Patents Examined by Timothy P. Solak
  • Patent number: 10287887
    Abstract: When cold and in the non-coated state, the aerodynamic profile is substantially identical to a nominal profile determined by the Cartesian coordinates X,Y, Zadim given in Table 1, in which the coordinate Zadim is the quotient D/H where D is the distance of the point under consideration from a first reference plane P0 situated at the base of the nominal profile, and H is the height of said profile measured from the first reference plane to a second reference plane P1. The measurements D and H are taken radially relative to the axis of the turbine, while the X coordinate is measured in the axial direction of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Erwan Daniel Botrel, Maxime Didier Delabriere, Daniel Marius Man, Pierre Hervé Marche
  • Patent number: 10288082
    Abstract: A fan assembly includes a drive housing having a shaft opening, a drive mechanism (e.g., an electric motor) positioned in the drive housing and including a fan shaft positioned through the shaft opening, and a fan rotor mounted for rotation with the fan shaft. The fan rotor includes cooling vanes and a cooling plate positioned between the cooling vanes and the shaft opening. Preferably, the cooling plate includes a flat portion adjacent the cooling vanes and a substantially curved portion radially inward of the flat portion to guide air from the drive housing to the cooling vanes. The fan rotor can further include exhaust blades and a back plate between the exhaust blades and the cooling vanes. An air inlet shroud guides air to the exhaust blades, and the fan rotor can further include an inlet venturi plate positioned between the exhaust blades and the air inlet shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Carnes Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas B. Howe
  • Patent number: 10280945
    Abstract: A device for moving air comprising a piezoelectric element attached to a planar body. The planar body is configured to oscillate at a movable end generating an airflow in response to applying alternating electric current to said piezoelectric element. The device further comprises a partial cavity defined by a base plate, a first wall and a second wall which surrounds the movable end of the planar body. The base plate further comprises an opening located proximate to said movable end of the planar body. In operation the air flow generated by the planar body is forced out of the device through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Brian Donnelly, Nicholas Jeffers, Jason Stafford
  • Patent number: 10267331
    Abstract: A liquid pump includes a housing, a motor fixed in the housing, and an impeller driven by the motor. The motor includes a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator. The impeller is connected to a rotor of the motor. The housing includes a guide wall surrounding the stator, and a guide face extending outwardly from an outer surface of the guide wall to guide a liquid flowing to the guide wall to flow in a direction away from the stator, thus ensuring the electrical safety of the liquid pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL AG
    Inventors: Min Li, Zhi Ping Fu, Moola Mallikarjuna Reddy, Kok Ang Chong
  • Patent number: 10260526
    Abstract: An impeller of an axial fan includes a cup-shaped blade support portion configured to cover a rotor holder, and blades in a circumferential direction outside of the blade support portion. Rotation of the impeller generates a downward air flow from the inlet of the axial fan to the outlet of the axial fan. The axial fan includes first and second balance correction portions. The first balance correction portion is located between the blade support portion and the rotor holder. The second balance correction portion is located axially below the first balance correction portion, and is located axially below the rotor holder and a junction of each blade with the blade support portion. The impeller includes a first cone portion located axially below the second balance correction portion. A tangent to a radially outer surface of the first cone portion crosses the second balance correction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryota Hayashida, Tsukasa Takaoka
  • Patent number: 10260495
    Abstract: A piezoelectric blower includes a housing, a vibrating body, and a piezoelectric element. The vibrating body includes a vibration plate, a reinforcing plate, and a restraining plate. The vibrating body forms a columnar blower chamber with the housing while holding the blower chamber therebetween from a thickness direction of the vibration plate. The vibrating body includes an outer peripheral region in contact with an area from the outermost node of pressure vibration in the blower chamber, of nodes of the pressure vibration formed by the bending vibration of the vibrating body, to an outer periphery of the blower chamber, and a center region located in an inner side portion of the outer peripheral region. The restraining plate that restrains the bending vibration of the outer peripheral region is provided in the outer peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sasaki, Kiyoshi Kurihara, Hiroaki Wada, Nobuhira Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10247180
    Abstract: A diaphragm pump having a body including a suction connection and a discharge connection, a suction valve and a discharge valve; a control chamber in which the diaphragm is disposed, and a working chamber located on the side of the diaphragm opposite the control chamber; a control pipe suitable for linking the control chamber to a control connection of the body, the control pipe configured to alternately apply a vacuum and a pressure on the diaphragm; the body includes a housing oriented transversely relative to the control pipe, the housing being open towards the outside at one end, and closed at the other end by a bottom including a suction opening and a discharge opening, the diaphragm being positioned close to the bottom, and held by a cap engaged in the housing, the cap having a recess forming the control chamber, linked to a passage communicating with the control pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: DOSATRON INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Sebastien Furet, Christophe Charriere, Philippe Duquennoy
  • Patent number: 10240605
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for controlling a pump, such as a submersible pump intended for pumping water, including a pump and a separate electronic control unit connected to the pump by an electrical cable. The control unit is adapted to be detachably connected to the pump. The control unit is adapted to allow the pump's power supply to pass through the control unit. An electronic controller is arranged in the pump for controlling at least one of the pump's functions and/or monitoring at least one of the pump's operating conditions. The pump and the control unit are adapted to communicate with each other and transmitting signals, including necessary control and/or monitoring information/data, between each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sulzer Management AG
    Inventors: Niklas Magnusson, Nils Hökby
  • Patent number: 10240590
    Abstract: A fluid flow meter comprising a fluid pump to displace fluid with pumping strokes of one or more pumping stroke types wherein each of the one or more stroke types displaces a known volume of fluid, a sensor functionally associated with a fluid reservoir and adapted to generate a signal indicative of a fluid pumping condition within the fluid reservoir, which fluid reservoir is integral or functionally associated with the pump, and circuitry to trigger one or a sequence of strokes of the pump in response to a signal from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: FIZE RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventor: Noam Levine
  • Patent number: 10233735
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a linear motor (e.g., for an ESP), where the motor's mover moves in a reciprocating motion within a bore of the stator. Hard stops are located at the ends of the bore. The motor has a first set of sensors in the stator positioned proximate to the bore. When the mover moves in the bore, the sensors produce corresponding output signals, except when the mover is in a position near, but not in contact with a hard stop. While the sensors produce output signals, the motor is driven in a first direction toward the hard stop. When the sensors stop producing the output signals, the mover has reached the first position, and the motor is controlled to reverse the direction of the mover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Nathan Etter, David L. Garrett, Gary Williams
  • Patent number: 10233914
    Abstract: A fluid delivery device includes: a first chamber configured to receive fluid from a fluid reservoir; a second chamber configured generate a vacuum therein to apply pressure to the fluid in the first chamber to enable the fluid in the first chamber to be output from the fluid delivery device; and a flow control member configured to allow the fluid in the first chamber to flow through the flow control member into the fluid reservoir at a predetermined flow rate to decrease the vacuum in the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Easy Spray LLC
    Inventors: Pasquale A. Iammatteo, Roman Bicej
  • Patent number: 10227985
    Abstract: A motor-driven centrifugal pump for circulating a coolant in a primary circuit of a nuclear reactor comprises a sealed motor unit, a hydraulic part and a shaft which is immersed in the coolant, turned by the sealed motor unit and pumping the coolant by means of an impeller of the hydraulic part secured to the shaft; the motor unit comprising a dry stator and an immersed rotor mounted securely on the shaft. The motor-driven pump also comprises an immersed flywheel mounted securely on the shaft between the rotor of the motor unit and the impeller of the hydraulic part, allowing a minimum slowing-down time after the electrical power supply is cut; the flywheel comprising a vaned wheel generating a circulation of the coolant to cool the motor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: CLYDE UNION S.A.S.
    Inventors: Stéphane Mauvais, Bruno Soudy, Cécile Bras, Sylvain Stihle, Olivier Caregnato
  • Patent number: 10215180
    Abstract: An electric fan includes a plurality of blades and an electric motor for rotating the blades. The electric motor includes a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about an axis. The rotor includes a backing ring and a diecast rotor can. The can includes a non-machined sidewall that is diecast integrally as part of the rotor can. The sidewall extends about the axis. The rotor can is diecast in an overlying relationship with at least part of the backing ring, with the sidewall and backing ring being securely interengaged so as to restrict relative shifting therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew D. Allen, Michael W. Major
  • Patent number: 10184488
    Abstract: Fan assemblies, and in particular fan wheels and stator assemblies for fan assemblies, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fan wheel includes a wheel back having an outer surface forming one of a curved dome-shape and a truncated cone-shape. The fan wheel may also include a plurality of fan blades radially spaced about and mounted to the outer surface of the wheel back. In one embodiment, each of the fan blades is formed from a segment of an airfoil-shaped aluminum extrusion defining at least one internal cavity. The fan blade first ends can be provided with a compound cut profile with at least one curved cut such that the first end of the blade is mounted flush to the wheel back outer surface. The stator assembly can also be provided with a plurality of stator blades formed from airfoil-shaped aluminum extrusion segments and provided with compound cut profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Greenheck Fan Corporation
    Inventors: Kyle Andrew Brownell, Shamus William Doran, Jared Clyde Wesenick, Kenneth Dean Tucker
  • Patent number: 10184468
    Abstract: A pump housing of a motor vehicle hydraulic unit is disclosed. The pump housing has at least one side surface, at least one main cylinder connection opening, at least one pump element opening and a connecting line which connects the at least one main cylinder connection opening to the at least one pump element opening. The pump housing is designed as a blind bore into the pump housing, and the blind bore of the connecting line extends from the at least one side surface initially through the at least one pump element opening and subsequently into the at least one main cylinder connection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Mayr, Alexander Bareiss, Andreas Weh
  • Patent number: 10180146
    Abstract: An impeller of an axial fan includes a cup-shaped blade support portion configured to cover a rotor holder, and blades in a circumferential direction outside of the blade support portion. Rotation of the impeller generates a downward air flow from the inlet to the outlet. The axial fan includes first and second balance correction portions. The first balance correction portion is located between the blade support portion and the rotor holder. The second balance correction portion is located axially below the first balance correction portion, and is located axially below the rotor holder and a junction of each blade with the blade support portion. The impeller includes a first cone portion located axially below the second balance correction portion, and decreases in diameter with decreasing height. The impeller includes a cylindrical portion including a cylindrical outer circumferential surface and located between the first cone portion and the second balance correction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryota Hayashida, Tsukasa Takaoka
  • Patent number: 10174752
    Abstract: Method and apparatus overcoming gas-lock in reciprocating downhole pumps. On the downstroke of a plunger in a barrel, gassy fluid is compressed in the pump chamber between standing and travelling valves. Downhole plunger movement drags a sleeve over a mandrel for opening a chamber valve to a staging chamber located at a downhole end of the travelling valve for receiving at least a portion of the compressed and gassy fluid therein. On the upstroke, the chamber valve is dragged closed for sealably retaining the compressed gassy fluid therein while drawing an additional increment of fluid through the standing valve into the pump chamber. Continued downstroke and upstroke cycles increases pressure of the compressed gassy fluid in the pump chamber until it exceeds the hydrostatic head above the travelling valve for resumption of normal fluid pumping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Innovative Oilfield Consultants LTD Operating as Conn Pumps
    Inventor: Donald R Downing
  • Patent number: 10151305
    Abstract: A bent-axis machine comprises a housing having a control cover and a piston drum which is rotatably mounted in the housing on a valve plate and which has axial cylinders, each of which receives a piston. An adjustment system includes a pivot cradle via which the piston drum and the valve plate can be pivoted relative to the drive axis about a maximum working range which is delimited by a minimum pivot angle and a maximum pivot angle. The minimum pivot angle of the working range is shifted out of its zero position by at least 5°, and the maximum pivot angle is extended in the same way by at least 5° in order to retain the entire working range about the region left out of the lower region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Erlinger, Harald Thumfart, Robert Finzel
  • Patent number: 10125778
    Abstract: A smoke deflector includes a pole, a handle on a first end of the pole, and a fan assembly mounted on a second end of the pole opposite the handle. A method for using a smoke deflector to blow smoke away from a smoke detector includes the steps of holding the smoke deflector by the handle, adjusting the pole of the smoke deflector to set a desired length, adjusting the fan assembly of the smoke deflector to a desired angle, positioning the fan assembly adjacent to the smoke detector, and turning on the smoke deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Inventor: James E. Harris
  • Patent number: 10119532
    Abstract: A spot-cooling system including an electroactive polymer actuator, an enclosure defining an internal cavity, and a port in the enclosure is described herein. The electroactive polymer actuator may be configured to draw air into the enclosure. The electroactive polymer actuator may be configured to force air from the enclosure. The electroactive polymer actuator may comprise a corrugated electroactive polymer actuator. The electroactive polymer actuator may comprise a plurality of layered electroactive polymer actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haralambos Cordatos, Brian St. Rock