Patents Examined by Umashankar Venkatesan
  • Patent number: 11365553
    Abstract: A system for limiting the flow from a dispensing valve when a dispensing cartridge is replaced with the system including a dispenser cartridge with a cam and a water socket with a flow limiter therein that is activeable in response to the position of the dispenser cartridge in the dispensing valve and operable in response to an upstream fluid pressure in the dispensing valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KING TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph King, Jeffrey Johnson, Paul Freeberg, David Guy, Terry Goeman, Kenneth V. Schomburg
  • Patent number: 11365772
    Abstract: A hydraulic control device with a pressure control valve that has a control piston and a modulating piston which can move relative to one another. The control piston and the modulating piston are pushed apart from one another by at least one spring. At one end face of the modulating piston there is arranged a pressure chamber in such a manner that when the pressure chamber is filled, the modulating piston is caused to move in the direction toward the control piston. The pressure chamber can be filled by a first volume flow Q1 of a pressure medium. A venting line, with at least one further throttle, is connected to the pressure chamber. A second volume flow Q2 can be discharged, via the venting line, from the pressure chamber. The hydraulic control device can be utilized in a marine transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Fridrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Michael Stamml
  • Patent number: 11359741
    Abstract: A valve drive includes a housing in which a valve actuator with a dielectric elastomer transducer is arranged. A first end of the valve actuator is coupled to an actuating part for actuating a valve element and a second end of the valve actuator is coupled to a holding part, which is mounted in the housing via an adjusting device for adjusting a mechanical pretension of the dielectric elastomer transducer. The adjusting device comprises a single adjusting screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: BUERKERT WERKE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Micah Hodgins
  • Patent number: 11359742
    Abstract: A pressure reducing valve and a method for operating the pressure reducing valve. The pressure reducing valve may be used in a potable water system. The pressure reducing valve can be used for gaseous media and liquid media. Preferably, the pressure reducing valve is intended for use with liquid media, most preferably for potable water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Pittway Sarl
    Inventor: Dominik Ernst
  • Patent number: 11353136
    Abstract: In various implementations, an electronic actuator may be coupled to a valve to provide the ability to shut off anhydrous ammonia flow through the valve (e.g., in emergencies). The valve may be coupled to anhydrous ammonia tanks, such as nurse tanks and/or storage tanks. The electronic actuator may include a handle and a bracket. The handle and the bracket may include at least two attractive components that are magnetically attracted to each other upon application of an electric current and the valve may be open. When the electric current is cut, the attractive components of the handle and the bracket may not be magnetically attracted to each other and the valve may be shut off. A controller (e.g., a switch) may be coupled to the electronic actuator to allow control of the electric signal to the electronic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Squibb Taylor, Inc.
    Inventors: William Henry Sands, III, William Henry Sands, Jr., Brently Craig Wilkerson, Patrick Lee Hodges, William Browning Washington, IV, Jack Jay Potts
  • Patent number: 11353126
    Abstract: A valve core with a flow-through rod, has a valve seat, a valve shell, a certain valve plate, a movable valve plate, a valve plate, a connecting piece, a flow penetrating rod, a blocking piece and a detent structure, wherein the detent structure is used for stopping reciprocating actuation of the blocking piece, so that the water pressure forms a difference change; and the valve piece is elastically driven to change whether water flows out outwards, and the connecting piece is connected with the movable valve piece, so that the movable valve piece can be locked to rotate, and the water flowing out of the outside can be adjusted and controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Inventor: Hao-Nan Peng
  • Patent number: 11353140
    Abstract: A microvalve includes a first plate having a surface defining an actuator cavity. A second plate has a surface that abuts the surface of the first plate and includes a displaceable member that is disposed within the actuator cavity for movement between a closed position, wherein the displaceable member prevents fluid communication through the microvalve, and an opened position, wherein the displaceable member does not prevent fluid communication through the microvalve. An actuator is connected to the displaceable member. The displaceable member includes a sealing portion having a plurality of elongated control arms extending inwardly from one end thereof, wherein the control arms are configured as a valve closing members for each of a plurality of fluid flow openings in the first plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: DunAn Microstaq, Inc.
    Inventors: E. Nelson Fuller, Parthiban Arunasalam, Chen Yang, Joe A. Ojeda
  • Patent number: 11346460
    Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a unitary actuator housing defining a plurality of actuator cavities each extending along a central axis from an upper surface of the actuator housing to a lower surface of the actuator housing. A plurality of actuating members are each disposed in an upper counterbore portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of actuator cavities and movable within the corresponding actuator cavity. A plurality of output shafts each extend through a lower bore in a corresponding one of the plurality of actuator cavities, with each output shaft being driven by a corresponding one of the plurality of actuating members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SWAGELOK COMPANY
    Inventors: Branden W. Keeper, William H. Glime, III, Samuel Gunther Houser
  • Patent number: 11340648
    Abstract: A knob assembly includes a front panel, a knob located at a front side of the front panel and configured to rotate based on operation by a user, a knob shaft that is coupled to the knob and that extends through the front panel, a supporting pipe that receives the knob shaft and that supports the knob shaft, the supporting pipe being configured to maintain a position relative to the front panel, a valve configured to control supply of gas to the appliance, a valve shaft connected to the valve and configured to control the valve to adjust a flow rate of gas based on rotation of the valve shaft, and a joint that couples the knob shaft to the valve shaft and that is configured to transfer at least one of a rotational motion or a linear motion of the knob shaft to the valve shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Yeonsik Ha
  • Patent number: 11339893
    Abstract: An emergency shut-off device comprises an activation means configured to generate an activation force in response to detecting a seismic event, and a magnetic driver having a hollow guide tube with two magnets affixed at a selected position on opposite sides along a length of the guide tube with like poles facing each other and a drive piston movable inside the guide tube. The driver piston is coupled to a third magnet and has a first end for receiving an activation force to move the third magnet crossing a magnetic repulse shift line formed by the two magnets, and a second end for applying the drive force to an output system to effectuate a shut-off of a fluid line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Dynamic Magnetics, LLC
    Inventor: Richard C. Paschal
  • Patent number: 11326716
    Abstract: A subplate mounted valve is disclosed having an open position and a closed position. The valve includes at least one pilot pressure intake port, a plurality of functional fluid ports, a spool movable between the open position and the closed position, and spring biasing the spool to either the open position or the closed position. To reduce water hammer due to quickly opening or quickly closing the valve, a flow regulation assembly is positioned at the pilot pressure intake port and has a chamber with a larger inlet channel at the intake position and transitioning to a smaller channel at the outlet position such that fluid flow at the intake port is reduced, thereby slowing the transition between the open position and the closed position and the transition between the closed position and the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: The Subsea Company
    Inventors: Barry J McMiles, Thomas A Cates
  • Patent number: 11326709
    Abstract: The present invention prevents that a diaphragm boss drops off from a diaphragm when a movable core is moved up. The present invention is a diaphragm type of solenoid valve including: a main body (10) having a diaphragm seating surface (12) in which a flow channel is opened; a diaphragm (23) configured to be seated on the diaphragm seating surface (12) of the main body (10); a diaphragm boss (22) holding the diaphragm (23); a movable core (21) holding the diaphragm boss (22); and a coil containing body (40) configured to apply an electromagnetic force to the movable core (21) in order to move the movable core in a direction away from the diaphragm seating surface (12) of the main body such that the diaphragm (23) is released from the diaphragm seating surface (12); wherein the diaphragm (23) is integrally formed with the diaphragm boss (22) by a baking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Shinwa Controls Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Ryoji Ichiyama
  • Patent number: 11326711
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control valve (10) for a process plant, comprising an actuator (16) which is connected to, and spaced from, a valve body (12) of a valve unit (11) via a yoke (14), the valve body (12) having a housing flange (32) which is detachably connected to the yoke (14), with the valve body (12) having an inlet (20) and an outlet (22) adapted to allow the flow of a process fluid therethrough, which inlet (20) and outlet (22) are each arranged in a fluid connection region (18, 19), and with an actuating member adapted to be displaced by the actuator (16) for controlling the flow rate of the process fluid being arranged in the passage (24) from the inlet (20) to the outlet (22). The invention is characterized in that the housing flange (32) connected to the yoke (14) has at least one recess (44) as well as a yoke fastening region (33), with the yoke fastening region (33) being formed as a bolt hole circle (34) with radially arranged connecting holes (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSON AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Krause, Michael Merscher, Janusz Koinke, Joerg Kuehnbaum
  • Patent number: 11326707
    Abstract: A capacity control valve (1) includes a valve main body (10) having a first communication passage (11), a second communication passage (12), a third communication passage (13), and a main valve seat (15a), a valve element (20) having an intermediate communication passage (29), a main valve portion (21c), and an auxiliary valve portion (23d), and a solenoid (30) having a plunger (35) that drives a first rod (136) and a second rod (36). The first rod (136) opens and closes the main valve portion (21c), and the second rod (36) opens and closes the auxiliary valve portion. The capacity control valve is capable of efficiently discharging a liquid coolant irrespective of pressure of a suction chamber and lowering drive force of a compressor at a liquid coolant discharging operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayama, Yoshihiro Ogawa, Keigo Shirafuji, Kohei Fukudome, Takahiro Ejima, Daichi Kurihara, Wataru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11320062
    Abstract: A valve actuator for a valve is disclosed, including an actuator housing with a reciprocation axis and a piston configured to reciprocate within the actuator housing along the reciprocation axis. The actuator housing has a port and a chamber disposed between the piston and a portion of the actuator housing with the port for fluid communication with the port of a working fluid. A piston projection or piston recess in the chamber is moveable with the piston to reduce a flow area in the chamber that causes a reduction in speed of the piston prior to reaching a stop position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Loc G. Hoang, Margaret Anne Maciejko
  • Patent number: 11306464
    Abstract: Water storage systems are provided to facilitate storing water for use when a primary source of water becomes unavailable. These water storage systems can be configured to connect into a home's or a building's plumbing to enable the water tanks of the system to be easily filled and regenerated. The water storage systems may include a support system to maximize space utilization and to possibly provide seismic protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Living Water Storage Solutions LLC
    Inventor: Ben W. Holbrook
  • Patent number: 11300221
    Abstract: A valve apparatus for a vehicle includes a housing having open and closed ends to form an interior space, and formed with first and second intake ports receiving a transmission fluid from a transmission and an oil cooler, a bypass port bypassing the transmission fluid to the transmission, and an exhaust port exhausting the transmission fluid to the oil cooler, an inner cap inserted at least partially into the interior space, fixed to the housing, and having an open hole inserted into the interior space, an operation unit disposed between the inner cap and the closed end of the housing, and reciprocally moves according to a transmission fluid temperature, a valve unit disposed in the operation unit to selectively open and close the bypass port and the exhaust port depending on a movement of the operation unit; and an elastic member interposed between the inner cap and the operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, INZICONIROLS CO., LTD., KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jae Yeon Kim, Jun Ho Jang, Hyuk Ju Ko
  • Patent number: 11300222
    Abstract: System for hydraulic valve assembly comprises a valve body having a cylindrical internal cavity and an axially moveable cylindrical spool supported therein. Hydraulic ports are defined through the valve body. The spool includes one or more radially oriented fluid control floating lands. Each floating land is configured to control one or more of fluid flow from a hydraulic port, and fluid flow to a hydraulic port. Each floating land includes a cylindrical control slide defining a hollow chamber, and an end section. The control slide is axially movable relative to the end section between a retention position and an extension position to thereby control one or more of fluid flow from the hydraulic port, and fluid flow to the hydraulic port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: STRIPED MONKEY IP
    Inventor: Daniel James Higgins
  • Patent number: 11293427
    Abstract: A valve includes a first valve housing, a second valve housing, a diaphragm, a first fixing part, and a second fixing part. The diaphragm defines an upstream valve chamber together with the first valve housing. The diaphragm defines a downstream valve chamber together with the second valve housing. The diaphragm is movable between a first position in which the diaphragm blocks communication between the upstream valve chamber and the downstream valve chamber, and a second position in which the diaphragm allows communication between the upstream valve chamber and the downstream valve chamber. When in its second position, the diaphragm makes contact with the inlet of the second discharge channel or the wall surface of the downstream valve chamber to seal between the second discharge channel and the first discharge channel, and when in its first position, the diaphragm allows communication between the first discharge channel and the second discharge channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Kawamura, Yukiharu Kodama, Hiroshi Takemura, Hiroki Achiwa
  • Patent number: 11286740
    Abstract: A blowout preventer (BOP) includes a main body that includes a bore extending through the main body. The BOP also includes a cavity intersecting the bore and a pair of opposing shear rams configured to shear a tubular located in the bore. The opposing shear rams are two duplicate shear rams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Nault, Micah Threadgill