Patents by Inventor Bruce Hill
Bruce Hill 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).
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Patent number: 11891012Abstract: A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes method for manufacturing an OPW airbag. The method includes providing yarns, warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom, and simultaneously weaving yarns into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining an inflatable volume and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. A plurality of the yarns overlay one another to form nonwoven alignment elements in at least one of the single layer portions. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag. The alignment elements are aligned with alignment elements on a panel. The air bag structure is sewn to the panel with the alignment elements aligned with one another.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.Inventors: Dylan Moran, Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20240019174Abstract: A water heater including a tank having a wall with an external surface and an internal surface defining an interior, and a circuit board mounted to the external surface of the tank. The circuit board including a thermal path for conducting heat through the circuit board, where the thermal path of the circuit board is thermally coupled to the external surface of the tank. An electronic switch is mounted to the circuit board and electronically coupled to a heating element, where the electronic switch is thermally coupled to the thermal path of the circuit board so that heat generated by the electronic switch is transferred along the thermal path. A temperature sensor is thermally coupled to the circuit board to sense a temperature of the thermal path relating to a temperature of the electronic switch and relating to a temperature of water stored in the tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2021Publication date: January 18, 2024Applicant: Bradford White CorporationInventors: Bruce Hill, John T. Adams, Mehran Seyed Ahmadi
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Patent number: 11673526Abstract: An airbag and a method for manufacturing the airbag. The airbag is manufactured by weaving yarns to form a one-piece woven (OPW) airbag having inflatable portions and non-inflatable portions. The non-inflatable portions are woven with varying weave patterns so as to form recesses in the surface of the airbag in the form of an indicia.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.Inventors: Dylan Moran, Bruce Hill, Avadhoot Paranjpe
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Patent number: 11673525Abstract: A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes providing yarns and warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom. Yarns are simultaneously woven into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining both an inflatable volume and non-inflatable portions and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag and at least one opening extending through only one layer of the two layer portions.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.Inventors: Dylan Moran, Bruce Hill, Mario Vega
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Publication number: 20230089115Abstract: A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes providing yarns and warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom. Yarns are simultaneously woven into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining both an inflatable volume and non-inflatable portions and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag and at least one opening extending through only one layer of the two layer portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2021Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventors: Dylan Moran, Bruce Hill, Mario Vega
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Publication number: 20220355759Abstract: A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes method for manufacturing an OPW airbag. The method includes providing yarns, warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom, and simultaneously weaving yarns into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining an inflatable volume and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. A plurality of the yarns overlay one another to form nonwoven alignment elements in at least one of the single layer portions. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag. The alignment elements are aligned with alignment elements on a panel. The air bag structure is sewn to the panel with the alignment elements aligned with one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2021Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Dylan Moran, Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20220260326Abstract: Water heaters, baffles for water heaters, and methods for manufacturing such baffles are disclosed, One baffle includes a core, an outer wall, and a plurality of fins. The outer wall surrounds the core and defines at least one flow path between the outer wall and the core. The plurality of fins extend from the outer wall toward the core. Each of the plurality of fins has a serpentine shape. One method for manufacturing a baffle includes extruding at least one portion of the baffle in one piece, the at least one portion of the baffle having an at least partially cylindrical outer wall u and a plurality of fins extending inward from the outer wall, each of the plurality of fins having a serpentine shape. One water heating system includes a burner, a vent, at least one flue tube, and at least one baffle as described above.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2020Publication date: August 18, 2022Applicant: Bradford White CorporationInventors: Mehran Seyed Ahmadi, Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20210156592Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to water heaters including a water storage tank having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; a combustion chamber extending below the bottom wall of the water storage tank and a heat exchanger configured to receive combustion gases and to transfer heat to water in the water storage tank. The heat exchanger includes a first pass flue extending through the water storage tank and a plurality of second pass flues coupled to receive combustion gases from the first pass flue. The second pass flues extending through the water storage tank and having a straight top portion, a curved bottom portion, and a longitudinal axis residing in a plane. The curved bottom portion of the second pass flues exits the water storage tank through at least one aperture defined in the side wall of the water storage tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2020Publication date: May 27, 2021Applicant: Bradford White CorporationInventors: Wade BERNREUTER, Bruce Hill, Matt POLHEMUS
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Patent number: 10866010Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to water heaters including a water storage tank having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; a combustion chamber extending below the bottom wall of the water storage tank and a heat exchanger configured to receive combustion gases and to transfer heat to water in the water storage tank. The heat exchanger includes a first pass flue extending through the water storage tank and a plurality of second pass flues coupled to receive combustion gases from the first pass flue. The second pass flues extending through the water storage tank and having a straight top portion, a curved bottom portion, and a longitudinal axis residing in a plane. The curved bottom portion of the second pass flues exits the water storage tank through at least one aperture defined in the side wall of the water storage tank.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2016Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Bradford White CorporationInventors: Wade Bernreuter, Bruce Hill, Matt Polhemus
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Patent number: 10503183Abstract: A water heater system, including a water storage tank, an electrical heating element, a power switch, and a controller. The controller is configured to store a number of heating cycles completed to heat water in the tank. When electric power is applied to the water heater system, the controller controls the power switch to turn OFF power to the electrical heating element in response to the number of heating cycles being less than a threshold number of heating cycles, and controls a user output interface to output the indicator indicating that the controller is inhibiting operation of the electrical heating element, and control the power switch to turn ON power to the electrical heating element in response to receiving user input through a user input interface requesting power to be applied to the electrical heating element, and a sensed temperature of the tank being less than a setpoint temperature.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: BRADFORD WHITE CORPORATIONInventor: Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20180292110Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to water heaters including a water storage tank having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; a combustion chamber extending below the bottom wall of the water storage tank and a heat exchanger configured to receive combustion gases and to transfer heat to water in the water storage tank. The heat exchanger includes a first pass flue extending through the water storage tank and a plurality of second pass flues coupled to receive combustion gases from the first pass flue. The second pass flues extending through the water storage tank and having a straight top portion, a curved bottom portion, and a longitudinal axis residing in a plane. The curved bottom portion of the second pass flues exits the water storage tank through at least one aperture defined in the side wall of the water storage tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2016Publication date: October 11, 2018Applicant: Bradford White CorporationInventors: Wade BERNREUTER, Bruce HILL, Matt POLHEMUS
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Publication number: 20180120872Abstract: A water heater system, including a water storage tank, an electrical heating element, a power switch, and a controller. The controller is configured to store a number of heating cycles completed to heat water in the tank. When electric power is applied to the water heater system, the controller controls the power switch to turn OFF power to the electrical heating element in response to the number of heating cycles being less than a threshold number of heating cycles, and controls a user output interface to output the indicator indicating that the controller is inhibiting operation of the electrical heating element, and control the power switch to turn ON power to the electrical heating element in response to receiving user input through a user input interface requesting power to be applied to the electrical heating element, and a sensed temperature of the tank being less than a setpoint temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2017Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventor: BRUCE HILL
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Publication number: 20160146505Abstract: A thermostat including bi-metal element configured to be activated at a maximum dial setpoint temperature manually set on the thermostat and a switch coupled to the bi-metal element and configured to open upon activation of the bi-metal element. The thermostat also includes a temperature sensor positioned to sense temperature, a thermostat heating element positioned to heat the bi-metal element to the maximum dial setpoint temperature, and a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and the thermostat heating element and storing a desired controller setpoint temperature. In response to determining that the desired controller setpoint temperature is sensed, the controller controls the thermostat heating element to heat the bi-metal element to the maximum dial setpoint temperature, thereby activating the bi-metal element and opening the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2015Publication date: May 26, 2016Inventor: Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20160005062Abstract: A computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable executable instructions that, when executed in at least one electronic system coupled to a display device and a network, enable the at least one system to perform a method comprising at least the steps of determining the geo-location of the system, determining at least one on-sale retail product associated with the determined geo-location of the system, recording a data set indicating a current price of the determined on-sale retail product, and electronically transferring the data set and an indication of the determined geo-location over the network to a processing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2013Publication date: January 7, 2016Inventors: NIKHIL SONPAL, CHARLES HALE, ANDREW NASTIUK, BRUCE HILL
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Patent number: 7800508Abstract: A system for adjusting a bias voltage of a flame sensing system. The system may use pulse width modulation to adjust the bias voltage. The system may have a flame sensing rod that conveys an electrical equivalent circuit of a flame presence to a detector via low pass filter. An excitation voltage may be conveyed via a DC blocking mechanism to the sensing rod. A pulse width modulation signal may be conveyed via a bias resistor to a node of the low pass filter and the detector. The input of an A/D converter may be that of the detector for flame signals. Also, leakages between the node of the A/D converter connection and the voltage source and/or ground may be detected and compensated. Further, leakage of the DC blocking mechanism may be minimized.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2005Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Brent Chian, John T. Adams, Timothy J. Nordberg, Bruce Hill, Peter M. Anderson
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Patent number: 7764182Abstract: A low cost flame sensing system having at last one floating point. For instance, the system may have two grounds. There may be a flame sensing rod for detecting a flame which has a model circuit which appears upon the existence of the flame proximate to the sensing rod. The sensing rod may function without an explicit or dedicated excitation source connected to it. There may be diagnostics in the system for detecting leakage or shorts of the sensing rod to ground. Also, the system may have AC grounding phase detection.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2005Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Brent Chian, Peter M. Anderson, Timothy J. Nordberg, Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20070205589Abstract: Apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (28) of a vehicle (12) that has a side structure (16) and a roof (18). The apparatus (10) includes an inflatable curtain (14) that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof (18) to a position between the side structure (16) of the vehicle (12) and the vehicle occupant (28). The inflatable curtain (14) includes a main portion (100) comprising at least one inflatable chamber (52). The inflatable curtain (14) also includes a mounting portion (102) constructed separately from the main portion (100). The mounting portion (102) has a lower edge portion (108) connectable to an upper edge portion (106) of the main portion (100). The mounting portion (102) when connected to the main portion (100) forms an upper edge portion of the inflatable curtain (14) that is connectable with the vehicle (12) to help secure the inflatable curtain in the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2006Publication date: September 6, 2007Inventors: Adan Enriquez, Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20070015425Abstract: An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (10) includes a fabric substrate (12) and a coating (14) provided on a surface (16) of the fabric substrate (12). The coating (14) includes a thermoplastic polyether polyurethane base resin and an antiblocking agent. The base resin is at least about 50% by weight of the coating (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2005Publication date: January 18, 2007Inventors: Bruce Hill, David Grilli
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Publication number: 20070000391Abstract: A food press utensil is disclosed that varies incrementally as needed a weight of the utensil for pressing and cooking different food items on a cooking surface, wherein weight adjustment of the food press, by stacking of a plurality of food presses or other compatible weights, results in even heat distribution on the food to allow for uniform cooking and browning. The food press further can comprise a plurality of apertures through the body of the food press, to allow steam to vent and thus to prevent the food from becoming soggy as it cooks. The food press also can be made to accommodate a surface area of the food that exceeds a surface area of the food press, and thus can be used in any pan or griddle. The invention further can comprise a scraper surface to effect debris removal and preparation of the food cooking surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2005Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventor: Bruce Hill
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Publication number: 20060292950Abstract: An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) is inflatable away from a roof (18) of a vehicle (12) to a position between a side structure (16) of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The protection device (14) includes overlying inboard and outboard panels (40 and 42) that help define an inflatable volume of the protection device. The outboard panel (42) is positioned between the inboard panel (40) and the side structure (16) when the protection device (14) is inflated. A first coating (50) is applied to the inboard panel (40) and a second coating (52) is applied to the outboard panel (42). The second coating (52) is different than the first coating (50) and has a puncture resistance greater than a puncture resistance of the first coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2005Publication date: December 28, 2006Inventor: Bruce Hill