Patents by Inventor Donald B. Owen

Donald B. Owen 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: 5223182
    Abstract: An air freshener dispenser includes a two-part housing including a base and a separable cover. The base carries a control circuit and the cover carries a dispensing blower and a replaceable cartridge including the freshening agent to be dispensed and a battery for powering the blower. When the cover is removed from the base the blower is connected directly across the battery for test purposes, but when it is mounted on the base, contact structure on the cover and the base cooperate so that the blower is connected to the battery through the control circuit and is controlled thereby. The control circuit turns off the blower and triggers visible and audible alarm signals after a predetermined time period and/or when the battery voltage gets too low. A photocell turns off the blower and disables the audible alarm in the dark. The time-out period of the timer is selectively changeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Steiner Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Steiner, Charles R. Holzner, Kenneth D. Hartman, Donald B. Owen
  • Patent number: 5140134
    Abstract: A nestable heated bowl comprises an outer wall, an inner wall and a bottom wall integrally connected to one another, for example, by molding plastic. The inner wall defines a cavity for receiving material such as water or food. The bottom edge of the outer wall defines an open lower end of the bowl. The bottom wall is spaced upwardly from the plane of the bottom edge of the outer wall. The inner wall and outer wall taper upwardly to define a space and are joined together to define a bowl edge. The inner wall, outer wall, and bowl edge of a second bowl are adapted to be received in said space in a compact, interengaging stackable fashion. An electric heating element, thermostat and cord are carried on underside of the bottom wall. When the bowl is inverted, the cord is windable around the thermostat adjacent to the heating element so as not to interfere with the interengaging nesting of a second bowl with the first bowl during shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: Allied Precision Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas K. Reusche, Donald W. Reusche, Donald B. Owen
  • Patent number: 5126078
    Abstract: An air freshener dispenser includes a two-part housing including a base and a separable cover. The base carries a control circuit and the cover carries a dispensing blower and a replaceable cartridge including the freshening agent to be dispensed and a battery for powering the blower. When the cover is removed from the base the blower is connected directly across the battery for test purposes, but when it is mounted on the base, contact structure on the cover and the base cooperate so that the blower is connected to the battery through the control circuit and is controlled thereby. The control circuit turns off the blower and triggers visible and audible alarm signals after a predetermined time period and/or when the battery voltage gets too low. A photocell turns off the blower and disables the audible alarm in the dark. The time-out period of the timer is selectively changeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Steiner Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Steiner, Charles R. Holzner, Kenneth D. Hartman, Donald B. Owen
  • Patent number: 4835366
    Abstract: A floating electric water heater for heating livestock watering tanks which maintains the watering tank substantially ice free during low temperatures, thereby providing access to water by a plurality of animals. More particularly, the heater includes a housing supporting an electric heating element for immersion in water to be heated and to a device in the housing for monitoring and regulating operation of the heating element. The device in the housing comprises a temperature responsive switch, which is located in the housing out of contact with the water, and a thermal conductor having both a first end affixed in a thermally conductive manner to a portion of the heating element immersible in the water and a second end affixed in a thermally conductive manner to the temperature responsive switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Allied Precision Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald B. Owen, Kenneth D. Hartman
  • Patent number: 4826262
    Abstract: A continuous towel dispenser includes a sensor which detects the disruption of the radio frequency (RF) field below the dispenser's cabinet caused by movement of a user's hands in withdrawing unused towel from a towel from supply roller and provides a control signal to a towel dispensing motor coupled to a supply roller allowing the towel to be dispensed for a predetermined time period corresponding to a desingated towel length. At the same time, a control signal initiates downward displacement of a towel idler bar allowing a length of used towel to also be withdrawn from the cabinet. After a predetermined time interval, e.g., 5 seconds, a towel takeup cycle is automatically initiated by upward displacement of the idler bar followed by a reversal in the direction of rotation of the towel takeup roller. The towel takeup cycle continues for a designated time period or until a stall current in a towel takeup motor is detected indicating that all of the towel has been withdrawn into the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Steiner Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Hartman, Donald B. Owen