Patents Examined by Scott Bushey
  • Patent number: 7673858
    Abstract: A humidifier for direct low pressure injection of steam into a duct. A source of steam is provided, and a steam tube is in fluid communication with the source of steam. A distal end segment of the steam tube is inclined with respect to the horizontal when the system is mounted to a duct to cause condensation within the steam tube to drain back to the source of steam under the force of gravity. The distal end of the steam tube includes an opening having a lip on an inside surface of the opening, where the lip directs condensation formed at the opening to flow back into the steam tube and back to the source of steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne R. Anderson, Brad A. Terlson, Charles E. Bartlett, Brian J. Ignaut
  • Patent number: 7673856
    Abstract: A vaporizer has gas passage formed inside of main body of a dispersion part, a gas inlet opening to introduce pressurized carrier gas into gas passage, a part to supply raw materials solution to carrier gas passing gas passage, a gas outlet to send carrier gas including dispersed raw material solution to vaporization part, a dispersion part to flow through gas passage having a part to cool, a vaporization pipe connected with a reaction part and gas outlet of dispersion part of the device, and a heater to heat vaporization pipe is provided, a vaporization part to heat and vaporizes the carrier gas where raw materials solution is dispersed is provided, and a radiation prevention portion having small hole for the outside of gas outlet is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Watanabe Shoko
    Inventors: Masayuki Toda, Masaki Kusuhara, Masaru Umeda, Mitsuru Fukagawa
  • Patent number: 7673854
    Abstract: A foam-forming unit is disclosed. The foam-forming unit includes a mixing chamber communicating with the outlet of a pump for the purpose of mixing liquid and air, and includes a dispensing part provided with an outflow channel with a foam opening for dispensing foam, wherein the outflow channel is in communication with the mixing chamber. Further, a first foam-forming element is included, arranged in the outflow channel such that the foam flowing through the outflow channel passes through the foam-forming element at least twice. The dispensing part is further provided with a spout element in which is located the final part of the outflow channel and the foam opening. Finally, the outflow channel includes a cavity after the first passage through the first foam-forming element, which cavity lies before the spout element as seen in flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: MeadWestvaco Calmar Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Markus Franciscus Brouwer, Johannes Hubertus Josef Maria Kelders
  • Patent number: 7673859
    Abstract: A twist locking connector for a steam humidifier. The steam humidifier includes a tank for heating water to generate steam and a steam tube receiver structure in fluid communication with the tank. The steam tube receiver structure has an opening configured to receive a steam tube, where the opening has a plurality of ramp structures about the opening on a side facing the tank. The steam humidifier also includes a steam tube for transmitting steam from the tank to a duct, the steam tube having a plurality of locking tabs adjacent to an end and a flange adjacent to, but separated by a distance from, the locking tabs. The steam tube is assembled to the steam tube receiver by inserting the steam tube through the opening in the steam tube receiver structure and rotating the steam tube to cause the locking tabs to engage with the ramp structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Josef Novotny, Wayne R. Anderson, Brad Alan Terlson, Steve L. Wolff
  • Patent number: 7669838
    Abstract: An air handling heat exchanger humidifying apparatus (1) is provided with a humidifying cell (13) of a self supporting sheet like body with closely spaced air openings therein. Air is moved through the apparatus (1) so it passes through the openings in the humidifying cell (13). A humidifying liquid is deposited onto the body surfaces of the cell between adjacent openings. As the air moves through the openings it collects the humidifying liquid from the surfaces of the cell (13). The humidifying liquid can be cooled. The air then exits the apparatus (1) and can be used for cooling produce or other product. The cell (13) can be an expanded mesh with the openings having a somewhat diamond shape. The cell (13) body can be corrugated to assist in humidifying liquid retention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Co-Ordinated Thermal Systems Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Gary Martin North
  • Patent number: 7669837
    Abstract: A process for producing carbonated water having a high concentration, inexpensively and easily, involves using a static mixer having 20 to 100 elements so as to provide a value Re×N of 100,000 to 2,000,000, in with Re represents a Reynolds number, when a mixture of water and carbonic acid gas flow in the static mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Ooyachi, Hiroki Sakakibara, Satoshi Suzuki, Hiroshi Tasaka, Masaaki Satou
  • Patent number: 7661662
    Abstract: The water evaporation apparatus functions to increase the concentration strength of a contaminant solution in wastewater, for more economical disposal. A blower conveys an air stream along an air-conduit, over a nozzle or atomizer. The atomizer converts the incoming dilutely-contaminated water into fine droplets, and injects and distributes the droplets into the airstream. An air-heater is located upstream of the atomizer, and heats the airstream to a temperature of 110° C. at the atomizer. A droplet-collector receives the airstream, and the droplets, and mechanically extracts the liquid droplets from the airstream. The airstream leaves the droplet-collector at 65° C. in a saturated condition. The droplets coalesce, and become the final-water, comprising the strongly concentrated contaminant solution. An exhaust-conduit conveys air that has passed through the droplet-collector to the air-outlet. A heat-exchanger transfers heat from the exhaust airstream into the intake airstream, to supplement the air-heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Inventor: Talivaldis Forstmanis
  • Patent number: 7661660
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for providing improved aeration of a fluid that is propelled though a pump to efficiently transfer oxygen and other gasses to a liquid body. In addition to the aeration, circulation of the liquid body may be performed to provide additional efficiency and benefit to the fluid system. In one embodiment, the apparatus performs efficient aeration by utilizing a venturi effect on the submerged intake manifold of a floating centrifugal pump. The aerated fluid is then directed to circulate the aerated liquid to a portion of the fluid body that is in greatest need of the gas that is being mixed with the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Fisher Pumps, Inc.
    Inventors: Harvey P. Burrows, Matthew G. Burrows, Richard D. Helzer, David K. Berens
  • Patent number: 7661657
    Abstract: Method for treating contaminants on a site, especially a deep well site includes delivering a first stream of a first gas to a first port of a laminar microporous diffuser and delivering a second stream of a second gas to a second port of the laminar microporous diffuser to effect mixing of the first and second streams of gases within the laminar microporous diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: ThinkVillage-Kerfoot, LLC
    Inventor: William B. Kerfoot
  • Patent number: 7654508
    Abstract: An air humidifier including a first container and a second container that can be filled with water from the first container, an atomizer and electrodes. The second container is subdivided into a first reservoir and a second reservoir, the two reservoirs being interconnected with the interposition of a filter. Two electrodes are arranged in the first reservoir, and a component of the atomizer is arranged in the second reservoir in order to atomize the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Venta-Luftwascher GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Wegner, Alfred Hitzler
  • Patent number: 7651074
    Abstract: This invention concerns an apparatus and a method for producing carbonated water capable of obtaining high concentration carbonated water effectively. Carbon dioxide gas is passed through a first carbon dioxide gas dissolver composed of a membrane module to be dissolved in water and the carbonated water passing through the first carbon dioxide gas dissolver is passed through a static mixer, which is a second carbon dioxide gas dissolver. Consequently, a high concentration carbonated water can be obtained remarkably, effectively and easily with a simpler structure than conventionally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Ooyachi, Hiroki Sakakibara, Hiroshi Tasaka, Masaaki Satou, Masanori Itakura, Katsuya Sanai
  • Patent number: 7651076
    Abstract: A device for distributing a poly-phase mixture having a gas phase and liquid phase which mixture is in downflow mode through at least one bed of granular solid. The device has at least one tray (P) located above one of the beds of granular solid. It further has mixer conduits (21) for the liquid and gas phases, each conduit having an upper cross section for flow (22) allowing the passage of the majority of the gas phase, and a lower cross section for flow (23) allowing the mixture formed inside the conduits to communicate with a bed of granular solid. The mixer conduits (21) also having one or more lateral cross sections for flow (26) over at least a portion of their height to allow the passage of the liquid phase and possibly a minor portion of the gas phase inside the mixer conduits. The device also has a jet breaker type dispersive system (28) having a controlled porosity disposed below the lower cross section for flow (23) and above the bed of granular solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Isabelle Harter, Robert Agoero
  • Patent number: 7651077
    Abstract: A canister assembly includes a canister body, an inner wick positioned within the canister body and configured to define an air passage, and an outer wick. At least a portion of the outer wick is positioned between the inner wick and the canister body. The inner wick and the outer wick are oriented to enable a transfer of fragrance material to the inner wick from the outer wick. The fragrance material includes fragrance molecules, and the inner wick is configured to enable a transfer of some of the fragrance molecules into air within the air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: ScentAir Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin J. Rosener, Robert D. Blaylock, David L. Van Epps
  • Patent number: 7651075
    Abstract: A bubble generator includes an air intake device, an air guide device, an aeration disc and a rotating device. The air guide device is partially immersed in liquid and guides air flowed into the air guide device through the air intake device toward the liquid. The aeration disc produces negative pressure by being rotated in the liquid and moving the liquid whereby air guided by the air guide device produces air bubbles in the liquid. The aeration disc comprises one or more blades that spin to create a vacuum of air moving downward through the air intake device and air guide device and into the liquid, and an arcuate wall that comprises one or more slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Rhos Enterprise, Inc
    Inventors: Samuel S. Rho, Jae-Hak Eom
  • Patent number: 7648640
    Abstract: A method for treating contaminates includes delivering a stream of a fluid to a directional microporous diffuser that has a sidewall with microscopic openings and has a partitioned interior region to effect discharge of microbubbles from less than the entire sidewall portion of the directional microporous diffuser at any particular interval of time. The directional microporous diffuser described include an elongated member providing the sidewall, the sidewall defining an interior portion of said member and coupled to the first inlet port and a partition member that divides the interior of the elongated member into plural, mutually isolated regions. End caps are disposed to seal ends of the directional microporous diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: ThinkVillage-Kerfoot, LLC
    Inventor: William B. Kerfoot
  • Patent number: 7648128
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for improved gas/liquid contact in a chemical process tower, resulting in better performance. The apparatus includes a tower having a series of tray decks and downcomers. Tray decks provide gas/liquid contact for mass transfer and the downcomers are required to clarify the liquid before entering the tray below. In this invention, the trays have at least one downcomer and one adjacent active sump. The sump has at least one row of apertures for bubbling vapor through liquid flowing therein, and is separated from the downcomer by a baffle. The clarified liquid at the bottom of the sump is sent to the downcomer. The liquid entering the next tray can be assured to divide evenly for multiple-downcomer applications. Gas/liquid contact is thereby enhanced through the installation of these apertures, and clarification of the liquid from bubbles is thereby improved through the addition of the active sump. Benefits to the tower operation include higher tray capacity and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: AMT International, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam T. Lee, Kuang-Yeu Wu, Larry W. Burton
  • Patent number: 7644910
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating gas bubbles, which can generate a large amount of micro gas bubbles having diameters of less than 15 ?m, specifically less than 10 ?m, in a liquid. The apparatus comprises a tube 2 having a closed end 14 at one end and an open end 15 at the other end, and a rotating bladed wheel 3 installed in the tube 2 and rotating coaxially or substantially coaxially with the tube 2. The rotating bladed wheel 3 has one or more blades 4. The face of each blade 4 is substantially parallel to the axis of a rotating shaft 5 of the rotating bladed wheel 3. Ventilation resistance between the interior of the tube 2 on the side near the closed end 14 and the outside gas is equal to or larger than that of a ventilation port 7 having an inner diameter of 0.36 time an average width d of the blades and a length of 3 mm. At least the open end 15 of the tube 2 and the rotating bladed wheel 3 are immersed in a liquid 20 and the rotating bladed wheel 3 is rotated at a peripheral speed of 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fuki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadao Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7644908
    Abstract: An aeration pool or tank has a bottom piping assembly with an inlet at the bottom thereof and an outlet remote from the tank a distance vertically below the inlet, and an air inlet piping assembly having an inlet above the water surface and an outlet within the tank adjacent to the inlet of the bottom piping assembly. Water under pressure flows from the tank by gravity through the bottom piping assembly and draws air through the air inlet piping assembly, mixing it with the exiting water and the aerated water flows into a second body of water across a paddlewheel to disburse the aerated water into the second body of water and create circulation to absorb additional oxygen at the surface of the second body of water. A water circulation piping assembly in the tank creates turbulence and circulation within in the water in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Inventor: Fereidoon Mohammadi
  • Patent number: 7644909
    Abstract: The aeration system is for aeration and/or mixing of water, which system has at least one aeration unit that has a pump/propeller inside a feed pipe. The feed pipe, to which the water to be aerated, is sucked from beneath. The aeration system has the feed pipe expanding in the upper part of the aeration unit to a conical space working as a nozzle, via which the water continues its way to at least one annular opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Waterix Oy
    Inventors: Risto Huhta-Koivisto, Esko Huhta-Koivisto
  • Patent number: 7637484
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device in a steam injector. The steam injector is of the type which includes an injector housing with an inlet for steam and an inlet for the product which is to be treated. In the injector housing there is also an outlet for the ready-treated product. In the injector the steam is brought together with the product. The device includes a throttle washer which is placed immediately after the product outlet. The throttle washer entails that the pressure is raised immediately before the product leaves the injector. The pressure increase entails an improved steam distribution in the product and that the risk of sedimentation in the product is counteracted. The device also entails that disturbing noise that may occur in the injector is considerably reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holding & Finance SA
    Inventors: Franck Lopez, Roland Ringstrōm