Patents Examined by Stephen P. Garbe
  • Patent number: 6481478
    Abstract: A motorcycle gas tank fill protector preferably includes a nonscratch sheet, a protective sheet, and at least one magnet. The at least one magnet is contained between the nonscratch sheet and the protective sheet. A gas opening is formed through the nonscratch and protective sheets at one end thereof. The nonscratch sheet and protective sheet are preferably attached to each other on the outer perimeters thereof and the perimeter of the gas opening. The nonscratch and protective sheets may be attached to each other with stitching, sonic welding, heat sealing, or any other suitable assembly method. The at least one magnet is preferably captured within the nonscratch and protective sheets by stitching around the at least one magnet, but other methods may also be used. The motorcycle gas tank fill protector is preferably used by first removing the gas cap from the gas tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Inventor: Robert A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 6481590
    Abstract: A carrier for a container capable of attachment to a strap, key ring or other support includes a flexible body sized so as to releasably receive the container. The body has a loop or hook projecting from one end for engagement with the support and a through opening in the opposed end for receipt of the neck of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Inventor: Nelson Simkins
  • Patent number: 6481592
    Abstract: A pressure and vacuum vent valve for a vehicle fuel tank is provided including a structure defining a passageway and having a vent valve assembly positioned therein. The assembly includes a pressure relief valve to relieve pressure from the fuel tank when the pressure exceeds a predetermined level and a vacuum relief valve to relieve a vacuum in the tank when the pressure in the tank drops below a predetermined level. The vacuum relief valve presents a lubricious sealing surface that engages a valve seat. The pressure valve engages a sealing surface to close a central venting orifice provided in the vacuum valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Harris
  • Patent number: 6478180
    Abstract: An integral cap assembly for a portable liquid container that has a reversible spout, includes a cap portion with an opening and a pair of grooves formed at opposite sides of the opening. A closure cap is coupled to a first flexible member, where the cap portion is coupled to a second flexible member. The first and second flexible members are each coupled to a remaining flexible member. The closure cap can be fitted either above the opening or below the opening of the cap portion, to thereby provide an integral cap assembly with no separate parts when the reversible spout is in either the closed, non-pour position, or the open, pour, position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventor: William F. Dehn, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6478202
    Abstract: The invention concerns a holster with a belt part (1) and a weapon part (10), which are releasably connected to each other and are rotatable/fastenable by an undercut guide (3) of the belt part and a pushbutton (15) with fastening plate of the weapon part (10), in which the belt part is situated on the user side of the weapon part and the weapon part is situated on the weapon side of the belt part and in which the guide (3) has a guide plane on the weapon side and a guide plane facing away from the weapon. The invention is characterized by the fact that at least one additional undercut guide (3′) is provided above the first one on belt part (1) whose guide plane on the weapon side lies on the guide plane of the first guide (3) facing away from the weapon on the user side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventor: Gaston Glock
  • Patent number: 6478205
    Abstract: A portable telephone set holder is comprised of a portable telephone set housing, a holding section extending from the housing, and a suspending section provided on a rear surface of the housing. The housing has an insertion port, into which a portable telephone set is inserted to be housed. The holding section extends from the insertion port and is provided at a location adjacent to the insertion port, which housing is folded toward a front surface of the housing, and engaged with the housing in a disengageable manner. The suspending section forms a supporter insertion block on the rear surface of the housing in a disengageable manner. A supporter such as a belt is inserted into the supporter insertion block, to thereby suspend the portable telephone set holder. The opening surface of the insertion port of the housing is inclined in one orientation. Further, the supporter insertion block is inclined in the same orientation as the inclined orientation of the opening surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Inventor: Kouichiro Fujihashi
  • Patent number: 6471105
    Abstract: A shoulder carrier having at least one shoulder strap connected to a container. A lumbar support attached to the container bears on a wearer's hip or lumbar spine to transfer weight of the shoulder carrier to the hip or lumbar spine and away from the wearer's shoulder. The shoulder strap can include a shoulder pad, and both the shoulder pad and lumbar support can be or include a fluid-filled bladder. The shoulder pad can be slidably attached to the shoulder strap to prevent abrasion of the wearer's shoulder. At least one end of the shoulder strap can be attached to the container by passing the strap through a guide attached to the container and attaching the shoulder strap end to the container at a position below the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Airpacks, Inc.
    Inventors: Jill Greene Ammerman, Brian Lapointe
  • Patent number: 6471401
    Abstract: A laminated film includes an outer-layer-film, a water-soluble film, and an intermediate layer interposed between the outer-layer-film and the water-soluble film. The intermediate layer contains high-pressure polyethylene oxidized to a prescribed degree on a surface thereof contiguous to the water-soluble film. The outer-layer-film and the intermediate layer adhere fast to each other. The intermediate layer and the water-soluble film directly contact each other and adhere so weakly to each other as to be peelable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Kyodo Shiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Tokita
  • Patent number: 6471085
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a container having a main chamber in fluid communication with a temperature-moderating chamber. Preferably, a valve, actuated by a spring-biased button preferably positioned on a handle of the container, opens and closes an aperture within the temperature-moderating chamber to permit a hot beverage to flow from the main chamber into the temperature-moderating chamber. A lid having a sipping hole is provided to allow the consumer to consume the beverage from the temperature-moderating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Inventor: Anthony J. Gallo
  • Patent number: 6467645
    Abstract: A cooking container has an outer shell, an inner shell disposed inside the outer shell forming a cylindrical wall space between the outer and inner shells. The wall space is formed between the outer and inner shells stantially along the height of the inner shell by curling the flanges of the inner and the outer shells at least four times. The cooking container also has a first heat conductive plate being in contact with an inner bottom surface of the outer shell and an outer bottom surface of the inner shell to allow even distribution of heat through out the bottom surface of the inner shell. A'second heat conduction plate is affixed to and in contact with an outer bottom surface of the outer shell. The wall space between the outer and inner shells contains ambient air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Inventor: Jong-Do Peter Park
  • Patent number: 6467613
    Abstract: A multiple shoe rack bag has a plurality of panels, at least one of which has an opening formed therein. The panels form a space enclosing at least one rack capable of containing at least one pair of shoes therein. A pocket is installed in the opening and is configured to hold a chemical composition in an interior thereof. A zipper provides access into the interior of the pocket. The pocket has a gas-impermeable front surface and a back surface perforated with vents to allow vapor from the chemical composition to pass therethrough to treat the multiple pairs of shoes enclosed in the space formed by the panels. The back surface of the pocket may be gas-impermeable. The shoe rack bag may be a rectangular hanging bag for a single pair of shoes, a rectangular hanging bag for multiple pairs of shoes, an underbed storage box or a portable shoe rack closet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Inventor: Donald H. Felsenthal
  • Patent number: 6467955
    Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in bulk containers, and more particularly to seamless tubular fabric bulk containers for facilitating the transport of milk powder for human consumption, or any other flowable powders or grains, including animal feed or grain, from a commercial manufacturer or grain silo to the farm and for facilitating the feeding of farm animals. The improved bulk container comprising a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides comprising, a seamless vertical member, said vertical member being elongated, said vertical member having a first and a second end, said first end of the vertical member being affixed to the top of the bulk container and the second end of the vertical member being affixed to the bottom of the bulk container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Inventor: Jong H. Kim
  • Patent number: 6464118
    Abstract: A back-supported load-carrying mechanism that includes a molded frame having a lumbar support element pivotally connected to a lower portion of the frame. The lumbar support element extends vertically, approximately halfway up the back of a user and horizontally, the full width of the frame, thus providing a large area of surface contact with the user's back. On the surface that contacts the user's back, the lumbar support element is anthropometrically shaped to fit the user's back. This surface is also covered by a non-sliding foam inlay. The lumbar support element may pivot approximately 95 degrees downwards, with the rear side of the lumbar support element providing a seat for the user. A load-support piece may be connected to the rear of the frame to provide a support shelf for the load being carried and to provide rear support when the back-supported load-carrying mechanism is in a chair configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Azora, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Andrew McUmber
  • Patent number: 6464096
    Abstract: A fitment for use as a pour spout for a paper carton or flexible bag for liquids and powders has a flange which may be welded around a hole in the carton or bag. A spout projecting outward from the flange is provided with a removable membrane integral with the interior of the spout. Preferably the membrane is concave. A horizontally disposed pull ring is attached to the membrane by a connector so that pulling the ring removes the membrane by fracturing the tear line at the juncture of the outer edge of the membrane and the projection. A cap snaps over the spout and may be removed by unscrewing the complementary threads on cap and spout. Optionally, a tamper-evidencing band frangibly connected to the lower edge of the cap skirt engages the exterior of the spout so that the cap cannot be removed without breaking the frangible connection. Various means for detachably securing the fitment to a spud during delivery of the fitment from a chute to the interior of a carton are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Portola Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Adams, Daniel Luch, Rodger A. Moody
  • Patent number: 6461044
    Abstract: A reclosable bag made on a form, fill and seal machine by a method which includes the steps of: applying an adhesive strip of material to a web of bag material to extend transversely relative to longitudinal edges of the web, the adhesive strip including a front surface releasably applied to the web via a pressure-sensitive adhesive and an exposed rear surface; folding the web about an axis extending parallel to the longitudinal edges thereof; and then sealing the web to form the bag, including permanently sealing a portion of the web to the exposed rear surface of the adhesive strip to form a reclosable end seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard F. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6460714
    Abstract: A sidewall portion for a plastic container used to receive a commodity and to retain the commodity during high temperature pasteurization and after cooling. The plastic container has an upper portion defining an aperture sealed by a closure, a lower portion forming a base, and a sidewall portion unitarily connected with and extending between the upper portion and the lower portion. The sidewall portion includes panels having a vacuum panel portion unitarily formed in and inwardly recessed from the sidewall, and a pressure panel portion unitarily formed with the vacuum panel portion. The pressure panel portion is movable from a first position to a second position during pasteurization thereby increasing the volume of the container and avoiding any significant deformation of the sidewall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Schmalbach-Lubeca AG
    Inventors: Kerry W. Silvers, Timothy J. Boyd, Dwayne G. Vailliencourt, Richard J. Steih
  • Patent number: 6460668
    Abstract: A case having a rectangular parallelpiped shape includes a rigid board inserted into a pocket defined in a lateral and bottom sides of the case. The board maintains the shape of the case in cooperation with wheel housings and a bracket attached to the bottom and lateral sides. A telescoping handle is also attached to the reinforcing board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Travel Caddy, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Godshaw, Andrezj Redzisz
  • Patent number: 6460743
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for transporting a bicycle in a substantially upright orientation. The method includes positioning a bicycle in a carrier so that a wheel of the bicycle is located in a trap space of the carrier. The trap space is configured to maintain the bicycle in a substantially upright orientation when the wheel is located therein and the carrier is in a released configuration. This permits the operator to use both hands to secure the bicycle in the carrier. The wheel of the bicycle, and typically the front wheel, is fixed in the carrier by applying a squeeze force upon the wheel and thereby establishing a securing configuration of the carrier. Preferably, the squeeze force is imposed across a perimeter of the wheel and the actuators for imposing the squeeze force are positioned low enough to be within the typical user's reach, also referred to as the reach zone, when the carrier is mounted on the roof-top of a carrying vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Industri AB Thule
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Edgerly, William Fortune
  • Patent number: 6460726
    Abstract: A flip-top type closure resealably seals a fluid container. The closure includes a body portion, which is attachable to the fluid container, and a cap portion. The cap portion is connected to the body portion by two hinges and is rotatable about the two hinges so that a spout of the body portion may be inserted into the mouth without interference by the cap portion. The closure may include a tamper-evident band to visually indicate tampering with the contents of the fluid container. The closure may also include a pull-tab seal secured to the spout to prevent spillage and/or leakage of the contents of the fluid container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Valentin Hierzer, Brian Hessel, Eugene Dorsch
  • Patent number: 6457638
    Abstract: An envelope pull opener includes a pair of pull tabs and a tearing filament. A single pull tab is attached to each end of the tearing filament. A peel-off adhesive surface is applied to one side of the pull tab. Preferably, the other side of the pull tab is structured to have a logo, picture, or other graphical representation applied thereto. The pull tab is preferably round, but could be any other shape such as square or triangular. In a second embodiment, the pull tab opener has a single pull tab on each end and an anchor tab attached in substantially the middle of the tearing filament. A third embodiment includes, a rigid envelope pull opener includes a first arm, a second arm, a pivotal connector, and a pair of pull tabs. A single pull tab is attached to an end of each arm. The other end of each arm is pivotal constrained by the pivotal connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Inventor: Karl B. Schmidt