Patents Examined by Steve M Gravini
  • Patent number: 8943706
    Abstract: A method for drying a material using an acoustic wave drying including an acoustic resonant chamber that imparts acoustic energy to transiting air received from an airflow source. The acoustic resonant chamber includes a primary air channel having side surfaces connecting an air inlet and an air outlet, the primary air channel having a primary air channel length between the air inlet and the air outlet. One or more secondary closed-end resonant chambers are formed into side surfaces of the primary air channel. An air impingement airstream containing acoustic energy exits the air outlet and impinges on the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Rodney Ray Bucks, Andrew Ciaschi, Michael Alan Marcus, Kam Chuen Ng
  • Patent number: 8938887
    Abstract: Conditioning device (24) and method for drying and/or controlling the temperature of a ballast bed (12) of a railway track system (10), wherein the railway track system (10) has sleepers (14) resting on the ballast bed (12) and rails (16) resting on the sleepers, wherein the conditioning device has a bogie (30) for moving the conditioning device (24). An outlet nozzle (36) for blowing temperature-controlled air into the ballast bed (12) via at least one blowing-in region (26) positioned between two adjacent sleepers (14) is connected to the bogie (30), as is at least one cover plate (42) for essentially air-tight coverage of an upper side, pointing essentially in the direction counter to the direction of gravity, of a side strip (20), provided next to the sleepers (14) in the direction of travel, of the ballast bed (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Brüning, Udo Maier
  • Patent number: 8938888
    Abstract: A hair drying system has a chair with a chair platform, a back rest, a first arm, and a second arm. A microprocessor with a data storage component is connected to an internet source. A massaging system with a plurality of vibrating components and a plurality of heating components is located in both the chair platform and the back rest. A hair dryer with a hair dryer mount is located on the back rest posterior surface. A monitor with a monitor positioning arm is pivotally located on a chair platform second edge. A tray is located on a tray positioning arm which is pivotally located on the monitor positioning arm. A remote control unit is removable and located in a recess located in a first arm armrest top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Inventor: Kevin E. Brown
  • Patent number: 8937625
    Abstract: Provided are a fabric dryer and a method of controlling the fabric dryer. The fabric dryer includes a drum, a driving unit, a steam supply unit, a radical supply unit, a contamination removal function selector, and a controller. The drum is rotatably disposed and receives laundry. The driver rotates the drum. The steam supply unit supplies steam into the drum. The radical supply unit supplies radical into the drum. The contamination removal function selector selects a water-soluble contaminant or a fat-soluble contaminant. The controller controls the steam supply unit to supply steam in response to selection of the water-soluble-contaminant by the contamination removal function selector, and controls the radical supply unit to supply radical in response to selection of fat-soluble contaminant by the contamination removal function selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Deughee Lee
  • Patent number: 8935858
    Abstract: A garment drying device is provided. The garment drying device has a flexible outer layer, with a flexible inner layer attached. The outer layer may be substantially planar and may have an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner layer may be substantially planar and formed of an absorbent and flexible material. The device may further have a closure structure capable of holding the device in a rolled position when closed, and allowing the device to be in an unrolled position when open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Inventors: Michelle Cloutier, Tim Cloutier, Jeff Cloutier
  • Patent number: 8925216
    Abstract: A clothes drying apparatus mounted to a building structure (e.g., a ceiling, wall, or floor) and including a slider track coupled to the building structure, and a frame (e.g., at least two frames) secured to the slider track for sliding between a stored position and an extended position. The frame is pivotable relative to the building structure. For example, the frame can be secured to the slider track, and the slider track can be pivotable relative to the building structure. Preferably, the slider track includes an inner member coupled to the building structure and an outer member coupled to the frame. The apparatus can further include transverse brackets supporting the slider track. For special mounting situations, the apparatus can further include longitudinal brackets supporting the transverse brackets and/or a back mounting bracket at least partially supporting the transverse brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Inventor: James Lutz
  • Patent number: 8919007
    Abstract: The invention provides a monitoring device (32) for a dryer (10) includes a means for sensing a physical parameter, such as temperature or strain, at a sensing locus within the dryer (10), for example at a vial (20). The sensing means comprises an optical sensing fiber (38) having at least one fiber Bragg grating (54). Moreover, the invention provides a dryer, in particular a freeze dryer (10), which is equipped with such monitoring device (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventors: Wolfgang Friess, Manfred Resch, Michael Wiggenhorn
  • Patent number: 8919008
    Abstract: The invention relates to a Yankee dryer (1) made of steel with a cylindrical steel shell (2) that is closed off at each end by a cylinder end cover (3, 4). According to the invention the Yankee dryer (1) has a one-piece central shaft (7) with a first and a second connecting flange (8, 9) to join the central shaft (7) to the end covers (3, 4), where the diameter of the first connecting flange (8) is smaller than the diameter of the opening (6) in the second end cover (4) so that the central shaft (7) can be pushed through this opening (6) into the Yankee cylinder (1). The invention also refers to a manufacturing process for a Yankee dryer (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Andritz AG
    Inventors: Jörg Bauböck, Gernot Tropper
  • Patent number: 8919009
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a clothes dryer having a drying chamber and an air flow system including a variable speed blower for forcing air through the drying chamber comprises the step of assessing a value related to the water removal rate and the step of adjusting the speed of the blower depending on the assessed value, the value being preferably based on a ratio between the water condensing rate and the power of a heater used to heat up the air flow upstream the drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Davide Colombo, Daniele Martinello, Matteo Santinato, Fabrizio Padula, Antonio Visioli
  • Patent number: 8914991
    Abstract: I have invented a partially magnetic apparatus (2) that will consist of stretchable band (80) and a rectangular rod (14) is to be inserted into the upper lacing area of the athletic shoe (3) width wise magnetically attaching athletic shoe (3) to dryer's drum (55) while dryer is in motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Inventor: Marvin Lee Jackson
  • Patent number: 8910396
    Abstract: A conveyor tunnel for providing a process environment for articles being conveyed through the tunnel includes a plenum that discharges process air into the tunnel. The flow of the discharged process air is directed to impinge against a portion of the article being conveyed through the tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: SEETECH Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Howard Burchell, James Harper Moffitt
  • Patent number: 8910392
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dewatering machine for umbrella, comprising a frame, a motor disposed inside the frame, a water receiving box disposed inside the frame, an elongated water throwing box disposed inside the water receiving box to accommodate the umbrella and a transmission assembly for connecting the motor and the water throwing box. The water receiving box is fixedly attached to the motor. A plurality of water-draining holes is disposed at the side of the water throwing box. The transmission assembly includes a transmission shaft fixedly attached to the bottom center of the water throwing box. The transmission shaft is perpendicular to the water throwing box. The water throwing box is disposed inside the dewatering device and connected with the motor via the transmission assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Inventor: Zhifeng Liao
  • Patent number: 8904668
    Abstract: A method for removing a moistening liquid from a moistened medium includes bringing at least one surface of the moistened medium into contact with a heating liquid. The heating liquid is warmed to a temperature greater than a moistening-liquid boiling point. Heat is transferred from the warmed heating liquid to the moistening liquid, thereby vaporizing the moistening liquid and removing it from the moistened medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Alan Richard Priebe, Donald Saul Rimai, Christopher J. White
  • Patent number: 8904664
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to a dehydration device and methods for drying biological materials to produce dried biological materials having enhanced structural properties. More specifically, the invention relates to a dehydration device and related methods for drying biological tissue to produce enhanced tissue grafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: MiMedx Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Pringle, Michael Lepeak
  • Patent number: 8904667
    Abstract: A drying device comprising a titano-alumino-phosphate with thermal management for the more efficient drying of objects and appliances, and its production. Further, a drying method for obtaining dried objects and appliances, as well as a method for regeneration accompanied by the desorption of water from water-containing titano-alumino-phosphate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH
    Inventors: Silke Sauerbeck, Rolf Kurzhals, Arno Tissler
  • Patent number: 8904669
    Abstract: A fuel system comprising a fuel tank, a vent tank having a duct open to the ambient atmosphere, a first vent line fluidically connecting the fuel tank ullage to the vent tank, a gas drying system including a pump and a dehumidifying device disposed within the vent tank, and a second vent line fluidically connecting a dry gas outlet of the dehumidifying device to the ullage, wherein the pump is operable to maintain a higher pressure within the ullage than in the vent tank so as to drive vapor rich gas from the ullage into the vent tank via the first vent line. Also, a method of operating the fuel system and a method of retro-fitting the gas drying system in an existing fuel system. The gas drying system may optionally be a gas drying/inerting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Franklin Tichborne, Joseph K-W Lam, David Parmenter, Simon Masters
  • Patent number: 8898929
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying gloves is provided, including a main member, at least one light source, and at least one air source. The main member includes an outer surface configured for receiving a glove, and a plurality of apertures disposed along the outer surface. The light source emits a UV-C light, and the air source blows air. The UV-C light from the light source and air from the air source can at least partially pass through the outer surface. The apertures are in communication with at least the air source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Stewart
  • Patent number: 8898928
    Abstract: An apparatus for delamination drying a substrate is provided. A chamber for receiving a substrate is provided. A chuck supports and clamps the substrate within the chamber. A temperature controller controls the temperature of the substrate and is able to cool the substrate. A vacuum pump is in fluid connection with the chamber. A tilting mechanism is able to tilt the chuck at least 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Sirard, Diane Hymes, Alan M. Schoepp, Ratchana Limary
  • Patent number: 8898925
    Abstract: A scent eliminating locker that has a housing that includes a plurality of motors disposed in an interior of the housing for circulating, moving and heating air within the interior. Additionally, in the interior of the housing there are a plurality of carbon filters that eliminates odor from tangible objects placed in the interior of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventor: Jamie Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8898927
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments or implementations are disclosed of systems for drying materials and control apparatus and methods relating to material drying systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a control apparatus for a material drying system is configured to select one or more heat sources from a plurality of heterogeneous heat sources for drying the material. The selecting is performed based on one or more sensor inputs. The control apparatus controls the selected heat source(s) to provide heat to dry the material. In some configurations, a material drying system operates as a typical heat pump only when more cost-effective auxiliary heat cannot be provided to maintain a drying temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Ping Shan, Weihua Guo