Patents Examined by Wyn Ha
  • Patent number: 10119877
    Abstract: Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include systems and methods for providing header assemblies for use with pressure sensors in high-temperature environments. Certain example implementations include a header assembly. The header assembly can include a header portion having a first side and a second side, the header portion including one or more bores extending through the header portion from the first side to the second side. In certain example implementations, one or more platinum header pins are disposed within and extending through the one or more bores of the header portion. In certain example implementations, the header assembly can include one or more brazing portions corresponding to the one or more platinum header pins. In certain example implementations, the platinum header pins are configured for electrical communication with corresponding electrodes of a leadless transducer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Ned, Sorin Stefanescu, Scott Goodman
  • Patent number: 10041848
    Abstract: A pressure sensor device is to be positioned within a material where a mechanical parameter is measured. The pressure sensor device may include an IC having a ring oscillator with an inverter stage having first doped and second doped piezoresistor couples. Each piezoresistor couple may include two piezoresistors arranged orthogonal to one another with a same resistance value. Each piezoresistor couple may have first and second resistance values responsive to pressure. The IC may include an output interface coupled to the ring oscillator and configured to generate a pressure output signal based upon the first and second resistance values and indicative of pressure normal to the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Alessandro Motta, Alberto Pagani, Giovanni Sicurella
  • Patent number: 9939341
    Abstract: A pipeline apparatus comprising a flexible pipe body and a detection apparatus. The flexible pipe body includes an optical fiber extending at least partially along the length of the flexible pipe body, the optical fiber being encased in a metal tube. The detection apparatus comprises an optical sensor and an electrical sensor. The optical sensor is coupled to a first end of the optical fiber, the optical sensor being arranged to inject optical pulses into the optical fiber and to detect scattered or reflected light. The electrical sensor is coupled to a first end of the metal tube and to detect variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal. Variation of the scattered or reflected light, or impedance variation, is indicative of a potential pipe body defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK Limited
    Inventors: John Cross McNab, Geoffrey Stephen Graham, Philip Michael Hunter Nott
  • Patent number: 9927344
    Abstract: A method for characterizing properties of a sample that employs a test apparatus including an isolated sample cell and pressure sensor where the isolated sample cell is loaded with the sample and gaseous test fluid to perform a number of different tests to derive properties of the sample. The tests can be performed over different parameters, such as different applied pressures of the test fluid to derive parameters related to apparent gas permeability of the sample as a function of applied pressure, different gaseous test fluids to characterize dependence of permeability of the sample on mean free molecular path or pressure, with both adsorptive and non-adsorptive test gases to characterize at least one property related to adsorptive interaction between the adsorptive test gas and the sample, and with samples of varying saturation levels to derive a measure of at least one property of the subsamples at corresponding saturation levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maxim Andreevich Chertov, Roberto Suarez-Rivera, Dean M. Willberg, Sidney J. Green
  • Patent number: 9863828
    Abstract: A physical quantity sensor includes: a physical quantity sensor chip which detects a physical quantity and generates an electrical signal; a package which has an internal space and accommodates the physical quantity sensor chip in the internal space; and a first wire which connects the package and the physical quantity sensor chip together. The physical quantity sensor chip is moored in the internal space by the first wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Imai, Satoshi Nakajima, Haruki Ito
  • Patent number: 9855770
    Abstract: A medium transport unit includes an upstream route in which a print sheet is transported, a first switchback route, a second switchback route, a first guide route, a second guide route, a guide flap configured to switch the route so that the print sheet in the upstream route is transported either toward the first guide route or toward the second guide route, a first discharge route from which the print sheet in the first switchback route is discharged, a second discharge route from which the print sheet in the second switchback route is discharged, and a downstream route passing between the first switchback route and the second switchback route and having an upstream end connected to a junction of downstream ends of the first discharge route and the second discharge route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kodama, Yuichi Segawa, Kazuyoshi Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9829404
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a tubular housing; a diaphragm which is joined to one end portion of the housing through a fusion zone; and a sensor element which is disposed in the housing and to which pressure received by the diaphragm is transmitted. As viewed in a section which contains the center axis of the housing, a pair of the fusion zones exist, and each of the fusion zones is formed in such an inclined manner that its distance from the center axis increases as it extends from the outer surface of the diaphragm toward the other-end-portion side of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsunori Yamada, Junki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 9759624
    Abstract: Certain implementations of the disclosed technology may include systems, methods, and sealed transducer assembly with a pressure relief vent. In certain implementations, a transducer assembly is provided having a vent bore and a rupturable membrane sealing the vent bore. The vent bore may extend from an internal portion of the transducer assembly to an external portion of the transducer assembly. The rupturable membrane is configured to maintain a seal within the internal portion of the transducer assembly for a first range of a pressure differential between the internal portion of the transducer assembly and the external portion of the transducer assembly, and rupture and vent pressure through the vent bore when the pressure differential exceeds the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Gardner, Lou DeRosa, Dick Martin
  • Patent number: 9760052
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a duplex printing function may include a closeable and openable portion. In one example, the portion may correspond to a cover of the image forming apparatus. The cover may include guiding portions configured to define a return path for duplex printing. In another example, the portion may correspond to a document reading unit including an outer casing. A portion of the outer casing may be configured to guide a recording sheet that is conveyed out of a housing of the image forming apparatus by a switchback roller. In one example, the switchback roller may convey a recording sheet to a position above an upper surface of the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9719876
    Abstract: This fluid pressure sensor includes a coil the self inductance of which varies as a function of the pressure of a fluid inside the flexible pipe. This coil includes a turn including: a first portion and a second portion of its periphery rigidly mechanically connected to a first location and a second location on the periphery of the pipe, respectively, and third and fourth free portions of the periphery of the turn situated between the first and second portions and each on a respective side of a central axis of the pipe and each separated from the flexible pipe by a clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Jacques Reverdy, Thierry Thomas
  • Patent number: 9702809
    Abstract: A method and a device measure tribological values of samples with a rheometer. Wherein measuring parts of the rheometer are replaced by the samples and the surfaces of the samples are moved into frictional contact relative to each other. Accordingly, it is provided that all parts of the rheometer supporting the samples in frictional connection or frictional contact and forming the rheometer power circuit, including a spring unit pressing the samples against each other, are regarded as an oscillatory circuit. Oscillation properties of the spring unit are relevant to oscillation properties of the oscillatory circuit. The oscillation properties of the spring unit are adjusted taking into consideration resonance oscillations or effects produced by changing or different measurement conditions expected with the respective measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Anton Paar GmbH
    Inventors: Frederik Wolf, Bernhard Bauer, Michael Krenn
  • Patent number: 9448522
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a duplex printing function may include a closeable and openable portion. In one example, the portion may correspond to a cover of the image forming apparatus. The cover may include guiding portions configured to define a return path for duplex printing. In another example, the portion may correspond to a document reading unit including an outer casing. A portion of the outer casing may be configured to guide a recording sheet that is conveyed out of a housing of the image forming apparatus by a switchback roller. In one example, the switchback roller may convey a recording sheet to a position above an upper surface of the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9417584
    Abstract: A printer that reverses a direction of movement of a medium, includes a detection member that detects a slant in the medium relative to the direction of movement of the medium, based on at least two contact points between the detection member and the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9405263
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder having a longer side direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and feeds a maximum size recording medium with a longer side first, an image forming unit having a maximum sheet feed width corresponding to a longer side length of the maximum size recording medium, and prints a toner image onto the recording medium, and a sub feeder that can feed the maximum size recording medium to the image forming unit independently from the feeder. A post processing apparatus receives a printed recording medium and executes post processing on a side of the recording medium. A feeding source of the maximum size recording medium is selected from the feeder and the sub feeder for executing the post processing on the longer and shorter sides of the maximum size recording medium, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sendo, Teruo Nagashima, Osamu Okada, Hideyuki Kurahashi, Kenji Tsuru, Shigeo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9367046
    Abstract: A motor controller, operatively connected to a motor having an output shaft, includes a rotary detector to detect a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the output shaft of the motor to generate an actual rotary signal, a drive controller to generate a control signal based on the actual rotary signal and a target rotary signal indicating a target rotary direction and a target rotary amount, and a driver to supply a driving power to the motor based on the control signal. When the motor is in a hold state, the control signal is reversed periodically for a predetermined reverse time period T2 per a predetermined one reverse cycle T1. When the control signal is not reversed for a certain lock detection time period Tr that is longer than the revere cycle T1 of the control signal, supply of the driving power to the motor is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Murata, Natsuko Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9285751
    Abstract: A decurler is operable to remove curl from a recording medium and includes a first roller, a second roller, a casing, a roller drive section, a casing rotary drive section, a housing, and a pair of cam members. The casing includes first and second supporting portions rotatably supporting the first and second rollers, respectively, with the first and second rollers pressed into engagement against each other movably away from each other. Each of the pair of cam members is mounted to the casing rotatably about a rotational axis of the casing independently of the casing and includes a circular hole. The circular hole in the cam member includes first to third recesses formed at circumferentially different portions of an inner periphery thereof so that an outer periphery of the first supporting portion is engageable with the first to third different recesses depending upon the rotation of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Kondo
  • Patent number: 9221574
    Abstract: A label printer is provided with a printer body that includes a paper roll holder; a label printing unit that includes a print head; a platen roller that sends the paper strip in a first direction after the paper strip passes through the print head; a cover that opens or closes the paper roll holder; and a removal unit that peels off the label from the paper strip. One end of the cover is pivotally supported on the printer body via a first rotation shaft that is parallel to a central axis of the paper roll. One end of a longitudinal side of the removal unit is pivotally supported on the cover via a second rotation shaft that is perpendicular to the first rotation shaft. A locking mechanism that engages with the cover is provided at the other end of the longitudinal side of the removal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignees: SANEI ELECTRIC INC., DATECS Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sakaino, Mikio Moriya
  • Patent number: 9213291
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling an image forming apparatus that forms and outputs an image on paper, a method of controlling the image forming apparatus, and a program for controlling the image forming apparatus stored on a recording medium are described. The image forming apparatus includes a pair of rollers that sandwich the paper and the center of an axle of at least one of the rollers is displaceable. The control apparatus includes a roller position detection signal generator that generates a detection signal indicating a position of the roller, a roller position detection signal acquisition unit to acquire multiple detection signals in chronological order, a paper thickness calculator to calculate paper thickness based on the multiple detection signals acquired in chronological order, and a vibration detector to detect vibration of the image forming apparatus based on the multiple detection signals acquired in chronological order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yusuke Ozaki