Patents Examined by Steve M Gravini
  • Patent number: 8661705
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a polymer material filled with longer fibers, wherein the fibers, which typically have a residual moisture content of approximately 5 to 8% and a minimum length of more than 2 mm, and the carrier material are mixed and heated in a reactor or cutter-compacter, constantly moving them and optionally comminuting the carrier material, and constantly maintaining the pourability and/or lumpiness. According to the invention, the conditions, and particularly the temperature, in the reactor are adjusted so as to dry the fibers to the lowest residual moisture possible, at which the fibers are just barely sufficiently flexible so as not to break during processing in the reactor, or during an optionally following compression step, for example extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Gesellschaft m.b.H
    Inventors: Manfred Hackl, Klaus Feichtinger, Gerhard Wendelin, Walter Reisinger
  • Patent number: 8661706
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a clothes dryer by determining a load size estimation based on at least one of a temperature variation of the laundry load and a delay time wherein the delay time is a time it takes for the temperature variation to satisfy a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Ryan R. Bellinger
  • Patent number: 8656604
    Abstract: A condensation dryer includes a housing having a wall area which forms a rear side, and a process air circuit for circulating process air. The process air circuit has a first section outside the housing and running along the wall area and a remaining second section inside the housing. The first section which is located at the wall area is formed by a profile part placed on the wall area and is covered by a hood placed in sealing fashion on the wall area. A fan is arranged in the process air circuit for circulating the process air, and a drying chamber is arranged in the process air circuit for holding objects to be dried. A heat pump is disposed in the housing and includes a heat sink which is thermally coupled to the process air circuit, and a heat source, which is thermally coupled to the process air circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Ediger, Thomas Nawrot
  • Patent number: 8650770
    Abstract: This invention is a method and apparatus for drying wet objects, comprising passing air through the wet objects thereby having air absorb moisture from said wet objects; compressing the air adiabatically, thereby heating it; extracting heat from the air by passing it through the hot side of a heat exchanger thereby cooling it; expanding the air adiabatically, thereby cooling it further, below its dew point; separating the condensate from the air; restoring to the air all or part of the heat by passing it through the second side of the heat exchanger; and redirecting all or part of the air back to the wet objects thereby forming a loop in the flow of the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Inventor: George Samuel Levy
  • Patent number: 8646190
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a laundry dryer having a removable front casing panel (1). A laundry dryer according to the invention comprises a front casing panel (1) and a frame structure (4) for accommodating a tub (5) and operational component parts (6) which are required for drying laundry, said frame structure (4) comprises a front supporting member (12) having means (21) for removably mounting said front casing panel (1). The laundry dryer is characterized in that said front supporting member (12) comprises a portion (13) that forms a component part of said tub (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation
    Inventor: Luciano Sartor
  • Patent number: 8640360
    Abstract: An overall restoration system useful in removing moisture from structures is provided. The contemplated system includes a power and control device, a series of sensors, and a number of various different drying equipment, all capable of communication with a remote server. The system is highly portable, flexible and cost-efficient to manufacture and operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Karcher North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen John Stamm, Eric Lynn Shark, Nicholas Brian O'Kane, Ray Chapman, E. Scott Geschwentner, Sean William Flickinger
  • Patent number: 8640357
    Abstract: The drying oven of the present invention comprises a holey plastic plate that can make planetary rotation. The drying mechanisms may consist of classical resistance heaters, blowing heaters and/or coolers, and ultraviolet, infrared and microwave radiation sources in horizontal, vertical or intermediate angle arrangements. There is an absorbent material in a reservoir so as to absorb the excess energy transmitted by the system. The present system completes the drying procedure quickly with full automatization within a standard period without deteriorating the sample and reveals a product which is ready to further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Inventor: Hasan Huseyin Engin
  • Patent number: 8640358
    Abstract: Movement of a slot door of a freeze dryer is driven by a rack and pinion actuator. The actuator is easily sanitized and includes internal elements that are accessible to sanitizing sprays. The pinions are driven by pinion shafts that pass through a seal separating an aseptic area from a non-aseptic area where the drive train is positioned. Only rotary motion is transferred across the aseptic barrier, reducing the need for a bellows or sliding covers, which are difficult to sanitize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ima Life North America Inc.
    Inventors: Francis W. DeMarco, Ernesto Renzi
  • Patent number: 8635784
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method of drying at least a portion of a substrate located within a fluid is provided. The method includes contacting an edge of the substrate that is located within the fluid with a pusher pin. The pusher pin has (a) a shaft portion; and (b) a tip portion having a knife edge of a width of 0.42 inches or less, the tip portion adapted to contact and support the substrate with the knife edge. The method further includes lifting the substrate from the fluid with the pusher pin; and exposing the substrate to a drying vapor as the substrate is lifted from the fluid. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary C. Ettinger, Michael E. Khau, Ho Seon Shin
  • Patent number: 8631586
    Abstract: A clothes dryer includes a hollow housing having a hinged door. A perforated drum is mounted for rotation within the housing and in alignment with the door aperture and is rotatable by an electric motor. An electrically operable oil-filled radiator is positioned within a bottom portion of the hollow housing and below the rotating drum and is connectable to a source of conventional household electrical power for generating radiant heat upon supply of the electrical power. The heat rises through the perforated rotating drum for drying wet clothes contained therein. The invention also provides a novel child safety device which is positioned within the door aperture for preventing passage of the child therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Inventor: Pierre Carol Leroy
  • Patent number: 8627580
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a fixed drum provided in the inner space of the main body, and a tumbling device coupled to the drum. The fixed drum may have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated. The tumbling device may tumble laundry items received in the fixed drum as it slides along an inner circumferential surface of the fixed drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungmin Kim, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Patent number: 8627581
    Abstract: A drying machine includes a housing; a drying compartment assembly including a drum having a drum pressure; a guide apparatus for guiding air in a path; an air moving apparatus for moving air through the guide apparatus; a heating apparatus for heating air moving through the guide apparatus; power means for providing power to components of the dryer including at least the drying compartment assembly, guide apparatus, air moving apparatus, heating apparatus, and control apparatus; a control apparatus for controlling at least one of the drying compartment assembly, the guide apparatus, the air moving apparatus, the heating apparatus, the power means; and, restrictor means for restricting the air flow rate through the guide apparatus entering the drum whereby the drum pressure is more than trivially lower than ambient air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Inventor: Michael E. Brown
  • Patent number: 8621764
    Abstract: A gelatin capsule drying system that includes a structure divided into first, second and third zones, a first air handler unit positioned to discharge air into the first zone, a second air handler unit positioned to discharge air into the second zone and a third air handler unit positioned to discharge air into the third zone. The system further includes a series of tumble dryers that extend from the first zone, through the second zone and into the third zone, and an HVAC unit that provides air to the first, second and third air handler units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventor: John Puckett
  • Patent number: 8621762
    Abstract: A multiple garment drying apparatus for drying garments that includes a hot air source and blower assembly attached to a garment hanging assembly that includes two upward extending hot air transfer tubes that connect to two hot air ports on the blower assembly. Attached to the ends of the two tubes is a hollow, transverse brace with two upward extending end brackets attached to its opposite ends. Attached to the two end brackets is an upper shoulder component used to support a jacket placed thereon. The upper shoulder component includes a plurality of air vents that enable air delivered below the upper shoulder component to travel upward and through the upper shoulder component. During operation, air from the hot air source and blower assembly is delivered to the two transfer tubes. The air from the two transfer tubes is then transmitted to the transverse brace and through the upper shoulder component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventor: Joel Beckett
  • Patent number: 8615898
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungmin Kim, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Patent number: 8615895
    Abstract: A device and method for cleaning a lint filter in a clothes dryer. The clothes dryer includes an air channel connected to a drum to supply air into the drum and to guide air discharged from the drum, a dehumidification unit disposed in the air channel to condense moisture contained in the air discharged from the drum, a waterspout to collect condensed water created by the dehumidification unit, a filter to filter lint from the air discharged from the drum, a cleaning nozzle to spray water to the filter to remove the lint from the filter, a recovery water tank to receive water from the waterspout, and a cleaning water tank connected to the recovery water tank to receive water from the recovery water tank and to supply the water to the cleaning nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Bong Shin, Jin Wook Yoon, Sin Ae Kim, Byeong Cheol Yoon, Seok Mo Chang
  • Patent number: 8613147
    Abstract: A support having an inverted U-shape defining a top plenum for distributing air and extending along a top plenum axis and a pair of legs extending downwardly from the top plenum in a spaced and parallel relationship. The top plenum of the support defines an attachment opening at an attachment angle. A bag extends downwardly at the attachment angle from the top plenum to a distal end in an inflated position. A nozzle is disposed the distal end of the bag to define a nozzle opening extending along a nozzle plane. The bag includes a major length and a curved portion. The curved portion of the bag includes a minor length and a filler length. The filler length positions the nozzle to be slanted open at a first nozzle acute angle of 20° forwardly in the inflated position and at a second nozzle acute angle of 20° rearwardly in an up position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Inventors: Lucian G. McElroy, Christopher P. McElroy
  • Patent number: 8607471
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating a clothes dryer, the dryer including a drum rotatably installed within a cabinet, a blow fan configured to supply air into the drum, a heater configured to heat air, and a liquid injection means configured to inject liquid into the drum, the method including a drying step of supplying hot air heated by the heater into the drum to dry clothes, a preprocessing step of cooling the inside of the drum with supplying air in a turn-off state of the heater, and a liquid injection step of injecting the liquid into the drum after performing the preprocessing step, wherein the liquid injection step is repeatedly performed in plural times, whereby the liquid can be injected into clothes after the preprocessing step, so as to allow an effective deposition of the liquid onto the clothes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sanghun Bae, Minji Kim
  • Patent number: 8607473
    Abstract: Disclosed are a door for a dryer and a dryer having the same, the door for the dryer having a concave portion or an inclined portion formed at an end surface of a door glass, such that an inner volume of the dryer can be enlarged without increasing the size of the dryer, under consideration of the dryer having the same capacity, resulting in allowing a large quantity of clothes to be dried at once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yeon-Sik Choi, Ju-Han Yoon
  • Patent number: 8607472
    Abstract: A hand dryer is equipped with a hand insertion area (10), having a width that is able to accommodate hands, a high-pressure air generator (2), which generates a high-pressure airflow, discharge nozzles (N1, N2), which are disposed in the upper surface of the hand insertion area (10) and blow the high-pressure airflow, an exhaust duct (4), which is connected between the exhaust side of the high-pressure air generator (2) and the discharge nozzles (N1, N2), an ejection port (23), which opens to the space surrounding the hand dryer, a switching damper (24), which opens a portion of the exhaust duct (4) and is connected to the ejection port (23), and an ion generator (22), which generates ions having sterilization action into the high-pressure airflow passing through the exhaust duct (4) on the upstream side of the switching damper (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hikoya Ishii, Hisaharu Yagi