Patents Examined by Tania C. Courson
  • Patent number: 10288403
    Abstract: A single sensor type three-dimensional micro/nano contact trigger measuring probe is provided which is characterized in respectively providing a probe unit and a measuring unit in the base. In the probe unit, the leaf spring is supported on the circular-ring base, a circular suspension plate is provided on the leaf spring, and beam splitter prisms and wedge block are fixedly provided on the circular suspension plate. The stylus and the circular suspension plate are fixedly connected in a “T” shape. The measuring unit projects the straight light emitted by a laser device through the beam splitter prisms and wedge block and then the straight light is focused on the four-quadrant detector. Measuring the offset of the probe by the four-quadrant detector, in such a manner that single sensor type three-dimensional micrometer contact trigger measurement is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: HEFEI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Ruijun Li, Zhenying Cheng, Chen Chen, Kuangchao Fan
  • Patent number: 10247532
    Abstract: A tubing pipe sizing tool is provided, comprising a main body, a measuring portion, a handle-installing hole, a bump portion, and a handle. The measuring portion is provided on a first part of the main body in a first direction. The handle-installing hole is provided on a second part of the main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The bump portion is provided around an opening of the handle-installing hole. The handle is configured to engage the handle-installing hole and facilitate pipe sizing. The main body may have a cylindrical shape, and the bump portion facilitates to handle the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Kwon J. Park
  • Patent number: 8336223
    Abstract: A roundness measuring apparatus includes a stylus stocker and a controller. The stylus stocker stores plural types of styli prepared corresponding to shapes of measurement sites of a measurement target object. The stylus stocker can store styli in such a manner that each stylus can be held thereon and taken out thereof. The stylus stocker is provided outside a measurement region, which is determined on the basis of the operation range of a turntable and a detector driving mechanism. The detector driving mechanism can move the detector to the outside of the measurement region. When a measurement command is given, the controller carries out roundness measurement of the object while controlling the turntable and the detector driving mechanism. When a stylus replacement command is given, the controller carries out stylus replacement operation between a detector main unit and the stylus stocker while controlling the detector driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuki Nakayama, Hideki Shindo
  • Patent number: 8020306
    Abstract: The invention is an tool for measuring and marking wall sheathing materials such as drywall, veneer, paneling, and various other wall sheathing materials. The tool provides rolling contact to protect finished surfaces and also maintains parallel positioning to maximize accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Inventors: Dimitrios E Grivas, Armenac Daniel
  • Patent number: 8020507
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a food storage container comprising a body with a mechanism for denoting a time in which a food item was placed in the storage container for storage. In one embodiment, the time designation mechanism comprises a plurality of rings where each ring comprises at least one marker. Time is denoted by aligning the marker with a label located proximate to said ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Inventor: Tara Strong
  • Patent number: 8011111
    Abstract: A transparent measuring apparatus for material includes a planar structure including a top surface, bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, a top end, a bottom end and a plurality of holes for attachment of accessories. A plurality of measurement lines is formed on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces. A material alignment guide is attached to the bottom surface. The material alignment guide includes a first edge for aligning the material and is configured for moveably aligning the first edge with the measurement lines. Protrusions extend below the bottom surface a sufficient distance from the bottom surface to facilitate movement of the material alignment device. A plurality of accessories adds width to the planer structure, adds length to the planer structure, provides a safety barrier when cutting along an edge and provides a slot for guiding cutting along an edge of the planer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Inventor: John R. Brady
  • Patent number: 8011109
    Abstract: A level of the type having an elongate hollow frame including two sidewalls each defining axially aligned vial openings into the frame. A vial casing is secured with respect to the frame and defines a hermetically sealed single-cavity casing interior entirely enclosing a liquid-and-bubble vial with a substantially cylindrical outer surface extending between two vial ends. The casing is formed of two opposite round face-walls and a surrounding cylindrical wall therebetween. The cylindrical wall has a pair of opposed major wall-portions of first thickness and a pair of opposed intervening wall-portions of second thickness greater than the first thickness. Each intervening wall-portion defines a recess which snugly receives a corresponding one of the vial ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Empire Level Mfg. Corp.
    Inventors: John Christianson, Roger D. Stanford
  • Patent number: 7984688
    Abstract: A display device includes a first portion of a flexible ribbon, the first portion secured along the pointer and a bend portion of the flexible ribbon disposed between the first portion of the flexible ribbon and a first loop branch, the bend portion folded over one end of the pointer so that the bend portion and the first loop branch connected to the pointer both extend along a common plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Joël Fournier
  • Patent number: 7971367
    Abstract: A distance-transferring device comprising a plurality of interconnected rails. Each rail, when extended, is self-supporting. Once the rails are extended and locked in place between two points, two planes, or one point and one plane, an accurate representation of a distance between the two points, two planes or one point and one plane is obtained. This distance can be transferred to another location without having to memorize a numerical measurement. Opposing abutting angled ends provide for both easy access into corners and a clear visual for when the abutting angled end contacts a plane or mark. A rotating component allows for operating the invention in more than one plane. A movable catch hooks onto an object such as wood moldings to facilitate the measurement transfer without adding any error to the distance being transferred. Extension stops prevent the rails from longitudinal separation. Bubble vials are provided for leveling both horizontally and vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Inventors: Stuart René Stengel, Jason Chartes Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 7966964
    Abstract: A tamper-evident mechanism for use with an electronic appliance includes a first housing, a second housing, a fastening device and a shielding element. The first housing includes a perforation, which is surrounded by a ring-shape member. The second housing includes a groove corresponding to the perforation of the first housing, wherein the groove has an inner thread formed on a portion of inner wall thereof. The fastening device includes a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion has an external thread engaged with the inner thread of the groove and the head portion is sustained against the ring-shape member, thereby coupling the first housing with the second housing. The shielding element is inserted into the perforation of the first housing for shielding the head portion of the fastening device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Yung-Cheng Chang
  • Patent number: 7963044
    Abstract: A construction level with modular detachable sections is herein disclosed. In its detached state, the level resembles a conventional two-foot level with the typical three bubble vials indicating levelness at angles of zero degrees (0°), forty-five degrees (45°), and ninety degrees (90°). If levelness over a larger distance is required, one (1) or both detachable end portions of the level are attached using sliding joints thus allowing the device to extend to a four (4) foot length. The attaching joints allow for the extension without a loss of accuracy. Each end piece has its own bubble vial to verify levelness at any point along the device. In such a manner, the device may also be used as a one-foot torpedo level. The use of the modular construction level allows for the accuracy and precision of a long level with the convenience and usability of a shorter level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Inventor: Shown B. Bartholomew
  • Patent number: 7958647
    Abstract: A system for controlling access to a secure area includes a lock and an electronic access device for controlling access to a secure area. The lock includes pins for locking and unlocking the lock. The access device communicates with the pins for electrically measuring movement of the pins. The access device stores an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock. The electronic access device electrically measures pin movement by a key. A control device electrically communicates with the electronic access device for determining when a lock compromising technique has occurred to identify a lock tamper event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan Gerner
  • Patent number: 7954445
    Abstract: A pressure state indicator indicates whether or not positive pressure fluid or negative pressure fluid is supplied to a fluid path. A fluid guide member 17 is constituted of a joint main body 11 in which a fluid path 12 is formed and a partition member 16 provided outside the joint main body 11, and an accommodation space 19 is formed by the partition member 16 and the joint main body 11. A pressure chamber 22a communicating with the fluid path 12 through a communicating hole 23 is formed in the accommodation space 19 by a sliding sealing member 21 provided in the accommodation space 19. The sliding sleeve 24 is located at a non-supply position by a spring member 25 when no pressure is supplied to the fluid path 12, and the sliding sleeve 24 is moved to a supply position when pressure is supplied thereto. A pressure state in the fluid path 12 is externally confirmed by observing positions of the sliding sealing member 21 and the sliding sleeve 24 from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Koganei Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Satoh
  • Patent number: 7954248
    Abstract: An arrangement for depicting a linear optical marking on a surface, including a radiation source emitting light, such as laser radiation, as well as a first lens arranged in the beam path having a first and a second surface penetrated by the radiation, of which one surface features a parabolic or elliptical trace at least partially in cross section, formed of curved sections of different radii, the trace extending symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry of the lens, along which runs the beam directed in parallel, preferably by means of a second lens. In order to achieve a uniform power distribution along the line, it is proposed that the first surface formed of sections with different radii faces the radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Stabila Messgerate Gustav Ullrich GmbH
    Inventors: Gabriel Kallabis, Andreas Weber
  • Patent number: 7954252
    Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to determine and use wellbore diameters are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises positioning a downhole tool in a wellbore, counting a number of rotations of a motor used to cause the downhole tool to contact a surface of the wellbore, and determining a diameter of the wellbore based on the number of rotations of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: James Mather, Ashers Partouche
  • Patent number: 7954444
    Abstract: A tool for assisting a reader in grasping the thought expressed in a group of words on a page is disclosed. The tool is a flexible film card which has a window adjacent contrastingly colored film segments of the card. A group of words may be viewed through the window, and the window may then be moved by the user from one group of words to the next. The groups all around the window may be viewed through the colored segments of the card, thus allowing the reader's eyes to review and anticipate the passages of words which he has read or those which he is about to read while still focusing his attention on the group of words in the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Inventor: Sylvia R. Smith
  • Patent number: 7946051
    Abstract: A wall marking device for use in marking where to install a support element such as a nail for hanging objects such as pictures and minors. The device is simple to use and manufacture, having very few components and can be used in one configuration with most common hanger hardware such as wire, saw tooth hangers, hole/slots, and D-rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Inventors: Gary Ray Hannah, Richard William Heim
  • Patent number: 7941934
    Abstract: A system for controlling access to a secure area includes a lock and an electronic access device for controlling access to a secure area. The lock includes pins for locking and unlocking the lock. The access device communicates with the pins for electrically measuring movement of the pins. The access device stores an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock. The electronic access device electrically measures pin movement by a key and determines a key code for the key from the pin movement. A control device electrically communicates with the electronic access device for identifying the key code and determining when the key code matches the unlock pin code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Gerner, Paul Popowski, Jeff Zingsheim
  • Patent number: 7937843
    Abstract: A compass includes two legs having upper ends interconnected in a leg joint and lower ends with holders for refills or styluses. An adjusting spindle penetrates the legs, in particular, in vicinity of the leg joint. The legs have carrier zones in the form of widenings serving in a region between the leg joint and the free leg ends as a base of an information bearing surface surpassing the width of the legs in their spreading plane. The information bearing surfaces are disposed on both broad sides of the compass and constructed as undivided surfaces projecting from one leg into the region of the other leg. If the compass is closed, two mounting disks of the information bearing surfaces lie congruently above one another and only two outer information bearing surfaces and can be seen. All four information bearing surfaces can be seen in the open state of the compass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Intertech Zeichengeraete GmbH
    Inventor: Günther Partes
  • Patent number: 7926193
    Abstract: A nanowire magnetic sensor includes an array of magneto-resistive (MR) nanosensors with each MR nanosensor including a set of MR nanowires that are all aligned in the same position for one direction. The substrate can be a flexible substrate bent into a circular configuration for compass applications. A plurality of individual nanosensors can be connected into resistive Wheatstone bridge configurations by metallization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Andrzej Peczalski