Patents Examined by Quang Van
  • Patent number: 9926616
    Abstract: A heating apparatus, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heating method are provided. The heating apparatus includes a workpiece support on which a ring-shaped workpiece is placed, a rotary drive assembly, and a heater configured to heat the workpiece. The workpiece support includes a plurality of rotating rollers arranged in a circumferential direction. The rotary drive assembly is configured to rotate the plurality of rotating rollers to rotate the workpiece placed on the workpiece support along a ring shape of the workpiece. The heater includes a heating coil configured to induction-heat the workpiece on the workpiece support at a heating position, and an actuator configured to move the heating coil at the heating position relative to the workpiece to adjust a distance between the workpiece and the heating coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., NETUREN TAKUTO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nakatsu, Hisaaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9924566
    Abstract: An assembly for evaporating a volatile material is described, the assembly comprising a device and a refill which are detachable from one another: wherein the device comprises a magnetic induction coil configured to operate with an alternating current passed therethrough at a frequency of between substantially 20 KHz to substantially 500 KHz; and wherein the refill comprises at least one magnetic susceptor having a coercivity of substantially 50 ampere/meter (HC) to substantially 1500 ampere/meter (HC) and a substantially liquid-tight sealed reservoir containing the volatile material; wherein, in use, the magnetic susceptor(s) is arranged to heat the material predominately by magnetic hysteresis when the magnetic susceptor(s) is at least partially positioned in the induced magnetic field generated, in use, when said alternating current is passed through the induction coil. Refills, devices and methods of use are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: RECKITT & COLMAN (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Duffield, Ellen Piercy, Larry Tyson, Steve Walsh
  • Patent number: 9924567
    Abstract: A solenoidal induction coil with dynamically variable coil geometry is provided for inductively welding or heating continuous or discontinuous workpieces passing through the solenoidal induction coil in a process line. The coil geometry can change, for example, as the outer dimension of the workpiece passing through the solenoidal induction coil changes or as non-continuous workpieces pass through the solenoidal induction coil in an induction heating or welding process line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: THERMATOOL CORP.
    Inventors: Thomas Ignatowski, Michael A. Nallen
  • Patent number: 9913322
    Abstract: The invention provides a door opening mechanism for a domestic appliance, for example a microwave door. The domestic appliance includes a housing, a front door, and a resilient member for urging the door open. The mechanism is adapted to be located within the housing and includes a retention mechanism which is engagable with the door and is movable between a first configuration where there door is retained in a closed position and a second configuration where the door is in a non-retained, open, position. The door also includes a cam with a plurality of cam surfaces. The door includes a door key with an inclined portion engagable with an edge of a sloping section of a hollow slot in the door molding, arranged such that a user is able to manually over-ride the opening mechanism and open the door by means of pulling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Manufacturing UK Ltd.
    Inventor: Daniel Davies
  • Patent number: 9907122
    Abstract: An oven door for a microwave oven or a multifunctional oven with microwave heating function is provided. The oven door includes an outer glass panel and at least two door columns directly attached or attachable at an inner side of the outer glass panel. The oven door further includes a door cover arranged or arrangeable at an inner side of the outer glass panel and attached or attachable at the door columns. The oven door also includes a door choke system arranged or arrangeable between the door cover and the outer glass panel. The oven door further includes an inner glass panel arranged or arrangeable between the door cover and the door choke system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Benjamin Himmelein, Marian Militzer-Keil, Trevor Specht
  • Patent number: 9900936
    Abstract: An over-the-range microwave oven includes: a housing; an electric equipment chamber which is disposed in the housing, and includes a control panel, and a drive unit; a cooking chamber which is disposed in the housing and controlled by the electric equipment chamber, and has an air inlet portion which is disposed at one side of the cooking chamber and into which outside air flows, and an opening and closing unit which is disposed at the other side of the cooking chamber and that is opened and closed based on a flow rate of flowing air; and a duct unit in the housing and disposed outside the cooking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: DONGBU DAEWOO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Hyuk Imm, Jong Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 9888529
    Abstract: An induction heating apparatus for heating a traveling metal plate includes an induction coil for surrounding the metal plate. The induction coil includes an upper portion for being located above the metal plate and a lower portion for being located below the metal plate. The upper and lower portions of the induction coil are spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the metal plate at least at one position in a transverse direction of the metal plate. The distance in the longitudinal direction of the metal plate between the upper portion and the lower portion of the induction coil varies across a transverse direction of the metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Hirota
  • Patent number: 9888531
    Abstract: An over-the-range microwave oven includes: a housing; a cooking unit which is disposed in the housing; an air discharge unit which includes an air discharge motor in the housing; an air discharge duct unit which discharges air through the air discharge unit; a cooling duct unit which guides outside air to the air discharge motor in order to cool the air discharge motor; and a duct unit in which the air discharge duct unit and the cooling duct unit are separated vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hyuk Imm, Jong Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 9888530
    Abstract: An induction stove and induction cookware are disclosed herein. The induction stove includes a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm together forming an opening between the first arm and the second arm. At least one of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm includes an induction source. The induction stove also includes rack disposed in the opening for supporting induction cookware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Inventor: Bernard Fryshman
  • Patent number: 9885094
    Abstract: A single shot inductor is provided to induction heat treat closely spaced multiple eccentric cylindrical components arranged along the longitudinal axis of a workpiece. The single shot inductor has multiple planar arcuate single turn coil sections separated from each other by an axial coil section so that each of the multiple planar arcuate single turn coil sections sequentially heat treats the closely spaced multiple eccentric cylindrical components inserted within the single shot inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Inductoheat, Inc.
    Inventors: John Aaron Goodwin, Valery I. Rudnev
  • Patent number: 9877359
    Abstract: An assembly for evaporating a volatile fluid includes a device and a refill which are detachable from one another: wherein the device comprises a magnetic induction coil configured to operate with an alternating current passed therethrough at a frequency of between substantially 20 KHz to substantially 500 KHz; the refill comprises a fluid reservoir containing the volatile fluid, a wick and at least one magnetic susceptor arranged to heat the wick predominately by magnetic hysteresis when said alternating current is passed through the induction coil, wherein the magnetic susceptor has a coercivity of substantially 50 ampere/meter (HC) to substantially 1500 ampere/meter (HC). Refills, devices and methods of operation are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: RECKITT & COLMAN (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Duffield, Ellen Piercy, Larry Tyson, Steve Walsh
  • Patent number: 9877360
    Abstract: A microwave range includes a main body having a cooking chamber therein; and a tray unit in the cooking chamber, in which the tray unit is configured to rotate food on a first plane and a second plane, the second plane being is orthogonal to the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Chang Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9876481
    Abstract: A microwave processing device includes: a periodic structure body which forms a surface-wave transmission line to transmit surface waves of microwaves; an oscillator which generates microwave power; and a transmitting part which transmits the microwave power generated by the oscillator to the periodic structure body, wherein a matching part is provided at a connecting portion between the periodic structure body and the transmitting part, and an impedance of the matching part is set to a value between an impedance of the periodic structure body and an impedance of the transmitting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Omori, Tomotaka Nobue, Hiroshi Kawai, Koji Yoshino, Keijirou Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 9867389
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a cooking vessel, a support structure, an assortment of ferrous members and a source of electro-magnetic radiation. The ferrous members are mounted on the support structure along with food. The source of electro-magnetic radiation heats the ferrous members and enables a previously unobtainable level of precision and control in the preparation of food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Bernard Fryshman
  • Patent number: 9868377
    Abstract: A heated cup holder system for a vehicle includes a sleeve receivable onto a container, the sleeve of a predefined inductance, and a cup holder including an induction-heating element operable to induce a current within the sleeve, thereby heating the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenan Kurtovic
  • Patent number: 9868581
    Abstract: Microwave cooking packages suitable for use as microwave popcorn packages include at least one panel (e.g., first and second panels) formed of a vertically rigid material. A flexible portion is attached to the panels. The flexible portion may be formed of a polyester film material such as a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, which may be at least partially transparent. The flexible portion (and panels) defines a bag construction configured to contain a popcorn charge and to be expandable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration when the popcorn charge is subjected to a popping operation. The microwave cooking package may include a vent assembly configured to at least partially open when the bag configuration is in an expanded configuration to vent the bag construction. The vent assembly includes a first portion a second portion of the bag construction that is configured to be folded against the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Conagra Foods RDM, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Thomas Gorman, David W. France, Clifton Lachmansingh, Paul J. Warosh, Donald L. Greenwood, Joseph C. Walsh, Nicholas P. Lupfer, John D. Culter
  • Patent number: 9860941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a facility (1) for microwave treatment of a load, including: at least one application device (30); at least one solid-state generator (4) in the field of microwaves, connected to at least one application device by a means for guiding (5) the electromagnetic wave; at least one frequency adjustment system (40) designed for adjusting the frequency of the wave produced by the corresponding generator (4); a measurement system (31) for the or each application device (30), designed for measuring the power reflected PR(i) by the application device (30); an automated control means (6) connected to each frequency adjustment system (40) and to each measurement system (31) in order to control the adjustment of the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave according to the reflected power, in order to adjust the reflected power PR(i) and/or to adjust the transmitted power PT(i).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAIREM SOCIETE POUR L'APPLICATION
    Inventors: Adrien Grandemenge, Jean-Marie Jacomino, Marilena Radoiu, Louis Latrasse
  • Patent number: 9854628
    Abstract: An over-the-range microwave oven including a duct unit configured to direct air from the back of the oven to the front and further includes an integrated duct module. The duct unit includes: a first panel at the bottom, a pair of second panels forming both lateral side surfaces of the duct unit. Water vapor generated from food being cooked flows along an enclosed flow path and thus is unaffected by the exhaust air flow. A humidity sensor is disposed on the first panel and operable to detect water vapor in the cooking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hyuk Imm, Jong Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 9849610
    Abstract: For heating a mold efficiently and uniformly and for protecting an induction coil from corrosive gases, an upper plate that contacts an upper end face of a mold, and a lower plate that contacts a lower end face of the mold are provided, and an induction coil, provided to each plate, has a voltage applied by a commercial power supply. Each plate has a metal plate body in which a recessed housing portion that houses the induction coil is formed, and a cover that closes the recessed housing portion in a state where the induction coil is housed therein. A cover placement portion having a step that is greater than or equal to the thickness of the metal cover is formed in the metal plate body, and a plurality of jacket chambers in which a gas-liquid two phase heating medium is enclosed are formed in the metal plate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: TOKUDEN CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Tonomura, Yasuhiro Fujimoto, Yoshihiko Yamamura, Hideyuki Osamura, Akihiko Hajikano
  • Patent number: 9848464
    Abstract: The application relates to an induction heating device having a housing and a fluid duct. The fluid duct is arranged in the housing and has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. Inside the housing is an induction element which generates an alternating magnetic field and which is separated from the fluid duct in a sealed manner by at least one wall. The device also includes at least one metallic areal heating element arranged in the fluid duct which can be heated by the alternating magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignees: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH, BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Kohl, Karl-Gerd Krumbach, Karl Lochmahr, Wolfgang Seewald, Olivier Schunck, Dirk Nagel, Lars Heeper, Matthias Stallein, Michael Steinkamp, Karsten Marquas, Volker Dicke