Patents Examined by Shawntina T Fuqua
  • Patent number: 11388782
    Abstract: An electric blanket including a flexible sheet-like heating element, a shell comprising two flexible sheets covering the heating element, one or more welds coupling the sheet of the shell about the edges to hermetically seal the heating element there between; and a flexible insulating layer extending over the heating element and covered by the shell providing at least one of thermal insulation and electrical insulation, wherein the heating element is held in position between the two sheets of the shell without using connectors that pierce the two sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Augustine Temperature Management LLC
    Inventors: Scott D. Augustine, Randall C. Arnold, Ryan S. Augustine, Rudolf A. Deibel, Scott A. Entenman, Gordon D. Lawrence, Keith J. Leland, Thomas F. Neils
  • Patent number: 11383748
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a vehicle includes a steering wheel core and a graphene heating element on the steering wheel core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Huzuanxu Chen, David A. Stites
  • Patent number: 11382180
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a support pedestal that includes a support member including a resistive layer having at least two zones, a routing layer, and a plurality of conductive vias. The resistive layer and the routing layer are disposed in different planes of the support member and are connected by the plurality of vias. The number of zones of the resistive layer is greater than or equal to a number of wires coupled to the routing layer. The routing layer may include a plurality of arm portions that extend from a central region of the routing layer. The support pedestal may further include a second resistive layer disposed along the same plane as the routing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Ptasienski, Stanton Hopkins Breitlow, Mohammad Nosrati, Kevin Smith, Brittany Phillips, Ken Ames, Patrick Margavio, Kurt English
  • Patent number: 11378990
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for temperature control in potentially explosive areas, comprising a temperature controller (10) and a housing (11) in which the temperature controller (10) is arranged, the housing (11) having a sealed opening (12) through which electrical lines (13, 14) of the temperature controller (10) are passed. It is characterized in that the temperature controller (10) has a measuring surface (15) which lies directly against an inner wall (16) of the housing (11) at least in certain areas and is electrically connected to an earthing tab (17), said earthing tab (17) being electrically connected to another line (18) which is guided through the opening (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: STEGO-HOLDING GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Guilliard, Robert Dent, Elmar Mangold
  • Patent number: 11359820
    Abstract: A heating device having a holding apparatus to accommodate a control unit, the holding apparatus having a receiving part. The receiving part has at least one storage tray for tools and/or at least one receptacle, in particular two receptacles, for tools. A holding apparatus for a heating device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Oehrlein, Marcus Wuenning, Sebastian Goerick, Yildirim Cantuerk
  • Patent number: 11357081
    Abstract: A heat conductive strip having a power terminal and a method for packaging the same, wherein the heating conductive strip having a power terminal packaged by the packaging method includes: a carbon fiber unit composed of a plurality of carbon fibers and having a carbon fiber portion; a plastic sleeve covering the carbon fiber unit and having a clamping end portion that covers the carbon fiber portion; a power terminal inserted into the carbon fiber unit and including: a first metal end in electrical contact with the carbon fiber portion, and a second metal end opposite to the first metal end and exposed out of the plastic sleeve; and a fixing member sleeved on the clamping end portion of the plastic sleeve to enable the clamping end portion, the carbon fiber portion and the first metal end to be integrated into one body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chen-San Cheng
  • Patent number: 11353220
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven comprising: a muffle that defines a cooking cavity for containing foods to be cooked, the muffle comprising at least one horizontal floor, heating means adapted to heat air, ventilating means adapted to circulate the air, at least one air distribution element comprising at least one channel adapted to receive the air being circulated and to allow it to flow through, wherein the distribution element further comprises a plurality of inlet openings in fluidic connection with the at least one channel and adapted to supply air into said cooking cavity; the ventilating means comprise at least one fan in fluidic connection with the distribution element, the fan being placed at least partially under the level of the horizontal floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: WHIRLPOOL EMEA S.P.A.
    Inventors: Vincenzo Colozzo, Sandro Ciccacci, Alberto Gasparini
  • Patent number: 11338774
    Abstract: A heating plate includes: a pair of glass plates; a conductive pattern disposed between the pair of glass plates and defining a plurality of opening areas; and a joint layer disposed between the conductive pattern and at least one of the pair of glass plates; wherein the conductive pattern includes a plurality of connection elements that extend between two branch points to define the opening areas; and a rate of the connection elements, which are straight line segments connecting the two branch points, relative to the plurality of connection elements, is less than 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Suetsugu, Manabu Hirakawa, Satoshi Goishihara, Koichi Kinoshita, Hidenori Nakamura, Koujiro Ohkawa, Tetsuo Matsukura, Isao Inoue
  • Patent number: 11330672
    Abstract: A method of controlling a heat wire of a seat includes: a classification operation of determining whether or not a passenger rides on a vehicle; a calculation operation of calculating a difference with a target temperature by measuring a current temperature of the seat; and a heating operation of heating the heat wire of the seat by differently setting a heating rate so that the temperature of the seat reaches the target temperature up to a heating target time set differently depending on whether or not the passenger rides on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyun Chul Yun
  • Patent number: 11325548
    Abstract: An electric control unit comprising: (a) a plurality of input wires; (b) a connector receiving the plurality of input wires on a first side, the first side of the connector including: (i) a plurality of slots that each receive one of the plurality of wires and (ii) a plurality of prongs having an alternating relationship with the plurality of slots so that the plurality of prongs and the plurality of slots support each of the plurality of input wires; and (c) control circuitry located within the connector and connected to each of the plurality of input wires; and (d) a plurality of output pins located on a second side of the connector that are configured to connect to a thermal element so that the electric control unit assists in powering the thermal element and controlling the thermal element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: GENTHERM GMBH
    Inventors: Jan Beska, Miao Xu, Dusko Petrovski
  • Patent number: 11324078
    Abstract: A system for heating a window, the system comprises: a window movably disposed within a housing, the window comprising a first window heating zone and a second window heating zone; a heating device for heating at least one of the first window heating zone and the second window heating zone; and an actuator configured to determine which of the first and second window heating zones to heat depending on at least one of: the position of the window within the housing; and the height of an eye line of a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yucel Aybar, Gary Clarke
  • Patent number: 11317477
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heating device comprising a plate-shaped ceramic PTC resistor having a thickness, a front side, a back side and narrow sides, wherein the distance from the front side to the back side equals the thickness, and a first contact element and a second contact element, which are electrically contacting the PTC resistor. The PTC resistor is electrically contacted by the contact elements on opposite narrow sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Cian McCarthy, Thomas O'Carroll, Katherine O'Sullivan, Stephen Sweeney, Ivan Morris, Kevin Dukes
  • Patent number: 11317474
    Abstract: A wirelessly operable cooking appliance for cooking food products includes a wireless communication device. A computing device, such as a smartphone, can wirelessly communicate with the cooking appliance to control and monitor the cooking appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicole Ann Sorenson, Byron Seth Sawyer, Timothy Nott, Dominic DiMarco, David Everett, Jacob Daniel Smith, Karl W. Marschke
  • Patent number: 11304264
    Abstract: A layered heater is provided that includes a sensor layer formed by a layered process having a plurality of independently controllable zones, and a resistive heating layer disposed adjacent the sensor layer. In one form, the sensor layer is formed of a material having a relatively high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and the resistive heating layer is formed of a material having a relatively low TCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Martin Wallinger
  • Patent number: 11299128
    Abstract: A heating plate includes: a pair of glass plates; a conductive pattern disposed between the pair of glass plates and defining a plurality of opening areas; and a joint layer disposed between the conductive pattern and at least one of the pair of glass plates; wherein the conductive pattern includes a plurality of connection elements that extend between two branch points to define the opening areas; and a rate of the connection elements, which are straight line segments connecting the two branch points, relative to the plurality of connection elements, is less than 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Suetsugu, Manabu Hirakawa, Satoshi Goishihara, Koichi Kinoshita, Hidenori Nakamura, Koujiro Ohkawa, Tetsuo Matsukura, Isao Inoue
  • Patent number: 11292542
    Abstract: Systems and methods for heating a handgrip of a vehicle. One system includes a first handgrip and a second handgrip. The first handgrip includes a first processor, a first heating element, and a first temperature sensor configured to produce a temperature signal indicative of a temperature related to the first heating element. The second handgrip includes a second processor, second heating element, and a second temperature sensor configured to produce a temperature signal indicative of a temperature related to the second heating element. The first processor is configured to receive a temperature signal from the first sensor, compare the signal to a first threshold, and adjust power supplied to the first element based on the signal. The second processor is configured to receive a second temperature signal from the second sensor, compare the signal to a second threshold, and adjust power supplied to the second element based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, LLC
    Inventors: Nikita Dobrinin, Nathan Gugliotti, Benjamin Hynes, Anthony Langeweg, Steven E. Twining, Andrew Alfred Knitt, Robert Kenneth Alexander
  • Patent number: 11279323
    Abstract: A patterned conductor that includes a metal linear conductor positioned on one placement surface that has a main cut surface orthogonal to its longitudinal direction, a plurality of metal crystal grains. In the main cut surface of thereof, a metal crystal grain(s) having a length h0 along a normal direction to the placement surface, which length is larger than one third of a height H of the linear conductor along the normal direction to the placement surface. A minimum value of a ratio (h0/w0), which is a ratio of the length h0 of the metal crystal grain(s) along the normal direction to the placement surface with respect to a length w0 along the placement surface, is not less than 1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Suetsugu, Manabu Hirakawa, Satoshi Goishihara
  • Patent number: 11272580
    Abstract: A conductive transfer 201 for application to a surface includes two non-conductive ink layers 202, 203. A heating element 204 is positioned between the two non-conductive ink layers. An adhesive layer 207 for adhering said conductive transfer to a surface is also present. The heating element comprises an electrically conductive ink 205 having a positive temperature coefficient such that the electrically conductive ink exhibits an increase in resistance in response to an increase in temperature. A method of production of the conductive transfer involves a printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: CONDUCTIVE TRANSFERS LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Timothy Brook, Raymond Bungay, Mark John Catchpole, Melvyn Revitt, Steven Paul Sutcliffe
  • Patent number: 11254189
    Abstract: An electric heating device may heat an air flow through a duct of a ventilation, heating and/or air-conditioning installation of an automotive vehicle. The heating device may include at least one heating module that is contained in a heating body. The heating body may include a housing for controlling and supplying electrical power to the at least one heating module. The housing may include, in its interior, a printed circuit board from which a power supply connector and a control connector protrude. The housing may also include a power supply opening such that the power supply connector emerges from the housing and a control opening such that the control connector emerges from the housing. The housing may include a skirt that protrudes in parallel to the control connector on the periphery of the control opening. The skirt may be formed as a single part with the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
    Inventors: Serif Karaaslan, Sébastien Colinet
  • Patent number: 11245064
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a MEMS device includes a substrate, an electrically movable heating element having a first node coupled to a first terminal of a first voltage source and the second node coupled to a reference voltage source, a first anchor anchoring the first node and a second anchor anchoring the second node of the electrically movable heating element to the substrate, and a cavity between the first anchor and the second anchor and between the electrically movable heating element and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventor: Christoph Glacer