Patents Examined by Ryan Christensen
  • Patent number: 7353689
    Abstract: Liquid separator for a gas analyzer and method for separating a liquid component from gas. The liquid separator comprises an input passage having an input end and an output end, an output passage having an input end and an output end, a wall formed of a gas permeable and liquid impermeable material separating the input passage and the output passage, means for introducing a gas sample containing liquid through the input end into the input passage with a first portion of the gas passing through said wall to the output passage and a second portion of the gas and the liquid remaining in the input passage, a vacuum means for flowing the first portion of the gas through the output end from the output passage to a measuring unit, a first conduit connecting the output end of the input passage and for conducting the second portion of the gas and the liquid furtheron with vacuum means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: GE Healthcare Finland Oy
    Inventor: Kurt Weckström
  • Patent number: 7283917
    Abstract: A timing calibration system for an adjustable delay time of a delay module for an electronic circuit is provided. The system includes a control delay module including at least one calibration delay module, the control delay module having a second delay time. The system also includes a timing module associated with the control delay module, a comparison module associated with the timing module and an adjustment module for the delay module. The timing module measures the second delay time, the comparison module compares the second delay time with a desired delay time and produces a comparison result and the adjustment module calibrates the adjustable delay time utilizing the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Alcatel Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Steven Greidanus, Rami Emad Labib
  • Patent number: 7270002
    Abstract: A humidity sensor element, a humidity sensor device and a method for manufacturing thereof are provided. The humidity sensor element includes a substrate having a nanocomposite film as sensing material, wherein said nanocomposite film consists of carbon nanotube/perfluorinated polymer with acid functional groups in weight ratio of 0.01-20; and at least a pair of electrodes, which contact with the sensing material at one or both side(s). The nanocomposite film increases the sensitivity of humidity sensor element such that even an infinitesimal amount of moisture can be detected with minimum detection limit of 15.76 ppmv.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Hui Wen Chen, Ren Jang Wu, Yi Lu Sun, Pi Guey Su
  • Patent number: 7266993
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing a container as to leakage and defects. The apparatus is especially useful for testing plastic bottles because it does not contact one or more of the bottle sides during testing. A frame with the test components may be adjusted so that the apparatus will fit many different conveyor configurations and container sizes. A container is moved along by a conveyor, where it is sensed by a photo-eye to initiate testing. The test probe makes contact with the container opening, and travels with the container during testing. The test probe introduces air into the container and detects the maximum pressure and pressure decay. If the pressures are not within an acceptable range, the container is ejected from the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Air Logic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward James Strand, James Michael Dawley
  • Patent number: 7258007
    Abstract: A device which is used to measure the density of a liquid, includes an enclosure (1) which is impervious to the liquid to be measured. The enclosure (1) has a rigid deformation-resistant casing housing at least one reference body (3) which is suspended in the enclosure (1). The enclosure (1) can move in relation to the reference body (3) such as, in the fully submerged state, to occupy a position which is a function of the density of the liquid in which the device is submerged. In the position, the enclosure exerts a pressure or tensile force on a measuring device (2) the movement of which is limited by the reference body (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Densiline
    Inventor: Gilles Galichet
  • Patent number: 7251997
    Abstract: A fuel tank module control system configured to measure fuel level and fuel tank vapor pressure, the system having an aspirator to use air or liquid fuel to vapor, an oscillator cyclically producing pressurized vapor, and a pressure sensor that alternately measures the pressurized vapor provided by the oscillator and the pressure of a fuel column. A check valve is provided downstream of the sensor to restrict the flow of vapor in a single direction. To determine the fuel level, the differential of the square wave output of the sensor is calculated. To determine if there are any leaks in the fuel tank, the tank vapor pressure is measured when the engine is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Kavlico Corporation
    Inventor: Gary Casey
  • Patent number: 7249506
    Abstract: The detecting system comprises a detecting circuit (1) made up of a transistor (T1) in current generator configuration, connected in series with a resistance (Rs) and a capacitor (13) of known capacitance (Cx), the resistance Rs representing the resistivity of the liquid existing between two electrodes (5, 6) plunged into the liquid. Thanks to the presence of the capacitor (13), it is possible to detect the liquid level in relation to the integral of the current that charges the capacitor (13), resistance Rs being such as to condition the charge time (Tp) of the capacitor (13). Accordingly, the variations in the voltage drop (Vp) on Rs caused by successive charges of the capacitor (13) with a current of time Tp represent corresponding values of the level of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventor: Alessandro Scardovi
  • Patent number: 7234339
    Abstract: A braking/driving force fx is calculated at S102, and a lateral force Fy is calculated at S103. At S104, reference is made to a preset map to select a road surface ? estimation part to be used for determination (to select a first road surface ? estimation part 25 or a second road surface ? estimation part 26 or nonperformance of determination. At S105, a display flag Fla from the road surface ? selection part is read. Indication 1 is displayed (S107) in the case of a road having a high ?. Indication 2 is displayed (S109) in the case of a road having a medium ?. Indication 3 is displayed (S111) in the case of a road having a low ?. Indication 0 is displayed (S112) in other cases wherein the road surface ? is unknown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaru Kogure
  • Patent number: 7231808
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the oxygen content in a closed target space, particularly for monitoring inertization levels in an inert gas device for fire prevention and/or fire extinguishing. Toward the aim of proposing a method for measuring the oxygen content in a target space with which an effective, certain, and representative determination of the oxygen concentration can be achieved for an optimally small expenditure in instrumentation and signal processing, the method provides that air samples are drawn from the target space and the oxygen concentration of the air samples is determined. An apparatus is equipped with a suction pipe system for sucking the air sample from the target space through various holes so that it can carry out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Inventor: Ernst Wagner
  • Patent number: 7231806
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapidly preprocessing and analyzing chemical substances, which places a vaporization bottle containing a sample inside a microwave device and uses a magneton driving device to drive the magneton inside the vaporization bottle to rotate as to stir the sample liquid even. In the meantime, the radiation of the electromagnetic wave of the microwave device is used to activate the molecules of the sample liquid to move, causing the tested chemical substance in the sample liquid to be vaporized in a very short time. Therefore, the tested chemical substance can be absorbed or adsorbed by the absorbing medium to greatly reduce the sample preprocessing time and increase the quantity of the tested chemical substance sample. The detection limits of a tested chemical substance are therefore lowered without using organic solvents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Inventor: Jen-Fon Jen
  • Patent number: 7228728
    Abstract: The inventive method uses the ultrasound Doppler method (UVP) in order to determine a local velocity profile perpendicular to a line for a fluid which flows through said line, carrying suspended or emulsified particles. The wall shear stress of said fluid is measured locally within the range of said local velocity profile. Specific rheological parameters of the flowing fluid thus examined, e.g. viscosity function (shear viscosity), flow limit etc., can be determined from the local velocity profile and the local wall shear stress associated therewith. A suitable model is adapted by iteratively adapting a model-based theoretic velocity profile to a measured velocity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Boris Ouriev, Erich Josef Windhab
  • Patent number: 7222531
    Abstract: A capacitive humidity sensor for detecting a humidity change includes a first sensor element having a first capacitance, a second sensor element having a second capacitance and connected in series with the first sensor element, and a humidity sensitive layer having a dielectric constant, which changes in accordance with humidity. The first and the second capacitances change with respect to the humidity change at a different rate. The humidity is detected using the different capacitances of the first and the second sensor elements. The humidity sensitive layer is formed to each sensor element so that each sensor element can be effectively protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiki Isogai, Toshikazu Itakura
  • Patent number: 7219535
    Abstract: In a fuel vapor purge system, a blocked diagnosis zone is pressurized by an air pump, a pressure in the diagnosis zone at the time when the diagnosis zone is pressurized, and an occurrence of leakage in the diagnosis zone is judged based on the comparison between a curvature of a change curve of the pressure and a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hajime Hosoya
  • Patent number: 7216527
    Abstract: A gas detector capable of accurately measuring particular components (odors or the like) contained in an ambient gas to be measured, being compact, and capable of being easily formed to be portable, or producing low noise and capable of being small-sized. Having zero gas cylinder (9) as a supplying unit of a zero gas and component parts disposed within its enclosure (2) and using syringe (3) as a gas intake/exhaust unit, it alternately introduces a test gas, i.e., an ambient gas taken in from outside enclosure (2) through piping (12a), and the zero gas supplied from zero gas cylinder (9) into sensor unit (7) and measures the test gas, while having operation of each unit controlled by data processor (11). Thus, accurate measurement of the test gas is achieved by relatively comparing results of measurement on the gases at each measurement. In addition, gas detector (1) can be moved to a spot where measurement is to be made to have the test gas there measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Imoto
  • Patent number: 7213440
    Abstract: A leak test arrangement having a leak calibration device is disclosed. The calibration device is connected into communication with the leak test arrangement and provides a controlled source (sink) of fluid at a predetermined amount. The calibration includes a substantially sealed volume of fluid in fluid communication with the test arrangement and a control arrangement for heating and/or cooling the volume to produce the source (sink) of the calibrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Intertech Development
    Inventors: Jacques Hoffmann, David J. Balke, Peter Davey
  • Patent number: 7213444
    Abstract: An optoacoustic sensor for detecting one or more target gases includes a body featuring halves containing measurement cells. Each measurement cell is in communication with a light source and a microphone as well as the ambient atmosphere. Evaluation and control electronics are in communication with the light sources and the microphones sequentially illuminate the first and second light sources so that a measurement signal due to optoacoustic pressure variations from a target gas is generated by the microphone of the illuminated or gas active cell and a compensation signal is generated by the microphone of the non-illuminated or gas inactive cell. The compensation signal is subtracted from the measurement signal by the evaluation and control electronics to provide a sensor output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Carthago International Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Mourad Baraket, Urs Gerber, Olivier Ruffiner, Mauro Feltre
  • Patent number: 7213445
    Abstract: A technique for determining particulate density in a fluid monitors the changes in the speed of sound. Since the speed of sound is intimately related to the composites of the air mixture and since the speed of sound of clean air at any temperature and humidity can be calculated exactly, it is possible to estimate the density of any foreign particulates in the air by observing changes in the speed of sound. Formulations are derived that correlate the change in the speed of sound of the air mixture to their density fluctuations, thus allowing people to estimate the mass density of foreign particulates under any temperature and humidity. Alternatively, the change in density of the air mixture can be detected, thereby indicating the presence of contaminants and a possible alarm, even if the contaminants are not yet identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventors: Sean F. Wu, Ravinder S. Beniwal
  • Patent number: 7204140
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar level measuring device for non-contact measurement of a level of a product in a container. The device comprises a flange which is mounted on the container in such a way that a lead-through of the flange at least partly covers an opening in the container. The device further comprises a waveguide part, insertable into the flange. When inserted, the insertable waveguide part is arranged to come to a stop at a distance (D) from the surface of the flange intended to face the container, along which distance (D), a waveguide is formed, forming a continuous waveguide together with the insertable waveguide part when inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Saab Rosemount Tank Radar AB
    Inventors: Johan Källsand, Magnus Ohlsson, Magnus Håkansson
  • Patent number: 7194892
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring the wire-stitching on print products in a wire-stitching machine. The wire-stitching includes wire staples having ends to be closed. The wire-stitching machine includes a measuring device operative to measure a density on the ends of passing wire staples to test the quality of the passing wire staples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Müller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Walter Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 7194924
    Abstract: The present invention includes a system and method for detecting contaminated objects, for example mail pieces, through use of a pinching device that compresses the objects, thereby possibly releasing potential contaminant-containing particles into the air in a closed chamber. Whatever particles are in the closed chamber mix with the air in the closed chamber and form cavity air, which is captured by a detection and alert mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Wisniewski, Eugene Stradley