Patents Examined by Sang Paik
  • Display device with illuminating device for a domestic electric heating apparatus
    Patent number: 6924465
    Abstract: The invention provides according to one example a display device for a domestic electric heating appliance, such as for example a glass ceramic hob, the electric heating appliance having at least one heating device. The latter is subdivided into several flat heating areas, which can be activated at least partly independently of one another and/or singly for heating operation. The display device optically displays the heating operation or the activation of individual heating areas. For this purpose it has individually activatable illuminating devices. The illuminating devices are constructed as separate segments of a geometrical basic shape, such as a rectangle or preferably a circle. For each display device there are two basic shapes of the same nature, but different size and having a concentric arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Schilling, Christian Egenter, Alfred Fischer, Juergen Katzenmayer, Oliver Gremm
  • Wafer heating apparatus
    Patent number: 6914222
    Abstract: To provide a wafer heating apparatus that can measure a surface temperature of a wafer accurately and responsively. A front surface of a ceramic plate 2 serves as a mounting surface on which a wafer is placed, and a rear surface or an inner portion of the ceramic plate 2 is formed with a resistance heating element 5. A recess 9 is formed in the rear surface of the ceramic plate 2. A temperature measuring member formed of a temperature sensor 8a and leads 8 is inserted in the recess 9 so as to be held by filling 17. In the wafer heating apparatus, a length along the leads from the front of the protective tube to a point where the leads are exposed from the filling is set to 5 to 30 times an outer diameter of the protective tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Tsunehiko Nakamura
  • Cooking appliance having concealed cooking feature
    Patent number: 6903309
    Abstract: A cooking appliance shown in the form of a cooktop includes a upper cooking zone and a concealed lower cooking zone. The upper cooking is defined by a pivotally mounted frame portion within which is arranged a plurality of heating elements. Located below the upper cooking zone is a second, lower cooking zone within which are arranged a plurality of lower cooking surfaces. The upper cooking zone is movable betweens a closed position whereupon cooking is performed on the upper cooking surfaces, and an open position whereby access is provided to the lower cooking surfaces. Control of either zone is performed through a plurality of control elements. When the upper cooking zone is in a closed position, the control elements regulate the upper heating surfaces and, when the upper cooking zone is raised to the open position, the control elements are used to control the lower cooking surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Earl T. Rhinehart
  • Vapor dispensing device having improved transverse loading stability
    Patent number: 6901215
    Abstract: A vapor dispensing device having a high transverse loading stability includes a relatively low profile with respect to the supporting wall or electrical receptacle such that the frequency and impact of accidental physical contact with the device are appropriately reduced. To achieve a low profile, the housing of a vapor dispensing device is designed such that the distance from the outlet face of the wall receptacle to a worst-case transverse loading point (dL) is less than the distance from the plug to a worst-case support point (dS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: The Dial Corporation
    Inventors: Mengtao Pete He, Carl Triplett, Mary Conway, David Rinaldis, Michael Strasser, Francis Joseph Mills, IV
  • Vapor dispensing device having improved transverse loading stability
    Patent number: 6895177
    Abstract: A vapor dispensing device having a high transverse loading stability includes a relatively low profile with respect to the supporting wall or electrical receptacle such that the frequency and impact of accidental physical contact with the device are appropriately reduced. To achieve a low profile, the housing of a vapor dispensing device is designed such that the distance from the outlet face of the wall receptacle to a worst-case transverse loading point (dL) is less than the distance from the plug to a worst-case support point (dS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: The Dial Corporation
    Inventors: Mengtao Pete He, Carl Triplett, Mary J. Conway, David Rinaldis, Michael Strasser, Francis Joseph Mills, IV
  • Integrally formed bake plate unit for use in wafer fabrication system
    Patent number: 6891134
    Abstract: A bake plate is integrally formed from a copper disk whose lower surface defines a desired heater element channel pattern that is filled with electrically conductive resistive material. Copper contamination is prevented by coating the structure. The channel pattern and fill material may be tailored to optimize thermal uniformity across the bake plate surface, and to produce a bake plate that may be mass produced with substantially uniform and repeatable thermal characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Robert P. Mandal
  • Method and apparatus for positioning a wick material in a vapor-dispensing device
    Patent number: 6889003
    Abstract: The present invention achieves advancement in the art by providing a method and apparatus for selective positioning of a wick material in a vapor-dispensing device that facilitates effective fragrance vapor delivery while offering significant advantages in manufacture, assembly, product performance, and product safety. In one embodiment, the wick is suitably selected and positioned such that sufficient surface area of the wick material is suitably exposed to the heating unit to enable effective evaporation of a vaporizable liquid, but the wick height relative to the heating element minimizes the amount of surface area of the wick in proximity to the heating element. Additionally, the positioning can reduce the need for protective overcaps and other apparatus for protecting the wick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: The Dial Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Triplett, Mengtao Pete He, Christopher J. Wolpert, Kristopher J. Stathakis, Debra Park
  • Ceramic plate for a semiconductor producing/inspecting apparatus
    Patent number: 6884972
    Abstract: A ceramic heater for a semiconductor producing/examining device including a ceramic substrate having a disc form with a diameter exceeding 200 mm and first and second surfaces, the first surface being a wafer-holding face and the second surface opposing to the first surface, the wafer-holding face being such that a semiconductor wafer is directly put on the wafer-holding face or held apart from the wafer-holding face by a supporting pin. The wafer-holding face has a surface roughness Rmax of 0.1 to 250 ?m according to JIS R 0601, and a difference between the surface roughness of the wafer-holding face and surface roughness of the second surface is 50% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ito, Yasuji Hiramatsu
  • Ceramic heater for semiconductor manufacturing and inspecting equipment
    Patent number: 6878906
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic heater for a semiconductor producing/examining device which is capable of accurately measuring the temperature of an object to be heated and evenly heating the whole body of a silicon wafer by adjusting the heating state of a heating element based on the temperature measurement result, and the ceramic heater for a semiconductor producing/examining device of the present invention is a ceramic heater including a ceramic substrate and a heating element formed on the surface or the inside of the ceramic substrate, wherein a temperature measurement element is formed while being brought into contact with the ceramic substrate and the surface roughness of the ceramic substrate brought into contact with the temperature measurement element is Ra?5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ito, Atsushi Ito
  • Heating system
    Patent number: 6875960
    Abstract: A heating system 25 has a main electric heat-generating element 3 and a heating surface 4a for heating an object, auxiliary electric heat-generating elements 5A to 5D, and a main power source 1 for supplying power to the main heating element. The system 25 further has an auxiliary power source 2 for supplying power to the auxiliary heating elements, and a power source controller for controlling the power supplied to the main heating element and to the auxiliary heating elements respectively and independently. Power supplied to the main heating element 3 is controlled by the controller within a first power range and power supplied to the auxiliary heating elements is controlled by the controller within a second power range. The second power range has a width smaller than that of the first power range so as to control temperature distribution on the heating surface 4a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Yamaguchi, Yoshinobu Goto, Hisakazu Okajima, Yutaka Unno
  • Error correction for optical detector in glass-ceramic cooktop appliances
    Patent number: 6864465
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for a glass-ceramic cooktop appliance having at least one burner assembly disposed under a glass-ceramic plate. The sensor assembly includes an optical detector arranged to receive radiation from the glass-ceramic plate and produce an output signal corresponding to a cooktop related property of the glass-ceramic plate. A controller is provided to receive the output signal from the optical detector. The controller includes means for making a correction to said output signal for corruptive flux incident on the optical detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Ceramic heater
    Patent number: 6861620
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic heater making it possible to suppress an outflow of heat to a supporting case and so on to make the temperature of its ceramic substrate uniform. The ceramic heater of the present invention is a ceramic heater wherein a heating element is arranged on a surface of a ceramic substrate or inside the ceramic substrate, the surface roughness Rmax of the side face of the ceramic substrate being from 0.1 to 200 ?m according to JIS B 0601.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ito, Yasuji Hiramatsu
  • Multi-fragrance scent dispenser
    Patent number: 6859615
    Abstract: A multi-fragrance scent dispenser includes a housing having an outlet opening; first and second holders in the housing for holding first and second liquid fragrance containers having first and second wicks, respectively, extending out of the first and second liquid fragrance containers; a first heater positioned in the housing to be in surrounding relation to the first wick when the first liquid fragrance container is held by the first holder; a second heater positioned in the housing to be in surrounding relation to the second wick when the first liquid fragrance container is held by the first holder; a control circuit which selectively controls activation of the first and second heaters; and a blocking plate movable relative to the heaters for at least partially blocking escape of evaporated fragrance through the outlet opening from at least one of the first and second wicks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Hometek International Ltd.
    Inventors: Po Chun Yip, Arnold Thaler, Robert Fellows
  • Modular electrical device for delivery of volatile compounds
    Patent number: 6853801
    Abstract: A means is provided for manufacture of dispensers of volatile materials for various regions, where a single buss assembly strip is provided, having standardized electrical connections whereby the manufacturer, distributor, or consumer is enabled to construct a large variety of finished dispensers by choice of individual selected attachment modules providing differing functions. For example, one may combine the buss assembly strip with a modular plug assembly for use in a specific region of the world, with optional heaters, night lights, timers, switches, and controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark E. Wefler
  • Humidifier for use with source of heated air
    Patent number: 6850698
    Abstract: A free-standing humidifier is suitable for placement near a source of heated air, which supplies the moving air that is humidified. The humidifier has a main reservoir for holding water, a rod having a length sufficient to extend across the reservoir, and panels that support the rod. The rod is held horizontally in a position higher than the reservoir and displaced horizontally away from the reservoir. A disposable paper towel is draped over the rod and one end of the paper towel is inserted through an opening in the top of the reservoir into water in the reservoir. Air flowing from the source impinges upon the paper towel and picks up moisture from it. A supplemental reservoir can be used to automatically supply additional water to the main reservoir from a water line that has a valve controlled by a float which turns the valve on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventor: Edward Hua Seng Goh
  • Temperature controlling device for aerosol drug delivery
    Patent number: 6845216
    Abstract: A portable air temperature controlling device useful for warming air surrounding an aerosolized drug formulation is described. Warming the air of an aerosol makes it possible to reduce the size of aerosol particles produced by an aerosol generation device. Additionally, warming the air forces the size of the aerosol particles to be in the range required for systemic drug delivery independent of ambient conditions. Smaller particles can be more precisely targeted to different areas of the respiratory tract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Aradigm Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Schuster, Christopher J. Flaim
  • Cooking utensil
    Patent number: 6841762
    Abstract: When left and right feed switches are pressed simultaneously for three seconds at the step S1, a special mode selection screen 1 is changed such that the name of each operating mode is displayed at a display portion corresponding to the position of each of switches <1> to <4>. Thus, pressing any of the corresponding switches <1> to <4> under each display makes it possible to select each operating mode. In this way, an operation mode can be easily and reliably selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Paloma Industries, Limited
    Inventor: Akira Suzuki
  • Methods and apparatus for a discrete vapor-dispensing device
    Patent number: 6839506
    Abstract: A vapor-dispensing or other environment-altering apparatus is configured to integrate with a receptacle in a discreet manner. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an environment-altering apparatus is configured to mimic an electrical receptacle having an outlet pattern. The environment-altering apparatus has a front surface which includes an outlet pattern substantially corresponding to the outlet pattern of the electrical receptacle, and a plug configured to interface with the electrical receptacle. A device configured to modify one or more attributes of the environment is interposed between the front surface and plug pattern. These attributes include, for example, aromatic vapor density, insecticide vapor density, ambient light intensity, ionic air content, ultrasonic frequency intensity, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: The Dial Corporation
    Inventors: Mengtao Pete He, Carl Triplett, Mary Conway
  • Ceramic heater
    Patent number: 6835916
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic heater making it possible to suppress an outflow of heat to a supporting case and so on to make the temperature of its ceramic substrate uniform. The ceramic heater of the present invention is a ceramic heater wherein a heating element is arranged on a surface of a ceramic substrate or inside the ceramic substrate, the surface roughness Rmax of the side face of the ceramic substrate being from 0.1 to 200 &mgr;m according to JIS B 0601.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Ibiden, Co., LTD
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ito, Yasuji Hiramatsu
  • Smoke generating apparatus
    Patent number: RE38686
    Abstract: A smoke generating apparatus includes a combustion chamber having an air flow inlet and an air flow outlet. A helical heating element is disposed in the combustion chamber. The helical heating element has a central flow axis. A smoke generating fluid injection tube is positioned along the central flow axis of the helical heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: STAR EnviroTech, Inc.
    Inventor: Norton M. Loblick