Patents Examined by Saeed T. Chaudhry
  • Patent number: 10016844
    Abstract: A laser is used to clean surfaces contaminated with chemical, biological, or radioactive substances. The laser directs a laser beam onto the surfaces and the ejecta is collected by a getter which can be a version of vacuum cleaner. A mobile system includes a laser transporting arm and collection system used in cleanup of metal and concrete surfaces contaminated with chemical, biological, or radioactive substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Farmer, Alexander M. Rubenchik
  • Patent number: 9975151
    Abstract: Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide an apparatus and a method for treating a substrate. The apparatus includes a substrate support unit supporting the substrate, and a liquid supply unit supplying a treatment solution to the substrate supported by the substrate support unit. The liquid supply unit includes a nozzle discharging the treatment solution to the substrate, a liquid supply line supplying the treatment solution to the nozzle, a mixing member installed on the liquid supply line, a mixing space formed within the mixing member, and a gas supply line connected to the mixing member to supply a gas into the mixing space. The mixing member includes a body within which the mixing space is formed, and an inflow port combined with the body such that the gas supplied through the inflow port is mixed with the treatment solution in the mixing space to form nano-sized bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: SEMES Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae Keun Kim, Oh Jin Kwon, Ki Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 9962745
    Abstract: Contamination of surfaces of polysilicon rods removed from a Siemens reactor in a polysilicon production facility is reduced by cleaning the production facility at least every other week with a cleaning liquid containing water, optionally also containing neutral surfactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: WACKER CHEMIE AG
    Inventors: Harald Hertlein, Friedrich Popp
  • Patent number: 9962744
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus includes a turntable, a rotative drive unit, a holding pin provided on the turntable, a protection disk for covering a lower surface of a substrate, and a magnetic levitation mechanism that levitates the protection disk from the turntable. The protection disk is vertically movable relative to the turntable between a lower position and an adjacent position above the lower position and close to a lower surface of the substrate. The magnetic levitation mechanism includes a protection disk permanent magnet and an annual guard permanent magnet held by a splash guard. When a guard drive mechanism moves up the splash guard, the protection disk is levitated from the turntable and held at the adjacent position by a magnetic repulsive force generated between the permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 9950349
    Abstract: Systems and methods for rinsing one or more pellicles during fabrication, including immersing and soaking the one or more pellicles in a rinse bath solution for a particular time period, forming a top layer above the rinse bath solution, the top layer having a lower surface tension than the rinse bath, and withdrawing the one or more pellicles through the top layer for drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Internationa Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Dario L. Goldfarb
  • Patent number: 9936850
    Abstract: A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation and methods for operating a dishwasher. The dishwasher may have a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a rotatable sprayer, a drive system operably coupled to the rotatable sprayer to effect movement of the rotatable sprayer, and a liquid recirculation system for recirculating sprayed liquid. The dishwasher may have a sump including a sensor enclosure, a first sensor element located within the sensor enclosure and configured to sense at least a portion of the rotatable sprayer, and a controller configured to receive output from the first sensor element and control the drive system and the liquid recirculation system to rotate the rotatable sprayer while selectively supplying liquid to the rotatable sprayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin L. Becker, Nelson J. Ferragut, Jordan R. Fountain, Jonathan D. Gephart
  • Patent number: 9937534
    Abstract: A poultry feed distribution system includes a feed storage, a conveyor line and feeding devices. Each feeding device has an attachment part that is rotatable around the line. The attachment part has a drop tube of the device hingedly connected thereto. The attachment part together with the hinge connection to the drop tube is rotatable around the line between a feeding and a cleaning position, with an inlet of the drop tube getting distanced from the line when the attachment part together with the hinge connection to the drop tube is rotated from the feeding to the cleaning position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Roxell BVBA
    Inventor: Brecht Van Kerrebroeck
  • Patent number: 9925570
    Abstract: An open path optical sensing system having an ultrasonic cleaner. The system includes at least one ultrasound transducer which is configured to propagate ultrasonic waves across exposed surfaces of optical components of the optical sensing system. The ultrasonic waves create tiny vibrations on the exposed surfaces of the optical components which clean the surfaces of environmental pollutants and prevent environmental pollutants from accumulating on the surface. The ultrasonic waves may have a frequency that is substantially different than the modulation frequency of a modulated laser light beam that is generated by a laser of the open path optical sensing system. The surfaces of a plurality of optical components may be cleaned by the ultrasonic waves of a single ultrasound transducer. A plurality of ultrasound transducers may propagate waves on a single optical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Ji, Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 9919348
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions, systems and methods for removing iron sulfide scale from a solid object, such as an oilfield component. The compositions include a carbon-carbon (C—C) double bond with an electron withdrawing group bonded to at least one of the double-bonded carbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Peng, Funian Zhao, Zhiwei Yue, Liu Shi, Liangwei Qu, Chunfang Fan
  • Patent number: 9914155
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a dishwasher (1) in the form of a batch dishwasher, which has a treatment chamber (2) for accommodating washware to be cleaned. Provision is made, during an adsorption phase, for air to be conducted out of the treatment chamber (2) through a sorption unit (41), which contains a reversibly dehydratable dry material, in such a way that the dry material absorbs moisture from the air stream, wherein the air is then returned to the treatment chamber (2). Provision is further made, during a desorption phase, for the dry material of the sorption unit (41) to be heated in such a way that moisture is desorbed from the dry material as steam. During the desorption phase, the sorption unit (41) is subjected to forced ventilation only to such an extent that recondensation of desorbed steam in the sorption unit (41) itself is effectively prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Harald Disch, Dietrich Berner, Ralf Schmidt, Reiner Worz, Peter Maier-Laxhuber
  • Patent number: 9902926
    Abstract: This invention concerns dosage elements for a ware washing machine and a method of manufacturing such dosage elements. In embodiments of the invention a dosage element comprises first (10) and second (20) joined parts, wherein the first part (10) is a part which, prior to joining with the second part (20), comprised an open receptacle and wherein the second part (20) comprises a substrate carrying a plurality of mutually separated substances A, B, C arranged in side by side relation. The second part (20) is joined to said first part (10) so as to close said receptacle and enclose said substances within it. Dosage elements produced in the inventive method are pleasant to handle, while being surprisingly resistant to damage in handling or transit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: RECKITT BENCKISER FINISH B.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Wiedemann, Pavlinka Roy, Frederic Moreux
  • Patent number: 9895721
    Abstract: A grease removal system for an oven that collects excess grease during a cook cycle into a reservoir, which also serves as a container for cleaning solution during a clean cycle. A high-pressured shooter tube allows the cleaning solution to be shot from the reservoir to a ceiling of the oven cavity without the need for extra tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Alto-Shaam, Inc.
    Inventors: Kim J. Menominee, Nikita Dobrinin, Jeremy Means, Thomas Rand, Andrew Szczepaniak, Eric Tranmal
  • Patent number: 9889477
    Abstract: A cleaning and inspection system includes a cleaning chamber and retaining structure disposed within the cleaning chamber and configured to secure an article to be cleaned within the cleaning chamber. The cleaning and inspection system also includes a gas distributor disposed within the cleaning chamber and configured to distribute a turbulent flow of gas into the cleaning chamber that facilitates removal of foreign particles from a surface of the article. Further, the system includes a particle collection surface positioned to collect foreign particles removed from the surface of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Lun Lu, Sheng-Chi Chin
  • Patent number: 9888824
    Abstract: A holder for a cleaning pad or the like can include a base and one or more features to inhibit damage to a surface adjacent a surface being cleaned. For example, the holder can include a lip extending downwardly from an edge of the base along one or more sides to inhibit the pad from being coupled to the holder so that the pad extends beyond the edge of the base. The holder can also include one or more contacting features extending outwardly from the base on the side(s) including the lip to space the base and lip from the adjacent surface during use. The contacting features can be one or more wheels horizontally disposed on a top surface of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Inventor: Tomas Spangberg
  • Patent number: 9889475
    Abstract: A residue remaining on an object to be cleaned after cleaning is easily detected and observed on the object. Adhesive materials for use in residue confirmation, which are applied in advance to an object to be cleaned for confirmation of a residue remaining on the object after cleaning, are formed by coloring chips produced during cutting work. The adhesive materials are preferably formed by coating and coloring the chips with paint, the paint emitting visible light in an excited state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SUGINO MACHINE LIMITED
    Inventors: Toru Sumiyoshi, Toyoaki Mitsue, Yuichi Motoshima
  • Patent number: 9884351
    Abstract: A process for treating a substrate comprised of sorptive material is provided herein. The sorptive material may be an absorbent synthetic material such as polyester. The material is designed to be used for cleaning surfaces in an ultraclean environment. The process first comprises unwinding a roll of sorptive material as a substrate into a cleaning system. The cleaning system utilizes several sections. These include a pre-washing section, an acoustic energy washing section, and a drying section. Preferably, the process of moving the substrate through the cleaning system is continuous. The acoustic energy washing section employs one or more acoustic energy generators. In one aspect, the process also includes cutting the substrate into sections to form wipers after moving the substrate through the drying section. Thereafter, the wipers are placed into a bag and the bag is sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: H. Dennis Blaiss, Laurent H. Sene, Gregory T. Hall, Randy H. Whittington
  • Patent number: 9884352
    Abstract: A debris removal method includes at least any one step of varying i) flow, ii) turbulence, and iii) pressure, within a pipe gas stream. Another embodiment is a cleaning system including a viewer to view inside pipe, and a turbulator associated with the viewer, to vary in a gas stream any of flow, pressure, and turbulence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Envirologics Engineering Inc.
    Inventors: Randall Cooper, Kevin Lillie, Dave Marshall, John Hochfellner
  • Patent number: 9878351
    Abstract: An escalator step cleaner for cleaning escalator steps having a plurality of parallel tread ridges separated by tread grooves has a cleaning pad assembly configured to extend generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the escalator steps and clean the escalator steps while the escalator is in motion. The cleaning pad assembly has a rigid upper plate and a flexible disposable bottom pad having a cleaning contact surface. The contact surface carries a plurality of spaced parallel pad ridges separated by pad grooves that matingly engage between the tread ridges of the escalator steps and cause dislodgement of the accumulated debris. The cleaning pad assembly can be secured on a hand-held cleaning tool or on a motorized cleaning tool with rotating brushes and a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: RENAELC, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick C. Gehm, Michael S. Knight
  • Patent number: 9873139
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for cleaning an anilox roll and/or ink chamber of a converter. The system includes: a water supply (10a) adapted to supply water through an automatically controllable water supply valve (11a) to wash anilox roll and/or ink chamber; a cleaning solution supply (20a) adapted to supply a cleaning solution through an automatically controllable cleaning solution supply valve (21a) to clean the anilox roll and/or ink chamber; and a programmable controller (70) programmed to operate the automatically controllable valves (11a,21a) so as to deliver a timed sequence of water and cleaning solution to the cleaning part upon the occurrence of a cleaning cycle initiation condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ecochem Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Malcolm Robert Dudley, Geoffrey Grant Literski
  • Patent number: 9865475
    Abstract: A dry separation method is a dry separation method for ashing a photoresist, including a spraying and separating step of spraying sublimation particles on the photoresist and separating the photoresist. A dry separation apparatus is a dry separation apparatus for ashing a photoresist, including a nozzle for generating a high-speed particle beam that includes sublimation particles. The nozzle generates ultra-high speed uniform nanoparticles by passing therethrough a particle generation gas including carbon dioxide, and includes an expanding portion having a shape so that the cross sectional area thereof becomes wider toward a discharge side of the nozzle. The expanding portion sequentially includes a first expanding portion and a second expanding portion, and an average expansion angle of the second expanding portion is bigger than an expansion angle of the first expanding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NPICS INC.
    Inventors: In Ho Kim, Jin Won Lee