Patents by Inventor Erik W. Hedegor

Erik W. Hedegor 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).

  • Battery tester and sorting apparatus
    Patent number: 6781344
    Abstract: A battery testing and sorting apparatus that includes an upwardly inclined conveyor having a conveyor drive for moving batteries to be tested and sorted. The conveyor includes a battery feeding section disposed along the conveyor for positioning the batteries laterally onto the conveyor so that terminals of the batteries are in a horizontal orientation on the conveyor. A testing section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the battery feeding section for testing the electrical condition of the batteries as they move along the conveyor. A sorting section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the testing section for ejecting the batteries from the conveyor according to the electrical condition of the batteries determined by the testing section. In this manner, a battery testing and sorting apparatus is provided for continuously sorting large quantities of batteries into groups based on the electrical condition of the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik W. Hedegor, Randy L. Oliver, Shingo Sawahara
  • BATTERY TESTER AND SORTING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20040155626
    Abstract: A battery testing and sorting apparatus that includes an upwardly inclined conveyor having a conveyor drive for moving batteries to be tested and sorted. The conveyor includes a battery feeding section disposed along the conveyor for positioning the batteries laterally onto the conveyor so that terminals of the batteries are in a horizontal orientation on the conveyor. A testing section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the battery feeding section for testing the electrical condition of the batteries as they move along the conveyor. A sorting section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the testing section for ejecting the batteries from the conveyor according to the electrical condition of the batteries determined by the testing section. In this manner, a battery testing and sorting apparatus is provided for continuously sorting large quantities of batteries into groups based on the electrical condition of the batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Erik W. Hedegor, Randy L. Oliver, Shingo Sawahara