Patents Examined by Terry K Cecil
  • Patent number: 11135531
    Abstract: A filter device with a removable termination part (81; 82) and a housing (3) that receives a replaceable filter element (5) having two end caps (25,47). Between the end caps, a filter material (12) extends. A positioning device (65) is arranged between the termination part (81; 82) and one end cap (47). The positioning device positions the filter element (5) within the housing (3), at least when viewed in the circumferential direction of the filter element, in interaction with at least one corresponding positioning element (71) of the end cap (47).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: RT-FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Marco Bautz
  • Patent number: 11130078
    Abstract: A filter plate (1) comprises an opening (18) configured to receive at least one grid (2) provided within the opening (18). The at least one grid (2) comprises a body (2A) and one or more passages (2B) extending through the body (2A) for filtrate to flow through. The passages (2B) are preferably configured to allow filtrate to pass through the body (2A). The filter plate (1) may further comprise a wear detection device comprising at least one filament wire (2L) surrounding one or more passages (2B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventors: Randall Aric Fox, Sam Cartwright, James Chaponnel
  • Patent number: 11110378
    Abstract: A sensing system for detecting degradation of a machine fluid is disclosed. The sensing system may comprise a tag having electrical contacts. The tag may be configured to transmit a wireless signal when the electrical contacts are in electrical communication. The sensing system may further comprise a dissolvable element separating the electrical contacts and obstructing electrical communication between the electrical contacts. The dissolvable element may be configured to dissolve and allow electrical communication between the electrical contacts when an acid content of the machine fluid reaches a level indicative of the degradation of the machine fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Philip C. Spengler, Jeffrey R. Ries, Hind Abi-Akar
  • Patent number: 11103830
    Abstract: Raw liquid is fed along a raw liquid and drain liquid mixing line to a liquid purification device. Drain liquid is fed along a recirculation line to be mixed with raw liquid. After a set period of time, the liquid purification process is interrupted to flush the liquid purification device by a liquid to remove contaminants built up on the inside surface of the liquid purification device. Downstream of the liquid purification device, the liquid is discharged at high speed into a drain. Prior to flushing, the purification process is interrupted at least once for a time sufficient to enable disruption of a polarized layer of contaminants. A mixture of raw liquid and drain liquid is used as the liquid medium for flushing such that less raw liquid is used for flushing and the service life of the water purification device increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: ELECTROPHOR, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Lvovich Shmidt, Sergej Victorovich Smirnov, Vadim Nikolaevich Knizel
  • Patent number: 11097225
    Abstract: A method for water filtration to reduce scaling is disclosed herein. The method includes determining that a pump has been inactive for a threshold period of time. The method also includes closing a first valve to a filtered drinking water tank and opening a second valve to a source water tank based on determining that the pump has been inactive for the threshold period of time. The method further includes activating, based on the first valve being closed and the second valve being opened, the pump for a period of time to circulate water from the source water tank through a filter system and back to the source water tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Aqua Tru LLC
    Inventor: Michael A. Pedersen
  • Patent number: 11077393
    Abstract: A fuel-water separator includes a cartridge assembly and a bowl. The cartridge assembly receives a fuel-water mixture and provides a fuel. The cartridge assembly includes an endplate. The bowl is configured to store water separated from the fuel-water mixture. The bowl is coupled to the endplate. The endplate includes an air vent that receives air from the bowl. The air vent establishes a pressure equilibrium within the bowl and the cartridge assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: CUMMINS FILTRATION IP, INC.
    Inventors: Mrinmayee Balasaheb Pokharkar, Nilesh Bhaskar Nagare, Gregory D. Shope, Bharath Siddaramanna Onkarappa, Brian M. Palmer
  • Patent number: 11077392
    Abstract: A modular filtration platform having at least one manifold head and at least one respective filter cartridge assembly. Each manifold head is connected to one another to establish a water flow in a series or parallel manner. Each filter cartridge assembly is releasably secured from rotation relative to the manifold head by a locking mechanism. An aperture on the filter cartridge assembly annular collar mates with a protruding resilient extension on either the manifold head or support bracket. Alternatively, an aperture on the filter cartridge assembly annular collar and an aperture on the manifold head annular collar mate with a protruding member from a locking ring extending through both apertures. An integrated sensor package may be integrated with the system for true managed water visible/audible indications and Wi-Fi interface to facilitate virtually instantaneous response times for filtration needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Ecowater Systems LLC
    Inventors: Lori Foix, Michael J. Sherman, Steve Wilson, James B. Larson, Erik Klimpel, Richard A. Kirchner, Chad Tousley, Steven J. Haehn, Jeff Ehlers
  • Patent number: 11072547
    Abstract: The efficiency of water disinfection can be significantly increased by supplying the ozone in combination with oxygen to an inlet of a cavitation pump or a line atomizer. A compressor can be introduced at an inlet of the cavitation pump or the line atomizer, compressing the gas mixture at a pressure higher than the pressure within pump or the atomizer. The compressed gases are provided to the inlet of the atomizer or the pump, where the compressed gases mix with the water and enter the cavitation pump or the line atomizer (where most of the dissolution of the gases happens). The compressor allows to increase the amount of oxygen and ozone provided to the pump or the line atomizer, increasing their dissolved concentration. In addition to the disinfecting properties, the higher level of oxygen correlates to an improved taste of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Ohki, Whitney Rich
  • Patent number: 11072542
    Abstract: A water purification system includes a tank which stores permeate during periods of standby during which impurities can migrate across a filtration membrane, resulting in impure water on the downstream side of the membrane. During an initial portion of a water draw immediately following a period of standby, the impure water on the downstream side of the membrane is used as a motive fluid to force the permeate out of the tank for delivery to the faucet. Permeate is provided on a continuous bases directly from the membrane to the faucet after the tank is depleted of permeate. The system includes a control system and a plurality of valves to recycle the impure water used as a motive fluid to the membrane to produce permeate. At the conclusion of a water draw, the tank is filled with permeate and the system enters a period of standby until the next water draw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hai-Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11071950
    Abstract: A membrane filtration system and a membrane bio reactor including the same are described. In an example, the membrane filtration system includes: a treatment tank; a membrane support frame disposed in the treatment tank and mounted with a filtration membrane; a reciprocating portion connected to the membrane support frame and reciprocating the membrane support frame; a sliding portion disposed in the treatment tank, connected to the reciprocating portion, and guiding a moving direction of the membrane support frame; and a sludge lifting portion flexibly disposed at a lower end of the membrane support frame to lift sludge accumulated at a lower part of the treatment tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Woo Nyoung Lee
  • Patent number: 11069542
    Abstract: A cleaning water supply device includes an ultrapure water line through which ultrapure water flows by a fixed amount, a production unit that produces cleaning water by adding a solute to the ultrapure water line by a fixed amount, a storage tank for the cleaning water, cleaning machines to which the cleaning water is supplied from the storage tank, and a controller that controls the cleaning water production unit so that a water level in the storage tank is in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: KURITA WATER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Morita, Nobuko Gan
  • Patent number: 11053136
    Abstract: A system for providing treated water includes a water treatment unit including an inlet water quality probe, a worker bed, a probe to measure a parameter of water from the worker bed, a polisher bed connected downstream from the worker bed and having a probe to measure a parameter of water from the polisher bed, and a flow meter upstream of the worker bed or downstream of the polisher bed. A controller in communication with the flow meter and the probes is configured to receive data from same. A remote server in communication with the local water treatment unit is configured to receive data from the local water treatment unit. The controller or the server may determine a cumulative flow total, a billing cycle flow total, a current exchange flow total, a contaminant load, or a remaining capacity of the water treatment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Scott Branum, Erich Hoefferle
  • Patent number: 11046606
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a water container. The water container comprises a fluid path defined by a rigid fluid reservoir, a filter and a water outlet having an open position and a closed position; a fluid inlet, and a pump coupled to the fluid inlet. The pump comprises a non-return valve and a piston shaft through which a piston head may be moved, the piston head being coupled to a piston rod slidably moveable through an orifice at a first end of the piston shaft, wherein the orifice is sealed about the piston rod such that, in use, operation of the pump pumps fluid from a fluid source in communication with the fluid inlet, through the non-return valve and into the fluid reservoir so as to pressurise the fluid reservoir such that, when the water outlet is in the open position, a pressure differential induces a flow of water along the fluid path through the filter to the water outlet. The piston shaft is substantially surrounded by the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ICON LIFESAVER LIMITED
    Inventor: Joseph Lovegrove
  • Patent number: 11046603
    Abstract: Increased control and efficiency over the wastewater purification can be achieved through creating conditions that allow the operator to selectively prioritize the digestive function of microorganisms in the activated sludge. The gas-dispersion return sludge is created using pure oxygen or oxygen containing trace amounts of ozone as a reactive gas, which is blended with return sludge to create a mixture of gas and liquid, which is passed through an atomizer or a cavitation pump to instantly render the reactive gas to an ultra-fine bubble state. At least a portion of the ultra-fine bubbles dissolve within the gas-dispersion return sludge, activating the dormant microorganisms. Due to a complete or an almost complete absence of biodegradable material in the gas-dispersion return sludge, the microorganism prioritize their digestive function, and when exposed to biodegradable pollutants present in wastewater, digest the pollutants using biochemical pathways different from the ones used in nature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Ohki, Whitney Rich
  • Patent number: 11041469
    Abstract: A discharge control device for a filter system and a filter system for filtering a media flow of a first and a second medium is provided with a collecting chamber that collects the second medium separated from the media flow. A sensor arrangement with a first sensor unit, a second sensor unit, a first shut-off valve having a closure body, and a second shut-off valve is provided. The first sensor unit is operatively connected to the first shut-off valve. The first sensor unit has a float that purely mechanically actuates the closure body of the first shut-off valve. The second shut-off valve is arranged in series in flow communication with the first shut-off valve. The second shut-off valve has an electromagnetically actuatable valve controlled by the second sensor unit as a function of a fill level of second medium in the collecting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: MANN+HUMMEL GmbH
    Inventors: Idriss Razgani, Christoph Baumann, Dietmar Talmon-Gros, Michal Tuma, Jan Svoboda
  • Patent number: 11040298
    Abstract: Anti-drainback valves, flex tube assemblies that include one or more anti-drainback valves, and fluid filters that include one or more flex tube assemblies and/or anti-drainback valves are disclosed. In embodiments the anti-drainback valves and flex tube assemblies are described in the context of their use in a multi (e.g. dual) pump fluid filter, such as a dual pump transmission fluid filter. Dual pump fluid filters including integral and separable flex tube assemblies are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: FILTRAN LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim A. Khalil, Mieko Zukeran
  • Patent number: 11033842
    Abstract: An exchangeable filter insert that separates an unfiltered side and a filtered side of a filter, the filter having a filter housing, an inlet for liquid to be filtered and an outlet for filtered liquid. A filter bypass valve has a valve seat and a valve body guided so as to be movable relative to the valve seat and preloaded in the closing direction. The valve seat is fixed to the filter. The valve body is guided in the filter so as to be fixed to the filter. A spring that preloads the valve body in the closing direction is guided in the filter so as to be fixed to the filter. The filter insert has a spring prestresser support that, in the state in which the insert is placed into the filter housing, supports and pre-stresses the spring at its end facing away from the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: HENGST SE
    Inventor: Wilhelm Ardes
  • Patent number: 11028610
    Abstract: A submersible pool cleaning device includes a device body having a filter canister mounted within the device body. A plurality of filter cassettes is releasably mounted within the filter canister, each filter cassette having a filter container and a flotation device. A cartridge is mounted to the device body configured to release a gas into one of the flotation devices to inflate the flotation device. A controller is configured to activate the cartridge to release the gas into the flotation device in response to detecting that the filter container is full and to release the filter cassette from the filter canister upon inflation of the flotation device. A method for removing the floating debris bag includes capturing and removing the floating cassette by a drone. A cassette collection method includes activating a pool skimmer pump and detecting that the cassette has reached the pool skimmer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David B. Lection, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Mark B. Stevens, John D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11021376
    Abstract: A water network monitor, monitoring system and method? A water network monitor, monitoring system and method comprising: at least one sensor operable to sense one or more parameters of a water network; and an analyser to analyse data points over time from the water network by the at least one sensor, the analyser having an input comprising the data points recorded over time from the water network and an output comprising an event probability P(event) that an event has occurred which affects the water network from which the data points were recorded, the analyser comprising: an outlier detector to determine a measure of abnormality (D) from an outlier detection algorithm for each of the data points; and an outlier decay discriminator (ODD) to calculate an outlier probability (Po) for each of the data points based on each data points measure of abnormality (D), wherein the outlier probability is decayed over time, the output of the ODD comprising an event probability P(event), wherein P(event) is based on the d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: INTELLITECT WATER LTD
    Inventors: Benjamin Ian Johnson, Alexander James Brown, Mark Duckworth
  • Patent number: 11014827
    Abstract: A water treatment system is provided with an untreated water reservoir having a cavity through which a filter assembly may traverse such that untreated water in the cavity passes through the filter assembly into a treated water reservoir. Traversal of the filter assembly may be facilitated by a pressure control assembly configured to generate a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
    Inventors: Richard J. Weber, Ryan D. Schamper, Joshua B. Taylor, Colin J. Moore, Mario Enriquez