Patents Examined by S Balsis
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Patent number: 6792642Abstract: Devices for cleaning the human tongue and methods for making such devices are disclosed. The tongue cleaner may include a tongue brush and a tongue scraper. The tongue cleaner may be of unitary injection molded construction. The tongue cleaner bristles may be tapered to a point for cleaning crevices of a human tongue, and the bristles may be angled or curved. The tongue scraper contains at least one blade for removal of undesirable material from the tongue by a scraping action. The tongue brush and tongue scraper may be combined into one unit or may be made and used separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2001Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Dr. Bob's Ltd.Inventor: Robert K. Wagstaff
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Patent number: 6782580Abstract: A wiper system (1) for vehicles, having at least one wiper lever linkage (3) that has at least one wiper arm (35), and a method for operating the wiper lever linkage (3), are proposed. The wiper lever linkage has a first pivot lever (5), which can be coupled to a stationary first shaft (21) in a manner fixed against relative rotation, and a second pivot lever (7) that can be coupled to a stationary second shaft (29) in a manner fixed against relative rotation, the pivot levers being connected in articulated fashion to a coupling element (9). The wiper system (1) is distinguished in that the coupling element (9) is embodied in multiple parts and has a first coupling part (11) and a second coupling part (13), which are coupled to one another with the aid of a joint (15).Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Joachim Zimmer
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Patent number: 6779217Abstract: The present invention relates to a horizontally movable and downwardly biased appendage that extends laterally from a surface treating apparatus, such as a robotic floor cleaner. The robotic floor cleaner and/or appendage may use disposable cleaning sheets, such as dust clothes, wipes, sheet-brushes, and the like, to clean under objects or into corners but does not substantially interfere with the rotation of the surface treating apparatus about its axis when it is adjacent to encountered obstacles. The appendage can extend under low hanging obstructions to remove dirt, and reach into corners innavigable or unreachable by the robotic floor cleaner.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2001Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: The Procter & Gamble CompanyInventor: Charles William Fisher
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Patent number: 6745426Abstract: A copper pipe cleaning assembly has an interior cleaning member and an exterior cleaning member, which are easily joined or separated as required, depending on the area of the pipe to be cleaned.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2003Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Inventor: Patrick B. Knowles
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Patent number: 6742215Abstract: A drywall knife having a handle and a blade securely mounted thereon. The handle includes an elongated inner core having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, a front end, a rear end and first and second opposite surfaces extending from the rear end to the front end of the inner core along the longitudinal axis of the handle, the blade being securely mounted to the front end of the inner core. The improvement resides in that the inner core of the handle includes at least one recess having an opening facing the first surface so as to reduce the overall weight of the drywall knife, and the inner core further includes a lid hingedly mounted to the first surface of the inner core, said lid being positioned and sized to be folded about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inner core so as to cover each recess. The drywall knife is inherently lightweight due to its design. The drywall knife is mounted onto the blade without the use of fasteners, due to the design of the handle and blade.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2001Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: A. Richard S.E.N.C.Inventors: Jean-Pierre Panfili, François Panfili, Istvan Vaskuthy
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Patent number: 6735808Abstract: A bath brush includes a main body, a massaging member, and a bristle holder connected to a top of the massaging member. The bristle holder is provided with a plurality of insertion holes for implanting tufted bristles therein and a plurality of through holes for massaging projections integrally formed on the massaging member to upward extend therethrough and expose from the bristle holder. An assembly of the massaging member and the bristle holder is connected to one side of the main body to form a bath brush having massaging projections that do not easily separate therefrom to ensure the brush and massage functions of the bath brush. And, the massaging member may be easily assembled to the bristle holder to enable reduced manufacturing cost of the bath brush.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2001Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Inventor: Kuo-Chin Chen
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Patent number: 6732395Abstract: A contour scraper has an elongated handle having an upper curved convex surface and two arcuate elongated concave lower surfaces and outwardly proximately flared sides to provide a grip construction, and a transversely distally disposed blade receiving surface. A two-edged blade is readily reversibly detachably attached to the handle without the need for removing a locking screw. The handle grip has an over molded soft elastomeric cover. The handle is formed with a distal end slotted recess to slidably receive a file. A rare earth magnet of high magnetic strength magnetically holds and stows the file in the handle. The handle is formed with a through hole to access the magnetically stowed file for removal through the end slot.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2001Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Inventor: Donald Gringer
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Patent number: 6687939Abstract: A bucket sweeper combination unit that is used in connection with a skid loader or skid steer which has universal mounts and remote hydraulics that power the unit. The sweeper is mounted to the lift arms of the loader ahead of the bucket. Chains are attached to the rear of the sweeper and the lift arms of the loader, and the bucket is pivotally attached to the mounting arms so that it can be pivoted when it is desired to dump the spoil material. A spoil guard is located on the bucket side of the rotating brush of the sweeper unit so that as the material is picked up by the brush, it will be deflected by the spoil guard directly into the bucket and retained in the bucket by the downwardly extending portion of the spoil guard. Preferably, the spoil guard is made adjustable so that its position can be moved closer to the rotating brush as the bristles wear shorter.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2001Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Attachment Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Jay Koester
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Patent number: 6682696Abstract: Containers which are ready to be filled or a package material having a plastic surface can be sterilized by hydrogen peroxide in a gaseous phase. The hydrogen peroxide is supplied to the previously heated plastic surface. The entire sterilization procedure is performed with the hydrogen peroxide in a gaseous phase.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 1999Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: Tetra Laval Holding & Finance SAInventor: Thomas Bjerborn
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Patent number: 6681437Abstract: The cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors has cleaning sheet laminated to the bottom surface of a front plate. A plurality of rows of slit shaped windows are opened through the front plate. Peel-off sheet is attached to the front plate to close off the windows. Peel-off sheet sealing off the windows is removed to open a window, an optical fiber connector is moved within the exposed window, and the connecting surface of the optical fiber connector is cleaned by the cleaning sheet.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2000Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: NTT Advanced Technology CorporationInventors: Taisei Miyake, Hitoshi Goto, Isao Iwakane
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Patent number: 6665905Abstract: A wiper blade for cleaning motor vehicle windows has a wiper strip (12) which is surrounded by a guard profile (14) that with extensions (26, 28) formed onto its side cheeks (22, 24) engages longitudinal grooves (50, 52) of the wiper strip (12) and is fixed axially on the wiper strip (12) by inward-protruding protrusions (30, 32) in the region of its face ends (18, 20). The protrusions (30, 32) originate at one side cheek (22, 24) of the guard profile (14), and a first protrusion (30) extends on the outer face end (18) of the guard profile (14) to touch the opposite side cheek (22, 24) of the guard profile (14), while a second protrusion (32) on the inner face end (20) forms a gap (38) from the opposed side cheek (22, 24), which the gap allows mounting or unmounting of the guard profile (14) in the longitudinal direction (40, 42).Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Norbert Wegner, Edwin Luyperts
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Patent number: 6665904Abstract: A windshield wiper assembly for cleaning a windshield and a method for assembling the windshield wipe assembly is disclosed. The windshield wiper assembly includes at least a plurality of wiper blades, a windshield wiper arm, and a locking clip. The plurality of wiper blades contact the windshield and move reciprocatingly across the windshield. The windshield wiper arm is provided for supporting the plurality of wiper blades. The locking clip is attached at a first clip end to the windshield wiper arm and at a second clip end to one of the plurality of wiper blades for positioning the plurality of wiper blades proximate to each other.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2000Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Inventor: Robert B. Kerchaert
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Patent number: 6651286Abstract: A quick disconnect hub which is secured to the motor drive shaft receives a high pitch threaded pad driver disk to which a burnishing pad is mounted. The hub includes a conically tapered surface, as does the driver disk for centering. A spring-loaded locking pin extends between the burnishing motor and selectively locks the drive hub against rotation for removal of the driver disk by rotating approximately one or two times, thus allowing the removal of the pad driver from the motor and allowing the centered mounting of the burnishing pad to the driver remote from the machine. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an interlock switch is coupled to the spring-loaded locking pin such that, when the hub is locked against rotation for removal of the driver disk, the switch prevents inadvertent activation of the motor when the hub is locked.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2002Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Tennant CompanyInventor: Paul M. Pierce
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Patent number: 6631532Abstract: An engine block cylinder groove cleaner for cleaning the grooves in the cylinder of a diesel engine. The engine block cylinder groove cleaner includes a main housing comprising a lower portion. A plurality of groove cleaning members each being outwardly extendable from the lower portion. The groove cleaning member scrapes out debris from a circumferential groove when the main housing is rotated.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Inventor: Gerald Seehusen
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Patent number: 6615436Abstract: A hand held drain cleaning tool including a drain cleaning cable coiled in a drum and having a support for holding the drum in one hand while rotating the drum with a hand held crank or a power operated drive. The crank and power operated drive are releasably connected to the drum so as to be interchangeable. The drain cleaning tool also includes a vibration dampener to reduce the vibrations caused by the rotating drum, especially at high rotation speeds.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2000Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.Inventors: Danny L. Burch, Jr., Michael J. Rutkowski, Jon R. Dunkin
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Patent number: 6594848Abstract: The present invention provides a system for cleaning and polishing an optical disk. The system comprises a tray having a circular floor and a parameter wall; an armature having at least two circular pads being rotatably coupled to the armature; and a mechanism for rotating the armature parallel to the floor and about a central axis of the wall being perpendicular to the floor. The mechanism rotates the armature in a first direction, which in turn rotates each pad in a second direction to clean and polish the optical disk.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2000Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventor: Aaron J. Lee
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Patent number: 6581232Abstract: Apparatus for use with automatic pool cleaners includes a tube which defines a flow channel for water drawn pump from the pool through a house by a remote pump. The tube includes tubular sections (10A, 10B) joined by a joint (11) which operates to move one tube section between first and second angularly displaced positions. Means are provided for periodically causing the movable tube section to move about the joint with sufficient force to impart movement to the hose to cause a change in direction of the cleaner.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Inventor: Michael John Chandler
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Patent number: 6582027Abstract: Provided is a production process of a brush, comprising a consecutive combination of: (a) a step of bundling a prescribed number of fibers to form a long-size fiber bundle in which the whole is temporarily bound, (b) a step of cutting the long-size fiber bundle to a prescribed size, (c) a step of completely binding the tail end part of the cut fiber bundle by a thermally fusing means, (d) a step of dipping the fiber bundle in which the tail end part is completely bound in a solvent to remove the resin adhered to unbind the fibers other than those in the tail end part of the fiber bundle.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takashi Umeno
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Patent number: 6578229Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for removing joint filler and a method of using the same. The device includes a body member and a peeling element located adjacent to the front end of the body member. The peeling element includes at least two peeling points, where the first peeling point is located proximate to the topside of the peeling element and the second peeling point is located proximate to the underside of the peeling element. The device also includes an opening located between the peeling element and body member.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2001Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf AktienInventors: Michael Dziallas, Martin Majolo, Tilwin Lepsius, Lydia Duhm, Roy Van Swieten
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Patent number: 6560811Abstract: A compact optical fiber cleaning apparatus includes a base plate and a retaining plate having a plurality of apertures. The base plate is configured to hold one or more resilient absorbers situated under the retaining plate. In operation, a wiper, such as a piece of lint-free cloth, is placed over the absorber and the retainer is closed. When closed, the plurality of apertures within the retainer allow wiper material to be forced through the apertures by the resilient absorber material. Each section of exposed wiper may be employed for a different cleaning purpose. For example, a solvent may be applied to one exposed section of the wiper, or to the underlying absorber material, with another exposed section of the wiper left dry. A technician may then clean an optical fiber endface, by first wiping the endface on the “wet” section of wiper material, then wiping the endface on the “dry” section of wiper material.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2000Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Dennis L Krause, Elaine Fontes Parnagian