Patents by Inventor Gregory R. Maes

Gregory R. Maes 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: 6156565
    Abstract: An incubation station has a carousel for receiving a plurality of test sample cards. An even temperature and air flow distribution inside the carousel and incubation of the cards over time at the proper temperature was found to be critically dependent upon air flow characteristics within the incubation station. To optimize air flow, the carousel was given an open rear side that is exposed to an air distribution table having a cover plate placed adjacent to the rear surface of the carousel. The cover plate has a plurality of elongate slots positioned in a symmetrical ring-shaped pattern in registry with the carousel. The elongate slots are positioned at an angle relative to the slots in the carousel such that each carousel slot receives air from more than one slot. An extra fan was also added to the system to increase the flow of air into the air table. Scallop features on the carousel walls also promote even distribution of air flow over the cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory R. Maes, Dennis M. Connor, Brent D. Freiner, Clifford W. Karl, Ron Robinson, Raymond M. Shelton, Garry R. Tegeler, Michael James Justin
  • Patent number: 6136270
    Abstract: An incubation station has a carousel for receiving a plurality of test sample cards. An even temperature and air flow distribution inside the carousel and incubation of the cards over time at the proper temperature was found to be critically dependent upon air flow characteristics within the incubation station. To optimize air flow, the carousel was given an open rear side that is exposed to an air distribution table having a cover plate placed adjacent to the rear surface of the carousel. The cover plate has a plurality of elongate slots positioned in a symmetrical ring-shaped pattern in registry with the carousel. The elongate slots are positioned at an angle relative to the slots in the carousel such that each carousel slot receives air from more than one slot. An extra fan was also added to the system to increase the flow of air into the air table. Scallop features on the carousel walls also promote even distribution of air flow over the cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory R. Maes, Dennis M. Connor, Brent D. Freiner, Clifford W. Karl, Ron Robinson, Raymond M. Shelton, Garry R. Tegeler, Michael James Justin
  • Patent number: 5998201
    Abstract: An incubation station has a carousel for receiving a plurality of test sample cards. An even temperature and air flow distribution inside the carousel and incubation of the cards over time at the proper temperature was found to be critically dependent upon air flow characteristics within the incubation station. To optimize air flow, the carousel was given an open rear side that is exposed to an air distribution table having a cover plate placed adjacent to the rear surface of the carousel. The cover plate has a plurality of elongate slots positioned in a symmetrical ring-shaped pattern in registry with the carousel. The elongate slots are positioned at an angle relative to the slots in the carousel such that each carousel slot receives air from more than one slot. An extra fan was also added to the system to increase the flow of air into the air table. Scallop features on the carousel walls also promote even distribution of air flow over the cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory R. Maes, Dennis M. Connor, Brent D. Freiner, Clifford W. Karl, Ron Robinson, Raymond M. Shelton, Garry R. Tegeler, Michael James Justin
  • Patent number: 5877568
    Abstract: An improved rotor position sensing system for detecting the angular position of the rotor of a rotating machine with respect the stator of the machine that includes a shutter that is affixed to the rotor, a sensor board holder that is positioned within the stator such that it has known orientation with respect to the stator, and a sensor board including rotor position sensors that is positioned within the sensor board holder such that it has a known orientation with respect to the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Gregory R. Maes, Raymond D. Heilman, James L. Skinner, Steven P. Randall
  • Patent number: 5588484
    Abstract: In a refrigeration system in which coils are mounted in a coil passage, a fan system is provided by which air is caused to pass over the coils. The fan system includes a housing communicating with a coil passage. The housing has an inlet and an outlet each with a mouth, the mouths of the inlet and outlet being oriented substantially 180.degree. from one another. A cylindrical, elongated transverse flow fan is mounted in the housing transversely thereof and an electric motor is connected to rotate the fan. An inlet baffle extends around a part of the fan. An outlet baffle has a scoop part with a free edge extending along the length of the fan, spaced radially from the fan a short distance, and off set toward the outlet mouth. The outlet baffle, including the scoop part, defines one service of a passage to the outlet mouth. The air that passes through the housing flows through the inlet and the outlet mouths in planes substantially parallel with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Gerald N. Baker, Gregory R. Maes