Patents by Inventor Mark Howie

Mark Howie 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: 11344169
    Abstract: Vacuums including a water pan mount coupled to a housing and configured to receive a water pan are provided herein. The housing is operably rotatable around a fulcrum, relative to the water pan mount, to secure the water pan within the housing. At least one latch is coupled to the housing and is operably positionable in an engaged position and in a disengaged position, wherein, in the engaged position, the at least one latch prevents rotation of the housing around the fulcrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: REXAIR LLC
    Inventors: Alan Belville, Mark Howie, Thomas L. Carrington, James D. Jakubos
  • Patent number: 11224322
    Abstract: Vacuums including a hollow wand and a vacuum accessory are provided herein. The vacuum accessory is configured to releasably couple with the hollow wand. A first terminal is disposed at a distal end of the hollow wand. A second terminal is disposed at a proximal end of the vacuum accessory. The second terminal is configured to correspondingly electrically mate with the first terminal. A biasing member is operably coupled to one of the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein, when the hollow wand is releasably coupled to the vacuum accessory, the biasing member is compressed such that the first terminal and the second terminal are maintained in mating contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: REXAIR LLC
    Inventors: Alan Belville, Mark Howie, Thomas L. Carrington, James D. Jakubos
  • Patent number: 10967777
    Abstract: A lift assist device for a slide-out room includes a base and a floor support having a fixed portion, a deflecting portion, and a biasing member disposed between the base and the deflecting portion. When the slide out room is in an extended position, the weight of the room deflects the deflecting portion, thereby compressing the biasing member. As the slide-out room is being retracted from the extended position, the biasing member decompresses, thereby facilitating lifting of the slide-out room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Patrick Quigley, Jeremiah Bradley, James Clay
  • Patent number: 10731736
    Abstract: A cable-operated mechanism for actuating a slide-out room includes a column, an endless chain loop disposed with the column, first and second drive blocks engaged with the chain loop, and first through fourth cables attached at first ends thereof to the drive blocks. The cables are attached at second ends thereof to inboard and outboard ends of a slide out room. Operation of the chain loop in a first direction tensions the cables attached to the inboard end of the room and slackens the cables attached to the outboard end. Operation of the chain loop in a second direction has the opposite effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Jeffrey K. Albrecht, Evan Whitney, Patrick W. Quigley
  • Publication number: 20200039416
    Abstract: A lift assist device for a slide-out room includes a base and a floor support having a fixed portion, a deflecting portion, and a biasing member disposed between the base and the deflecting portion. When the slide out room is in an extended position, the weight of the room deflects the deflecting portion, thereby compressing the biasing member. As the slide-out room is being retracted from the extended position, the biasing member decompresses, thereby facilitating lifting of the slide-out room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Patrick Quigley, Jeremiah Bradley, James Clay
  • Patent number: 10323718
    Abstract: A cable end fitting includes a disc-shaped head and a shank, with the shank configured for attachment to an end of a cable. The fitting may be used in combination with a bracket defining an opening shaped to permit engagement and disengagement of the fitting and the bracket when the fitting and the bracket are in a first relative orientation but not when the fitting and the bracket are in a second relative orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Lippert Components, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Howie
  • Patent number: 10288153
    Abstract: A cable-operated mechanism for actuating a slide-out room includes a column, an endless chain loop disposed with the column, first and second drive blocks engaged with the chain loop, and first through fourth cables attached at first ends thereof to the drive blocks. The cables are attached at second ends thereof to inboard and outboard ends of a slide out room. Operation of the chain loop in a first direction tensions the cables attached to the inboard end of the room and slackens the cables attached to the outboard end. Operation of the chain loop in a second direction has the opposite effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Jeffrey K. Albrecht, Evan Whitney
  • Patent number: 8205295
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner assembly includes a housing assembly having a motor connected to a vacuum source, a particulate collection pan interconnected to the housing and a base and an illumination source for illuminating the particulate collection pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Rexair, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Jeffrey R. Kassien, Alan Belville
  • Publication number: 20110005026
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner assembly includes a housing assembly having a motor connected to a vacuum source, a particulate collection pan interconnected to the housing and a base and an illumination source for illuminating the particulate collection pan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Jeffrey R. Kassien, Alan Belville
  • Publication number: 20110005025
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided, including a mounting shaft, a base member and a nozzle. The handle includes a connection end, and defines an axis. The base member includes a cleaning portion and a suction portion, where the cleaning portion includes at least one cleaning surface and the suction portion includes at least one suctioning device. A rotation point rotatably joins the connection end of the mounting shaft to the base member, where the base member is rotatable about the axis at the rotation point. The nozzle selectively dispenses a fluid, where the nozzle is positioned in relation to the base member such that at least a portion of the fluid is suctioned by the suctioning device in the base member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Carrington, Mark Howie, Steven R. Selewski, Alan Belville
  • Publication number: 20100107356
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner assembly comprises at least one brushroll and at least one nozzle brush. The brushroll is rotatably supported about a first axis within the vacuum cleaner and is operatively connected to a motor. The nozzle brush is operatively connected to the brushroll and configured to rotate about a second axis. When the brushroll is rotated about the first axis, the nozzle brush is actuated to rotate about the second axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: James D. Jakubos, Mark Howie
  • Patent number: 7210195
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising a body, a motor disposed within the body and having an output shaft for rotating about axis, a fan coupled to the output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the body, and a separator coupled to the output shaft. The separator includes a cup shaped body and a flange extending radially from the open top to an outer periphery. The separator includes a spider, integrated therewithin, having a hub portion surrounding the shaft, and a plurality of helical blades integral with and extending radially from the hub portion to the vanes and integral with the wall. The separator is one piece molded component that may provide for better turbulence characteristics during suction of the air, increase the centrifugal forces to separate the dust and debris from the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Rexair, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Eric Lee Gustafason
  • Patent number: 6777844
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly includes a motor having a rotor and a stator for providing motive power to the assembly. The rotor and stator each include armatures having tips. In one aspect, the widths of the rotor and stator tips are different. In another aspect, the rotor armatures have a non-constant width. Another aspect discloses the motor being a two-phase brushless motor having an even number (N) of stator armatures and N+2 rotor armatures. In another aspect, a rotor armature includes an aperture. In another aspect, each rotor armature includes a plurality of layers laminated together, with one layer being dimensionally different than the other layers. In another embodiment of the present invention, a control circuit energizes the windings of the stator so as to toggle the rotor in a first direction before alternately energizing the windings to drive the rotor in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Rexair, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Selewski, Mark Howie, George H. Holling
  • Publication number: 20040068826
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising a body, a motor disposed within the body and having an output shaft for rotating about axis, a fan coupled to the output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the body, and a separator coupled to the output shaft. The separator includes a cup shaped body and a flange extending radially from the open top to an outer periphery. The separator includes a spider, integrated therewithin, having a hub portion surrounding the shaft, and a plurality of helical blades integral with and extending radially from the hub portion to the vanes and integral with the wall. The separator is one piece molded component that may provide for better turbulence characteristics during suction of the air, increase the centrifugal forces to separate the dust and debris from the air flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Mark Howie, Eric Lee Gustafason
  • Publication number: 20030034699
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly includes a motor having a rotor and a stator for providing motive power to the assembly. The rotor and stator each include armatures having tips. In one aspect, the widths of the rotor and stator tips are different. In another aspect, the rotor armatures have a non-constant width. Another aspect discloses the motor being a two-phase brushless motor having an even number (N) of stator armatures and N+2 rotor armatures. In another aspect, a rotor armature includes an aperture. In another aspect, each rotor armature includes a plurality of layers laminated together, with one layer being dimensionally different than the other layers. In another embodiment of the present invention, a control circuit energizes the windings of the stator so as to toggle the rotor in a first direction before alternately energizing the windings to drive the rotor in a second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Steven Selewski, Mark Howie, George H. Holling