Patents Examined by Takisha S Miller
  • Patent number: 6769286
    Abstract: An instrumented torso model that simulates anatomical features and measures the effects on a body caused by various types of impacts. Simulated bone having material properties similar to that of healthy human bone is surrounded by simulated tissue. At least one sensor array is attached to either or both of the simulated bone and the simulated tissue for measuring the effects of the impacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Paul J. Biermann, Jack C. Roberts, Russell P. Cain, Bliss G. Carkhuff, Michael Kleinberger
  • Patent number: 6745635
    Abstract: An improved device for proof load testing of bearings comprising of a cylinder body (8) and a piston (3) which are slidably mounted with a male and female internal coupling design, creating an cylindrical type cavity (9) within the body. The cavity is filled with hydraulic fluid. An axial bore hole (10) extends through the center of the piston and cylinder. A threaded enlongated bolt (1) is extended through the axial bore hole and a bearing assembly and into a threaded recessed receiver die (6). The bolt is tightened, forcing the device against the bearing assembly and the forcing the bearing against the recessed area of the receiver die. The pressure created by tightening the bolt is measured by a hydraulic gauge (12) attached to the cylinder body. When predetermined pressure by the tightened bolt is reached on the hydraulic gauge, a mechanical gauge attached to the receiver die is examined to verify or prove the bearing has withstood the load within manufacturer's specified tolerances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventor: Ronald J Glaser
  • Patent number: 6742403
    Abstract: A device mountable onto the head of a torque wrench for testing the braze strength of replaceable kerf or saw tips (referred to inter-changeably herein), the device includes a clamp supporting member for clamped mounting, at a first end thereof, to a braze-on saw tip brazed to a saw blade tooth, and for mounting, at an opposite second end of the member, to the head of the torque wrench. A clamp, for rigidly clamping the braze-on saw tip between opposed facing jaws of the clamp, is mounted to the clamp supporting member so as to orient the jaws on opposite sides of an axis of rotation of the head of the torque wrench when the head is mounted to the second end of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Camco Cutting Tools Ltd.
    Inventor: Charles Frederick Thomas
  • Patent number: 6739175
    Abstract: Apparatus for performing mechanical tests on structures, in particular on energy absorber elements in the field of railways, wherein a pyrotechnics launcher comprising a launch tube slidably receiving a thrust rod is disposed at one end of a segment of rail track, said pyrotechnics launcher being supported in its central portion by a support element and being prevented from moving backwards by a buffer stop element disposed behind the pyrotechnics launcher, said support element and said buffer stop element including fixing means making it possible to hold said pyrotechnics launcher at various heights relative to the rails of the rail track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Pierre Huss, Francois Calvignac, Claude Schmitt, Jean-Marie Pognon, Jean-Charles Muller
  • Patent number: 6736018
    Abstract: An acceleration signal generating portion 11 inputs a machine velocity vm of a drive machine 32 and outputs an acceleration signal af of low frequency. Also, a pseudo torque signal generating portion 12 inputs a torque command &tgr;r, removes the noise, and outputs a pseudo torque signal &tgr;f of low frequency. Also, a torque error signal calculating portion 14 subtracts a product of the acceleration signal af and a previous mechanical constant estimated value Je(k−1) calculated in a multiplication circuit 13 from the pseudo torque signal &tgr;f of low frequency, and outputs a torque error signal &tgr;err as a disturbance torque estimated value &tgr;d0. Also, a mechanical constant estimation gain portion 16 estimates the mechanical constant by inputting a torque error derivative signal d&tgr;err that is generated by torque error derivative signal generating portion 15 by inputting a torque error signal &tgr;err.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kei Terada
  • Patent number: 6715364
    Abstract: In a method for determining the elasto-plastic behavior of components consisting of anisotropic material, in particular of gas turbine installations, at high temperatures, in which method, first of all, the linear-elastic behavior is determined and, on the basis of the linear-elastic results, the inelastic behavior is also taken into account by applying Neuber's rule, the anisotropic properties of the components, as occur in particular on account of the use of single crystal materials, are taken into account in a simple manner by using a modified anisotropic Neuber's rule of the form σ * 2 = σ ep 2 + σ ep 2 ⁢ D _ · E — —
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Otto Bernhardi, Roland Muecke
  • Patent number: 6715368
    Abstract: A contact type rotation sensor includes a contact brush having a contact and an electrical resistor disposed for sliding motion relative to the contact. The contact brush provided at a side face of an arm portion with a projecting piece has asymmetric shape and asymmetric weight distribution about its longitudinal axis, and is large in moment of inertia in a direction of torsion. During relative sliding motion, suppressed torsional vibration of the contact occurs not only at natural frequencies but also at dispersed frequencies other than natural frequencies, reducing the sound pressure of sliding sound. A stable contact state is ensured between the contact and the electrical resistor, resulting in improved durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignees: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo Cosmos Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Toratani, Toshiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Morimoto, Akira Noguchi, Kosuke Yamawaki, Toshiaki Yasujima, Yukiaki Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 6708555
    Abstract: A wood moisture meter for measuring the moisture content of wood by monitoring the dielectric constant of the wood as a dependent variable of the amount of moisture in the wood. The sensor is a pair of parallel plates which, when encased in a plastic film, placed side by side in direct contact with the wood and in a snake-like pattern, will form the plates of a capacitor in the which the dielectric material is the wood itself. The capacitor is used in a circuit, the input for which is a nominal voltage of 5V, the output of which is a pulse of a length directly proportional to the varying dielectric constant of the wood as the wood dries in a wood drying kiln. The pulse length is correlated with the appropriate wood moisture content and provided to the operator of the kiln.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Inventors: William F. Lyons, Jr., Ronald Lessard
  • Patent number: 6708561
    Abstract: A mass fluid flow sensor for determining the amount of fluid inducted into an internal combustion engine, for example, is disclosed. The mass fluid flow sensor includes an external intake fluid temperature element which improves the accuracy of the mass fluid reading. An external cold wire element is further provided which improves response time. The mass fluid flow sensor has an improved aerodynamic design which provides a lower system pressure drop. Moreover, the sensor is smaller and lighter and has fewer parts, thus providing better manufacturability. A molded one-piece isolated jet nozzle having a hot element disposed therein is included in the fluid sampling portion. The fluid sampling portion has a tubular sampling channel, wherein the sampling channel has one bend having a constant bend radius. Consequently, an improved lower internal flow passage pressure drop is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Zurek, Eric Christopher Myers
  • Patent number: 6688183
    Abstract: A motion apparatus having two or five degrees of freedom includes a plurality of arm flexures, a plurality of parallelogram flexures or a plurality of compound parallelogram flexures. The motion apparatus minimizes direct, parasitic, and coupled error motions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Shorya Awtar, Alexander H. Slocum
  • Patent number: 6684714
    Abstract: Method and apparatus provided to accurately test fluid flow through cooling systems including pressurizing a fluid to create a fluid flow into the cooling system, measuring a fluid flow rate, and determining when the fluid flow rate is acceptable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Mills, Walter Murray, Daniel J. Popoff
  • Patent number: 6662667
    Abstract: A golf shoe (1) comprises a sole portion (an outsole) (3) and an upper portion (5). The sole portion (3) is formed of an elastic material. The golf shoe (1) has a toe side flexibility evaluation value (Gt) of 0.0015 to 0.0100. The toe side flexibility evaluation value (Gt) is calculated by the following equation (I); Gt=(20/L)/Ft  (I) In the equation (I), L represents an overall length (mm) of the sole portion (3). Furthermore, Ft represents a tensile load (N) required for fixing a half part of the sole portion (3) close to a heel and pulling a front end close to a toe, thereby displacing the front end by 20 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Seigou Sakagami
  • Patent number: 6640652
    Abstract: When shape anisotropy energy (H) of giant magnetoresistive elements (GMR elements) is expressed by H=A*Js*(Br/&pgr;) using saturation magnetization Js of a free magnetic layer and remanent magnetic flux density Br, A is set within a range of −350<A<0, and pairs of the GMR elements having opposite directions of fixed magnetization are electrically connected so that a differential of electric resistance values between electrode layers is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Kikuchi, Masao Kasashima, Ichiro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 6634219
    Abstract: An abnormality testing apparatus that accurately tests an abnormality at an early stage is disclosed. The apparatus includes means for manipulating a variable. The variable manipulating means computes the variable based on the state of the engine and manipulates the computed variable according to the state of the engine. The state includes a state in which the engine is not running. The apparatus performs at least one of the abnormality test and judgment whether a test condition is satisfied according to the variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tokiji Ito
  • Patent number: 6634242
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring respiratory gas flow, which provides a high accuracy in measurement of the respiratory gas flow and reduces the manufacturing cost of the apparatus, in comparison with the conventional disposable apparatus for measuring respiratory gas. The apparatus includes a measurement module and a respiratory tube assembly. The respiratory tube assembly comprise a cylindrical tube body and a sensing rod inserted through the cylindrical tube body. The sensing rod is shaped like the number “1” and has a plurality of sampling pores and two air passages. Locations of the sampling pores are determined by equal area division method in which a circular section of the cylindrical tube body is divided into a plurality of annuluses with equal areas and the sampling pores are formed at the positions also equally dividing the annuluses to which the sampling pores belong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventors: Un Jong Cha, Kyoung A Kim, Hyun Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 6631648
    Abstract: Sensing of microfluidic flow is carried out by confining and directing a fluid along a surface in a primary direction of flow past a cantilever beam which is mounted at one end of the beam to the surface. The cantilever beam has opposite beam surfaces that are oriented at an angle off parallel to the primary direction of flow of the fluid. As the fluid is directed past the beam at a rate such that the drag forces imposed by the fluid on the opposite surfaces of the beam are greater than the inertial forces of the fluid on the beam, a differential force is applied to the beam that tends to pivot the beam about its mount to the surface or bend the beam or both. The deflection of the beam in response to the differential drag forces may be detected to determine the rate of flow of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Amit Lal, Harun Solak, Shankar Radhakrishnan
  • Patent number: 6629456
    Abstract: A flowmeter includes a heating resistor and a resistive element for detecting the temperature of the heating resistor. The heating resistor is controlled so that the temperature detected by the resistive element approaches a reference temperature determined based on the temperature of the fluid flow. As a result, the temperature of the upstream side of the heating resistor becomes lower than the reference temperature, while the temperature of the downstream side of the heating resistor becomes higher than the reference temperature. Another resistive element is arranged on the upstream side or the downstream side of the heating resistor for detecting the rate of the fluid flow, and the rate and the direction of the fluid flow are detected by comparing the temperature of the resistive element with the reference temperature. This flowmeter is immune to variation in the resistance of the heating resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 6626048
    Abstract: A magnetic flow meter includes a cylindrical vessel within which electrodes are placed directly opposite each other about a magnetically permeable core. In that way, two flow channels are obtained in the vessel. A common magnetic field is applied across both flow channels. The magnetic flow meter is used in conjunction with a controller which monitors amplitude modulated signals representative of applied magnetic field and induced electric field. These amplitude modulated signals are passed to Sigma-Delta modulators, which directly digitise the amplitude modulated AC signals into digital pulses. The controller is capable of monitoring reverse flow through the meter, and to store results until forward flow resumes. Moreover, the controller generates a driving signal for coils which generates a magnetic field, the coil being placed in conjunction with a capacitor which causes resonance. This reduces power consumption by the coil in driving the meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Sensus Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Nicholas Dam Es, James Mark Carson England, Ross Peter Jones, Richard John Topliss, Iain Ansell, Nicholas Collier, Graham Lodge, Miles William Noel Hember
  • Patent number: 6622572
    Abstract: The amplifying gain is controlled by means of a data reduction equipment on the basis of the control signal input into the amplifier for amplifying the received signal propagated through the fluid and received in the ultrasonic transducer in the receiving side. The data reduction equipment includes an analog-digital converter, a processor, and a memory, wherein converted into digital data are waveform data including a peak value of each of the received signals, and the obtained digital data are stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Keiso Kabushiki-Kaisha
    Inventors: Tamotsu Kobayashi, Kunikazu Shigeta, Toru Fujii
  • Patent number: 6622555
    Abstract: A mass fluid flow sensor for determining the amount of fluid inducted into an internal combustion engine, for example, is disclosed. The mass fluid flow sensor includes an external intake fluid temperature element which improves the accuracy of the mass fluid reading. An external cold wire element is further provided which improves response time. The mass fluid flow sensor has an improved aerodynamic design which provides a lower system pressure drop. Moreover, the sensor is smaller and lighter and has fewer parts, thus providing better manufacturability. A molded one-piece isolated jet nozzle having a hot element disposed therein is included in the fluid sampling portion. Consequently, an improved lower internal flow passage pressure drop is achieved. Additionally, an improved signal to noise ratio, as well as a larger dynamic range is an advantageous consequence of the present invention. The present invention further provides improved electromagnetic interference performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Lee Straight, Eric Christopher Myers, James Driscoll, Ralph James Ross, Edward Paul McLeskey, Lawrence A. Zurek