Patents Examined by Victor N. Sakran
  • Patent number: 6282757
    Abstract: A flexible closure capable of closing a flexible opening. The closure is comprised of two or more strip-like elements that are oriented in a parallel series and have ends that are attached together. The strip-like elements are alternately deformed in groups of one or more to one side and then the other side of a flexible opening. The sets of groups on the two opposing sides of the opening are brought together and held together with a force, usually to create a seal. The closure may be closed in a variety of positions, including curved and straight. The flexible opening being acted upon may be attached permanently inside or outside the closure, attached removably inside or outside the closure, the closure may be placed around the flexible opening, or the closure may be incorporated into the flexible opening. The closure may be used to close such entities as flexible containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Inventor: Jennifer Ellen Buck
  • Patent number: 6282762
    Abstract: A connecting element for sheet piles has a cross-section the shape of which is reminiscent of a seahorse, insofar as it forms two hook bars (3, 4) having relatively large inner spaces (8, 14). The hook bars (3, 4) securely grasp the hook bars (21, 22) of adjoining sheet piles (24, 25), thereby enabling the connection of sheet piles at different angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Inventor: Georg Wall
  • Patent number: 6282758
    Abstract: A lock assembly for roller-blades is disclosed. The lock assemble has a plate with a lock stub mounted thereon, a lock block pivotally mounted on the plate and at least one lock device mounted on the lock block. The block has a cavity corresponding to the stub of said plate, a hole for receiving each lock device and a passage connecting to the cavity being defined in a face of each hole. The lock device includes a positioning member with a stock extending through the corresponding passage, a plug securely pressed into the hole to seal it and a spring abutting the positioning member and the plug. The lock assembly can be locked and released in a one step operation so as to increase the convenience of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Inventor: Jong-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 6279210
    Abstract: An attachment element for a body in a wall. The attachment element has a substantially tubular rigid region for receiving the body, and a flexible region for adaptation to a non-flat contour of the wall. The two regions are joined to one another via at least one elastic intermediate piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Faass, Michael Schneider
  • Patent number: 6279204
    Abstract: A combined clip retaining bracket and bag retaining clip. Several channels are formed in the bracket each having a lower opened slot extending the length of the bracket. A clip with two legs pivotally connected together at one of their ends is inserted pivot end first into each of the channels. Along the two facing side surfaces of the clip are a sealing strip and a mating groove used to seal the opened top edge of any bag inserted between them. Any food products, like potato chips, whose bags need resealing may be hung from the clips retained by the bracket's channels. To insure the clips are pressed together properly, the width of the channel is just slightly greater than the total width of the inserted clip. The two legs of the clips are substantially the same length and the channel may have a closed and opened front end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Inventor: Gonzalo Fernando Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 6279202
    Abstract: A lapel pin is provided including a display portion and a post portion moveably connected to said display portion. Preferably, the post portion is hingedly moveably disposed relative to the display portion and the display portion preferably includes a recessed portion for receiving the post portion when the lapel pin is not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: B.A.C. & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: George Wojdylak, Mark D. Wojdylak
  • Patent number: 6279207
    Abstract: This invention discloses fasteners characterized by the use of barbs to secure a primary object in place. More particularly, the barbs which are used are critically shaped barbs resulting in considerable increase of the holding force without sacrificing the flexibility of the barbs, and without sacrificing the broad acceptability of various thicknesses of the primary object to be fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: WTPA, Incorporated
    Inventor: Eustathios Vassiliou
  • Patent number: 6276031
    Abstract: A bungee cord with hookless ends includes an elastic body, a first attachment end, and a second attachment end. In a first preferred embodiment, the first and second attachment ends are spade attachment ends. Each spade attachment end includes a lock body, spade end and a lock slot. The spade end must be twisted to be inserted into the lock slot. The spade end is then twisted back to its original orientation to lock thereof in the lock slot. In a second embodiment, the first attachment end is a spade attachment end and the second attachment end is a tongue attachment end. The tongue attachment end includes a tongue body, a tongue hole, and a tongue extension. To lock the tongue attachment end, the tongue extension is inserted through a hole in an item until the spade contoured portion prevents further insertion. The tongue extension is then inserted through the tongue hole. In a third preferred embodiment, the first attachment end is a tongue attachment end and the second end is a strap attachment end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Tommy Strap, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas J. Haiduk
  • Patent number: 6272722
    Abstract: A device is designed to retain a cooling piece of a computer CPU. The device comprises a main body which is provided in two segments thereof with two legs opposite to each other. The legs are provided with a hook extending outwards and upwards, and a retainer of a curved construction. The main body is provided with two winged portions which are located at both ends thereof and provided with a through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Yaw-Huey Lai
  • Patent number: 6269523
    Abstract: A tie down for securing a rope. The tie down has a tapered channel for retaining one end of a length of rope, and a channel with a series of teeth on opposite ends of the channel for securing the other end of the rope. By selecting a portion of the rope to be secured in the channel, a user can form a loop in the rope which can be used to tie down or secure a variety of objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Inventor: Richard Benoit
  • Patent number: 6266853
    Abstract: A not rotatable enclosing buckle of fabric article, including a female buckle body formed with a shaft hole passing through a bottom end thereof and a male buckle body including a main body and a nail post upward projecting from the main body. The nail post penetrates through the fabric article and inserting into the shaft hole of the female buckle body so as to latch the male and female buckle bodies on the fabric article. A stem of the nail post is formed with at least one rib. The rib and the longitudinal axis of the stem contain an angle other than 90 degrees. The rib defines a maximum outer circumference of the stem, whereby the rib meshes with the peripheral wall of the shaft hole to prevent the male and female buckle bodies from rotating relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Inventor: Wen-Lung Ho
  • Patent number: 6266855
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a guide channel formed in a buckle frame into which a tongue connected to a seat belt can be inserted. An ejector, located in the guide channel acts, as an ejector spring in the ejection direction opposite to the insertion direction of the tongue. A locking element is mounted on the buckle frame and can be moved out of an unlocking position into a locking position in order to lock the tongue in the guide channel. A securing element is movable between a securing position for holding the locking element in the locking position and a release position for releasing the locking element. A blocking device is mounted on the securing element and is moved into a blocking position when the locking element is in the locking position. The securing element is held in the securing position against a movement into the release position, whereby the blocking device is held in the blocking position by the ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 6263547
    Abstract: A clamping joint and a method for producing such a joint for interconnection of a clamping lock with at least one wire, which is insertable therein, and which clamping lock after compression during plastic deformation in a clamping tool seizes and arrests the wire in the sleeve. A least one locking member is embedded in the wire and connected to the lock, under clamping of the wire against the clamping lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Talurit AB
    Inventor: Thommy Andersson
  • Patent number: 6263548
    Abstract: A buckle of the invention is formed of a hollow female member, which is provided with an inserting hole and first engaging portions, and a male member provided with a collar portion and elastic pieces disposed at both end portions of a front surface of the collar portion. Each of the elastic pieces includes a second engaging portion at a distal end thereof, and the elastic pieces are disposed to face each other and inserted into the inserting hole of the female member. The both end portions of the front surface of the collar portion are respectively provided with concave portions, so that the collar portion and the elastic pieces are overlapped in a longitudinal direction thereof. Accordingly, an entire length of the male member is shortened while a length of the elastic piece and bending margin are obtained as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Nifco Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6263546
    Abstract: An apparatus having a back region for attachment to a surface, a front region for engagement of the item of personal property, and a substantially vertical aperture region defined within and between the front and back region. The aperture region has a topward opening for initial, vertical slidable engagement of at least a portion of the item and for retention of the item after engagement, and a chamber region below the topward opening for containment of the portion of the item after engagement. The back region substantially lies in a plane and the topward opening has an elongated, semi-circular geometry. The topward opening lies in a plane, such that an angle of incidence is created between said back region plane and said topward opening plane, and the angle of incidence is less than 90°, preferably between 30° and 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Hers & Hers, Ltd.
    Inventors: J. Hannah Baldwin, Francine Farkus Sears, Joseph E. Newman
  • Patent number: 6260246
    Abstract: The devices sole function is to aid the shoelace once tied in obtaining its ultimate purpose of securing the shoe about the foot. This is done by the device being placed on both sides of the knot and fastening the excess lace in a manner to alleviate slippage of the knot, the bow and the excess lace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Inventor: Gary Wallace Lampkins
  • Patent number: 6256842
    Abstract: A hooking device comprises a male hook (1) attached to one side of the opening of a garment (F) and a female hook (4) attached to the other side of the opening in such a way that it can be hooked to and unhooked from said male hook (1). The male hook (1) comprises a male hook base (11), a male hook main body (21) and a spring (31). On the male hook base (11), a groove (12) housing the spring (31) is longitudinally formed. The male hook main body (21) secures a space for housing the spring (31) between itself and the male hook base (11) and is provided with a hooking piece (22) for hooking to said female hook (4). The spring (31) is housed in said male hook base (11) in such a way that it elastically controls the sliding movement of the male hook main body (21) with respect to the male hook base (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Morito Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Ina
  • Patent number: 6256845
    Abstract: This invention relates to a closable loop keeper strap for securing, storing, and transporting household, garden, and industrial items. By forming a strap from an elongated length of material having a flexible, openable, and closable keeper at one end and a hanger element at the opposite end, one can produce an improved, low-cost, re-useable load-securing strap. By folding the end of the elongated length of material, having the flexible keeper attached thereto, around a load to be secured, a user can form an adjustable and releasable noose around the load. The adjustable and releasable noose is formed when the user wraps the flexible keeper around the unfolded portion of the length of material and fastens the keeper to form a closed keeper loop. The user can then slidably position the keeper loop along the length of the elongated length of material to tighten and loosen the noose. The closable loop keeper strap can accommodate loads of varying size, shape, and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Inventor: James J. Tseng
  • Patent number: 6253425
    Abstract: The present invention provides a slide fastener having a three-dimensional reflecting function on faces of fastener tapes by simple structure and means. Each of reflective tapes is provided separately from a fastener tape and has a band-shaped attaching portion, a bulging edge portion integrally formed on a longitudinal edge portion of the attaching portion, and a reflective portion formed by providing a retroreflective film or the like on the bulging edge portion. Each the reflective tape is attached to the fastener tape beside fastener elements such that at least a distance corresponding to a thickness of a flange of a slider is maintained between the bulging edge portion and the fastener elements, the reflective portion of the bulging edge portion appears and protrudes from a surface of the fastener tape, and that the bulging edge portion can swing. Each the reflective portion is not damaged by a sliding movement of the slider and can exhibit a three-dimensional reflecting function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Matsushima, Takayuki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6253420
    Abstract: Clamping assembly, comprising a base part, a clamping part, a pivot pin and spring means. The base part and the clamping part have projections with passages. In the assembled state, the passages lie in line with one another and hold the pin in place. The passages of one part are formed by a recess which extends from a side of the part which does not have the projections to the side of the part which does have the projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Ericsson Radio Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Johan W. Berenschot