Patents Examined by Thomas Raymond Rodgers
  • Patent number: 11261936
    Abstract: A chain master link tool includes a first lever and a second lever pivotally and releasably coupled together. Each of the first and second levers include a first working portions and a second working portion. The first and second levers are pivotal to an extended position in which the first working portions face oppositely and are disposed apart and cooperatively delimit a connection space therebetween for connection of a master link with a roller chain assembly and the second working portions face oppositely and are disposed apart and cooperatively delimit a removal space therebetween for removal of the master link from the roller chain assembly respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventor: Louis Chuang
  • Patent number: 11261070
    Abstract: An automated cork extractor includes a housing for enclosing a motor, a corkscrew, and a cork sleeve that does not move with respect to the housing during extraction of a cork from a bottle neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventor: William Huckestein
  • Patent number: 11253130
    Abstract: A cleaning tool capable of contracting to be cleaned and expanding to be used includes a mop and a cleaning barrel. The mop includes a mop head and a mop rod connected with the mop head. The mop rod is a rotary mop rod which is able to linearly move upwards or downward and be driven to rotate. A support site used for supporting the mop rod during rotation is arranged in the cleaning barrel. The mop further includes a transformation driving mechanism. The mop head includes movable plates and a base plate. The movable plates are located on the same plane as the base plate and are able to rotate relative to the base plate. A track mechanism is arranged between the movable plates and the base plate. The mop rod is able to rotate relative to the base plate to drive the transformation driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: JIAXING JACKSON TRAVEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xue Lin Zhu, Ju Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11219992
    Abstract: A tool assembly designed to couple to a torsion spring and torsion rod to wind and unwind the torsion spring on the torsion rod. The tool assembly includes a variety of components in mechanical communication with one other to rotate the torsion spring. Specifically, the assembly includes a worm gear in mechanical communication with a ring gear and a set of brackets securable to a torsion spring. Between the ring gear and the brackets are a series of plates arranged and assembled on a base, providing a singular device within the assembly that a user can grip to manipulate a torsion spring in a safer manner than possible in the prior art. A drill or other device can couple to attachment points in mechanical communication with the worm gear to rotate the worm gear at a greater rate, thereby reducing the winding and unwinding time of the torsion spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: James L. Frank Door Service Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Frank
  • Patent number: 11219345
    Abstract: A replacement head for a vacuum device includes a plastic tray, a filter and a pad. The plastic tray includes a dust chamber and opening allows air, dust and debris to be drawn into the dust chamber during use. The pad is attached to the lower side of the plastic tray and is in contact with the floor during cleaning. The filter is connected to the plastic tray such that the filter substantially covers a top opening in the dust chamber. The filter is preferably made of a non-woven material with a basis weight between about 20 and 70 gsm, and has a thickness less than about 1.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Sharkninja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Richard Mathias, Brandon J Suleski, Michael Douglas, Yu Ri Young Kim
  • Patent number: 11203102
    Abstract: A power driven in-line disposable torque-limiting device having a gearless clutch assembly with a first clutch element affixed to the cylindrical body, a second clutch element engaged with a shaft for rotation together with the shaft, one or more bearing elements disposed between the first clutch element and the second clutch element, and a compressive element configured to apply force across the clutch elements. The first clutch element and second clutch element exert compressive force, shearing force, or both on the one or more bearing elements to provide clutch functionality at predetermined torque limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ECA Medical Instruments
    Inventors: John Nino, David Ivinson, David Tory
  • Patent number: 11197986
    Abstract: A handle for an applicator of coloured liquid to skin comprises a removable needle module and a needle actuator. The needle module comprises a needle. The handle comprises a handle body having top and bottom portions. The top portion is engagable with the needle actuator and has a top opening for receiving a drive shaft of the needle actuator. The bottom portion is removably engagable with the needle module and has a bottom opening for receiving a needle shaft of the needle. A reciprocally movable interface sealingly engages an internal surface of the handle body. The interface separates the bottom opening from the top opening so as to prevent fluid communication from the bottom opening to the top opening, and is configured to abut the drive shaft and the needle shaft during use to allow the drive shaft to indirectly drive the needle shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: Long Xiao
  • Patent number: 11186473
    Abstract: Corkscrew for the extraction of a cork from the neck of a bottle, wherein the corkscrew has a body, an extraction screw, an articulated lever having a first lever and a second lever, which are coupled with each other by a coupling system with at least one set of slots, a set of pins and a set of holes, which guide the reciprocal movement of the second lever with respect to the first lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventor: Cesare Patrizio
  • Patent number: 11185064
    Abstract: A plug blank insertion assembly for inserting a plug blank into a stud orifice of a horseshoe, said plug insertion assembly having an arrangement for guiding movement of the plug blank; an arrangement for moving the plug blank via the guiding means towards and out of a plug blank dispensing end of the plug insertion assembly so the plug blank is dispensed from the plug insertion assembly into the stud orifice of a horseshoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventor: Phillip McLean
  • Patent number: 11185197
    Abstract: A window cleaning tool for removing dirt, dust, residue and other debris from the surface of a window includes a rigid plate member having a flat top surface, a flat bottom surface, a peripheral side edge including a back edge and left and right side edges converging towards one another and meeting at a nose of the plate member. A strap passes through elongate slot openings in the plate member to allow the plate member to be secured to a user's hand with the back of the user's hand engaged against the top surface of the plate member. Hook components of a hook and loop fastener on the bottom of the plate member allow for releasable attachment of a non-scratch scouring pad thereto. The scouring pad is generally configured to match the shape of the plate member as defined by the outer peripheral edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TRI-EDGE INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Jay Mendez
  • Patent number: 11179823
    Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus which can adjust polishing profile precisely is disclosed. The substrate holding apparatus includes an elastic membrane that forms a plurality of pressure chambers for pressing a substrate, and a head body to which the elastic membrane is coupled. The elastic membrane includes a contact portion to be brought into contact with the substrate for pressing the substrate against a polishing pad, an edge circumferential wall extending upwardly from a peripheral edge of the contact portion, and a plurality of inner circumferential walls arranged radially inwardly of the edge circumferential wall and extending upwardly from the contact portion. At least two adjacent inner circumferential walls of the plurality of inner circumferential walls include slope circumferential walls inclined radially inwardly. The slope circumferential walls are inclined radially inwardly in their entirety from their lower ends to upper ends, and extend upwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nabeya, Makoto Fukushima, Keisuke Namiki, Shingo Togashi, Satoru Yamaki, Masahiko Kishimoto, Tomoko Owada
  • Patent number: 11167400
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench having multiple driving modes with torque sensing function includes an annular head, a driving unit, a control unit, a rotary member, a forcing unit and at least one torque sensor. The annular head receives the driving unit therein and a shaft extends from the annular head. The driving unit has a first toothed ring engaged with a first pawl, and a second pawl engaged with inner teeth of the annular head. The rotary member is rotatably inserted in the shaft, and has two ends to the driving unit and the forcing unit respectively. The forcing unit includes a tubular handle and a display unit. The torque sensor is mounted on the shaft. The shaft inserts into an axial chamber of the handle. The torque sensor is positioned between the axial chamber and the shaft. When the shaft is bended by the handle to produce a deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventor: Rong-Suei Chan
  • Patent number: 11154968
    Abstract: A device for removing an oil filter includes a sleeve. The sleeve includes a grip portion and a reservoir portion. The grip portion includes a wall and a plurality of spacer ribs. The wall is disposed about an axis and defines a filter cavity open through a first end of the grip portion to receive the oil filter therein. The spacer ribs extend radially inward from the wall and are configured to engage the filter. The reservoir portion extends from a second end of the grip portion and defines a reservoir cavity open to the filter cavity. The sleeve is movable between an extended position in which the reservoir portion is below the grip portion and a nested position in which the reservoir portion is at least partially nested within the grip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Moran, Elliott Heinrich
  • Patent number: 11149458
    Abstract: An automatic pool cleaner comprising a housing and a base. The housing comprises a suction flow pathway, an impeller disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the suction flow pathway such that water traveling through the suction flow pathway spins the impeller, wherein spinning of the impeller causes the pool cleaner to move forward, an off-center cam that extends through the impeller and is configured to rotate as the impeller rotates, and two spring biased valves. Each valve comprises a valve seat, and a spring biased poppet configured to seal against the valve seat, the poppet having a rod with a spring disposed around the rod. The base comprises two feet, each foot having a spring-biased pad extending from each end of the foot, two A-arm assemblies, one for each foot, and a suction port that extends through the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: AQUASTAR POOL PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventor: Olaf Mjelde
  • Patent number: 11141842
    Abstract: Disposable torque-limiting mechanisms with upper shank component with a torque-limiting interface, a lower shank component with a torque-limiting interface, and a washer assembly biasing element. Torque-limiting interfaces having a plurality of undulations arranged around an axial bore or drive socket and separated by a plurality of transition regions, with each undulation having an upslope, a peak, and a downslope. The torque-limiting interfaces are configured to engage and disengage to provide torque transmission with predetermined torque limits at various rotational speeds and for amounts of actuations while remaining within a specified operational range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: ECA Medical Instruments
    Inventors: John Nino, David Ivinson, David Tory
  • Patent number: 11130213
    Abstract: A utility tool for operating a utility meter set includes an elongate body member having opposed first and second ends. A regulator cap member is coupled to a first end of the body member and defines an aperture configured to grip a regulator cap of the meter set. The regulator cap member may include first and second portions in communication with one another and configured to loosen multiple regulator cap models, respectively. A service valve member is coupled to the second end of the body member and has an offset wrench head for operating a service valve of the meter set. A pressure adjustment member is coupled to the body member intermediate the opposed ends for adjusting the regulator pressure once the regulator cap is removed. The body member defines one or more bypass apertures having a configuration complementary to that of a bypass plug associated with the meter set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventor: Daniel Ashenbrenner
  • Patent number: 11130666
    Abstract: The industry-standard corkscrew has numerous flaws resulting in broken corks—even in the hands of a professional. The present invention is a radical departure from the traditional corkscrew apparatus. The opener generally consists of the handle and an internally threaded half-pipe. The half-pipe slides between the cork and the bottle, wherein the series of threads engage the cork. Rotating the handle causes the threads to bore deeper into the neck of the bottle until the handles meets the lip of the bottle, and then lift the cork out of the bottle until it disengages and falls away from the opener. It should be appreciated that the elegance of the opener resides in its simplicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher Kirk Carter, Nicholas Robert Pierce
  • Patent number: 11116370
    Abstract: A cleaning robot includes a cover, a fixed body provided in the cover, a traveling part connected to the fixed body, a movement frame fastened to the cover to move in correspondence with movement of the cover, an inner body configured to support the movement frame relative to the fixed body, and a rotator provided on a bottom of the inner body to rotate in correspondence with movement of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hanshin Kim, Jaehoon Jeong, Dongkyun Nam
  • Patent number: 11109666
    Abstract: A toothbrush having a handle and a head provided with bristles. The head is mounted pivotably with respect to the handle, and the handle has at one end two arms projecting along a longitudinal axis of the handle and defining a space. The head is pivotably mounted in the space defined by the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventor: Karim Belamine
  • Patent number: 11104560
    Abstract: A positioning apparatus for a transmission jack saddle is provided in which a first arm has a pivot joint that allows an angle between a first arm and a second arm to be adjusted and each arm further defining an edge wall having ratchet teeth that allows movement and securement using a locking pawl mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: VIS, LLC
    Inventors: Sage Youngblutt, Robert Fox, Nathan Harvell, Stephen Cain