Patents by Inventor Michael Champion

Michael Champion 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: 20250102187
    Abstract: A gas fueled water heater appliance may include a tank, a chamber wall, a gas burner, a chamber sensor, and a controller. The gas burner may be positioned adjacent to the tank and within a combustion chamber to heat water in the tank. The chamber sensor may be attached to the chamber wall. The chamber sensor may be configured to detect a temperature within the combustion chamber. The controller may be configured to direct a water heating operation that includes detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner, determining a contemporary temperature-change rate based on the detected CCT value, comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to a set rate, and directing heating at the gas burner based on comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to the set rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Subbu Thenappan, Corey Sweatt, Michael Champion, Gary Elder, Jacob Strader
  • Publication number: 20250085021
    Abstract: The gas fueled water heater appliance may include a tank, a chamber wall, a gas burner, a chamber sensor, and a controller. The chamber sensor may be configured to detect temperature within the combustion chamber. The controller may be mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner and the chamber sensor. The controller may be configured to direct a water heating operation. The water heating operation may include detecting an ambient temperature (AT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner, selecting, based on the detected AT value, a set temperature threshold from a plurality of temperature thresholds, detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value at the chamber sensor during the contemporaneous cycle, comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold, and directing heating at the gas burner based on comparing the detected CCT value to the set temperature threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Inventors: Corey Sweatt, Michael Champion, Gary Elder, Jacob Strader, Subbu Thenappan
  • Publication number: 20040219997
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an improved ball mark repair tool and method that quickly and easily repairs ball mark indentations in golf course greens One embodiment of a tool for repairing ball marks according to the present invention, comprises a body and a corkscrew housed within and extendible from the body. The corkscrew turns when extending from the body to turn into a ball mark indentation and raise the indentation. One embodiment of a method for repairing a ball mark indentation according to the present invention, comprises driving a corkscrew into the ball mark indentation area while the corkscrew is turning. The corkscrew is then turned to allow the spiral of the corkscrew to pull up the soil and turf in the indentation. The turning of the corkscrew is then reversed to withdraw the corkscrew from the indentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: Fore-Products LLC
    Inventor: Michael Champion
  • Patent number: D974316
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Inventor: Michael Champion