Patents by Inventor Steven Zach

Steven Zach 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: 20040028458
    Abstract: A trigger-actuated cleaning device dispenses an aerosol cleaning agent from a pressurized canister. The canister has a female valve assembly. In one form an over cap fits onto the canister over the valve and has a male stem on a pivotable part of the over cap that opens the valve when moved by a rod linked to a remote trigger. The stem is either formed integrally with the over cap or is removably attached to a stem socket formed in the over cap. In another form the actuator is a button having a stem that fits in the female valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: John A. Heathcock, Dale Aberegg, Cathal L. Fahy, Tracey A. Frosh, Steven A. Zach, Brian K. Linstedt
  • Patent number: 6663307
    Abstract: A device for spraying pesticides and/or agricultural treatment chemicals has a housing configured to retain a spray canister, an actuator rod on the housing configured to contact an overcap attached to the canister, a shaft connected to the housing, and a linkage to reverse a triggering force so that the actuator pushes against the overcap. Attachments can be provided in front of the sprayer nozzle, such as a shroud to limit back spray, a rake to disturb soil prior to treatment, a tapered director to focus spray in corners, or a fan shaped outlet to provide a wide spray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Kopanic, Jonathan N. Mandell, William G. Madala, Douglas A. Soller, Nathan R. Westphal, Dale Aberegg, Cathal L. Fahy, Tracey A. Frosch, Brian K. Linstedt, Steven A. Zach
  • Publication number: 20030226198
    Abstract: A dispenser for use in a toilet tank that has a water level that rises and falls. There is a replaceable bottle having a bottom, side walls, a top, an upper outlet, and an internal cavity suitable to contain a dispensable product such as a toilet bowl cleaner, and optionally a grip through hole near the bottom of the bottle. There is also an upwardly open holster for receiving the bottle in inverted fashion so that an outlet of the container is inside the holster. A majority of the outside surface area of the container side walls may be inside the holster, a valve may be associated with the holster that controls the dispensing of cleaner from the container, and/or a mounting hook on the holster may pivot between a storage position in a bottle recess and a mounting position snap locked on the holster (or is integrally linked to the holster). The bottle and holster are compatibility sloped to guide the proper positioning of the bottle in the holster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Richard P. Harbutt, David C. Snow, Peter T.M. Nott, Simon M. Conway, Kevin Harrity, Steven A. Zach
  • Patent number: 6551001
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning head, a housing connected to the cleaning head and configured to retain a spray canister, an actuator rod configured to contact an overcap attached to the canister, and a pivot link pivotally attached to the housing about a pivot point. The pivot point is positioned to allow contact between the actuator rod and the pivot link. In addition, a shaft assembly including a core is slidably disposed within the shaft assembly, with the slidable core being adapted to rotate the pivot link about the pivot point, and a handle is attached to the shaft assembly including a trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism is adapted to move the slidable core toward the housing, which then pivots the pivot link, ultimately bringing the actuator rod into contact with the cap and causing a dispensing of contents of the canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Aberegg, Cathal Fahy, Tracey A. Frosch, Steven A. Zach, Brian Linstedt
  • Publication number: 20030053845
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning head, a housing connected to the cleaning head and configured to retain a spray canister, an actuator rod configured to contact an overcap attached to the canister, and a pivot link pivotally attached to the housing about a pivot point. The pivot point is positioned to allow contact between the actuator rod and the pivot link. In addition, a shaft assembly including a core is slidably disposed within the shaft assembly, with the slidable core being adapted to rotate the pivot link about the pivot point, and a handle is attached to the shaft assembly including a trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism is adapted to move the slidable core toward the housing, which then pivots the pivot link, ultimately bringing the actuator rod into contact with the cap and causing a dispensing of contents of the canister.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Dale Aberegg, Cathal Fahy, Tracey A. Frosch, Steven A. Zach, Brian Linstedt
  • Publication number: 20030052195
    Abstract: An actuator cap for use in radially locating a pressurized can in a sprayer device having a cradle for receiving the can. The actuator cap has a recess that engages an engagement land of the cradle and an actuator arm that is so located as to be movable by an actuation pin located in the engagement land. By such movement, the can's valve can be activated and its contents released. A method is also disclosed for activating a pressurized, axially extending can having a forwardly presenting valve while the can is held in pre-determined radial orientation within a sprayer device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Dale Aberegg, Cathal L. Fahy, Steven A. Zach
  • Publication number: 20030053846
    Abstract: A device for spraying pesticides and/or agricultural treatment chemicals has a housing configured to retain a spray canister, an actuator rod on the housing configured to contact an overcap attached to the canister, a shaft connected to the housing, and a linkage to reverse a triggering force so that the actuator pushes against the overcap. Attachments can be provided in front of the sprayer nozzle, such as a shroud to limit back spray, a rake to disturb soil prior to treatment, a tapered director to focus spray in corners, or a fan shaped outlet to provide a wide spray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Robert J. Kopanic, Jonathan N. Mandell, William G. Madala, Douglas A. Soller, Nathan R. Westphal, Dale Aberegg, Cathal L. Fahy, Tracey A. Frosch, Brian K. Linstedt, Steven A. Zach
  • Publication number: 20030052204
    Abstract: An overcap for use with a spray canister includes a peripheral wall adapted to attach to the spray canister, a cantilevered lever arm hingedly attached to the peripheral wall, and a nozzle within the cantilevered lever arm. The nozzle includes a stem socket adapted to receive a valve stem of the spray canister and adapted to provide a fan-shaped spray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Dale Aberegg, Cathal Fahy, Tracey A. Frosch, Steven A. Zach, Allen D. Miller
  • Publication number: 20020194671
    Abstract: A dispenser is provided for dispensing cleaning chemicals such as toilet bowl cleaners. It has a dosing chamber containing therein a floating shuttle that seals a lower opening in the dosing chamber and floats up there from as an aliquot of chemical is prepared for release during the next cycle. There is also a float controlled external valve pin at a lower end of the dispenser for alternately opening and closing a lower opening in the dosing chamber. The level of water in the tank controls the movement of the valve pin, and dispensing of the cleaner chemical controls movement of the floating shuttle. A grommet provides a valve seat for both the floating shuttle and valve pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Richard P. Harbutt, David C. Snow, Peter T.M. Nott, Simon M. Conway, Kevin Harrity, Steven A. Zach, Nancy J. Sedlar
  • Publication number: 20020148908
    Abstract: The invention is an automated sprayer for spraying the walls of a bath and shower enclosure with a cleanser. The sprayer has a housing that can be mounted inside the shower enclosure and that defines a tray in which an inverted bottle of cleanser is stored. The bottom of the tray has a tube extending downwardly along a longitudinal axis through which the cleanser can pass. A motorized head disposed beneath the tube can be rotated about the axis for metering cleanser from the bottle and spraying cleanser outward. The sprayer includes timer circuitry that delays commencement of a spray for a set time and automatically stops spraying after a predetermined period. The sprayer also includes a system for signaling the beginning of a spray cycle including audio and visual alarms. An automated method of cleaning the shower enclosure is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Brian K. Linstedt, Keith H. Gausmann, Cathal L. Fahy, Luke C. Stonis, Dale Aberegg, Amber N. Dudley, Peter M. Neumann, Douglas R. Elsie, Daniel K. Childs, Clifford Krapfl, Howard R. Dittmer, Craig F. Shiesley, Terry M. Kovara, Michael C. Fryan, Padma P. Varanasi, Steven A. Zach, Martin Rathgeber
  • Patent number: D474403
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Cathal L. Fahy, Dale Aberegg, Steven A. Zach
  • Patent number: D480462
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon M. Conway, Steven A. Zach