Patents Examined by Timothy P. Solak
  • Methods and apparatus to determine operating parameters of a pumping unit for use with wells
    Patent number: 10094371
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine operating parameters of a pumping unit for use with wells are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a housing and a processor positioned in the housing. The processor is to determine a rate at which to operate a motor of a pumping unit to enable a load imparted on a polished rod of the pumping unit to be within a threshold of a reference load or to enable a speed of the polished rod to be within a threshold of a reference speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: BRISTOL, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Matthew Mills
  • Electric pump having plastic circuit housing
    Patent number: 10077781
    Abstract: A metal pump housing includes a shaft support hole for supporting a middle part of a rotary shaft. The rotary shaft includes a first end on which a pump operating portion is provided and a second end on which a motor rotor is provided. A metal motor case is fixed to a part of the pump housing that is at a side of the second end. The motor case accommodates a motor section including a motor stator and a motor rotor. A plastic circuit case member is fixed to a part of the motor case that is opposite to the part to which the pump housing is fixed. A circuit substrate for controlling the motor section is fixed to the circuit case member and is separate from the motor case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Irie, Toshihiro Matsuura, Hiroki Ozaki
  • Submersible water circulation system for enclosed tanks
    Patent number: 10054124
    Abstract: A submersible, water circulation system for enclosed tanks such as used by municipalities, fire districts, and industries. The system includes a driving unit having a shell extending along an axis with a pump supported within the shell. The shell has at least one inlet and at least one outlet and is positionable on the floor of the tank with the outlet facing upwardly. The upwardly facing outlet is preferably a thin, upwardly facing, elongated slot and creates a thin, substantially planar discharge of water therethrough that is directed upwardly toward the surface of the body of water. The substantially planar discharge presents a very large surface area for its volume and induces water adjacent the outside of the shell of the driving unit to move upwardly with it toward the surface of the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Medora Environmental, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas P. Walter, Joel J. Bleth, Willard R. Tormaschy, Corey M. Simnioniw, Jonathan L. Zent
  • Control valve for a variable displacement compressor
    Patent number: 9651037
    Abstract: A control valve according to an embodiment includes a body having a valve hole and a guiding passage formed coaxially with the valve hole, an actuating rod, slidably supported along the guiding passage, which is provided with a valve element, a solenoid for applying the solenoidal force in an opening or closing direction of a valve section to the valve element via the actuating rod, and a seal section, provided between the actuating rod and the guiding passage, which houses a sealing member for restricting the leakage of refrigerant from a high pressure side to a low pressure side. The actuating rod and the guiding passage are configured such that the clearance, between the actuating rod and the guiding passage, which is at a higher-pressure side of the seal section is larger than the clearance which is at a lower-pressure side of the seal section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TGK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Sakakibara, Takashi Kobayashi, Michiyoshi Miyazaki, Kotaka Tamotsu, Satoshi Shimazaki
  • Cooling passages for turbine buckets of a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 9567859
    Abstract: A turbine bucket may include a platform, an airfoil extending radially from the platform, and a number of cooling passages defined within the airfoil and near an outer surface of the airfoil. Each of the cooling passages may include a radially inner portion having a first cross-sectional area and at least one radially outer portion having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first cross-sectional area may be greater than the second cross-sectional area. A method of cooling a turbine bucket used in a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Oil flooded compressor having motor operated temperature controlled mixing valve
    Patent number: 9518579
    Abstract: A thermal control valve for use in a lubricant flooded compressor system including a controller that generates a control signal includes a valve body including a hot coolant inlet, a cooled coolant inlet, a mixed coolant outlet, an actuator space, and a cylinder bore. A sleeve is positioned within the cylinder bore and is movable between a first position, a second position, and a third position, and an electrical actuator is at least partially disposed within the actuator space and is operable in response to the control signal to move the sleeve between the first position, the second position, and the third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul A. Scarpinato, Sudhir Sreedharan, James D. Mehaffey, Paul A. Kirkpatrick
  • Hydraulically driven cooling fan responsive to engine load
    Patent number: 9512831
    Abstract: A hydraulic fan drive for a cooling system of an internal combustion engine, in particular a diesel engine of a mobile working machine or a construction machine, is configured to be switched off for a short time or by way of a transition in dependence on a load of the internal combustion engine. A shut-off valve, which is arranged in a working line connecting a variable-displacement pump to a fan motor, is configured to switch off the fan drive. The fan drive is further configured to be switched off by rotational speed monitoring of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Egon Rill
  • Axially balancing a turbine using low temperature exhaust
    Patent number: 9488051
    Abstract: A single-flow turbine using CO2 as a working fluid. The turbine includes a balance piston portion configured to optimize an axial load of a rotor on a bearing with a fluid having a temperature lower than a temperature of the working fluid introduced into the turbine, wherein a flow path in which at least a part of the fluid passing through the balance piston portion is extracted from a middle part of the passing, and in which at least a part of the extracted fluid is urged to flow to a middle part of a passage where the working fluid passes and where rotor blades at a plurality of stages are provided, is formed at the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hideyuki Maeda, Tsuguhisa Tashima, Shogo Iwai, Nobuhiro Okizono, Iwataro Sato, Kazutaka Tsuruta, Naoyuki Okamura
  • Submersible electrical well pump having nonconcentric housings
    Patent number: 9482232
    Abstract: A pump includes at least one pump section. The pump section has a center line and comprises at least two pump steps. The pump steps have a center line and each pump step comprising a motor and one or more pump stages. The at least one pump section includes an outer casing enclosing one or more inner casings. The outer casing forms an enclosure round the pump section and has a larger diameter than the inner casings. The inner casings form an enclosure round the at least two pump steps. The center line of the pump section is displaced relative to the center line of the pump steps, thereby forming an annulus between the outer casing and the inner casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Norali AS
    Inventor: Gunnar Andersen
  • Die-cast diffuser for a turbocharger
    Patent number: 9482239
    Abstract: A compressor housing of an exhaust-gas turbocharger is formed as a pressure-die-cast housing to achieve cost reduction in relation to permanent-mold-cast housings. Since it is not possible in a pressure-die-cast housing to realize round transitions of the spiral in the direction of the housing rear side because this would prevent removal from a mold, the bearing-housing-side diffuser wall is formed as a separate component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Lischer
  • Appliance pump with angled flow path and axial flow impeller
    Patent number: 9476424
    Abstract: A household appliance includes a tub, in which a liquid is at least temporarily contained, and a pump assembly for effecting liquid flow within the tub. The pump assembly includes a housing including an integrally formed flow path portion defining an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path extending between and interconnecting the inlet and the outlet. The flow path portion defines a turn, such that part of the flow path extends in a direction oriented at an angle relative to the inlet axis. The pump assembly includes a rotatable impeller. The impeller includes a plurality of blades extending at least substantially radially from the impeller axis and configured to propel a fluid at least substantially axially thereby. The impeller is positioned in the flow path adjacent the inlet such that the impeller axis and the inlet axis are at least substantially parallel or at least substantially aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Jason A. Richter, William D. Moore, Joshua M. Biro
  • Electric motor having segmented stator windings
    Patent number: 9470238
    Abstract: A turbocompressor system including a high speed motor (10) including a rotor (12) mounted in a rotative manner relative to the stator, wherein on the rotor (12) one or more impellers (11) are directly fixed, the stator including active motor structures and a shell (7), including a ferromagnetic stator core (6) and a winding being constructed as toroidally wound coils (5), the shell (7) is constructed in such a manner as to create additional open space between the stator core (6) and the shell (7), constituting a cooling channel (15) through which process gas is passed axially for directly cooling the active motor structures and the rotor (12), prior to compression by the one or more impellers (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: ATLAS COPCO AIRPOWER, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP
    Inventors: Hans Vande Sande, Cornelis Theodorus Philippi, Uwe Pahner
  • Low ice pneumatic motor exhaust muffler
    Patent number: 9464630
    Abstract: A muffler for a positive displacement pneumatic motor includes a case, an inlet, a diffuser, a pathway, and sound absorbing material. The inlet and the diffuser are attached to the case. The pathway extends between the inlet and the diffuser and allows ice to travel through the muffler. The sound absorbing material is positioned in the pathway and includes more than one duct through which gas passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Graco Minnesota Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy S. Roman, Adam K. Collins
  • Method for controlling variable displacement pump
    Patent number: 9429152
    Abstract: A method for controlling a variable displacement pump by calculation by a controller using a closed-center-type directional control valve, the method allowing effective utilization of the variable displacement pump while avoiding the risk of engine stall is provided. The method includes determining a first virtual discharge pressure and a second virtual discharge pressure. The method includes controlling the variable displacement pump based on a smaller value of the first virtual discharge pressure and the second virtual discharge pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Bosch Rexroth Corporation
    Inventor: Kenpei Yamaji
  • Ultrasonic fluid pressure generator
    Patent number: 9410542
    Abstract: An ultrasonic fluid pressure generator for generating high pressure head in a fluid. The ultrasonic fluid pressure generator comprises a transducer comprising a piezoelectric actuator and a displacement amplifier, the displacement amplifier having a fluid channel therethrough, the displacement amplifier being connected to the piezoelectric actuator at one end and having a free vibrating tip at another end; a reflecting condenser disposed at the vibrating tip of the displacement amplifier to form a gap between the vibrating tip and a reflecting surface of the reflecting condenser; and a casing configured for establishing a standing wave in the fluid contained within the casing, the transducer and the reflecting condenser being at least in part within the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Freddy Yin Chiang Boey, Jan Ma, Tao Li
  • Cooling fan with variable blade surface area
    Patent number: 9410557
    Abstract: A fan module including a first fan, a second fan and an actuator is provided. The first fan has a first pivot portion and a plurality of first fan blades. Each first fan blade has a first blade face. The second fan has a second pivot portion and a plurality of second fan blades corresponding to the first fan blades. Each second fan blade has a second blade face. The second pivot portion is slidably disposed at a containing cavity of the first pivot portion. The actuator is adapted to drive the first fan to rotate. The first fan is adapted to drive the second fan to rotate. When the second pivot portion protrudes out of the containing cavity, a part of each of the second blade faces does not overlap with the corresponding first blade face along a direction perpendicular to the corresponding first blade face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Chun-Chih Kuo, Che-Wei Lin
  • Electric device including an electric fan and a control unit for controlling the electric fan
    Patent number: 9377026
    Abstract: An electric device has a casing with an air-inlet and an air-outlet, a main unit disposed inside the casing, a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the casing, a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the casing, an electric fan, and a control unit. The control unit rotates the electric fan at the time of the low-temperature startup such that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is lower than a preset first threshold value, while the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Kumiko Suzuki, Jun Yokoyama
  • Opposing offset fluid end bores
    Patent number: 9377019
    Abstract: A plunger pump fluid end housing in which the access, suction, and discharge bores within each fluid chamber are offset from the plunger bores. The plunger bore centerline being fixed by the spacing in the pump power end section. The access, suction, and discharge bores in the outside fluid chambers of the pump are offset toward the center of the fluid end. The direction of the offset of the outside fluid chambers opposes the direction of offset of the opposite outside fluid chambers. A special access bore plug with asymmetrical integral spacers is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventor: George H Blume
  • Fuel tank arrangements for self-priming floating pumps
    Patent number: 9371825
    Abstract: An auxiliary fuel tank for portable self-priming floating pumps is configured to float independently of the pump while being retained therewith. The tank features an annular shape having a central opening that is sized to accommodate receipt of the pump, whereby the tank fits around the pump so as to move therewith over the body of water in which the pump is deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Gary W. Zaremba
  • System and method for reducing loads acting on a wind turbine in response to transient wind conditions
    Patent number: 9366230
    Abstract: A method for reducing loads acting on a wind turbine in response to transient wind conditions may generally include determining an actual value for a blade parameter of a rotor blade of the wind turbine using a first sensor associated with the rotor blade, monitoring a secondary operating parameter of the wind turbine using a second sensor, determining a predicted value for the blade parameter based on the secondary operating parameter, comparing the actual value to the predicted value and performing a corrective action to reduce the loads acting on the wind turbine if the actual value differs from the predicted value by at least a differential threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Franklin Perley, Brandon Shane Gerber, Rahul Rastogi