Patents Examined by Timothy L. Maust
  • Patent number: 11174991
    Abstract: A system for dispensing a cryogenic fluid includes a bulk storage tank configured to contain a supply of the cryogenic fluid. A heat exchanger coil is positioned in the headspace of at least one intermediate fluid tank, which contains an intermediate fluid, and is configured to receive and warm a cryogenic fluid from the bulk storage tank via heat exchange with intermediate fluid vapor in the headspace. A buffer tank receives fluid from the heat exchanger coil. A chiller coil is positioned within the intermediate fluid tank and is submerged within intermediate fluid liquid contained within the at least one intermediate fluid tank. The chiller coil receives fluid from the buffer tank and cools it via heat exchange with intermediate fluid liquid within which the chiller coil is submerged for dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Thor, Thomas Drube, Paul Drube
  • Patent number: 11174454
    Abstract: A beverage maker may include a fermenter having a space therein to make a beverage; a fluid tank configured to contain fluid; a fluid supply pump connected with the fluid tank; a flow rate detection sensor disposed in a channel connected with the fluid supply pump to detect a flow velocity or a flow rate of fluid which is discharged through the channel by the fluid supply pump; and a controller configured to perform a plurality of operations related to making of a beverage or cleaning of an inside of the beverage maker. The controller may be configured to when an operation requiring a supply of fluid is ongoing from among the plurality of operations, turn on the fluid supply pump to discharge fluid contained in the fluid tank; detect a lack of fluid in the fluid tank based on a first flow velocity or a first flow rate detected by the flow rate detection sensor; and generate a fluid replenishment request for the fluid tank based on a result of detecting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Jeyeol Lee
  • Patent number: 11174993
    Abstract: When a pressure accumulator tank A3a is used as a low-pressure bank, a controller sends an open control signal to an electromagnetic open/close valve A10a to open the electromagnetic open/close valve A10a so that hydrogen in the pressure accumulator tank A3a can be supplied to a tank to be filled (not shown) of an FCV. In parallel with this, the controller sends an open control signal to a first electromagnetic open/close valve 6a and a second electromagnetic open/close valve 6b to open the first and second electromagnetic open/close valves 6a and 6b so that hydrogen can be supplied also from a compressor 2 to the tank to be filled of the FCV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SAMTECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Takahashi, Ryosuke Uchimoto
  • Patent number: 11167971
    Abstract: A product transfer device has a funnel. A plurality of legs is coupled to a bottom area of the funnel. A plurality of stabilizers is attached to a top area of the funnel for holding a container within the funnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventor: Steven Michael Abbit
  • Patent number: 11162502
    Abstract: An air pump control system includes a first air pump and a second air pump for inflating or deflating an inflatable body; a switching driving device connected to the air pumps for driving the switching between two or more air passages; and an air pressure sensor for detecting an internal air pressure value of the inflatable body, and sending an internal pressure signal to a central control unit, which is connected to the air pumps, the switching driving device, and the air pressure sensor. The central control unit sends a driving signal to the switching driving device to activate the switching between the air passages, and sends an activation or deactivation signal to the air pumps according to the detected internal air pressure value and a pre-set inflating air pressure value, to activate or deactivate the air pumps. An air pump control method is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: BESTWAY INFLATABLES & MATERIAL CORP.
    Inventor: Feng Liu
  • Patent number: 11162641
    Abstract: A nozzle for dispensing fluid includes a probe slidably disposed in a main body. The probe has a probe body defining a check sealing surface and a check void. A check assembly is at least partially disposed in the check void, and includes a check configured to move relative to the main body and the probe body. A spring is configured to bias the check to sealingly engage the check against the check sealing surface of the probe body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Engineered Controls International
    Inventors: Chad Thomas, Howard M. Konishi, Jeffrey S. Howard
  • Patent number: 11161731
    Abstract: A device for opening and closing a urea inlet for a vehicle is configured to close an inlet of a urea filler neck in a push manner and to open the same in a pull manner, preventing a user from touching the vehicle body or peripheral portions when opening and closing the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: June Young Park, Jun Sik Lim, Tae Yoon Lee, Sung Won Lee, Seung Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 11155371
    Abstract: A device for the dosed filling of a container with a filling material has a holding unit for holding the container and a filling unit by which a defined amount of filling material is withdrawn from a material store and transferred into the container. The filling unit has a dosing chamber. The dosing chamber is mounted displaceably alternately between a first position and in a second position. In its first position, the dosing chamber is in contact with the material store so that filling material can be transferred out of the material store into the dosing chamber. In its second position, the dosing chamber is situated above the container so that the filling material in the dosing chamber can be emptied into the container. The material store is in the form of a separate container and can be fastened detachably to the device by a fastening unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: DS-Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Elke Sternberger-Rützel, Philipp Gaus, Michael Röhrle
  • Patent number: 11149906
    Abstract: Valve including a body delimiting an internal fluid withdrawal and possibly fluid filling circuit, the said internal circuit extending between an upstream end configured to be placed in communication with the storage volume of a tank and a downstream end configured to be connected to a user member withdrawing or distributing the pressurized fluid via the internal circuit, the valve (having, placed in series from upstream to downstream in the internal circuit between the upstream end and the downstream end: an upstream valve shutter, an isolation valve shutter and a dust valve shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Antoine Frenal, Denis Muller, Herve Paoli
  • Patent number: 11150009
    Abstract: A water storage device and a refrigerator, the water storage device comprising: a housing having a water inlet end and a water outlet end, and a water distribution plate. The water distribution plate divides a water storage cavity into a water inlet cavity and a water outlet cavity; a gap for allowing water to flow through is provided between the outer edge of the water distribution plate and the inner wall of the housing; when the water distribution plate moves from the water inlet end towards the water outlet end, water entering the water inlet cavity from the water inlet end will not mix with cold water in the water outlet cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaobing Zhu, Yanqing Zhang, Jianjun Xue
  • Patent number: 11148522
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an assembly for a urea tank system. In one example, coaxial tubes including an inner tube and an outer tube are used to separate a urea passage from a gas passage. An angled tube, which extends from a urea tank to a portion of the outer tube downstream of a filler head relative to a direction of urea flow directs gases from the urea tank to the gas passage. This decreases a packaging size of the urea tank system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alpaslan Acar, Mehmet Kalp, Okan Us, Ahmet Kamil Ergan, Bayram Ozdemir
  • Patent number: 11142443
    Abstract: Using a filling point to fill a container with liquid filling-material fed by a supply line through which filling material at a supply-line pressure is made available for filling the containers includes using a control circuit to regulate flow velocity at which filling material flows into the container by opening a liquid valve, opening a regulating valve upstream of the liquid valve, sensing flow velocity of the filling material, comparing the flow velocity with a target flow velocity, and using the regulating valve to regulate the flow velocity such that the flow velocity is independent of a pressure difference between the supply-line pressure and a filling pressure set in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Ludwig Clüsserath
  • Patent number: 11142063
    Abstract: A filler neck (1) for filling an operating substance, such as fuel or AdBlue® or urea, or an additive, such as water, into a vehicle tank by way of a fuel pump nozzle. The filler neck (1) has a filler neck body (2), which can be accommodated in a filler pipe leading to the vehicle tank. The filler neck (1) furthermore has a fuel pump nozzle guide with an insertion section (4) for guiding a fuel pump nozzle, which is accommodated or is to be accommodated in the filler neck body (2), in the direction of the vehicle tank. The filler neck body (2) and the insertion section (4) of the fuel pump nozzle guide are formed together as an integral casting, in particular plastics injection moulding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Julian Klug
  • Patent number: 11136951
    Abstract: In order to provide a gas fueling method capable of suppressing overheating of a tank immediately after a start of fueling, in the gas fueling method, an accumulator and a hydrogen tank are coupled to each other with a gas flow passage. In a main fueling control at and after the timing t2, a sensor-based value MAT of a temperature parameter of a measurement position Q1 is calculated on the basis of a detection value of a first station temperature sensor, and the fueling control is performed on the basis of the sensor-based value MAT. In an initial fueling control at the timing t0 to t2, a prediction value MAT_pred of the temperature parameter is calculated at the timing t2 on the basis of an ambient temperature value, a mass flow rate value, and a heat capacity. The fueling control is performed on the basis of the prediction value MAT_pred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Handa
  • Patent number: 11136972
    Abstract: A repeater system may control a pump by using a repeater and a user interface. An adhesive patch system may be used for affixing a pump or other object to a human body. Such an adhesive patch system may include two sets of adhesive members, each member including an adhesive material on at least one side so as to attach to the body. The members of the first set are spaced to allow the members of the second set to attach to the body in spaces provided between the members of the first set, and the members of the second set are spaced to allow members of the first set to detach from the body without detaching the members of the second set. Also, fill stations and base stations are provided for personal pump systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Dean Kamen, Larry B. Gray, Russell H. Beavis
  • Patent number: 11130476
    Abstract: A system includes a fill station, a vehicle, and a controller. The fill station has a first conduit. The vehicle has a subsystem that includes a second conduit configured to couple with the first conduit to establish a fluid connection between the subsystem and the fill station. The controller is programmed to, in response to a predetermined condition of the subsystem while the first and second conduits are coupled, automatically pump fluid from the fill station into the subsystem via the fluid connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Vargas Linan, Sebastian Pesado Fabrega, Victor Manuel Gutierrez Lopez
  • Patent number: 11130669
    Abstract: Fuel dispenser (100) comprising: a fluid inlet (105IN) for receiving fuel from a fuel source, a fluid outlet (105OUT) and a conduit (110) disposed therebetween; inspection means (152) for inspecting the fuel within the conduit (110), the inspection means (152) being configured to provide an output indicative of a type of fuel in the conduit (110); valve means (120) operable selectively to prevent or allow flow of fluid through the conduit (110) from the fluid inlet (105IN) to the fluid outlet (105OUT); and control means (150) configured automatically to cause the valve means (120) to prevent or allow flow of fuel through the conduit (110) in dependence on the output of the fuel inspection means (152) and permitted fluid information, the permitted fluid information being information indicative of a type of fuel that is to be permitted to flow through the conduit (110), the apparatus (100) comprising an electrical generator (140) configured to generate electrical power to charge a charge storage device in respo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Berrys (Holdings) Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Jacque Williams, Martin Gerard Berry
  • Patent number: 11124409
    Abstract: An automatic shut-off fluid nozzle having a primary fluid path, a vacuum-actuated fluid shut-off assembly in the fluid path, said shut-off shutting off flow through the fluid path when the pressure chamber is subjected to a predetermined vacuum. The nozzle having a venturi port in said fluid path and connected to a vacuum channel, and a vacuum vent extending away from the vacuum channel, said vacuum vent communicating with a low vacuum environment. The nozzle further having a segregated fluid channel in the primary fluid path, the venturi port communicating with said segregated fluid channel, such that the flow of fluid past the venturi port creates a venturi vacuum in the vacuum channel. The vacuum exhausts the vacuum through the vent port when the vent port is in an open condition, and creates a vacuum in the vacuum-actuated fluid shut-off assembly when said vent port is in a closed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: M. CARDER INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Randall A. Carder
  • Patent number: 11122939
    Abstract: A fluid dispenser includes a dispensation conduit and a refill conduit. A refill system includes a refill reservoir and a refill distribution conduit. The refill distribution conduit is configured for selective fluid coupling with the refill conduit to facilitate refilling of the fluid dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: GOJO Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Nick E. Ciavarella, Scott T. Proper, Chin P. Richards, Eric M. Chalko, Aaron D. Marshall, Scott E. Urban, Christopher S. Welsh, Paul R. Metcalfe
  • Patent number: 11104470
    Abstract: A fuel additive bottle has a neck and thread pattern that allows insertion into a capless diesel fuel system so the bottle's contents can be poured by gravity into a fuel tank. The neck of the bottle is elongated and has a diameter of approximately 0.932 inches, and the novel thread pattern includes thread interruptions that form two or four threadless paths. In use, the spring loaded tabs of a capless fuel system are depressed by the threadless path portion of bottle, thereby triggering the self-sealing mechanism to open, so the fluid receiving aperture is exposed. The use of the threadless paths facilitates the safe and easy entry and removal of the bottle from the capless fuel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: William Edward Baker