Patents by Inventor Keith Zimmerman

Keith Zimmerman 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: 20240315273
    Abstract: A pump assembly includes a diaphragm pump having a diaphragm extending across a chamber to define a gas chamber on a first side of the diaphragm and a mixture receiving chamber on a second, opposite side of the diaphragm. A shaft extends through the diaphragm and moves therewith between a default position and an extended position. The mixture receiving chamber is configured to receive liquid mixture via a mixture inlet and pass mixture to a pressure chamber via a mixture outlet. The gas chamber has an inlet port receiving gas of a desired pressure and an outlet port. The shaft seals between the inlet port and the outlet port until the diaphragm and shaft are in the extended position at which time gas in the gas chamber passes from the gas chamber to the pressure chamber. The pressure chamber has a pressure outlet configured to deliver a pressurized liquid mixture and gas to a freezing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventor: Keith Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20240068467
    Abstract: A pump assembly including a pump structure defining a mixture inlet extending to a mixture outlet opening into a receiving chamber and an air inlet extending to an air outlet opening into an air chamber defined between the pump structure and a piston supported on and movable relative to pump structure. A pressurized fluid tube extends through the pump structure from a pressure inlet in fluid communication with the receiving chamber to a pressure outlet within a pressure chamber which is communication with an outlet port. An air tube extends through the pump structure from the air chamber to an air outlet within the pressure chamber. Each stroke of the piston causes pressurized liquid mixture and air to be passed into the pressure chamber and to the outlet port. A flexible, one-way valve is positioned on each of the mixture outlet, the pressure outlet and the air outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventor: Keith Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10640918
    Abstract: Functionalizing a fibrous material having a plurality of hydroxyl groups includes reacting the fibrous material with a compound of Formula I: where X is a monovalent counteranion for the quaternary ammonium cation of Formula I and Hal is a halogen atom, to obtain the functionalized fibrous material. Also provided is a functionalized fibrous material prepared by any one of the methods described herein (e.g., a functionalized fiber including a moiety of Formula II: having an odor of free amine below the threshold of detection, or having an odor of free amine with degree of offensiveness of about 3 or less. The functionalized fibrous material may be dyed, and articles of clothing may be made from the dyed functionalized fibrous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignees: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC, Cotton Incorporated, North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Harold S. Freeman, Malgorzata Szymczyk, Keith Zimmerman, Matthew J. Farrell
  • Patent number: 10550513
    Abstract: A liquid fabric treatment composition including a hydrocarbon wax, a crosslinking agent, and a polyester warp sizing agent. The liquid fabric treatment composition may include a disperse dye. Methods of using these compositions for dyeing cellulose-containing fabric with a disperse dye include contacting a fabric containing cellulose with a liquid fabric treatment composition to yield a pretreated fabric, and heating the pretreated fabric to yield a treated fabric. The treated fabric contains a urethane compound formed by a reaction of the hydrocarbon wax, the crosslinking agent, and the cellulose of the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC, Cotton Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith Zimmerman, Sha Fu, Matthew J. Farrell
  • Publication number: 20190055692
    Abstract: Functionalizing a fibrous material having a plurality of hydroxyl groups includes reacting the fibrous material with a compound of Formula I: where X is a monovalent counteranion for the quaternary ammonium cation of Formula I and Hal is a halogen atom, to obtain the functionalized fibrous material. Also provided is a functionalized fibrous material prepared by any one of the methods described herein (e.g., a functionalized fiber including a moiety of Formula II: having an odor of free amine below the threshold of detection, or having an odor of free amine with degree of offensiveness of about 3 or less. The functionalized fibrous material may be dyed, and articles of clothing may be made from the dyed functionalized fibrous material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Harold S. Freeman, Malgorzata Szymczyk, Keith Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20180371689
    Abstract: A liquid fabric treatment composition including a hydrocarbon wax, a crosslinking agent, and a polyester warp sizing agent. The liquid fabric treatment composition may include a disperse dye. Methods of using these compositions for dyeing cellulose-containing fabric with a disperse dye include contacting a fabric containing cellulose with a liquid fabric treatment composition to yield a pretreated fabric, and heating the pretreated fabric to yield a treated fabric. The treated fabric contains a urethane compound formed by a reaction of the hydrocarbon wax, the crosslinking agent, and the cellulose of the fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Keith Zimmerman, Sha Fu, Matthew J. Farrell
  • Patent number: 5614591
    Abstract: Durable press properties are imparted to a fabric by applying to the fabric an aqueous durable press treatment composition comprising a reactive modified ethylene urea resin, such as dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU), a crosslinking acrylic copolymer derived from butyl acrylate and acrylonitrile and having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of -30.degree. C. or lower, and a catalyst. The fabric is dried to a residual moisture content of 10 to 20 percent by weight, is pressed to remove unwanted wrinkles, and is heated at a temperature of 88.degree. to 175.degree. C. for up to fifteen minutes to cure and crosslink the durable press treatment composition and impart durable press properties to the fabric. The process can be applied either to fabrics prior to fabrication into garments, or as a garment durable press process imparting durable press properties to fabricated garments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: The Virkler Company
    Inventors: Brent D. Basinger, R. Keith Zimmerman