Patents by Inventor Brent A. Miller

Brent A. Miller has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6194013
    Abstract: A drink-blending machine (10) includes an ice-shaving unit (11) and a blender assembly (12). The ice-shaving unit (11) is adapted to transfer ice from a bin (15) to the pitcher (18) of the blender assembly (12). A weighing mechanism (31) includes a deflection beam (33), one end of which carries the pitcher (18). The deflection beam (33) includes a strain gauge (34) which provides a signal proportional to weight to a control circuitry box (30). In operation of the machine (10), a quantity of liquid is placed in the pitcher (18) and dependent upon the weight of ice or liquid-to-ice ratio predetermined by depressing a selected button (44), ice from the ice-shaving unit (11) is transferred to the pitcher (18) until the predetermined weight of ice is received by the pitcher (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Vita-Mix Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Kolar, Benjamin J. Dastoli, Brent A. Miller, David J. Barnard, Richard D. Boozer
  • Patent number: 6069423
    Abstract: A motor cooling and sound absorbing system includes a housing (10) forming a chamber (13) around a motor (11). The shaft (12) of the motor (11) carries a fan (40) positioned in a chamber (38) formed by a recess (36) cut in a foam block (35). The fan (40) draws air into the chamber (13) through inlet apertures (33) in the housing (10) and this air is directed past the motor (11) to cool it. The air exits the fan (40) generally radially against an angled surface (37) of the recess (36) of the foam block (35). The air is then received in a diffuser passageway (41) defined by the angled surface (37) and an angled surface (42) of a choke plate (19) positioned above the foam block (35). The diffuser passageway (41) reduces the velocity of the air to assist the foam block (35) in absorbing the noise generated thereby, while at the same time reducing the pressure at the exit of the fan (40) to increase the cooling air flow past the motor (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Vita-Mix Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Miller, Jim Lachendro, Curt M. Geideman, Richard D. Boozer, Paul K. Foisy
  • Patent number: 5943692
    Abstract: A computer system such as a mobile client system in which provision is made for management of flash memory. Flash memory management is done using variable block length and supports data compression. Blocks are allocated contiguously in each erase unit and each block starts with a header that contains the length of the block. Blocks are tracked using a single-level virtual address map which resides in random access memory (RAM). The mobile computer system may also include a housing, processor, random access memory, display and an input digitizer such as a touchscreen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Marberg, Brent A. Miller, Julian Satran, Dafna Sheinwald
  • Patent number: 4154256
    Abstract: There is disclosed an air inlet for a turbine engine suitable for use on a short takeoff and landing (STOL), a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) or a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) type of aircraft. A critical region in which critical flow occurs under certain conditions communicates with a less critical region of lower static pressure. Air is drawn away from the critical region and reinjected into the air flow at the less critical region.In one embodiment a circumferentially extended slot is provided in the inner surface of the air inlet at the windward side and downstream of the throat region. The slot communicates with a circumferential plenum chamber formed in the front of the air inlet just behind the lip. Circumferentially extending rows of apertures are provided on the lip establishing two sets of apertures spaced circumferentially away from the slot in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Brent A. Miller
  • Patent number: D328892
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Inventor: Brent A. Miller
  • Patent number: D330018
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Inventor: Brent A. Miller
  • Patent number: D348659
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Inventor: Brent A. Miller
  • Patent number: D422448
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Vita-Mix Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Kindig, Kevin Scheifele, Jonathan E. Fawcett, Brent A. Miller, Richard D. Boozer, Paul K. Foisy