Patents Examined by Vinod Patel
  • Patent number: 7145113
    Abstract: A heating device is constructed such that a heating member made of nickel-chromium or a high melting point metal is held in an electrically insulating member made of an oxide or nitride, and a solder connecting layer consisting of a nickel layer serving as buffer layer and a nickel plating layer serving as solder uniting layer is formed on a surface of the electrically insulating member corresponding to a slender portion of the heating member. An adhesion between the solder connecting layer and the electrically insulating member holding the heating member is thereby improved so that the heating device is achieved as having a high reliability and at the same time as capable of improving heat conducting performance from the heating member to a heated body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yukihiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 7145112
    Abstract: A radiant heating and cooling system clip for positioning a tube and construction support wire with one hand comprising an interior having a main channel for positioning a tube with a narrowing second channel within said main channel for positioning a wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Inventors: Timothy Douglas Daughtry, Sr., Donald L. Meyer
  • Patent number: 7138613
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf ball heater comprising a rectangular container, the interior of which is outfitted with at least one heating element and rails for holding golf balls. One end of the container includes a sliding door for retrieving a heated golf ball. On one side of the container, a control box is outfitted with circuitry to cooperatively work with sensors in the container for purposes of selectively activating the heating element(s) according to whether or not the sliding door is open or shut and whether or not the temperature inside the container is within the optimal temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Inventors: Scott Michael Walsh, George Matthew White, James Joshua Nichols
  • Patent number: 7138612
    Abstract: A flexible body has a conductive resistance pathway which includes conductive resistance flexible strands of material connected in series between two supply bus flexible strands of material, and a temperature dependent variable resistance pathway with temperature dependent variable resistance flexible strands of material electrically connected in series by connection bus flexible strands of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Karen M. Green, Alfred R DeAngelis, Earle Wolynes
  • Patent number: 7129444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a window assembly having a transparent panel and a conductive heater grid formed integrally with the transparent panel. The conductive heater grid has a first group of grid lines and a second group of grid lines, with opposing ends of each group being connected to first and second busbars. Grid lines of the second group are spaced between adjacent grid lines of the first group, with the width of the grid lines themselves in the second group being less than the width of the grid lines in the first group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Exatec LLC
    Inventor: Keith D. Weiss
  • Patent number: 7122763
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermos bag, which includes a container bag and an built-in thermos device. The thermos device includes a frame, a conductive plate, a printed electrothermal plate, an automatic temperature control device, an insulating lining and a bottom plate as a cover unit. After placing it inside the container bag, with the fixation ring sleeve, foot mount and bolts, it is positioned between the thermos device and container bag. The thermos bag made of this structure provide provides the traveler with a thermos bag that is easy to assemble, easy to carry, energy saving and easy to take off for cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: J Sheng Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Hsiang Liu, Shu-Fen Li
  • Patent number: 7119305
    Abstract: The present invention has a purpose of providing a tube connecting apparatus capable of stably, accurately executing control of wafer temperature even when connecting of tubes is conducted continuously. A tube connecting apparatus (1) includes a heater (70) for heating a wafer holder (5a), a thermister (71) which detects the temperature of the wafer holder (5a), a heater heating control device (69) which controls the heater (70) based on output of the thermister (71), and a wafer heating control device (68) which performs heating control of a wafer (6) through constant power control. Before the start of heating the wafer (6) by the wafer heating control device (68), the control of the heater (70) is performed by the heater heating control device (69) for temperature control so that the wafer holder (5a) is heated to a fixed temperature (about 65° C.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sano, Masaru Nagashimada, Shinji Ishida
  • Patent number: 7112762
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a system comprising: a heating element; and a control system adapted to control a heating of a shaft to a temperature within a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined time interval, the heating sufficient to reduce an electrical runout value of the shaft, the heating occurring while the shaft is rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: William Finley, Mark Hodowanec
  • Patent number: 7098426
    Abstract: An electric heating device is adapted to be used in particular as an auxiliary electric heating for motor vehicles. The heating device comprises a plurality of PTC heating elements arranged in a plane of said heating device. The PTC heating elements are in electric contact with contact sheets for supplying current thereto and in thermal contact with radiator elements for transferring the heat produced to an air current to be heated. According to the present invention, the PTC heating elements arranged in this plane are adapted to be controlled separately in at least two groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Catern GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Franz Bohlender, Maurice Clauss, Michael Niederer
  • Patent number: 7098429
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heat exchanger, particularly for a heating or air conditioning unit of a motor vehicle, comprising several flat pipes which are arranged parallel to each other and are penetrated by a heat-transmitting medium. An electrically operated heating element (114) which is mounted once the heat exchanger has been soldered is assigned to at least one part of the flat pipes as an additional heating device. Said heating element (114) is fixed to the heat exchanger by means of a holding element (115The inventive heat exchanger is characterized by the fact that each heating element (114) is mounted in front of the corresponding flat pipe and parallel thereto by means of the holding element (125) which also runs parallel to the flat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hans-H. Angermann, Roland Burk, Herbert Damsohn, Markus Watzlawski
  • Patent number: 7084374
    Abstract: A heating flange especially for the preheating of the intake air of an internal combustion engine with a frame (8), a supporting ceramic element (2) with a heating band (10) fitted thereto. The supporting ceramic element 2 is held in the frame at an inner side of the frame, and a support spring (1) is arranged between the supporting ceramic element (2) and the inner side of the frame. The support spring (1) is a leaf spring which is straight in the non-stressed state, and sits under an initial prestess between the supporting ceramic element (2) and the inner side of the frame. As a result of this configuration, low friction arises between the supporting ceramic element (2) and heating band (10), as well as leaf spring (1), which reduces failures due to vibratory loading, and a defined initial spring tension with a defined spring deflection is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Beru AG
    Inventors: Steffen Geiger, Thomas Giffels, Martin Eller
  • Patent number: 7075043
    Abstract: An open coil resistance heater uses one or more standoffs to engage and support the generally straight or uncoiled run of bare or insulated wire that is part of the resistance wire of the heater. The standoff has slots, which are sized to engage the bare or insulated wires for support purposes, and is removably mountable to the heater frame for supporting the run of uncoiled wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: H. Keith Howard, James L. Sherrill
  • Patent number: 7075035
    Abstract: Control system and apparatus for controlling current input to an electrical resistance element such as a seal wire. The system and apparatus of the present invention is a closed loop feedback modification to conventional systems, and takes advantage of the inherent expansion of the seal wire as it is heated. The feedback mechanism monitors the length of the sealing wire, and adjusts the current applied to the wire, responsive to that monitored length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Shanklin Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Kalinowski
  • Patent number: 7064292
    Abstract: A grip heater control apparatus enabling a driver to visually identifying the electrified condition of a heater and to control the temperature of the heater easily during vehicle driving and enabling the configuration for the temperature control and the visual identification to be space-saving. A single light emitter (4) is provided as an indicator along with heater temperature operators (5, 6) at an end of a grip (1). The indication control unit includes a unit for executing an operating state indication control process including a process of variably setting a first predetermined cycle, which is a blinking cycle of the light emitter (4), according to target electric energy set by a target electric energy setting unit in response to an operation of the heater temperature operator (5, 6) when operated and a process of blinking the light emitter (4) in the set first predetermined cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignees: Honda Access Corp., Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oishi, Katsuya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7064299
    Abstract: A flexible body has a conductive resistance pathway which includes conductive resistance flexible strands of material connected in series between two supply bus flexible strands of material, and a temperature dependent variable resistance pathway with temperature dependent variable resistance flexible strands of material electrically connected in series by connection bus flexible strands of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Karen M. Green, Alfred R DeAngelis, Earle Wolynes
  • Patent number: 7064294
    Abstract: An electric load control device of a heating unit of a heating blanket comprises an actuating unit; a power supply for supplying power to the device; a microprocessor as a control center of the device for generating at least one pulse signal; the microprocessor being actuated by the actuating unit; and a driving unit; the driving unit receiving the at least one pulse signal from the microprocessor for actuating the heating unit to generate heat to heat the heating blanket; the driving unit serving to actuate the heating unit. An actuation time period of the heating unit is controlled by the pulses from the driving unit. In the driving unit, the negative parts of the pulses from the microprocessor are converted into positive pulses so that all the pulses become positive pulses; after the pulses pass through the driving unit, only selective positive pulses are passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Inventor: Shu Chih Wu
  • Patent number: 7060938
    Abstract: A double-element assembly for a cigar lighter, having a bimetallic disk, and a metal disk that is not bimetallic, the disks being riveted to one another in a center region of each disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Casco Products Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph Lauer
  • Patent number: 7057143
    Abstract: A fixing heater includes a substrate, a relatively narrow first heating resistor strip formed on the substrate, and a relatively wide second heating resistor strip formed on the substrate substantially in parallel to the first heating resistor strip. The second heating resistor strip is formed with a plurality of slits extending longitudinally of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masamitsu Sakamoto, Hiroshi Fukumoto, Teruhisa Sako
  • Patent number: 7057138
    Abstract: A heater is provided. The heater includes a first material having a circular form and a first sheet resistively. The first material has a first radius of curvature. The heater also includes a second material having a circular form and a second sheet resistively. The second material is positioned adjacent to the first material and has a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature and the first sheet resistively is less than the second sheet resistively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Ali Lopez, Christopher N. Delametter, Thomas M. Stephany, Gilbert A. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 7053336
    Abstract: A heating element autobalance device includes a fixing mount, a balance device, a heating element, a top cover, a bottom cover and a base, wherein the fixing mount is disposed in the top cover, The balance device is configured atop the fixing mount, and is structured to include large rockers and small rockers, wherein the small rockers are separately configured on another side of each of the large rockers for disposing the heating element thereon, thereby achieving effectiveness and suitability for placing any body to be heated atop the heating element. The heating element penetrates the fixing mount and is fixedly configured atop insulation boards. Upon a body to be heated presses downwards and thereby comes in contact with the heating element, the balance device is thereby actuated, which effectuates clinging of the heating element to the body to be heated, and thus achieves effectiveness of even heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Inventor: Hsien-Kuan Cheng