Patents by Inventor John R. Thorne

John R. Thorne 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).

  • Publication number: 20240090721
    Abstract: A robotic cleaner includes a housing, a suction conduit with an opening, and a leading roller mounted in front of a brush roll. An inter-roller air passageway may be defined between the leading roller and the brush roll wherein the lower portion of the leading roller is exposed to a flow path to the suction conduit and an upper portion of the leading roller is outside of the flow path. Optionally, a combing unit includes a plurality of combing protrusions extending into the leading roller and having leading edges not aligned with a center of the leading roller. Optionally, a sealing strip is located along a rear side of the opening and along a portion of left and right sides of the opening. The underside may define side edge vacuum passageways extending from the sides of the housing partially between the leading roller and the sealing strip towards the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Steven Paul CARTER, Adam Udy, Catriona A. Sutter, Christopher Pinches, David S. Clare, Andre David Brown, John Freese, Patrick Cleary, Alexander J. Calvino, Lee Cottrell, Daniel Meyer, Daniel John Innes, David Jalbert, Jason B. Thorne, Peter Hutchinson, Gordon Howes, Wenxiu Gao, David Wu, David W. Poirier, Daniel R. Der Marderosian
  • Patent number: 4026781
    Abstract: An anodizing system uses both positive and negative current pulses. Such pulses are adjustable to achieve different adjusted values of positive and negative currents. These values are sensed and used to maintain automatically such values. The ratio of negative current to positive current is preferably greater than 3% for the production of relatively thick, dyeable, hard anodized coatings and conventional (normal) anodic coatings of light shades of integral colors using a simple sulfuric acid bath which may be maintained at relatively high temperatures. Current may be applied at nearly full current density initially without burning. In some cases, additional means may be provided to increase the throwing power by eliminating the negative current and using means such as capacitors or inductors to prolong the decay of the positive pulses, preferably such that the then composite positive pulses are maintained above a zero value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1972
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Assignee: Scionics of California Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick S. Newman, John R. Thorne, John T. Hartman