Patents by Inventor Cleary E. Mahaffey
Cleary E. Mahaffey 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: 11937741Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of dispensers each configured to dispense a respective hygienic consumable product during a dispense operation and each including a processor and memory; a distributed computing program configured to receive data defining a computational task comprising work streams and generate data assigning the work streams to at least two of the plurality of dispensers, wherein each of the at least two of the plurality of dispensers are configured to use their respective processor and memory to work on their respective work streams; and a data processing apparatus configured to run the distributed computing program.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2019Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20240090712Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states exist.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20240065492Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing a metered dose of foam or liquid from a reservoir includes means for applying gas pressure either directly or indirectly to a liquid contained in the reservoir for dispensing a liquid or foam through a nozzle. Instead of using a direct pump, the dispenser uses gas pressure inside the dispenser that pushes the liquid out of the reservoir without coming into contact with the reservoir. The dispenser can include a battery operated gas pressure pump and a sensor that senses pressure within the dispenser. In one aspect, an actuator can open a valve for dispensing metered doses of a liquid or foam.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2021Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventor: Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Patent number: 11849887Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product holding area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism having a spindle configured to hold and rotate the consumable product to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of the consumable product; and a motor having piezoelectric elements configured to (i) frictionally couple to the spindle to rotate the spindle in a first direction during a first motor state and (ii) uncouple from the spindle during a second motor state to allow the spindle to freely spin.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2019Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventor: Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Patent number: 11832772Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states exist.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20220304522Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states existType: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2022Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Patent number: 11369236Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states exist.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2020Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Patent number: 11299872Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for a monitoring system including a plurality of dispensers each configured to be located in a washroom and dispense a respective consumable hygiene product through a dispense cycle, where each of the dispensers is associated with a water source device; a water flow measurement device configured to measure water flow to the water source devices; and a data processing apparatus configured to receive indications of dispense cycles from the dispensers, to receive a water flow measurement from the water flow measurement device, determine which water source device was active by associating one of the water source devices with one of the dispensers based on a first time of the dispense cycle of the one of the dispensers and a second time of the water flow measurement and determine a water flow fault of the one of the water source devices based on the first and second times.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2018Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Patent number: 11241123Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product storage area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism operatively coupled to the consumable product and configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of consumable product, and wherein the dispensing cycle creates a vibration event in at least a portion of the dispenser; a vibration sensing device configured to sense a vibrational characteristic of the vibration event, wherein a value of the vibrational characteristic changes as a function of an amount of consumable product remaining in the dispenser; and a data processing device configured to (i) store data describing the vibrational characteristic and (ii) communicate the data to a remote receiver separate from the dispenser.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Ricky W. Purcell
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Patent number: 11091879Abstract: A process for foam forming tissue or paper webs is disclosed. A foamed suspension of fibers is deposited onto a forming fabric and contacted with a gas flow prior to drying the web. For instance, the web can contact the gas flow prior to dewatering the web. The gas flow can have a volumetric flow rate and/or a velocity sufficient to rearrange the fibers within the web. In one embodiment, for instance, the gas flow can increase the caliper of the web, the stretch properties of the web, and/or the absorbency characteristics of the web. In one embodiment, the gas flow can be pulsed for producing a web with a distinctive pattern.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Marvin E. Swails, Joseph K. Baker, Mary F. Mallory, Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Publication number: 20210232999Abstract: A washroom management system with a sensor to generate operability level data for a washroom component; a controller to modify operation of the washroom component; and a central management system to access the operability level data, communicate with the controller and evaluate the operability data to determine an actionable event type for the washroom component, and the central system further configured to in response to determining the event type is the automated resolution event, put the washroom component into the issue resolution state and then putting the washroom component to one of the normal operation state or disabled state based on evaluating the operability level data after the issue resolution state; and in response to determining the event type is the assisted resolution event, leave the washroom component in the normal operation state or put it into the disabled state and causing a message to be sent to an attendant.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2019Publication date: July 29, 2021Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Ricky W. Purcell, Frederick J. Williams, Jr., Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20210177217Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product storage area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism operatively coupled to the consumable product and configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of consumable product, and wherein the dispensing cycle creates a vibration event in at least a portion of the dispenser; a vibration sensing device configured to sense a vibrational characteristic of the vibration event, wherein a value of the vibrational characteristic changes as a function of an amount of consumable product remaining in the dispenser; and a data processing device configured to (i) store data describing the vibrational characteristic and (ii) communicate the data to a remote receiver separate from the dispenser.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2018Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Ricky W. Purcell
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Publication number: 20210093127Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of dispensers each configured to dispense a respective hygienic consumable product during a dispense operation and each including a processor and memory; a distributed computing program configured to receive data defining a computational task comprising work streams and generate data assigning the work streams to at least two of the plurality of dispensers, wherein each of the at least two of the plurality of dispensers are configured to use their respective processor and memory to work on their respective work streams; and a data processing apparatus configured to run the distributed computing program.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20210015309Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing consumable product having a consumable product holding area configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism having a spindle configured to hold and rotate the consumable product to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of the consumable product; and a motor having piezoelectric elements configured to (i) frictionally couple to the spindle to rotate the spindle in a first direction during a first motor state and (ii) uncouple from the spindle during a second motor state to allow the spindle to freely spin.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2019Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventor: Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Publication number: 20200332499Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for a monitoring system including a plurality of dispensers each configured to be located in a washroom and dispense a respective consumable hygiene product through a dispense cycle, where each of the dispensers is associated with a water source device; a water flow measurement device configured to measure water flow to the water source devices; and a data processing apparatus configured to receive indications of dispense cycles from the dispensers, to receive a water flow measurement from the water flow measurement device, determine which water source device was active by associating one of the water source devices with one of the dispensers based on a first time of the dispense cycle of the one of the dispensers and a second time of the water flow measurement and determine a water flow fault of the one of the water source devices based on the first and second times.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2018Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20200297169Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states existType: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Patent number: 10709300Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for determining product use by acoustically sensing actuations of product dispensers to determine how much product remains, and, optionally, alert a provider when low product states exist.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
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Publication number: 20200123710Abstract: A process for foam forming tissue or paper webs is disclosed. A foamed suspension of fibers is deposited onto a forming fabric and contacted with a gas flow prior to drying the web. For instance, the web can contact the gas flow prior to dewatering the web. The gas flow can have a volumetric flow rate and/or a velocity sufficient to rearrange the fibers within the web. In one embodiment, for instance, the gas flow can increase the caliper of the web, the stretch properties of the web, and/or the absorbency characteristics of the web. In one embodiment, the gas flow can be pulsed for producing a web with a distinctive pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Inventors: Marvin E. Swails, Joseph K. Baker, Mary F. Mallory, Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Patent number: 10519606Abstract: A process for foam forming tissue or paper webs is disclosed. A foamed suspension of fibers is deposited onto a forming fabric and contacted with a gas flow prior to drying the web. For instance, the web can contact the gas flow prior to dewatering the web. The gas flow can have a volumetric flow rate and/or a velocity sufficient to rearrange the fibers within the web. In one embodiment, for instance, the gas flow can increase the caliper of the web, the stretch properties of the web, and/or the absorbency characteristics of the web. In one embodiment, the gas flow can be pulsed for producing a web with a distinctive pattern.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Wordlwide, Inc.Inventors: Marvin E. Swails, Joseph K. Baker, Mary F. Mallory, Cleary E. Mahaffey
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Publication number: 20190161915Abstract: A process for foam forming tissue or paper webs is disclosed. A foamed suspension of fibers is deposited onto a forming fabric and contacted with a gas flow prior to drying the web. For instance, the web can contact the gas flow prior to dewatering the web. The gas flow can have a volumetric flow rate and/or a velocity sufficient to rearrange the fibers within the web. In one embodiment, for instance, the gas flow can increase the caliper of the web, the stretch properties of the web, and/or the absorbency characteristics of the web. In one embodiment, the gas flow can be pulsed for producing a web with a distinctive pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2017Publication date: May 30, 2019Inventors: Marvin E. Swails, Joseph K. Baker, Mary F. Mallory, Cleary E. Mahaffey