Patents Examined by Rob Swiatek
  • Patent number: 9161500
    Abstract: The invention provides a self-watering system for a potted plant comprising a liquid container and an insert with an in use position against the potted plant pointing upper part (9), which extends at least partially through an opening in the pot (4) bottom. The invention is primarily intended for use in watering of potted plants ready for sale from e.g. horticultural greenhouses, but can obviously also be used for both the subsequent watering during the rest of the plant's life from end-users and for watering during the cultivation of a potted plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Inventor: Jørn Hansen
  • Patent number: 9155285
    Abstract: A portable water feeder for pets comprises a water storage bottle, a water tray for pets, a bottle stopper and curved sliding surface set on the inner bottom side of the water tray; the bottle stopper has a radial water outlet; when the water storage bottle is in the closing state, the head of the bottle stopper presses against the root of the curved sliding surface, so that water cannot leak from the water storage bottle; when the water storage bottle is rotated to be in use and squeezed, the bottle stopper moves a distance towards the outside of the bottle mouth, so that the water flow path between the water storage bottle and the water tray is clear and water flows from the water storage bottle into the water tray for pets to drink. The water feeder is watertight and simple in structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Shenzhen Xingrisheng Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Liedang Li
  • Patent number: 9156559
    Abstract: An aircraft wing has a plurality of wing segments mounted on a wing spar by joints that allow relative movement between the spar and the wing segments. Tuning of coefficients of thermal expansion is employed to reduce induced stresses from changes in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Erik Grip, Blaine Knight Rawdon
  • Patent number: 9149007
    Abstract: A blow molded nursery container is disclosed that includes a substantially circular side wall, a closed bottom end, an open top end, and a projecting lip positioned on the outer circumference of the open top end with a radial flange and recessed portion with a substantially hollow cross-section. At least two handles are connected to the container. Each handle includes a flexible member with a portion that is located above and spaced apart from the lip. The spacing of the flexible member permits access by a user's fingers. The flexible member extends through at least two holes in the side wall or flange and is restrained on the opposite side of the side wall or flange from the portion above the lip so as to connect the handle to the container. The two flexible members are preferably secured to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Nursery Supplies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Danowski, Timothy W. Horton, Robert L. Cook, Mark R. Alt
  • Patent number: 9150299
    Abstract: A shell component for an aircraft or spacecraft. The shell component includes a skin panel, a plurality of stringers which are arranged on the skin panel, a former which includes a fiber composite material and is arranged over the stringers so as to cross the stringers, and a former connection structure which includes a ductile material and a plurality of foot portions fixed to the skin panel. The foot portions each transition integrally into a shoulder portion fixed to the former over an associated fixing span, the fixing spans associated with the foot portions extending along the former substantially continuously over the stringers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Tacke
  • Patent number: 9144227
    Abstract: A leash that allows any individual to control a pulling dog without risking injury or walking in an unsafe manner. The disclosed leash maximizes body mechanics and basic pulley/lever principles to achieve more strength. The leash comprises a cuff that preferably wraps around a user's arm above the elbow. Attached to the cuff are a few feet of leash material that freely runs through an O-ring and ends in a handle. Attached to the O-ring are another few feet of leash ending with a clip that can go to a dog collar. When the dog pulls, the user pulls the handle. The resulting force goes through the O-ring, which acts as a pulley and on to the arm cuff and back of the arm, utilizing stronger shoulder and back muscles. Therefore the user is able to pull back with a lot more force than is obtainable with a typical leash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Inventor: Howard Stein
  • Patent number: 9137967
    Abstract: A feed dispensing apparatus including a feed storage portion configured to define a feed receiving volume for receiving a feed bag. This feed dispensing apparatus also includes a feed presentation portion that defines an opening proximate the feed receiving volume through which a user can open the feed bag effective that feed automatically dispenses from the feed bag into the feed presentation portion in a self-regulating manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Inventor: Del Lathim
  • Patent number: 9139302
    Abstract: A hand-drying device for an aircraft can be integrated into a washing stand, so that the hand washing and hand drying process can be performed within the washbasin of the washing stand. Corresponding sensors make this process contactless.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Dehn, Andrew Muin, Jan Reh
  • Patent number: 9132298
    Abstract: Devices and methods for rescuing people from high-rise facilities, for example, upper floors of multi-storey buildings. A rescue device from a high-rise building includes several flexible spokes interconnected on one end to form a pyramidal figure, wherein the spokes are located on the edges, an aerodynamic deceleration element fastened to the spokes, connectors located between the adjacent flexible spokes, in so doing the connectors are located at some distance from the ends of the flexible spokes, a buffer element fastened in a point of connection of the flexible spokes and a means of fastening an object to be rescued fastened in the point of connection of the flexible spokes on the other side with respect to the buffer element, in so doing each of the flexible spokes is embodied as curved sideways from a central axis of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignees: OOO “KOSMICHESKIE SISTEMY SPASENIYA”
    Inventors: Yury Alekseevich Metelev, Sergei Vasilyevich Kulik
  • Patent number: 9131670
    Abstract: An earthworm collecting device that is highly effective in causing earthworms to surface from their holes during the day time or at night and come to the surface. The device generates a rasping noise and a series of vibrations that resonate through the ground. These resonating vibrations cause the earthworms to surface which then allows for easy and rapid collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventor: Duke Johnston
  • Patent number: 9132906
    Abstract: An aircraft panel, notably a fuselage panel of the aircraft, includes at least one opening equipped with a surround intended to accept a closing-off device that closes off the opening. The panel includes at least one exterior surface. The surround surrounding the opening is fixed to the panel, forming an interface for fitting the closing-off device, and includes at least one lip extending towards the center of the opening. The lip supports the closing-off device. The surround has an external face interposed between the exterior surface of the panel and the closing-off device. The surround includes fixing apparatus which works by gripping the edge of the opening of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Frederic Fort, Laurent Gauthie
  • Patent number: 9131659
    Abstract: A portable anchoring device providing a temporary anchoring means for pet leashes includes a round base containing a suction cup, a durable handle, and a clasp to which a dog leash can be attached. The suction cup provides removable attachment to a smooth horizontal or vertical surface via a second handle which pivots to actuate the suction cup and anchor the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventor: James D. Donaldson
  • Patent number: 9132918
    Abstract: A row of a plurality of adjacent seats supported by a support frame. The seat includes a seat back, a seat pan and a leg rest. The leg rest of each seat includes a leg support surface and is mounted relative to the seat frame in a manner to allow it to move between (a) a stored condition and (b) a fully deployed condition where the seat pan and the leg rest support surface are substantially coplanar. The leg rest and seat pan of each seat in the row can cooperate to define a reconfigurable horizontal support surface for at least one passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: AIR NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Victoria Anne Bamford, Glen Wilson Porter, James Dominic France, Geoffrey Glen Suvalko
  • Patent number: 9129534
    Abstract: A roping training dummy is claimed comprising a dummy representing an animal having a target to be lassoed by a roper. A position sensor, such as video camera or radar system, is disposed on the dummy for monitoring the real-time position of the roper relative to the lasso target. A monitor on the dummy is visible to the roper and operatively connected to the position sensor. The monitor displays the roper's real-time position and a positional reference corresponding to a preferred roper placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventor: Eric Payne
  • Patent number: 9126678
    Abstract: A rotor system for tilt rotor aircraft comprises an engine disposed at a first fixed location on a wing member; a prop-rotor pylon mechanically coupled to the engine along a drive path, and a gearbox disposed in the drive path. The prop-rotor pylon is rotatably mounted on a spindle, and the prop-rotor pylon is configured to selectively rotate about a rotational axis of the spindle between a vertical position and a horizontal position. The gearbox comprises a rotational axis aligned with the rotational axis of the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Brent C. Ross, David R. Bockmiller, Mark L. Isaac, Brian J. Cox
  • Patent number: 9126672
    Abstract: An access door assembly for joining to a structure. The access door assembly has an access door with at least one access door nonlinear edge, a support structure with at least one support structure nonlinear edge, and a doubler element attached to an interior side of the support structure. The support structure nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the access door nonlinear edge to form an access door assembly for joining to a structure, the access door assembly having an interlaced nonlinear edge interface. A diameter of the doubler element of the access door assembly is preferably reduced as compared to a diameter of a doubler element of an access door assembly having a linear or circular edge, such that the reduced diameter preferably results in an overall reduced weight of the access door assembly and the structure to which the access door assembly is joined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Marc Storozuk
  • Patent number: 9126679
    Abstract: An airplane having at least one turbojet and means for taking at least a portion of the boundary layer of the flow of air over a surface of the airplane and for guiding the air that has been taken to an air inlet of the turbojet, the airplane being characterized in that the means for guiding air include means for diffusing the air that has been taken circumferentially in uniform manner over 360° at the air inlet of the turbojet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Eric Pierre Maurice Lippinois, Edouard De Jaeghere, Philippe Minot, Jerome Talbotec
  • Patent number: 9125349
    Abstract: A self-contained container gardening system that utilizes a continuous tubular structure raised on stringer supports that provide a spiral configuration. Ports within the tubular sections allow for planting along the length of the tubular structure. A porous hose within the system provides water and other nutrients, while port covers inhibit rain, insects, pests, disease, and other undesirables from gaining access to the soil and plant roots. A reservoir tank attached to the system allows water to be stored and released as needed and gravity-fed into the porous hose. The entire system can be wheeled to any desired location without concern for water or electrical access. A protective cover supported by one or more uprights can provide additional protection to plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph K. Leavitt
  • Patent number: 9126670
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a panel assembly for joining to a structure and method of making the same. The assembly has a first panel element having at least one first panel nonlinear edge, and has a second panel element having at least one second panel nonlinear edge, wherein the second panel nonlinear edge is designed to interlace with the first panel nonlinear edge to form a panel assembly with interlaced panel edgebands for joining to a structure. A width of the interlaced panel edgebands is reduced as compared to a width of adjacent panel edgebands formed by adjacent panel elements having linear edges, and the reduced width results in an overall reduced weight of the panel assembly and the structure to which the panel assembly is joined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gagan Thable, Michael A. Baschak, Rudy Braun, Marc Storozuk
  • Patent number: 9125423
    Abstract: An animal euthanasia device includes a chamber with an opening through which a partitioned cage may be wheeled. A pivotally attached door seals the opening using fixed edge seals and an inflatable door threshold seal. A latch secures the door, once closed. After a sensor verifies door closure, an electro-magnetic lock prevents inadvertent door opening during the process, which may be automated using a programmable logic controller (PLC). The PLC coordinates actuation of a fan and damper within an air exhaust opening, a fan and a damper within an exhaust gas opening, and a damper within a fresh air inlet opening, and also triggers a solenoid valve that controls flow of euthanizing gas into the chamber. A keyed selector switch controls power to the device to initiate the automated process, which is monitored using oxygen sensors, and CO2 flow and pressure sensors, and is reported on a human machine interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventor: Clifford Broderick