Patents Examined by Robin O. Evans
  • Patent number: 6921885
    Abstract: A method of increasing the useful life of heating elements that consist essentially of molybdenum silicide and alloys thereof, wherein the heating elements operate at high temperatures in heat treatment processes and generally rest against the floor and/or the ceiling of a furnace. The heating elements contain aluminum to an extent sufficient to maintain a stable, slowly growing layer of aluminum oxide on the surfaces of the heating elements, and the heating elements are placed in direct abutment with an aluminum oxide brick material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventor: Mats Sundberg
  • Patent number: 6921878
    Abstract: A warmth-keeping structure of cold cathode lamp comprises a cold cathode lamp, a soft electric heating component and two insulating components. The soft electric heating component is wound around the surface of the cold cathode lamp. Two ends of the soft electric heating component are joined at two sides of the cold cathode lamp with the two insulating components slipped onto the joint portions, respectively. Through holes are formed on the insulating components so that different power sources can be provided for the soft electric heating component and the cold cathode lamp via conducting wires. The soft electric heating component can heat the cold cathode lamp in advance before the cold cathode lamp radiates to let the cold cathode lamp raise its ambient temperature in a few seconds and keep a fixed working temperature, hence stabilizing the brightness thereof and dissipating less power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Ado Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shu Wei Liao
  • Patent number: 6919543
    Abstract: A metallic resistive heater and a method of production are described. The resistive heater has a metallic component that is electrically conductive (i.e. has low resistivity) and an oxide, nitride, carbide, and or boride derivative of the metallic component that is electrically insulating (i.e., has high resistivity). The resistivity is controlled by controlling the amount of oxide, nitride, carbide, and boride formation during the deposition of the metallic component and the derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Thermoceramix, LLC
    Inventors: Richard C. Abbott, Gary P. Magnant, William A. Glenn
  • Patent number: 6919544
    Abstract: A method of increasing the length of life of heating elements that consist essentially of molybdenum-silicide, and alloys thereof, when the elements are operated at a low temperature, such as at a temperature ranging from 400-600° C. The heating element material contains Mo(Si1-xAlx)2, and that material contains sufficient aluminum to substantially prevent the formation of pest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventor: Mats Sundberg
  • Patent number: 6917021
    Abstract: There is disclosed a heating apparatus with electrostatic attraction function 1, comprising at least a supporting base 2, an electrode for electrostatic attraction 4 and a heating layer 5 that are formed on the supporting base, and an insulating layer 6 that is formed on the electrode for electrostatic attraction and the heating layer, wherein the electrode for electrostatic attraction and/or the heating layer are/is composed of pyrolytic graphite containing boron and/or boron carbide of 0.001-30% by weight in terms of boron concentration, and the insulating layer has an electric resistivity of 106-1015 ?cm. There is provided a heating apparatus with electrostatic attraction function, which has a high thermal shock resistance, no problem of delamination, a proper resistance value, and a sufficient electrostatic attraction force even in a medium and high temperature range of 500-800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Kano, Ryouji Iwai, Nobuo Arai
  • Patent number: 6915967
    Abstract: A sprinkler nozzle structure comprises a grip, a barrel, a spray nozzle, a trigger device, and a flow control device. The trigger device is fastened with the grip for clogging and unclogging a water channel of the grip. The flow control device is fastened between the grip and the barrel for regulating the flow of water moving from the water channel of the grip into a water channel of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Shin Tai Spurt Water of the Garden Tools Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin-Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 6917753
    Abstract: A heater including an electrically insulative panel having a decorative image on a first side and a resistive heating layer on the second side. The resistive heating layer is preferably a graphite containing sol gel material. The invention can also include a surface or support for supporting an article such as a towel or piece of clothing adjacent to the heated surface to heat and/or dry the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Inventor: Richard Cooper
  • Patent number: 6914216
    Abstract: A digital control wet heating type of electric blanket for heating air, comprised of a mattress containing a tenacious, air permeable cotton cloth consistently paved with hearing wires, cotton strip on the heating wires, a compression strip passing through the cotton fabric to compress the cotton strip on the heating wires, multiple temperature sensors provided between cotton fabric and cotton strip, a temperature protection circuit disposed to the heating wires, signals from sensor and protection circuit being externally connected to a digital control box; and the mattress being sealed and placed into a surface fluffed flannelette cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Inventor: Mao-Sung Chen
  • Patent number: 6914224
    Abstract: A heated window including at least one rigid pane, at least two current busbars of different polarity placed substantially parallel close to one edge of the heated window at different distances from the edge, and linear heating resistors electrically connected thereto. The busbars lie sideways to the heating resistors and the heating resistors start from a first current busbar and, passing over the other current busbar while being insulated therefrom, in the direction of the window surface and in at least one loop, return toward the other current busbar and are electrically connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventors: Manfred Gillner, Jürgen Schmitz, Heinz-Erich Dickers
  • Patent number: 6900416
    Abstract: A grease gun holder includes a body and a closure flap. The body is provided with compartments to carry a grease gun and a spare grease cartridge. The body and flap are provided with heating elements to maintain the grease in a warmed, readily usable condition in cooler environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventor: Petry Erik
  • Patent number: 6899285
    Abstract: A protruding nozzle assembly, mounted in a side wall of a swimming pool in communication with a source of water, will eject through a nozzle of a nozzle housing a stream of water at a predetermined angle relative to the adjacent side wall surface. During each erection and retraction of the nozzle housing precipitated by initiation and cessation of water flow to the nozzle assembly, the nozzle housing will rotate incrementally to provide a plurality of streams of water defining a fan-like area from each nozzle as such nozzle comes into fluid communication with an opening in a cover enclosing the nozzle housing. Each nozzle is canted to a different angle above the adjacent surface to assist in cleaning sloping parts of the side wall/bottom surface junction and to assist in cleaning any adjacent structures extending from the side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Paramount Leisure Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Goettl, Richard D. Conn
  • Patent number: 6899280
    Abstract: A wick-based delivery system includes a container for holding a liquid, and a porous wick, having a first section of a material with a pore size of a predetermined size and a second section of a material of a predetermined pore size that is greater than that of the material of the first section. The porous wick extends through an opening in the container so that when the liquid is added to the container, a lower region of the porous wick is in contact with the liquid, and an upper region of the porous wick is exposed to the ambient air. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first section and at least a portion of the second section are exposed to the ambient air. In another embodiment, only the second section is exposed to the ambient air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Kara L. Kotary, Padma Prabodh Varanasi
  • Patent number: 6900411
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible printed circuit board for use in a control handle. The circuit board includes resistive heating elements for heating electrical components in the circuit to limit the formation of frost and condensation on the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: David G. Norton, Jeffrey J. Kuss
  • Patent number: 6896205
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a very high solid content contact adhesive (VHS) which has a higher solid content than previously thought attainable in the prior art without increasing the viscosity beyond operable levels. Additionally, the present invention provides a VHS application device which allows substantially more uniform application of the VHS than was previously attainable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Premark RWP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Charles Purvis, II, Kenneth Charles Pechal, John James Ach
  • Patent number: 6896207
    Abstract: An anti-squirt ring acts as a handle guard for a palm operated garden hose nozzle lever. The guard is a circular ring, which obliquely surrounds the trigger lever of the garden hose nozzle. If the garden hose nozzle is accidentally dropped, the annular guard ring provides clearance. Therefore, the trigger lever will not forcefully contact the ground and be accidentally engaged, suddenly and erratically. The guard prevents unwanted spraying water from the nozzle in unwanted directions, such as at the user or at objects which should not get wet. The wire is configured in an annular ring and is either manufactured with the garden hose nozzle or garden hose, or is attached by clamps, cable ties or hook and loop type fasteners to the garden hose nozzle or attached to the garden hose directly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventor: John Baker
  • Patent number: 6896200
    Abstract: A hand-held device for applying a layer of fluid droplets on a target or subject is provided. The device includes a housing with a fluid reservoir. The device further includes an inlet port in the housing for receiving pressurized fluid. A rotatable brush roll in the housing includes a plurality of bristles. The brush roll is configured for rotation along an axis positioned to have a selected spatial relationship relative to an exit window in the housing. A conduit for delivering the pressurized fluid to the bristles in the brush roll is provided. At least one flipper element is positioned to contact the tips of the bristles extending over a corresponding section of the rotatable roll so that fluid collected therein is propelled through the exit window in the housing with a pattern at least in part based on the selected spatial relationship between the rotation axis of the brush roll and the exit window. An outlet port is provided for draining fluid that accumulates in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventor: David O. Dobson
  • Patent number: 6896192
    Abstract: A spray container positioning device for use in positioning a spray container relative to a surface, for optimizing application of liquid contained within the spray container to a surface upon discharge of the liquid through a nozzle member associated with the spray container. The positioning device further includes a light beam positioning arrangement which projects at least one light beam toward the surface, for use in positioning the spray container and the nozzle member relative to the surface. The light beam positioning arrangement includes a light beam generator, such as a laser generator, which directs at least one light beam toward the surface to form a point of light on the surface which provides a visual indication to the user as to the position of the spray container and nozzle relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Laser Touch and Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Horan, Christopher M. Horan, Scott J. Horan
  • Patent number: 6897418
    Abstract: A temperature sensor for use in hot runner systems includes a resistive element which is connectable via contacting means to a control circuit for a heating device and which includes at least one element portion of larger electrical resistance than its remaining portions, preferably larger by a factor of 2 to 100. The resistive element portions may form U-shaped bows or loops or may be meandering. Two resistive tracks above one another are separated by insulating layers, e.g. ceramic dielectric layers. The resistive element portions may consist of different materials. In connection with a heating device, the temperature sensor is located on or in the body of a manifold or a nozzle, with meandering and/or bifilar heating conductors whose electrical resistance in the middle is smaller than in the top and bottom regions. The temperature sensor portion is tightly enclosed in a zone of high resistance by adjacent heating conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Gunther GmbH & Co. Metallverarbeitung
    Inventor: Herbert Günther
  • Patent number: 6897417
    Abstract: Each mat of a plurality of mats has an electrical resistance heater embedded therein between a layer of vinyl and a layer of cloth-like material. The mats are located in a motor vehicle and are connected to the power system of the motor vehicle via a cigarette lighter-type attachment and are controlled by a control element. Each mat has a crown and a gutter so water generated by melting snow or ice is controlled and prevented from running off the mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventors: Donald E. Usselman, Jeanne K. Usselman
  • Patent number: 6892970
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator for a fluid pressure control valve in a fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector comprises a control module including a fuel pressure control valve; an armature connected to the fuel pressure control valve; and a stator assembly including a magnetic core comprising of at least two segments and a bobbin. The stator assembly, when it is energized by a power source, produces a magnetic field to draw the armature towards the stator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Randy Nussio