Patents Examined by Timothy L. Maust
  • Patent number: 11857766
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (IO) for manually inserting a plunger-type stopper into a syringe cylinder, comprising a receptacle (18) designed to hold the syringe cylinder; a tubular barrel (30) designed to accommodate the plunger-type stopper in its interior, a holding device (28) designed to hold the barrel, and a moving device (40, 42, 44, 46, 48) designed to move the plunger-type stopper; the holding device (28) having an actuation portion (34) for moving the barrel (30) relative to the plunger-type stopper. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventors: Stefan Brugger, Margit Klotz
  • Patent number: 11858803
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling a fuel delivery system to limit acidic corrosion. An exemplary control system includes a controller, at least one monitor, an output, and a remediation system. The monitor of the control system may collect and analyze data indicative of a corrosive environment in the fuel delivery system. The output of the control system may automatically warn an operator of the fueling station of the corrosive environment so that the operator can take preventative or corrective action. The remediation system of the control system may take at least one corrective action to remediate the corrosive environment in the fuel delivery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Franklin Fueling Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Schultz, James Novak, Bill Nelson, Randall Boucher, Martin Turnidge, George Risch, Todd Breuer
  • Patent number: 11845646
    Abstract: The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein, along with contemplated variants thereof, provide several advantages over known systems for actuating the faucet of a beverage server. In conventional designs, a faucet of a beverage server is provided in the lower portion of a reservoir, such that a beverage from the reservoir is distributed to the spigot through a gravity-driven process. In operation, many of these servers are utilized as service industry coffee servers for restaurants and banquet halls. Employees who are handling the brewing equipment will often place servers used with the brewing equipment directly in a sink for cleaning or filling, such that the base of that sink acts as a horizontal surface. Absent the ability of the lever assembly to fold into an up position, this operation would result in putting unnecessary force on the lever assembly. Accordingly, a multi-position, hands-free actuation system is disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M. Banning, David Helbling
  • Patent number: 11840441
    Abstract: Described herein is a coupling device configured to be mechanically coupled to a cap of a container to be in a coupled configuration. Also described herein are a corresponding method and a corresponding system. In one embodiment, the coupling device is used in combination with a crop protection spray system. The coupling device includes a single probe and a first and a second mechanical mechanism. The first and the second mechanical mechanisms are independent from each other. The first mechanism allows drawing the cap and the container towards the coupling device thereby sealing and locking the cap and the coupling device into a desired position. The second mechanism facilitates actually moving the probe thereby lifting the probe with the closure insert into the container. The coupling device may be embodied as a first, second and third tube which are arranged concentrically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventors: Juan Sasturain, Peter Lischetzki, Robert Huber
  • Patent number: 11834259
    Abstract: A feminine product disposal assembly includes a drum that has a rotatable section for opening and closing the drum. A hatch is positioned within the drum, a garbage bag is positionable on the hatch and the garbage bag drops downwardly in the drum when the hatch is opened. A closure unit is positioned in the drum and the closure unit closes the garbage bag when the closure unit is turned on to enclose the used feminine product in the garbage bag for disposal. The closure unit is disengaged from the garbage bag when the closure unit is turned off to facilitate the garbage bag to receive the used feminine hygiene product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: Kevin Dougherty
  • Patent number: 11834315
    Abstract: A carbonated beverage aseptic filling system (10) comprises: a filling nozzle (72) for filling a carbonated beverage; a carbonated beverage filling tank (75) connected to the filling nozzle (72) via a carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73) and a counter pressure pipe (74); a snift pipe (78) connected to the filling nozzle; and an aseptic chamber (13) enclosing the filling nozzle (72), at least part of the carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73), and at least part of the counter pressure pipe (74). The carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73) and the counter pressure pipe (74) are attached to the aseptic chamber (13) by a rotary joint (77). A discharging valve (79) is provided in the snift pipe (78) inside the aseptic chamber (13), and gas from the snift pipe (78) is discharged into the aseptic chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 11826310
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical mobile machine to produce a sterile dosage pharmaceutical form from non-sterile or sterile ingredients amenable for human dosing and administration, The pharmaceutical machine includes an ingredient combiner module including a mixer to mix active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients and a transfer conduit to transfer the mixed ingredients from the ingredient combiner module. A final product module is operatively connected to the transfer conduit to receive the mixed ingredients from the ingredient combiner module. The final product module includes filling equipment to fill one or more containers to produce the sterile dosage pharmaceutical form. An environment module includes an air purifying system having an outlet operatively connected to the final product module, wherein the air purifying system provides purified air to the final product module through the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventor: Amol S. Matharu
  • Patent number: 11821719
    Abstract: A powder dispensing device is provided including a housing; a hopper sized and shaped to engage the housing to form a reservoir; a first barrel in fluid communication with the reservoir via one or more first apertures and having a first internal diameter; a second barrel in fluid communication with the reservoir via one or more second apertures and having a second internal diameter, wherein the first internal diameter is greater than the second internal diameter; at least one motor coupled to the first barrel and the second barrel, the at least one motor configured to rotate the first barrel and the second barrel; a scale electrically coupled to a scale plate, the scale plate disposed on the housing and below the first barrel and the second barrel; and a user interface in electrical communication with the at least one motor and the scale, the user interface configured to receive a user-input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Bushnell Inc.
    Inventors: William Clark Hemeyer, Joe Dunning
  • Patent number: 11820645
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel dispenser (1) comprising a hose storage space (2) adapted to accommodate at least one fuel hose (3), an electronic compartment (4) containing a main frame control unit (5), and a hydraulic compartment (6) containing fuel dispensing means (22) for dispensing fuel into a vehicle reservoir. According to the invention, the hydraulic control unit (7) is located inside the hydraulic compartment (6) and is electrically connected to the mainframe control unit (5) by a main electric cable means (17). The invention also relates to a method for handling a fuel dispenser (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB
    Inventor: Bengt I. Larsson
  • Patent number: 11820539
    Abstract: A manifold for control of fluid and/or vapor flow between a container and a pump cartridge for a compounder system is provided. One or more manifolds may be disposed in a magazine configured to secure and align the manifolds with a plurality of ports in the cartridge. Each manifold may include a needle having forward and rear openings to a central bore. A needle housing may include a slot configured to receive a push rod for actuating the needle forward and backward. In a forward, engaged position, the openings in the needle may be disposed on opposite sides of a sealing member of the manifold to form a fluid pathway through the manifold. In a rearward, disengaged position, both the forward and rear openings in the needle may be disposed on the same side of the sealing member to prevent fluid and vapor from flowing through the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CAREFUSION 303, INC.
    Inventors: Ray P. Feith, Vincent Fuji Wang, Neil Quitoviera, George Michael Mansour, Christopher J. Zollinger, Matthew Quach
  • Patent number: 11812839
    Abstract: Dispensing packages for a spreadable personal care product and its respective methods for dispensing a spreadable personal care product. The dispensing package comprises a reusable dispenser, a replaceable cartridge and optionally a top cap. The reusable dispenser comprises a tubular body and a telescopic actuator. The reusable dispenser comprises a locking ring removably engaged with the tubular body of the reusable dispenser to secure the replaceable cartridge within the tubular body of the reusable dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel David Thulin, Matthew Corey Cataudella, Mitchell Edwin Messenger, Nathan Daniel Grubbs
  • Patent number: 11814282
    Abstract: A flow control valve is provided including a valve aperture in a valve body configured to convey fuel from an inlet to an outlet, a valve element configured to close the valve aperture to block flow of the fuel, a valve actuator configured to shift the position of the valve element between a closed position and an open position, and an antifraud circuit. The antifraud circuit is configured to receive a signal to open the flow control valve, determine if the signal is legitimate based on a signal characteristic, cause the flow control valve to shift to the open position in response to determining that the signal is legitimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Gilbarco Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Daniel Long
  • Patent number: 11801956
    Abstract: A filling unit to fill a container, in particular a cartridge, with a liquid product of the pharmaceutical industry having: a dosing head, which is arranged in a filling station and is designed to feed a quantity of product into the container through an open upper end of the container; a capping device, which is arranged in a capping station and is designed to insert a closing element into the container and through the open upper end of the container; and a sucking device which is arranged in a degasification station located between the filling station and the capping station, is designed to engage the open upper end of the container in a sealing manner, and is designed to generate a depression inside the container in an upper volume, which is not occupied by the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: G.D SOCIETA' PER AZIONI
    Inventors: Paolo Degliesposti, Luca Testoni, Mirco Legnani, Luca Federici
  • Patent number: 11802039
    Abstract: A system and method for dispensing a beverage includes the detection of a presence of a cup underneath a nozzle, and in response to the detected presence of the cup, a target fill height is calculated. The controller operates to begin a dispense of a beverage into the cup. A beverage fill height determined and compared to a target fill height. When the beverage fill height exceeds the target fill height, the controller operates to stop dispensing the beverage into the cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Marmon Foodservice Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James Bendig
  • Patent number: 11801993
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to a dispensing system comprising an upper chamber capable of receiving a bulk material to be dispensed, a first set of finned shafts positioned within the upper chamber and capable of feeding bulk material into a lower chamber, and a second set of finned shafts positioned within the lower chamber and capable of dispensing a controlled dose of bulk material from the lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ABC POLYMER INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Randy Reed, Dean Leader, Timothy Hartsell, Denzil Schmitz, Dylan Quick, John Cook, Matt Moody, Arnar Thors
  • Patent number: 11796135
    Abstract: A receptacle includes a main body, a stem, a poppet connected to the stem and defining an inner check void, a spring configured to bias the poppet to a closed poppet position, and a check assembly at least partially disposed in the inner check void. The check assembly includes a check and a check spring. The check is configured to move relative to the main body. The check spring is configured to bias the check toward a closed check position. The check has a first surface area and the poppet has a second surface area that is larger than the first surface area of the poppet such that a fluid force causes the check to move to an open check position before causing the poppet to move to an open poppet position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Engineered Controls International, LLC
    Inventors: Chad Thomas, Howard M. Konishi, Jeffrey S. Howard
  • Patent number: 11795050
    Abstract: The device for pumping products from a pumping area (2) to an enclosure (3) comprises two tanks, a transfer system (8) which generates a suction of the products from the pumping area (2) to the tanks (4A, 4B) and a transfer of the non-gaseous products from the tanks (4A, 4B) to the enclosure (3), valves (3A, 3B, 3D, 3D, 3I, 4C, 4D, 4I, 4J) to, alternately, allow or block the communication from one tank (4A, 4B) to the pumping area (2) and a communication from the other tank (4A, 4B) to the enclosure (3), and a control system (25). The transfer system (8) comprises a suction unit (13) provided with hydro-ejectors (13A, 13B) connected to each tank (4A, 4B) and generating the suction of the products and a transfer unit (20) provided with a pump connected to the tanks (4A, 4B) to transfer non-gaseous products to the enclosure (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ORTEC EXPANSION
    Inventor: Daniel Rivard
  • Patent number: 11796133
    Abstract: An automatic obstruction device for closing a filling circuit for filling a tank with fluid includes: a movable element movable between a non-obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the movable element offers resistance to the fluid compatible with the filling of the tank, and an obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the movable offers a resistance to the fluid that is incompatible with the filling of the tank; a holding element of the movable element holding the movable element in the non-obstruction position, and allowing movement of the movable element toward the obstruction position; and a first device of non-reversible movement or of non-reversible modification of the holding element allowing movement of the movable element toward the obstruction position, and being controllable by a control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: PLASTIC OMNIUM NEW ENERGIES FRANCE
    Inventors: Ronan Bellec, Nicolas Hubatzeck, Ammar Aryan, Bjorn Criel
  • Patent number: 11788787
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an outer case, an inner case configured to define a storage space, an insulation material between the outer case and the inner case, a tank provided inside the storage space to store liquid, a rear guide provided at a rear through which a supply tube configured to supply liquid to the tank passes, a dispenser provided inside of the storage space to dispense liquid from the tank, and a tube guide embedded in the insulation material between the inner case and the outer case to define a passage through which a discharge tube configured to connect the tank to the dispenser passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Taehoon Choi
  • Patent number: 11780722
    Abstract: An autofill pitcher system is provided that includes a removable pitcher, a dispenser, and a controller. The removable pitcher includes a magnet supported for rotation between a first position and a second position. The controller is configured to open a valve in the dispenser to direct water to the pitcher when a sensor in the dispenser detects the magnet and close the valve when the sensor does not detect the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis A. Wantland, Lokesha Kodigenhalli Chinnappa Reddy