by Punam Roy
  • Patent number: 9897529
    Abstract: The present invention disclosures a test system and test method for a simulation experiment of gas hydrate in a porous medium. The test system comprises a reactor, a sensor system, a hardware interface apparatus and a data processing system; the reactor is used for containing tested medium, the sensor system is mounted inside the reactor, and the sensor system is connected to the data processing system through the hardware interface apparatus; the test method comprises a procedure of experiment and measurement data acquisition, and a procedure of analyzing and processing measurement signals; by establishing of electrical model I, acoustic model II and the fused model III, realizing the simulation of the synthesis/decomposition processes of gas hydrate in the deposits in laboratory environment and implementation of the acoustic and electrical parameters combined test, an accurate gas hydrate saturation calculation model can be established at last.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM (EAST CHINA)
    Inventors: Lanchang Xing, Changling Liu, Qiang Chen, Yanfeng Geng, Chenquan Hua, Yu Qi
  • Patent number: 9897527
    Abstract: An n-alkane with the general chemical formula CnH2n+2 with an ordinal number n of ten, eleven or twelve is used as operating medium (7) for a condensation nucleus counter for exhaust gases from internal combustion engines (4) by which individual particles contained in the exhaust gas can be counted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Kraft, Alexander Bergmann
  • Patent number: 9891092
    Abstract: A method for determining the fill level of a medium (2) in a container (3) that is advantageous as compared to the prior art is achieved in that several emitting devices (6) are supplied with electromagnetic signals and that an emitting behavior of at least a portion of the emitting devices (6) is evaluated in view of the fill level of the medium (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Baer, Thomas Musch, Michael Deilmann, Attila Bilgic, Stephan Neuburger
  • Patent number: 9885645
    Abstract: A thermal analyzer is provided with: a furnace tube; a sample holder; a heating furnace; a measurement chamber; and a measurement unit. The heating furnace comprises a fixing section to be fixed to the furnace tube. The furnace tube is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the heating furnace and provided with an engagement portion that is configured to be engaged with the fixing section at a variable position in the radial direction. A gap jig is configured to be detachable from the heating furnace and the furnace tube after inserting the furnace tube into the heating furnace and engaging the engagement portion of the furnace tube with the fixing section while the gap jig is interposed between the heating furnace and the furnace tube to maintain the gap between the heating furnace and the furnace tube in the radial direction to be in the predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Nishimura, Hirohito Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9885597
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a tank comprising an ultrasonic sensor, a first cylindrical reflector, and a second cylindrical reflector. The ultrasonic sensor may be disposed on the floor of the tank for measuring the signal propagation time through a liquid located in the tank and comprise a transmitter/receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Ronny Stangl, Stephan Heinrich, Denny Schaedlich
  • Patent number: 9885646
    Abstract: Systems and methods for calculating gas densities within a fluid enclosure are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a system includes a temperature probe for measuring an enclosure temperature in a fluid enclosure filled at least in part with a fill gas, an atmospheric pressure sensor for measuring the atmospheric pressure outside the fluid enclosure, a gas sensor for measuring an enclosure pressure within the fluid enclosure, and a controller for calculating a fill gas density within the fluid enclosure based at least in part on the enclosure temperature, the atmospheric pressure, the enclosure pressure, and a gas coefficient of the fill gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Solon Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Karl F. Scheucher, Perry Blossom, George Davet
  • Patent number: 9880076
    Abstract: A compound sampling system has a guiding assembly extending along a sampling path and a shuttle unit having a displacement mechanism engageable to the guiding assembly and configured to displace the shuttle unit onto the guiding assembly. The shuttle unit also includes at least one sampling component configured to monitor a gaseous substance and collect sampling data relative to the compound in the gaseous substance. The sampling system further includes a control system in communication with the shuttle unit. The control system includes a controller communicably coupled to the displacement mechanism and controlling the displacement of the shuttle unit along the sampling path. A method of sampling a compound uses the sampling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: MORIN ENERTECH INC.
    Inventor: Frédéric Potvin
  • Patent number: 9880138
    Abstract: Many diseases are difficult to diagnose or present with no symptoms that would suggest that medical diagnosis is needed until significant bodily damage has occurred. We disclose a medical toilet that may be used to diagnose disease. The toilet comprises a conduit through which volatile organic compounds travel from the toilet bowl to the environment outside the toilet. The invention includes methods that comprise the steps of training an animal to identify the scent of bodily waste collected from a user that is afflicted with a defined disease. A user's bodily waste is deposited into the medical toilet and the animal is then exposed to the volatile organic compounds traveling through the conduit on the medical toilet. The animal performs an act that signals that the animal has perceived the smell associated with the disease. Thus, we disclose a novel device for diagnosing disease and methods of user thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Inventors: David R. Hall, Joe Fox, Terrece Pearman
  • Patent number: 9857343
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a protective cover having a resin cylindrical cover portion at a rear end thereof, that can be airtightly attached to an attachment hole, and that can prevent a decrease in quality and a molding defect. A plurality of vertical ribs, which extend substantially parallel to an axis of a cylindrical cover portion, are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cover portion so that protrusions and recesses are provided in a circumferential direction. Due to the presence of the vertical ribs, as compared with an existing cylindrical cover portion that has a smooth outer peripheral surface without the vertical ribs, defects of the outer peripheral surface are not likely to occur in a molding process. Moreover, because slipping is not likely to occur when an operator holds and twists the cylindrical cover portion with his/her fingers, an attachment operation can be smoothly performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Yonezu, Takehiro Oba
  • Patent number: 9851277
    Abstract: Mechanical, electronic, algorithmic, and computer network facets are combined to create a highly integrated advanced gas sensor. A sensor is integrated into switchgear housings. These sensors integrated into high voltage switchgear products, deployed by electric utility end users in replacement and expansion cycles, function to detect and mitigate atmospheric pollution caused by leaking SF6. As its associated gas insulated tank is charged with 10 to 350 lbs. of SF6, each gas sensor monitors its local cache of gas, accurately sensing and computing fractional percentage losses (emissions) and gains (maintenance replacement) in SF6 mass, storing data in onboard data logs, and communicating data when triggered by detection events or in response to remote requests over a hierarchical communications network, a process that continues without labor until a fractional leak is automatically detected and reported creating the opportunity for early leak mitigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Solon Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Karl Frederick Scheucher
  • Patent number: 9851236
    Abstract: A device for determining the fill level of a medium in a container having at least one electronic device and at least one signal conductor arrangement. The electronic device supplies the signal conductor arrangement 5 with electromagnetic signals. To provide a device for determining the fill level, the signal conductor arrangement has several emitting devices and the electronic device provides at least one measure for an emitting behavior of at least one emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Baer, Thomas Musch, Michael Deilmann, Attila Bilgic, Stephan Neuburger
  • Patent number: 9851235
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium in a container or pipeline, including a resonator, which is in contact with an interior of the container or the pipeline, an active element for producing a high-frequency signal in the resonator and an electronics unit, which is embodied to receive from a unit formed of the resonator and the active element an electrical output signal. The electrical output signal is evaluated with reference to frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Blodt
  • Patent number: 9841309
    Abstract: In a method for measuring the fill level of a fluid in a housing using an ultrasound sensor, detected multiple echoes in relation to a signal are reflected from a reference point and level echoes in relation to the signal reflected from the fluid level are evaluated in relation to their fluctuation width. The level echoes can be identified in this manner and the fill level determined from the transit times of the signals to the reference point and to the fluid level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Philippe Grass, Stephan Heinrich, Markus Herrmann, Torsten Reitmeier, Denny Schädlich
  • Patent number: 9833734
    Abstract: An air quality indicator for indicating high fine particle levels in an environment of interest. The indicator includes a frame maintaining first and second air filter media. The first air filter medium differs from the second air filter medium at least in terms of a change in visual appearance (e.g., color) when subjected to air flow containing fine particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew R. Fox, Liming Xin
  • Patent number: 9834432
    Abstract: Inertial sensor comprising a fixed part and at least one mass suspended from the fixed part and means of damping the displacement of the part suspended from the fixed part, said damping means being electromechanical damping means comprising at least one DC power supply source, one electrical resistor and one variable capacitor in series, said variable capacitor being formed partly by the suspended part and partly by the fixed part such that displacement of the suspended part causes a variation of the capacitance of the variable capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Yannick Deimerly, Guillaume Jourdan, Patrice Rey
  • Patent number: 9829367
    Abstract: A fill-level measuring device having an oscillatory system, which has at least one external, tubular, oscillatory element and an inner oscillatory element. The outer oscillatory element at least sectionally coaxially surrounds the inner oscillatory element. In an inner space of the inner oscillatory element, a compensation apparatus shiftable in the axial direction and having at least a first locking element, a second locking element and a coupling element is arranged. The locking elements and the coupling element are composed of piezoelectric material, wherein the coupling element, the first locking element and the second locking element are connected with one another, and wherein the first locking element and the second locking element in a resting state are each connected by force interlocking, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Helmut Pfeiffer, Benjamin Mack
  • Patent number: 9816966
    Abstract: An air bubble sensor has a holder at which at least one ultrasonic sensor is arranged to detect air bubbles and/or gas bubbles in a flowing liquid, wherein a flow passage which has connection pieces is integrated into the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: ZOLL Lifebridge GmbH
    Inventor: Florian Sagebiel
  • Patent number: 9816881
    Abstract: A transducer structure including a carrier with an opening and a suspended structure mounted on the carrier which extends at least partially over the opening in the carrier is disclosed. The transducer structure may further include configuring the suspended structure to provide an electrostatic field between the suspended structure and the carrier by changing a distance between the suspended structure and the carrier. Alternatively, the suspended structure may be configured to change the distance between the suspended structure and the carrier in response to an electrostatic force provided between the suspended structure and the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Alfons Dehe, Christoph Glacer
  • Patent number: 9816882
    Abstract: The invention provides a piezoresistive electronic skin, a preparation method and a use thereof. The piezoresistive electronic skin uses carbon nanotube film as the conductive layer and uses materials provided with micro-nano patterns, such as polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl formal, polyethylene, and so on, as the substrate, enabling the substrate has advantages of high flexibility and being pliable, and it needs low operating voltage and little power consumption, but has high sensitivity and short response time. More importantly, the invention uses the patterned flexible substrate as the basis, greatly improving the sensitivity of electronic skin reacting to tiny applied force from outside. The invention also provides a capacitive electronic skin and a preparation method thereof. Further, the invention also provides a use of the piezoresistive electronic skin or the capacitive electronic skin on speech recognition, pulse detection, medical robot, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: SUZHOU INSTITUTE OF NANO-TECH AND NANO-BIONICS (SINANO), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Ting Zhang, Xuewen Wang, Zuoping Xiong, Yang Gu, Wen Gu
  • Patent number: 9784608
    Abstract: A method for detecting a fill level in a collecting vessel using a sensor device, wherein the collecting vessel has m detection regions which are measured using ultrasound, includes the following steps: 1. a measurement cycle is performed for each of the m detection regions, where m= 1, 2, 3, . . . ; 2. n individual measurements are performed in each measurement cycle, where n= 1, 2, 3, . . . , wherein a transmission power and/or a reception gain and/or a transmission burst is varied in each of the n individual measurements, as a result of which the individual measurements are distinguished from one another in terms of the transmission power and/or in terms of the reception gain and/or in terms of the transmission burst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Pepperl & Fuchs GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Luber, Claudia Sertl