Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Holmquist

Thomas W. Holmquist 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).

  • Respirator and filter cartridge
    Patent number: 6277178
    Abstract: A respirator (10) includes a filter cartridge (12) that has a housing (16) and a bonded sorbent filter element (20). Housing (16) includes a sleeve (32) that has an inner surface (36) and a folded edge (42). The filter element (18) includes a bonded sorbent filter element (20) that is pressed against the sleeve's inner surface (36) and that is held in the sleeve (32) by the folded edge (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Holmquist-Brown, Peter O. Rekow
  • Respirator having a compressible press fit filter element
    Publication number: 20010013347
    Abstract: A respirator 10 includes a compressible filter element 12, a filter element retainer 14, and a face piece 16. The respirator is unique in that the filter element 12 compresses when installed in the retainer 14, allowing a friction fit to be maintained between the filter element 12 and retainer 14. The friction fit enables the filter element 12 to be readily replaced when its service life has expired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Peter O. Rekow, Thomas W. Holmquist-Brown, David L. Braun, Vaughn B. Grannis
  • Respirator having a compressible press fir filter element
    Patent number: 6216693
    Abstract: A respirator 10 includes a compressible filter element 12, a filter element retainer 14, and a face piece 16. The respirator is unique in that the filter element 12 compresses when installed in the retainer 14, allowing a friction fit to be maintained between the filter element 12 and retainer 14. The friction fit enables the filter element 12 to be readily replaced when its service life has expired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Peter O. Rekow, Thomas W. Holmquist-Brown, David L. Braun, Vaughn B. Grannis
  • System and method for providing wireless control signals to cartridge access device in a cartridge storage system
    Patent number: 6175539
    Abstract: A cartridge access device in a cartridge storage system is designed to retrieve a cartridge from a storage device and to transfer the cartridge to another location within the system. Once the cartridge is no longer needed in the new location, the cartridge access device retrieves the cartridge and returns the cartridge to the storage device. A computer system preferably communicates wireless control signals with a control system on the cartridge access device. The control system utilizes these control signals to determine which cartridges should be manipulated by the cartridge access device. Control signals transmitted to the cartridge access device are reflected off of a conical device and received by a communications device associated with the cartridge access device. Likewise, signals transmitted from the cartridge access device are reflected off of the conical device and into the other communications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Co.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Holmquist, Gregg S. Schmidtke, Kelly J. Reasoner, David W. Boyd, Bruce G. Williams
  • Respirator having snap-fit filter cartridge
    Patent number: 5579761
    Abstract: A respirator (10) that includes a face piece (14) and a cartridge receiving structure (22) located on the face piece (14). The face piece (14) is sized to fit snugly over the nose and mouth of a person, and the filter cartridge (12) is capable of being manually snapped into engagement with the cartridge receiving structure (22). The snap-fit can be instantaneously obtained without rotational movement of the filter cartridge (12), simply by pressing the filter cartridge (12) against the receiving structure (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Gregory Yuschak, Peter O. Rekow, Thomas W. Holmquist-Brown