Tortuous Path Patents (Class 220/747)
  • Patent number: 10173660
    Abstract: An oil separator is provided that restrains cleaned air from entraining collected liquid. An oil separator causes purge air, which has flowed into a case from an air dryer, to strike an impingement member, to separate oil, thereby recovering liquid containing oil and discharging cleaned air. The oil separator includes, inside the case, a baffle plate, which restrains cleaned air from coming contacting collected liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: NABTESCO AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Sugio
  • Patent number: 10082057
    Abstract: An oil separator is provided with a case that has an air inlet and a plurality of expansion chambers formed within the case. Air that contains oil is introduced into the case via the inlet and caused to strike a impingement plate to thereby separate the oil from the introduced air and recover the oil. The transverse cross-sectional area of each expansion chamber is greater than the open area of the inlet. Partition walls with orifice holes formed therein are provided between the expansion chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: NABTESCO AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Sugio, Ichiro Minato
  • Patent number: 9016513
    Abstract: A splashguard is disclosed for use with a tank. The splashguard may include a main channel formed by an elongated base plate and side walls extending generally orthogonally from the elongated base plate by a first distance. The splashguard may also include a first end channel formed by a base plate and side walls extending generally orthogonally from the base plate by a second distance greater than the first distance. The first end channel may also be formed by an end wall extending generally orthogonally from the base plate by the second distance. The splashguard may further include a second end channel substantially identical to the first end channel. A first flow path may be maintained between the elongated base plate of the main channel and the base plate of the first end channel. A second flow path may be maintained between the elongated base plate of the main channel and the base plate of the second end channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Kulack, Nathanael McRostie, Michael Zolvinski
  • Patent number: 8757192
    Abstract: This invention relates to a valve comprising a housing having first and second apertures for the ingress and egress of fluid into/from a passageway located within the housing extending indirectly from the first to the second aperture. The passageway forms an air-lock. The valve further comprises at least one bleed valve for allowing fluid out of the passageway at a rate slower than fluid is able to enter one of the apertures. A liquid entering one of the apertures is prohibited from passing along the passageway to the other of the apertures until substantially all air within the valve has bled out of the bleed valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventor: Toby Priestly
  • Patent number: 8048211
    Abstract: A tank arrangement includes a tank for storing a liquid such as fuel or oxidizer for operation of a spacecraft and a pressurized driving gas for conveying the liquid out of the tank, and a gas supply and extraction device. The device includes a housing shell and plural outwardly expanding passage bodies providing openings that communicate the interior space of the tank to the inner reservoir space of the device. A baffle plate shields the outer opening of each passage body. Deflector plates are arranged in each passage body. Capillary plates extend longitudinally along the inner wall of the housing shell. By a capillary effect, the plates separate liquid from gas entering the device, so that the gas can be extracted while the liquid is stored in a reservoir of the device until it is drained back into the tank during an accelerated operation phase of the spacecraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Astrium GmbH
    Inventors: Kei Philipp Behruzi, Gaston Netter
  • Patent number: 8025721
    Abstract: A gas supply and extraction device is arranged preferably on a tank lid or a tank wall in a tank for storing a pressurized driving gas and a liquid such as fuel or oxidizer for operation of a spacecraft. A device housing defines an interior reservoir space. Upper trumpet-shaped passage bodies and a lower trumpet-shaped passage body communicate from the interior reservoir space into the interior space of the tank. By capillary effects, baffle plates, deflector plates, capillary plates, a separation chamber and other components separate liquid from gas entering the device, so that the gas can be extracted while the liquid is stored in the reservoir space of the device until it is drained back into the tank during an accelerated operation phase of the spacecraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Astrium GmbH
    Inventors: Kei Philipp Behruzi, Gaston Netter
  • Patent number: 7796376
    Abstract: An electrical enclosure assembly comprises an enclosure having walls defining an interior space for housing electrical components and having a front flange surrounding a front opening. A cover is hingedly mounted to the enclosure for selectively closing the front opening. The cover comprises a front wall larger than the front opening and a rearwardly extending peripheral rim. Cooling structure is integrally formed on an interior surface of the cover proximate the peripheral rim. The cooling structure comprises a plurality of spaced apart cooling ribs each having a shoulder engaging the enclosure front flange when the cover is in a closed position to provide an air flow path between the interior space and outside of the enclosure through spaces between the cooling ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Yaskawa America, Inc.
    Inventors: John Alan Cairo, Tyler Fleig, Bruce Carl Nemec
  • Patent number: 7654410
    Abstract: A vehicle reservoir tank has an anti-spill chamber and an overflow channel. The anti-spill chamber has a body portion, an inlet at one end of the body portion and an outlet at another end of body portion. The anti-spill chamber is configured and arranged to restrict fluid flowing from a main reservoir chamber. The overflow channel has a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate curved portion. The first end portion is fluidly coupled to the outlet of the anti-spill chamber. The intermediate curved portion extends from the first end portion to the second end portion such that the second end portion of the overflow channel extends downwardly relative to the first end portion. The second end portion extends along an area of the body portion of the anti-spill chamber to restrict the flow from the anti-spill chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Antonio Prince, John R. Young
  • Publication number: 20090090689
    Abstract: There is provided a gasket element having at least one first inner layer and at least one first outer layer. Each of the at least two layers have differing material properties. The gasket element is well suited to cooperate with an ingress/egress opening of a container that in turn is well suited to retain an active pressure and/or temperature sensitive substance. The gasket element may be operatively connected to a cap element that is suitable to selectively close the at least one ingress/egress opening of the container. The cap element may be a stand alone sealing cap or may be operatively associated with a spray nozzle or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: Edward D. Walsh
  • Patent number: 6698611
    Abstract: A tank cap having an upper breather chamber, a lower breather chamber and a separator having a communication bore permitting communication between the chambers. An auxiliary separator in the lower breather chamber is connected to the separator and is provided with upper and lower transverse bores extending from an annular chamber section surrounding upper and lower central chamber sections in the lower breather chamber to the upper and lower central chamber sections, respectively. This arrangement provides an effective damping function against liquid entering into the lower breather chamber to inhibit the flowing of the liquid from the lower breather chamber into the upper breather chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Matsubara, Yoshikazu Yamada
  • Patent number: 6085664
    Abstract: A vented hatch cover for a container having an opening defining a hatch and a coaming on the container's exterior surrounding the hatch opening. The cover has an outer shell and an inner shell, each shell having a main body and a flanged portion. The bodies are sized to fit over and enclose the hatch opening. The flanged portions are bonded together and extend radially outwardly from the corresponding bodies to fixedly couple and hold the bodies of the inner and outer shells in a spaced relationship to present an air chamber therebetween. Balsa reinforcement members are spaced apart and fixed between the shells in a radial pattern within the air chamber to provide support to the cover without interfering with the air flow. Air inlets are formed through the flange and body of the inner shell to allow air flow from the container's exterior into the container via the air chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Aero Transportation Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen R. Early
  • Patent number: 6059141
    Abstract: A vehicle underbody storage container includes an enclosure having a front wall with an opening therethrough. A resilient gasket surrounds the opening. A portion of the gasket protrudes outwardly beyond the front wall. A door is secured to the enclosure with a hinge. The door has an inner surface with the groove formed therein for engaging with the gasket. The gasket compresses within the groove to seal between the door and the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: United Plastics Fabricating, Inc.
    Inventor: Stanley J. Wojnowski
  • Patent number: 5613615
    Abstract: A venting cap assembly is secured to a specific part of a component for masking the specific part. The cap assembly includes a closed first end, an open second end and a sidewall extending between the closed first end and the open second end forming an interior cavity for the specific part. At least one vent track extends along the sidewall within the cavity. The at least one vent track terminates at a pressure reservoir. A sealing and venting assembly periodically relieves air pressure within the pressure reservoir when an excessive amount of air pressure develops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Bunzl Plastics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Frederick W. Zeyfang, Michael W. Jodon
  • Patent number: 5445291
    Abstract: The present invention provides a package such as a cylindrical can for containing a particulate product, such as roast and ground coffee, under pressure. The package automatically releases the pressure upon opening while preventing the escape of the particulate product. The package is made from a container having a closed top, a closed bottom, and an enclosed body between the top and the bottom. The package includes a venting member disposed within the container near the top. One end of the venting member abuts against the body of the container along its perimeter and another end abuts against the top of the container along its perimeter. The package further includes a channel between the venting member and the container. When the container is initially opened with a can opener, the top of the container is punctured in an area above the channel. The pressure is then released from the container into the channel and out of the package while the particulate product is prevented from escaping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Wade K. Daniel