Patents Examined by Steven Anderson, II
  • Patent number: 10036570
    Abstract: A baffle arrangement disposed within the exhaust flue of a fuel-burning water heater promotes heat transfer from exhausted combustion by-products to the water storage chamber. The baffle arrangement has an elongate planar base and plural exhaust-directing fins spaced along opposite sides of the base. Each fin is a planar body extending perpendicularly from the base at an acute upward angle from a longitudinal centerline to a respective side of the base. The fins deflect combustion by-products laterally outwardly within the flue to promote heat transfer. The fins are of selected configurations generally increasing in surface area upwardly along the planar base for selectively controlling pressure drop within the exhaust flue. Hanger tabs project outwardly from the upper end of the base to suspend the baffle arrangement within the flue. The planar base, hanger tabs and exhaust-directing fins are formed integrally from a unitary body of sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Qian Zhang, Jiang Yin, Gary Flatness, David Gibbons
  • Patent number: 10030867
    Abstract: An insert for a radiant tube of a furnace including a first section adapted to absorb heat from combustion gases passing through the radiant tube and radiantly transfer the heat to a wall of the radiant tube and a second section for directing heat and gases in the radiant tube toward the first section of the insert and a system including a radiant tube and one or more such inserts. Also, a method of improving heat transfer from a radiant tube of a furnace to the material being heated including supplying an insert as described above and placing the insert into the radiant tube such that the first section corresponds to a portion of the radiant tube that is closest to the material being heated. Also, an insert for a radiant tube of a furnace including a ceramic body and a metal deposited on the surface of the ceramic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: PSNergy, LLC
    Inventors: Carl R. Nicolia, Paul Koch, Michael W. Alabran, Christopher M. Wyant, John Williams, Ryan Purtel, Benjamin Johnston, Tyler Schnieder, Carey Rozanski
  • Patent number: 10024577
    Abstract: Common solar radiation receivers are equipped with a chamber for transmission of an operating gas which is directed along to an absorber for solar radiation for thermal absorption. The absorber has a dome-shaped entry window made of quartz glass, wherein the inner side facing the absorber assumes a nominal interior temperature Ti of at least 950° C. during proper use, preferably at least 1000° C., whereas the outer side facing away from the absorber is exposed to the environment and subject to risk of devitrification. The invention relates to modifying the known solar radiation receiver so that a high absorber temperature can be set and thus a high efficiency of the solar thermal heating is enabled, without increasing the risk of devitrification in the region of the outer side of the entry window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Becker, Achim Hofmann, Michael Hünermann, Christian Schenk
  • Patent number: 10026639
    Abstract: The semiconductor wafer conveying tool which can realize the uniform heating to a surface of a semiconductor wafer when heating the semiconductor wafer is a semiconductor wafer conveying tool which holds the semiconductor wafer having a predetermined diameter to convey it wherein the tool is provided with a main body having an opening with a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the semiconductor wafer, and at least three supporting members each having a predetermined length, containing plural pins which are arranged corresponding to the diameter of the semiconductor wafer and being configured to be a holding mechanism for holding the semiconductor wafer concentrically at a projection position from an inner periphery portion of the main body around the opening, as shown in FIG. 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Senju Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Mutsuji, Kaname Nagata
  • Patent number: 10019045
    Abstract: A ventilation device (1) is proposed, in particular designed to ventilate a circuit board (2), preferably in or for a computer, wherein the ventilation device (1) is designed to produce a first cooling air stream (5) from a first fan (12) and to produce a second cooling air stream (7) from a second fan (13), wherein the first cooling air stream (5) and the second cooling air stream (7) flow through on different sides of an air stream boundary plane (L), preferably parallel to the air stream boundary plane (L), through a common ventilation plane (BL) perpendicular to the air stream boundary plane (L), wherein the directions of flow from the first fan (12) and the second fan (13) are crosswise to the air stream boundary plane (L), wherein the ventilation device (1) preferably is designed to be mountable such that the air stream boundary plane (L) coincides with a central plane of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Kruse
  • Patent number: 10014433
    Abstract: A device for heating a substrate according to a predetermined temperature profile for crystallizing a material on the substrate includes: a housing, at least a process chamber situated inside the housing and provided with a first and second opening for passing through a substrate, an inlet for introducing a process gas which includes the material in vapor phase into the chamber, at least two transport rollers attached to the housing for transporting the substrate into the chamber. The device further includes passage spaces for preventing the escape of process gas from the chamber to a space between the chamber and housing, which are situated near respective ends of the transport rollers in the chamber, the respective passage spaces having a first passage opening on an inner wall of the chamber, a second passage opening on an outer wall of the chamber and a first flange fixed around the transport roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SMIT THERMAL SOLUTIONS B.V.
    Inventors: Gerard Kaper, Wiro Rudolf Zijlmans
  • Patent number: 9995479
    Abstract: A cavitation engine configured to produce superheat steam from injected liquid water. The cavitation engine includes a funnel shaped impact chamber having an impact surface having a temperature of at least 375 degrees Fahrenheit, a small diameter opening at a bottom of the impact chamber, and an expansion chamber below the small diameter opening. The engine includes a fluid injector having an outlet positioned adjacent a largest diameter of the impact chamber and located to inject hyperbaric liquid water onto the impact surface of the impact chamber at supersonic velocities such that cavitation bubbles are present in the injected water. The outlet of the fluid injector and the impact surface are located relative to one another such that the outlet is spaced a distance from the impact surface of between 0.150 and 0.450 inches and the injected water hits the impact surface at an angle of between 85 and 95 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Inventor: Richard E. Aho
  • Patent number: 9982947
    Abstract: A rotary kiln for reducing phosphate ore in kiln phosphoric acid process, comprising a kiln body, a kiln head box, a kiln tail box and a driving device for driving the rotation of the kiln body, wherein a fuel burner is provided at the kiln head, a feed pipe and an outlet flue connected to an external hydration tower are provided at the kiln tail box, the upper part of the kiln body is provided with no air pipe, the outlet flue is provided in the radius range of the kiln body with the axis of the rotary kiln as a center, and the fume conveying direction in the outlet flue is substantially parallel to the axis direction of the rotary kiln or has an included angle of less than 45° thereto. The rotary kiln can effectively mitigate the phenomenon of ring forming in the kiln tail of the rotary kiln.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SICHUAN KO CHANG TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yonghe Hou, Shifa Wei, Pengsheng Wang, Jiabin Wang
  • Patent number: 9976748
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a switch for use with an appliance valve, such as for gas appliances. The switch may comprise a base for coupling the switch to a valve, a rotatable hub in communication with the base and providing rotation therewith, a first protrusion projecting outwardly from the hub, and a detent disposed on the base and in communication with the first protrusion for resisting rotatable motion of the hub. Rotation of the hub in a first direction for turning an appliance valve to an on position requires the first protrusion to flexibly deflect the detent to permit the hub to rotate past the detent. As a result, danger of inadvertent rotation of the switch is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Richard R. Herzog
  • Patent number: 9962501
    Abstract: A method for warming infusion or transfusion fluids by an exothermic reaction of a reactive liquid using a warming device. The device comprises a reaction chamber and a secondary chamber. The reaction chamber and the secondary chamber are aligned end on and are abutting. The reaction chamber contains a trigger and the secondary chamber contains the reactive liquid. The exothermic reaction results when the reactive liquid contacts the trigger leading to crystallization of the reactive liquid. The secondary chamber is compressible. An inlet is positioned between the secondary chamber and the reaction chamber to allow passage of the reactive liquid. The inlet is transversely elongate relative to the flow of the reactive liquid. A frangible or removable barrier closes the inlet. A passageway for movement of said infusion or transfusion fluids extends through reaction chamber. The passageway, the reaction chamber and the secondary chamber are all flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: FBE PTY LTD
    Inventors: John Robson, Mark McEwen, Robin Woolford, David Roxby
  • Patent number: 9951970
    Abstract: An immediate hot-water supplying system 1 includes a P hot water supply device 10 configured to heat water flowing through a first supply pipe 2, an N hot water supply device 30 configured to heat water flowing through a second supply pipe 3, a check valve 6, and a coupled controller 60 configured to, when the flow amount detected by a second flow amount sensor 34 is equal to or more than a hot-water-supply detection flow amount, perform a hot-water supply operation in which a first burner 12 or a second burner 32 is burned with a circulation pump 16 stopped, and when the flow amount detected by the second flow amount sensor 34 is less than the hot-water-supply detection flow amount, perform a circulation heat keeping operation in which the first burner 12 is burned with the circulation pump 16 activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeki Shimada, Ai Yuge
  • Patent number: 9951945
    Abstract: To substantially reduce inequality in hot combustion flow rates through first and second heat exchanger tubes from a fuel-fired heating appliance burner box connected thereto and internally combusting a fuel/air mixture received therein from a source thereof to create the hot combustion gas, a perforated diffuser member having a non-uniform perforation pattern is provided. The fuel/air mixture is flowed through the perforated diffuser member into the interior of the burner box. The non-uniform perforation pattern of the diffuser member functions to alter relative combustion gas flow rates through the first and second heat exchanger tubes in a manner reducing an undesirable operating temperature differential therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Amin Akbarimonfared, Timothy J. Shellenberger, Robert Steven Neihouse, Scott Alan Willbanks
  • Patent number: 9944531
    Abstract: A sludge recycling treatment system of an urban sewage plant includes solar sludge drying and sludge roasting and activated carbon manufacturing devices. The solar sludge drying device has a sealing box, flat plate conveyor belts, and a conveyor belt traction device. The sludge roasting and activated carbon manufacturing device has a rotary kiln and feeding, conveyor, discharging, and flue gas recycling apparatuses. The flat plate conveyor belts are stepped and concave-convex manufactured from stainless or anti-corrosion carbon steel. Sludge roasting and activated carbon manufacturing is implemented mainly by a rotary kiln to heat a rotary drum wall therein to heat materials. The kiln has automatic feeding and discharging apparatuses. Harmless treatment and resource utilization of urban sludge converts the sludge from waste to wealth, and fully utilizes solar energy to reduce energy consumption during sludge treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: YIXING NEW JINSHAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tao Xu
  • Patent number: 9939149
    Abstract: Modern steam generators typically include a radiant section and a convection section. Due to differing performance requirements of the radiant and convection sections, the radiant section often has a round cross-section, while the convection section often has a rectangular cross-section. Previous designs utilized a target wall to effect the transition. An angled transition section is disclosed herein that substantially eliminates the target wall and/or the reverse target and provides a corresponding improvement in steam generator efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: PCL Industrial Services, Inc., Aera Energy LLC
    Inventors: Garry Loren Barker, Mark Elmer Pittser, Zachary Mark Smith
  • Patent number: 9939172
    Abstract: A thermostatic condensing gas water heater, comprising a burner; a first heat exchanger (7), a second heat exchanger (4), a water inlet pipe (10), and a water outlet pipe (9) provided in succession along the flow direction of the burnt flue gas; a controller; and a water flow channel connecting the first heat exchanger (7) and the second heat exchanger (4) in parallel between the water inlet pipe (10) and the water outlet pipe (9), wherein flow control valves (3, 5) capable of adjusting the water flow distribution of the first heat exchanger (7) and the second heat exchanger (4) are provided on the water flow channel and controlled by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Bu Qiu, Dayan Bi, Sujuan Zhou, Shiping Zhang, Yuehua Wu
  • Patent number: 9938188
    Abstract: To produce cement clinker by baking of raw meal in a kiln, use is conventionally made of a raw meal preheater in which the heat of the flue gas emerging from the kiln is transferred to the raw meal. In order to remove impurities which accumulate in circulation between the kiln and the raw meal preheater, a part of the flue gas is extracted from the kiln, bypassing the raw meal preheater. The heat generated during the baking of cement clinker can be used particularly efficiently if the flue gases extracted and diverted past the raw meal preheater are used in a boiler to generate hot steam which can subsequently be expanded in a turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: SUDBAYERISCHES PORTLAND-ZEMENTWERK GEBR. WIESBOCK & CO. GMBH
    Inventor: Helmut Leibinger
  • Patent number: 9933176
    Abstract: Systems and methods of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system are disclosed that may include starting a timer substantially concurrently with the HVAC system, entering a cooling cycle, and preventing a multi-speed blower in the HVAC system from changing speeds until the timer expires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Mutchnik, Carl L. Garrett, John Taylor, Timothy Wayne Storm, Rick St. Mars
  • Patent number: 9922842
    Abstract: A method for heat treatment of a plurality of semiconductor wafers horizontally placed on a supporting member coated with SiC in a vertical heat treatment furnace includes performing heat treatments while switching the supporting member and a heat treatment condition such that the supporting member is continuously used in a heat treatment under either one of a first condition and a second condition for a certain period of time and then continuously used in a heat treatment under the other condition for a certain period of time, wherein the heat treatment under the first condition is performed at 1000° C. or higher in an atmosphere containing a rare gas and not containing oxygen, and the heat treatment under the second condition is performed at 1000° C. or higher in an atmosphere containing oxygen and not containing a rare gas. As a result, slip dislocation can be inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Kato
  • Patent number: 9920924
    Abstract: A boiler is disclosed in which the furnace is divided into a lower furnace and an upper furnace. The lower furnace uses water-cooled membrane walls, while the upper furnace uses steam-cooled membrane walls that act as superheating surfaces. A steam-cooled circuit includes a steam separator, a primary superheater, and the steam-cooled membrane walls of the upper furnace. During start-up, a diversion path is opened that reduces dry steam flow through the primary superheater and increases dry steam flow through the steam-cooled membrane walls of the upper furnace. This protects the steam-cooled membrane walls from excessive thermal stresses during start-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Eric L. Wells, Albert J Bennett, Jeremy L. Remus
  • Patent number: 9915421
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a saturated water explosive device, including a water intake pipe, a flow splitter for splitting a high-pressure liquid, a flow baffle for baffling the high-pressure liquid, a heat receiver having a cavity defined inside, a pillar connected with the heat receiver by a micro-channel wherein the high-pressure liquid is heated to be high-temperature saturated water, and a heat source for heating the cavity. High-pressure water is heated to produce high-temperature high-pressure saturated water, and then by using the saturated water explosive device of the present invention, the produced high-temperature high-pressure saturated water instantaneously explodes as being heated, and a high-temperature high-pressure steam flow is produced due to rapid vaporization, and expansion and is used as a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: TAIZHOU DAJIANG IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gui-Wen Liu, Ming-Jun Yang, Jin-Quan Huang