Patents by Inventor Kyle L. Petrich

Kyle L. Petrich 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: 8424429
    Abstract: A saw includes a surface defining an opening therein, a plate structure configured to be attached to the saw below the surface, and an arm attached to the plate structure about a first shaft. A blade is configured to be engaged with the arm at a location spaced from the first shaft. The blade extends through the opening when the saw is in a normal operating position. The saw includes a firing mechanism including a barrel end portion having a bore defined therein and an extendable piston at least partially positioned within the bore. The barrel end portion is attached to the plate structure. The extendable piston engages the arm during its extension and causes the arm to pivot about the first shaft when the firing mechanism is activated by an activation signal. The pivoting of the arm causes the blade to be moved downwardly below the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Power Tool Institute
    Inventors: William R. Knapp, Jean-Pierre Krauer, Wilfred H. Anderson, Kyle L. Petrich, Jeffrey Y. Hayashida, Helen J. Yoo
  • Patent number: 8074546
    Abstract: A saw includes a surface defining an opening therein, a plate structure configured to be attached to the saw below the surface, and an arm attached to the plate structure about a first shaft. A blade is configured to be engaged with the arm at a location spaced from the first shaft. The blade extends through the opening when the saw is in a normal operating position. The saw includes a firing mechanism including a barrel end portion having a bore defined therein and an extendable piston at least partially positioned within the bore. The barrel end portion is attached to the plate structure. The extendable piston engages the arm during its extension and causes the arm to pivot about the first shaft when the firing mechanism is activated by an activation signal. The pivoting of the arm causes the blade to be moved downwardly below the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Power Tool Institute
    Inventors: William R. Knapp, Jean-Pierre Krauer, Wilfred H. Anderson, Kyle L. Petrich, Jeffrey Y. Hayashida, Helen J. Yoo
  • Publication number: 20100037739
    Abstract: A power cutting tool, such as a table saw, comprising a sensing system for detecting certain conditions with respect to an exposed blade of the power cutting tool is disclosed. Several embodiments of the sensing system comprise at least one sensor located above the blade and positioned to (1) monitor one or more volume zones adjacent the blade, (2) detect when an object enters one or more of the zones, and (3) trigger a reaction system in response to the detection. Another embodiment uses an optical sensor to measure the height of objects approaching the blade to detect an increase in the height beyond a predetermined threshold. Still another embodiment uses an optical distance sensor to detect the occurrence of a work piece lifting from the table top which can indicate that a kick-back condition is imminent. The reaction system can be triggered when such a condition is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Will H. Anderson, Ryan J. Connolly, Jeffrey Y. Hayashida, William R. Knapp, Jean-Pierre Krauer, Brian Lamb, John Larkin, Kyle L. Petrich, David C. Shafer
  • Patent number: 7628101
    Abstract: A saw comprises a surface having an opening defined therein, a plate structure configured to be attached to the saw below the surface, and an arm pivotally attached to the plate structure about a first shaft. A blade is configured to be engaged with the arm at a location spaced from the first shaft. A portion of the blade extends through the opening when the saw is in a normal operating position. The saw comprises a firing mechanism comprising a barrel end portion having a bore defined therein and an extendable piston at least partially positioned within the bore. The barrel end portion is attached to the plate structure. The extendable piston engages the arm during its extension and causes the arm to pivot about the first shaft when the firing mechanism is activated by an activation signal. The pivoting of the arm causes the blade to be moved downwardly below the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Power Tool Institute
    Inventors: William R. Knapp, Jean-Pierre Krauer, Wilfred H. Anderson, Kyle L. Petrich, Jeffrey Y. Hayashida, Helen J. Yoo
  • Patent number: 6279173
    Abstract: A toilet ventilation device includes a housing that defines an air inlet aperture and an air outlet aperture. Within the housing are an air movement apparatus for drawing air into the device, a filter for removing malodorous elements in the air, and a radar sensor for activating the air movement apparatus in response to the presence of a user and, optionally, deactivating the air movement apparatus when the user leaves. The toilet ventilation device is configured and arranged to draw air, using the air movement apparatus, from the toilet, through the air inlet aperture, into contact with the filter, and out the air outlet aperture. In one embodiment, the toilet ventilation device is disposed over the overflow conduit of the toilet to draw air from the bowl of the toilet, through the overflow conduit, and into the toilet ventilation device. The entire toilet ventilation device is preferably disposed within a tank of a toilet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: D2M, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Denzin, Michael J. Merritt, Fred Judson Heinzmann, Kyle L. Petrich, Jennifer A. Schlee, John F. Larkin, Erik C. Lincicum, Peter O. Sorensen
  • Patent number: 6104379
    Abstract: A man-machine interface device is provided which employs rigid links interconnected by measured revolute joints to provide the position of a hand relative to a reference location, such as a desk, keyboard or chair. By proper selection of kinematic structure, and by placing one of the joints near the elbow and extending one of the links along the line of the forearm, translation of the joint-link structure is minimized, hence the undesirable perception of friction and inertia are also minimized. When Hall-Effect sensors are used as the revolute joint goniometers, the permanent magnets of neighboring joints are placed in the same link so the effects of magnetic field interference can be calibrated out. A hand-sensing joint-link device as described herein can produce data which is more noise free, at a higher sample rate, with less latency and more robust that competing electromagnetic, optical and ultrasonic sensing technologies, without adding much encumbrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Virtual Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle L. Petrich, Jaime S. Vargas, Joe Wagner, Mark Yim, James F. Kramer