Patents Examined by Truong Phan
  • Patent number: 9777542
    Abstract: An automatic drilling fluid property analyzer including a housing having an inlet and an outlet; at least one valve disposed proximate the inlet and configured to open and close to provide a sample of fluid into the housing; an electronic control module configured to send a signal to the at least one valve; a probe assembly operatively coupled to the electronic control module, the probe assembly including an electrode probe having two electrodes and a probe gap therebetween; a viscometer sleeve disposed in the housing; a bob disposed in the sleeve, wherein an annulus is formed between the viscometer sleeve and the bob, and wherein at least one of the viscometer sleeve and the bob is configured to rotate, a motor operatively coupled to at least one of the viscometer sleeve and the bob; and a torque measuring device operatively coupled to the viscometer sleeve and the bob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER NORGE AS
    Inventors: Tore Stock, Egil Ronaes, Thomas Hilton
  • Patent number: 9765802
    Abstract: A pressure measurement device in a tube (30) of a hydraulic circuit is disclosed, comprising a metal collar (2) provided with n (?3) contact stops (22, 24, 26) made of an electrically insulating material, designed to come into contact with the wall of said tube, preventing the metal of the collar coming into contact with this wall, one of the contact stops (22) comprising a passage (22?) that will connect the atmosphere inside said tube with pressure measurement means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Luc Gros D'Aillon, Jil Gueguen, Fabrice Francois
  • Patent number: 9764251
    Abstract: A supercritical fluid chromatography system is provided with an injection valve subsystem for introducing a sample into a flow of mobile phase fluid. The injection valve subsystem includes an auxiliary valve and an inject valve. The operations of the auxiliary and inject valves are coordinated in such a manner as to reduce sample carry-over and system pressure perturbations occurring during sample injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Emily J. Berg, Joshua A. Shreve, James E. Usowicz, Douglas P. Wittmer, Aaron Lebeau
  • Patent number: 9766193
    Abstract: A liquid concentration detecting device including a first substrate, a first temperature sensing element and a concentration sensor is provided. The first temperature sensing element and the concentration sensor are respectively disposed on opposite first surface and second surface of the first substrate. The concentration sensor includes a second substrate, a porous element, a heating element and a second temperature sensing element. The second substrate is disposed above the second surface. A portion of the liquid flows into the concentration sensor through the porous element, and the heating element heats the liquid in the concentration sensor. The second temperature sensing element measures the temperature variation of the liquid in the concentration sensor. The measured temperature and the temperature variation are compared to deduce a concentration of the liquid under detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute, QIAN JUN TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Liu, Kuo-Chuang Chiu, Hung Tien, Shiou-Lan Hu, Yeh-Chyang Huang
  • Patent number: 9752919
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid level detection device which is configured so that an arm can be easily mounted to a holder after the holder is pivotably mounted using a cover and a main body portion. An end of a float arm is bent at a substantially right angle, and the end side of the float arm is defined as a first end portion. The portion of the float arm which is located closer to the center of the float arm than the first end portion is defined as a second end portion. A first arm mounting portion to which the first end portion is affixed and second arm mounting portions to which the second end portion is affixed are provided to a holder. A stopper for restricting the pivot range of the holder is provided to a main body portion. A first stopper which comes into contact with the stopper is provided to the holder. The first arm mounting portion and the first stopper are provided on a line passing through the pivot axis of the holder and perpendicular to the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iryo, Yoshiyuki Shimazaki
  • Patent number: 9702773
    Abstract: A battery pack with a drain plug and a circuit to detect when a liquid coolant has entered the battery pack. A soluble plug may be disposed within the cavity of the carrier; the soluble plug is configured to at least partially dissolve when fluidly coupled with a coolant allowing a portion of the coolant to flow between the inlet and the outlet and out of the battery pack. A strain gauge cooperative with the carrier such that a measured resistance change in the strain gauge corresponds to the soluble plug in contact with the liquid coolant. An associated circuit with the drain plug provides notification of the activation of the drain plug to the on-board computer systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Namou, Mahmoud H. Abd Elhamid, Herman K. Phlegm, Milind S. Gandhi, Andrew C. Brenz
  • Patent number: 9683524
    Abstract: A filter element is accommodated in a filter case. A housing is affixed to the filter case. A partition plate is located between the filter case and the housing. A switching valve is equipped in the housing. The switching valve includes a solenoid actuator, a valve, and a valve seat member. A vibration transmission member is located on one side in a driving direction of the valve relative to the valve seat member. The vibration transmission member is in contact with the switching valve at one end and is in contact with the partition plate at the other end. The vibration transmission member transmits oscillation, which is caused when the valve is seated on the valve seat, to the filter element through the partition plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosei Takagi, Shigeru Hasegawa, Tomohiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 9683962
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for monitoring particles in a channel (11) or a space comprising aerosol and to an ion trap arrangement in the apparatus. The apparatus (1) comprises an ejector (24), gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) arranged to feed an essentially particle free ionized gas flow (C) to the ejector (24), a sample-inlet arrangement (2) arranged to provide a sample aerosol flow (A) from the channel (11) into the ejector (24) by means of suction provided by the gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) and the ejector (24) for charging at least a fraction of the particles of the sample aerosol flow (A), and an ion trap (12) extending at least partly into ejector (24) for removing ions not attached to the particles. According to the invention the ion trap (12) is a provided as a metal trap wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Pegasor Oy
    Inventor: Kauko Janka
  • Patent number: 9677965
    Abstract: A pressure gauge of which the presence or absence of a measurement error can be easily checked is provided. A pressure gauge includes: a piston; a first conversion mechanism converting a linear motion of the piston against an elastic force of a spring into a rotating motion about a first rotation shaft, the linear motion being caused by the pressure transmitted from a target to be measured; an index that is fixed to one end side of the first rotation shaft; a dial; momentum detecting means for detecting momentum indicating an amount of movement of the piston; and a pressure sensor measuring a pressure value or the pressure acting on the internal space of the cylinder. Determining means determines whether a difference between a first measurement value and a second measurement value exceeds a predetermined value, the first measurement, value being estimated from the momentum detected toy the momentum detecting means, the second measurement value being measured by the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: ASAHI INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Sahara, Kazuaki Shimbo
  • Patent number: 9638617
    Abstract: Micro-electromechanical device for measuring the viscosity of a fluid, comprises a measuring chamber with a micromechanical actuator, arranged as a cantilever above a metallically conductive counter electrode, elastically deformable towards the counter electrode, surrounded by the fluid to be measured and made of a metallically conductive material, a two-terminal RF voltage source that can be switched off, having a first output terminal connected to the actuator, and a second output terminal connected to the counter electrode, and which is designed to output an RF voltage signal that is suitable for deflecting the actuator out of its rest position, and a measuring device to detect a change in the frequency, amplitude or phase of the RF signal in order to determine a measurement value for the viscosity-dependent speed at which the actuator is deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: IHP GMBH—INNOVATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICS/LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INNOVATIVE MIKROELEKTRONIK
    Inventors: Mario Birkholz, Jurgen Drews, Karl-Ernst Ehwald, Dieter Genschow, Ulrich Haak, Philip Kulse, Egbert Matthus, Katrin Schulz, Wolfgang Winkler, Dirk Wolansky, Marlen Frohlich
  • Patent number: 9625357
    Abstract: The invention discloses a disposable cartridge for preparing a sample fluid containing cells for analysis. The cartridge comprises one or more parallel preparation units, each preparation unit comprises one or more chambers enclosed between seals and connected in series. Each chamber is configured for receiving an input fluid, performing a procedure affecting the fluid thereby generating an output fluid, and releasing the output fluid. A first chamber of the one or more chambers is a pressable chamber coupled to a first opening, while a last chamber of the one or more chambers is coupled to a second opening. The input fluid of the first chamber is the sample fluid. The one or more preparation units are coupleable to a compartment for performing analysis of the respective output fluids convey able via the second openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: PIXCELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Avishay Bransky, Liron Shlomo
  • Patent number: 9599501
    Abstract: A hematology instrument with liquid level detection for liquid in a container is provided. The hematology instrument includes a probe disposed next to a container site. The probe is displaceable relative to the container site to enter a container when positioned at the container site. Further, the probe is electrically grounded. The hematology instrument includes a capacitive sensor having at least one capacitive electrode disposed next to the container site. The capacitive sensor also has a detection module to detect capacitive changes at the at least one capacitive electrode when the probe contacts liquid in the container. The hematology instrument also includes a calibration module configured to calibrate the capacitive sensor a plurality of times as the probe displaces relative to the container site to enter the container. Kits and methods related thereto are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
    Inventor: Hidesuke Kokawa
  • Patent number: 9598741
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring the liquid-metal surface level (13) and the slag surface level (14) in the crucible (1) of a metallurgical shaft furnace comprising the following steps: measuring, at one or more points on the external wall (2) of the crucible, the following variables: the circumferential strain in said external wall (2) by means of a number of strain-gauge sensors (6) fixed to the armor (4) of the external wall (2) of the crucible; and the temperature of said external wall (2) by means of one or more temperature sensors (7) fixed to the armor (4) of the external wall (2) of the crucible; introducing said variables measured at a number of points on the external wall of the crucible into the general equation governing circumferential strain, the solution of which is analytical, and which contains two unknowns, the liquid metal level and the overall liquid metal/slag level, considering set parameters; and solving said equation and obtaining an analytical solution giving th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques asbl—Centrum voor Research in de Metallurgie vzw
    Inventors: Claudio Ojeda Arroyo, Frédéric Durieu, Eric Esser
  • Patent number: 9588088
    Abstract: In a gas sample analysis device including a metering tube, sample gas supply channel, carrier gas supply channel, evacuation channel and collection tube, there is provided a first channel switching valve which switches between a load state in which the metering tube is interposed between said sample gas supply channel and the evacuation channel and an injection state in which the metering tube is interposed between the sample gas supply channel and gas analysis device; and a second channel switching valve which, in the load state or injection state, switches between a collection tube interposition state in which the collection tube is interposed between the sample gas supply channel and the metering tube or between the metering tube and the gas analysis device, and a collection tube shunt state in which the collection tube is not interposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Aono
  • Patent number: 9581534
    Abstract: A test apparatus and methods of measuring wear of a material with a laser displacement measurement apparatus based upon displacement of a test sample of the material or the wear of a testing surface and a specimen. A lubricant test method and apparatus measures the thickness of a lubricant film between two test surfaces by comparing the location of the test surfaces at rest and dynamically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TRIBIS ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Robert C. Adams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9568308
    Abstract: A calibration standard includes a base and an outside measurement gage block disposed in a recess of the base such that edges and calibration surfaces of the outside measurement gage block are protected by the base and allow access to the calibration surfaces by a caliper. A method for calibrating calipers using the calibration standard is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Douglas J. Christiansen
  • Patent number: 9546897
    Abstract: A modular and reversible manifold assembly for a pump calibration gauge. The assembly includes a tubular body having a first end and an opposed second end. A first inlet connection extends substantially perpendicular to the tubular body. A gauge connection on the first end of the tubular body is provided for connection to a pump calibration gauge. A pump connection on the second end of the tubular body is provided for connection to a metering pump. A second inlet connection extends substantially perpendicular to the tubular body opposed to the first inlet connection wherein either the first or second inlet connection is connected to a liquid storage tank or another modular and reversible manifold assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Kenco International, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Darrell Miller
  • Patent number: 9527087
    Abstract: A real-time monitoring system to monitor the wearing in the thickness of the ribs (5) of a grate (1) of a SAG mill (9) due to the abrasive action of the ore pulp residing inside the mill and due to the action of the grinding elements during the operation, and which in certain cases also generates obstruction of the slots (4) due to the jamming of said grinding elements inside the slots (4) while the mill is running, and said grate (1) has a screening surface (2) that includes a pulp lifter (3) and an external surface (7) that is not exposed to impacts, and also includes a central trough (6) where the supporting elements fit and which allow securing the grate inside the mill through fitting bolts (12), wherein said system includes: a sensor (16) located on the external surface (7), and said sensor (16) is connected to a sensor adaptor unit (17); a wireless transmitter (18) connected to said sensor (16), and said transmitter transmits the signal from the sensor (16); a wireless receiver (20) receiving the signa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Inventors: Luis Magne, Gilda Titichoca, Eduardo Altamirano, German Sepulveda, Marcelo Vasquez
  • Patent number: 9523623
    Abstract: Methods of testing a honeycomb filter include the step of maintaining an average temperature of the honeycomb filter and/or fog within a range of from about 10° C. to about 30° C. and flowing a fog with moisture droplets into the honeycomb network of channels at the first end portion of the honeycomb filter, the fog including a relative humidity of at least 80%. In further examples, the moisture droplets include a mean droplet size of from about 1 micron to about 25 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Aisha Price Blanchard, Julie Charmaine Frey, Patrick Michael Gargano, Ameya Joshi, Konstantin Vladimirovich Khodosevich, William Paul Ryszytiwskyj, John Paul Bir Singh
  • Patent number: 9518891
    Abstract: Testing methods and equipment are provided for fast, non-destructive testing of the quality of seal and/or integrity of a package. According to certain embodiments, dynamic impact characterization is used to determine whether a loss of pressure due to a leak in the package occurs. The methods and equipment can be used in-line with product packaging processes. According to one embodiment, an initial pressure is applied to a package under test. A region of the package is impacted with a force sufficient to create a disturbance to the package while not destroying the package by using an impacting rod. Force sensors/transducers contact with the package and spaced a distance away from the impact region of the package detect a force signature from the impact. The existence of a leak is determined by evaluating the force signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ghatu Subhash, Bruce A. Welt