Patents Examined by Steven Anderson, II
  • Patent number: 9402427
    Abstract: A thermal distribution and regulation system for a garment that includes a self-contained heat source, such as a catalytic heat source. A heat manifold extends about a surface of the heat source and is mechanically adjusted relative to the surface of the heat source to control the contact surface area between the heat source and heat manifold to regulate heat conducted from the heat source. The heat manifold is configured to engage the surface of the heat source at more than one predetermined location to prevent inadvertent movement between the heat source and heat manifold. The system also includes a plurality of heat conductors coupled to the heat manifold and affixed to the garment. An end of each heat conductor is coupled to the heat manifold for conducting heat from the heat manifold to the garment to warm the garment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toni V. Adafin, Perry A. Bakken, Michael A. Jones, John H. Mohlke, Joel A. Gotelaere, Jeffrey E. Thompson, Charles H. Luong, Carl C. Voss
  • Patent number: 9381490
    Abstract: A process for pretreatment of biomass and an installation for practicing the process, the process including, as well, the subsequent biological treatment and obtaining of biofuel from the biomass. The process is based on the use of at least one scraped surface exchanger and comprises the following steps: heating the biomass to a temperature equal to or lower than 110° C. in an exchanger; further heating the heated biomass so obtained to a temperature between 150 and 175° C. in a scraped surface exchanger; thermal hydrolyzing the biomass at a temperature between 150 and 175° C; and cooling the thermal hydrolyzed biomass for the subsequent biological treatment thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: HRS INVESTMENTS LIMITED
    Inventor: Aart Berthold Kleijn
  • Patent number: 9357672
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air guidance system having an air guidance housing and an air passage grating fastened thereto, the air passage grating being held on the air guidance housing by means of a snap-lock connection. In order to simplify maintenance of such an air guidance system it is provided according to the invention that the air passage grating carries at least one latch having a snap-in shoulder that can be engaged in a snap-lock seat of the air passage grating and that the air passage grating pivotally accommodates a handle in a bearing seat, said handle disengaging the latch from the snap-lock seat when set from the locking position to the unlocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Reiner Hartmann, Stefan Schneider, Claudia Christine Ronzheimer
  • Patent number: 9341366
    Abstract: A water-chamber working apparatus according to the present invention includes a base that holds heat transfer tubes on a tube plate surface and is fixed to the tube plate surface, and a manipulator that is coupled with the base and is suspended in a water chamber. The base includes a base body that is coupled with a manipulator, a wing capable of being displaced forward and backward with respect to the base body, and clamper that are arranged on the wing and are inserted into the heat transfer tube to clamp and hold the heat transfer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Fujita, Yoshifumi Isozaki, Atsushi Kamiyoshi
  • Patent number: 9316409
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat exchanger, and a method for heating a working fluid. The heat exchanger includes a burner, a combustion section, and a condenser section positioned below the combustion section such that exhaust from the burner passes through the spiral coils and to the condenser. In an example of this disclosure, the combustion section includes a plurality of spiral coils radially spaced apart relative to one another, and the condenser section includes a plurality of U-bend coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: ENERPRO INC.
    Inventor: Seyed Jafar Mirjalali
  • Patent number: 9310075
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a boiler for decreasing the amount of nitrogen oxides in flue gases of a boiler, which flue gases are generated in the combustion of fuels and air. The boiler has a water circulation system comprising superheaters (8) and a furnace (1) for combustion of fuel and for generating flue gases that contain nitrogen oxides, which flue gases mainly flow upwards in the furnace and further to the superheater zone and via other heat recovery surfaces of the boiler out of the boiler, and a nitrogen oxides reducing agent is introduced into the flue gases. It is essential that the nitrogen oxides reducing agent is introduced into the flue gases prior to the superheater zone, before which the temperature of the flue gases is decreased by means of at least one heat exchanger (15) that is located in the flue gas flow upstream of the introduction of the reducing agent, for obtaining a suitable temperature window in the flue gas flow in order to reduce nitrogen oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Andritz Oy
    Inventors: Pasi Mikkulainen, Lauri Pakarinen
  • Patent number: 9307865
    Abstract: A grill assembly is provided for selectively partially enclosing or exposing a grilling surface while providing a unique appearance. The assembly includes a base and a base pan coupled to the base. A cover is coupled to the base. The cover has a dome-shape extending over the base pan. The cover has a first section and a second section, each being pivotally coupled to the base. An opening extends laterally into the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Inventor: Giovanni M. Silva
  • Patent number: 9272937
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a furnace (12) for melting heated glass using burners (13), wherein the combustion energy is at least partially produced by oxy-fuel combustion, and wherein at least a portion of the oxygen used in the burners (13) is produced by separation, on a ceramic separation membrane (18), from a gaseous mixture including oxygen, the oxygen from the separation being directly channeled into at least one burner (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: AGC GLASS EUROPE
    Inventors: Francois Bioul, Olivier Douxchamps
  • Patent number: 9263307
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for treating a substrate, and more particularly, to a substrate treatment apparatus having a cluster structure and a substrate treatment method using the same. The apparatus for treating the substrate includes a load port on which a container for receiving the substrate is placed, a treatment module for treating the substrate, and a transfer module including a robot for transferring the substrate between the container and the treatment module. The treatment module includes a transfer chamber including a robot for transferring the substrate, a load lock chamber disposed between the transfer chamber and the transfer module, a first treatment chamber disposed spaced from the transfer module around the transfer chamber to perform a first treatment process, and a second treatment chamber disposed around the transfer chamber to perform a second treatment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Semes Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyung Joon Kim
  • Patent number: 9243848
    Abstract: A water heating system includes a burner assembly for providing a source of thermal energy to a heat exchanger. A water inlet conduit is coupled to the heat exchanger assembly for supplying fresh water to be heated, and a water exit conduit is coupled to the heat exchanger assembly for delivering the heated water to a point of use. A bypass conduit connects the water exit conduit to the water inlet conduit, and a pump disposed in the bypass conduit circulates at least a portion of the heated water from the water exit conduit to the water inlet conduit. A feed-forward sensor positioned in the water inlet conduit between the heat exchanger assembly and the bypass conduit monitors a parameter of the water entering the heat exchanger assembly, and a processor controls the operation of the of the burner assembly in response to the feed-forward sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Aerco International, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Evans, Craig E. Williams, Earl Rightmier
  • Patent number: 9222697
    Abstract: A water heater is provided that includes a centering ring or thermal barrier that facilitates centering or alignment of the water tank while also diminishing heat loss through the bottom of the water heater. Features are provided with the bottom of the water heater and centering ring that can also improve the stability of the water heater when placed in a vertically upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eliel Fresco Rodriguez, Samuel V. DuPlessis
  • Patent number: 9214371
    Abstract: In a loading area below a vertical furnace of a thermal treatment apparatus, a gas stream flows along a first direction from one side to the other side of the loading area into a first evacuation opening provided in the other side of the loading area. A thermal evacuation part is located, along the first direction, between a first evacuation opening and an upstream end of a substrate holding member located at an unload position that is located between the one side and the other side of the loading area. The thermal evacuation part includes a second evacuation opening that is arranged to oppose at least an upper part of the substrate holding member located at the unload position and evacuates an environment around the substrate holding member located at the unload position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Hiromi Nitadori
  • Patent number: 9204657
    Abstract: An outdoor cooker is double walled insulated and has a completely removable internal firebox that defines a vertical column which includes a fuel and fire chamber separated from an ash and air chamber by a fire grate. The perimeter wall defines an air inlet that opens the air and ash chamber to an air supply passage through the cooker body, and further defines an exhaust outlet that opens into the inner chamber of the cooker. Consistent low cooking temperatures (200°-250° F.) without resupplying fuel or opening the outdoor cooker for 10-20 or more hours are easily accomplished. The outdoor cooker is also versatile enough to directly cook other meats, such as steaks, at high temperatures for total cook times that may only last a matter of minutes. The outdoor cooker can also be configured for medium temperature indirect and direct barbequing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Inventor: William E. Cusack
  • Patent number: 9188392
    Abstract: In order to increase energy efficiency in an industrial furnace (1) operated by heating gas and protective gas for thermally treating materials, a first burner (3.1) is actuated for heating with priority over a second burner (3.2), the second burner (3.2) is engaged additionally and operated when the output from the first burner (3.1) falls below the level necessary to heat the industrial furnace (1) up to a temperature setpoint, and the second burner (3.2) is switched off when the temperature setpoint has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: IPSEN, INC.
    Inventors: Rolf Sarres, Wilhelm van de Kamp
  • Patent number: 9182113
    Abstract: The steam generator includes: a water supply channel for supplying a secondary coolant to a tube bundle outer casing with the secondary coolant being isolated from the recirculating secondary coolant; a recirculating secondary coolant injection section for injecting the recirculating secondary coolant toward a high temperature-side heat transfer tube bundle; and a supplied secondary coolant injection section for injecting the secondary coolant supplied from the water supply channel toward a low temperature-side heat transfer tube bundle. The recirculating secondary coolant injection section and the supplied secondary coolant injection section being disposed in the tube bundle outer casing on the side toward the tube plate. The recirculating secondary coolant injection section and the supplied secondary coolant injection section are defined such that, of the secondary coolant and the recirculating secondary coolant, the coolant having a higher relative flow rate than the other flows at a lower velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Kawakami, Kengo Shimamura, Tomoya Nakagawa, Tomoyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 9147742
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus including a vacuum vessel, a substrate stage which holds a substrate mounted on it, a heating unit for heating the substrate, and an exhaust unit for evacuating the vacuum vessel includes a first reflector which covers the upper portion of the exhaust port of the exhaust unit while being spaced apart from the exhaust port, and a second reflector which surrounds the exhaust port. At least one of reflector members which form the second reflector faces a direction defined from the heating unit to the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Doi, Masami Shibagaki, Yuichi Sasuga
  • Patent number: 9127772
    Abstract: The present invention belongs to the field of retorting apparatus used in the field of oil shale processing, in particular the invention relates to the end sealing assembly of the rotary kiln and the improvements of the end sealing (16); whereas the first and second casing ring (2, 3) used in the end sealing compose of at least four segment, and onto both sides of the rotating casing ring (1) a rectangulary cut hollow (81, 91) for lubricants has been formed; and on the side that is assembled with the rotating casing ring of the first and second casing ring (2, 3), accordingly, a hollow (82, 93) has been formed for lubricants, which in the making face the corresponding hollow (81, 91) of the casing ring, forming lubricant channels (8, 9) between the casing ring (1) of the end sealing assembly and the first and second casing ring (2, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: EESTI ENERGIA OLITOOSTUS AS
    Inventors: Aleksandr Kaidalov, Boriss Kindorkin, Aleksandr Tihhonov
  • Patent number: 9115890
    Abstract: A gas-fired heat gun is ignited using an electrode tip located downstream of a flame holder such that the electrode tip is in the path of the flowing gas. The electrode is connected to a voltage source that causes a spark to jump from the electrode tip to another part of the heat gun, such as the flame holder or a casing of the heat gun, when a trigger is pulled, thereby igniting the flowing gas. The electrode is typically a thin wire extending through a portion of a diffuser defining a portion of the gas flow path upstream of the flame holder. The electrode may be continuous from the diffuser to a terminal end downstream of the flame holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignees: AFGlobal Corporation
    Inventor: Polly Drinkwater
  • Patent number: 9115933
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a flame detection device comprising a flame signal receiver (1), a flame signal passage (11) and a flame signal transmitting mechanism, characterized in that, the flame signal passage (11) passes through a furnace shell (12) into inner of the furnace and comprises an outside-furnace passage portion (11a) and an inside-furnace passage portion (11b); wherein a pressure-resistant optical mechanism (10) is arranged at the outermost end of the outside-furnace passage portion, said pressure-resistant optical mechanism hermetically and transparently separate the flame signal receiver from the flame signal passage; and wherein the inside-furnace passage portion (11b) is provided with a cooling mechanism (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Changzheng Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mingkun Wang, Congbin Jiang, Wei Xin, Jinjun Guo, Dong Ma
  • Patent number: 9109836
    Abstract: A combustion device for a melting furnace, capable of heating a melting target object and the ceiling portion of the furnace with the radiant heat of the flame, including a combustion space above the location of the melting target object, including a fuel injection nozzle having a plurality of fuel injecting portions, which portions include orifices disposed side by side horizontally relative to the direction of fuel injection, and formed side by side vertically relative to the same. The orifices are formed radially side by side as seen laterally, with a direction along a middle angle in the angular range between the fuel injection direction of the uppermost fuel injection orifice and the fuel injection direction of the lowermost fuel injection orifice being directed obliquely upwards. The fuel injection orifices of the upper fuel injecting portion are formed radially side by side as seen in the plane view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirano, Hitoshi Inoue