Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120240908 | SECONDARY AIR SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE SPEED AIR PUMP AND MULTI-POSITION GATED CHECK VALVE - A secondary air system comprising a variable speed air pump and a gated check valve connected between the variable speed air pump and an IC engine. The gated check valve has two ports, and generally, a first of the two ports is connected to a first bank of engine cylinders, and a second of the two ports is connected to a second bank of engine cylinders. The system further comprises a controller for controlling the speed of the variable speed air pump, and the positioning of the gated check valve. The gated check valve is operable to fully close air flow to both ports, fully open air flow to one of the two ports, or variably split air flow between the two ports. | 09-27-2012 |
20130338863 | HYBRID VEHICLE CONTROL - A method and powertrain apparatus for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain to maintain a catalyst within a catalytic converter at an efficient operating temperature while also maximizing the use of electric vehicle operating mode. The method and apparatus determine, during an electric vehicle operating mode, whether a catalyst efficiency is below a predetermined threshold and, if it is determined that the catalyst efficiency is below the predetermined threshold, suspend the electric vehicle operating mode and turn on the vehicle's engine to bring the catalyst efficiency to or above the predetermined threshold. | 12-19-2013 |
20130338864 | HYBRID VEHICLE CONTROL - A method and apparatus for heating a catalytic converter's catalyst to an efficient operating temperature in a hybrid electric vehicle when the vehicle is in a charge limited mode such as e.g., the charge depleting mode or when the vehicle's high voltage battery is otherwise charge limited. The method and apparatus determine whether a high voltage battery of the vehicle is incapable of accepting a first amount of charge associated with a first procedure to warm-up the catalyst. If it is determined that the high voltage battery is incapable of accepting the first amount of charge, a second procedure with an acceptable amount of charge is performed to warm-up the catalyst. | 12-19-2013 |
20150239458 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING ENGINE ROUGHNESS FOR COLD START FUEL CONTROL VIA ELECTRIC MOTOR - A system and method for controlling an engine in a hybrid vehicle based on the use of a calculated combustion stability value to modify a pulsewidth signal to fuel injectors of the engine to reduce hydrocarbon emissions, especially following an engine start. The calculated combustion stability value is determined as a function of a torque signal obtained from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle. | 08-27-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100243046 | METHOD OF FORMING A PROTECTIVE LAYER ON THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC ARTICLES AND ARTICLES MADE WITH SUCH A LAYER - Chalcogenide based photovoltaic devices cells with good resistance to environmental elements can be formed by direct low temperature deposition of inorganic barrier layers onto the film. A unique multilayer barrier can be formed in a single step when reactive sputtering of the silicon nitride onto an inorganic oxide top layer of the PV device. | 09-30-2010 |
20110034642 | SILYLIMIDAZOLIUM SALT COMPLEXES - The present invention relates to silylimidazolium salt complexes and their uses as catalysts including tunable latent catalysts for curing epoxy resins. | 02-10-2011 |
20110168243 | MOISTURE RESISTANT PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH EXPOSED CONDUCTIVE GRID - The present invention provides strategies for improving the adhesion among two or more of transparent conducting oxides, electrically conductive grid materials, and dielectric barrier layers. As a consequence, these strategies are particularly useful in the fabrication of heterojunction photovoltaic devices such as chalcogenide-based solar cells. When the barrier is formed and then the grid is applied to vias in the barrier, the structure has improved moisture barrier resistance as compared to where the barrier is formed over or around the grid. Adhesion is improved to such a degree that grid materials and dielectric barrier materials can cooperate to provide a hermetic seal over devices to protect against damage induced by environmental conditions, including damage due to water intrusion. This allows the collection grids to be at least partially exposed above the dielectric barrier, making it easy to make electronic connection to the devices. | 07-14-2011 |
20110192453 | MOISTURE RESISTANT PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH IMPROVED ADHESION OF BARRIER FILM - The present invention provides strategies for improving the adhesion between a barrier region, a transparent conductive region, and/or an electrically conductive grid through the use of an adhesion promoting region. The adhesion promoting region is optically transmissive and comprises a metal layer, a metal nitride layer, a metal carbide layer, or a combination thereof and preferably comprises at least one of Cr, Ti, Ta, and Zr or a combination thereof. These strategies are particularly useful in the fabrication of heterojunction photovoltaic devices such as chalcogenide-based solar cells. Adhesion is improved to such a degree that grid materials and dielectric barrier materials can cooperate to provide a hermetic seal over devices to protect against damage induced by environmental conditions, including damage due to water intrusion. The adhesion promoting region also serves as a barrier to the migration of Na, Li, and the lanthanoid series of elements. | 08-11-2011 |
20110192454 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE WITH TRANSPARENT, CONDUCTIVE BARRIER LAYER - The present invention provides strategies for providing photovoltaic devices that are more resistant to moisture and/or oxygen degradation and the accompanying migration of key elements such as Na, Li, and the lanthanoid series of elements from the absorber layer and that have enhanced service life and improved performance. These strategies are particularly useful in the fabrication of chalcogenide-based photovoltaic devices such as chalcogenide-based solar cells. These strategies incorporate a barrier region between the photovoltaic absorber region and the front side collection grid. The barrier region keeps moisture and/or oxygen from the absorber layer and contains key elements such as Na, Li, and Ln in the absorber layer. As a result, the absorber layer retains its performance capabilities for an extended period of time. | 08-11-2011 |
20110297877 | ALKOXYLATION PROCESSES AND CATALYSTS THEREFOR - A process of contacting an alkylene oxide with 2-methoxy-1-propanol (PM1) in the presence of an oligomeric Schiff base metal complex catalyst is disclosed. Further, a process involving contacting an alkylene oxide with an alkyl alcohol using an oligomeric Schiff base metal complex as a catalyst is also disclosed. Additionally, novel compositions which can be used as catalysts in processes involving the contacting of an alkyl alcohol with an alkylene oxide are also disclosed. | 12-08-2011 |
20110309477 | GROUP IIB/VA SEMICONDUCTORS SUITABLE FOR USE IN PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - The present invention relates to devices, particularly photovoltaic devices, incorporating Group IIB/VA semiconductors such phosphides, arsenides, and/or antimonides of one or more of Zn and/or Cd. In particular, the present invention relates to methodologies, resultant products, and precursors thereof in which electronic performance of the semiconductor material is improved by causing the Group IIB/VA semiconductor material to react with at least one metal-containing species (hereinafter co-reactive species) that is sufficiently co-reactive with at least one Group VA species incorporated into the Group IIB/VA semiconductor as a lattice substituent (recognizing that the same and/or another Group VA species also optionally may be incorporated into the Group IIB/VA semiconductor in other ways, e.g., as a dopant or the like). | 12-22-2011 |
20130122616 | THIN FILM SOLAR CELL PROCESSING AND TESTING METHOD AND EQUIPMENT - A method of providing a plurality of classified photovoltaic articles, including the steps of providing a first photo-voltaic element that includes a plurality of photovoltaic articles on a continuous flexible substrate, forming a electrically insulating material on the first photovoltaic element at one or more predetermined locations, separating adjacent photovoltaic articles from each other, determining an efficiency of each photovoltaic article by measuring its current-voltage characteristics, and classifying each photovoltaic article according to its efficiency. | 05-16-2013 |
20130122639 | AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTERCONNECTED THIN FILM SOLAR CELL MODULES - A method of manufacturing electrically interconnected solar cell assemblies, including the steps of: positioning at least a first interconnect element ( | 05-16-2013 |
20130167910 | PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD - The present invention provides an improved photovoltaic cell assembly ( | 07-04-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090008224 | LOW FRICTION, DIRECT DRIVE CONVEYOR WITH A RAKED TOOTH DRIVE - A conveyor includes an endless belt having teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The conveyor also includes a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave. | 01-08-2009 |
20090032376 | CONVEYOR BELT WITH ATTACHED STRIPS OF TEETH - An endless conveyor belt ( | 02-05-2009 |
20090301845 | THERMOPLASTIC BELT CONNECTOR WITH FINGERS - A toothed belt connector for making an endless belt has two leaves, adapted to be connected to each other by knuckles along one or more teeth. Each knuckle has at least one hole extending through tooth portions so that when the holes are in registry, a pin can be extended through the holes to connect the leaves at the teeth. The leaves can be adjoined to the ends of a belt to make the belt endless. The tip end of each knuckle can be beveled or it can have a stepped finger that fits into a cutout on the opposite leaf to keep the end of the knuckle from protruding as the belt wraps around a sprocket. | 12-10-2009 |
20110017578 | LOW FRICTION, DIRECT DRIVE CONVEYOR WITH A RAKED TOOTH DRIVE - An endless conveyor belt has teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The belt can be driven by a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave. | 01-27-2011 |
20110048903 | LOW FRICTION, DIRECT DRIVE CONVEYOR BELT - A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave. | 03-03-2011 |
20150298912 | LOW FRICTION, DIRECT DRIVE CONVEYOR BELT - A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave. | 10-22-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140116856 | POSITIVELY-DRIVEN, LOW TENSION TRANSFER CONVEYOR - Components of a conveyor system designed to facilitate tight transfer of products onto and off a positively-driven, low tension conveyor belt. The conveyor system includes a tension amplifier in a returnway of a conveyor belt circuit for selectively increasing tension in the conveyor belt prior to infeed without increasing the low tension in the returnway prior to the tension amplifier. | 05-01-2014 |
20140326052 | CLEANING-IN-PLACE SYSTEM AND SEAL MONITORING - Apparatus and method for detecting seal failure of a sealed region within a conveyor component. A fluid line extends out of the sealed region and a sensor is connected to the fluid line. A valve is connected subsequent to the sensor, and a fluid pump that is connected subsequent to the valve. A controller is connected to the sensor, the valve, and the fluid pump. The sensor is external to the sealed region and the valve is a solenoid valve. The sealed region is within an idler pulley that has a drum shell with an end lid affixed at an axial end thereof, and a shaft. The sealed region can be contained within a motorized drum or a hollow conveyor frame structure. A method detects seal failure by forming a sealed region bounded by a surface and a seal, and altering a fluid pressure, th time rate of change of which is monitored. | 11-06-2014 |
20140326583 | CYCLO REDUCER ARRANGEMENT - A motorized drum has a drum shell, and a motor and a cycloidal reducer, are disposed inside. An output of the reducer rotates slower than the motor, and a hollow input shaft accommodates miscellaneous components. The hollow input shaft has an eccentric raceway that engages an input gear of the cycloidal reducer, and urges it into eccentric motion. The cycloidal reducer has an internal toothed output ring gear that is rotationally affixed to the drum shell for transmitting rotary power thereto. A fixed shaft is coupled to a guide pin housing that constitutes a fixed reference point of the cyclo reducer. A torque coupler has orthogonally placed driving face pairs that couple the guide pin housing to the fixed shaft. The hollow input shaft has plural axially protruding driven tabs for receiving an input torque from the motor rotor. A coupler has orthogonally arranged driven face pairs for coupling the hollow input shaft to the motor rotor. | 11-06-2014 |
20140346906 | MOTORIZED DRUM SHELL ARRANGEMENT - A motorized drum having a drum shell with a motor therein, the motor having a stationary shaft, stator windings, and a stator support structure that is affixed to the stationary shaft. A rotor rotates coaxially around the stator, and a cycloidal reducer has an output that rotates at a reduced rate. The reducer output is rotationally fixed to, and is disposed within, the drum shell. An input gear of the reducer received a hollow eccentric input shaft, and is urged into eccentric motion as the input shaft rotates. The output gear urges the drum shell into rotation at same rate of rotation as the output gear. An harmonic drive speed reducer that has an input shaft provides rotatory motion to a wave generator that is disposed against a flexible splined member. The flexible splined member engages a rigid circular spline member at two radially opposed zones. Induction and permanent magnet forms of operation are used. | 11-27-2014 |
20150083547 | CONVEYOR ROLLER ARRANGEMENT - A conveyor roller has a drum shell and an end lid that has an end lid, an embossed spring band, and a mounting face that is affixed to an axial end of the drum shell. The end lid has a cylindrical geometry that mates with the mounting face, whereby the embossed spring band is compressed by an interference fit between the two mating cylindrical geometries. A polymeric seal is disposed between the inward face of the end lid and the outward face of the drum shell, near the outer circumference of the end lid. Thus, the end lid maintains a spring force against the polymeric seal. The end lid has a ring compression geometry for exerting a compressive force on the polymeric seal as the end lid is retained against the drum shell by the embossed spring band. A cleaning system has a shaft with cleaning conduits, inlet and outlet ports, and an end lid. | 03-26-2015 |
20150210475 | SNAP-ON POSITION LIMITER FOR A CONVEYOR BELT - A conveyor employs a low-tension, direct drive conveyor belt, and a snap-on position limiter for ensuring proper engagement of the belt and a drive sprocket. The position limiter includes a body, a limiting surface and a snap clap opposite the limiting surface for snapping the position limiter to a mounting shaft. The limiting surface may comprise rotatable rollers mounted to the body, or a continuous arcuate surface. The position limiter may include a mounting arm for mounting a conveyor belt scraper at the front of the position limiter. | 07-30-2015 |
20150210478 | CLEANABLE CONVEYOR FRAME ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SNAP-ON COMPONENTS - A cleanable belt conveyor and a method for making a cleanable belt conveyor having a simplified frame design. The conveyor includes at least one toolbar and one or more auxiliary components mounted to the toolbar using a snap clamp having a protrusion that mates with a channel on the toolbar. | 07-30-2015 |
20150353286 | LOCKING MECHANISM FOR A CONVEYOR - A cleanable belt conveyor having a locking mechanism. A locking mechanism including two locking protrusions is used to lock a first conveyor component to a second conveyor component. The locking mechanism comprises a base plate having at least one opening for receiving a locking protrusion and at least one handle plate including the locking protrusion. A saddle extending from one side of the base plate cradles the locking protrusion and may engage a pivot post of a conveyor component. | 12-10-2015 |
20150360872 | MOUNTING FACE SYSTEM - A motorized drum has a drum shell having an inner periphery and a central axis, with a motor and a reducer disposed therewithin for delivering rotary power to the drum shell at a determined region thereof. A mounting face system has a mounting face arrangement that receives components to be attached to alter the length of the motorized drum. The mounting face arrangement is disposed at an end of the motorized drum distal from the region where the reducer delivers power to the drum shell. The mounting face arrangement limits the flexure of the attachable components such that the deflection curve is continuous to reduce stress concentration. | 12-17-2015 |
20160107840 | POSITIVELY-DRIVEN, LOW TENSION TRANSFER CONVEYOR - Components of a conveyor system designed to facilitate tight transfer of products onto and off a positively-driven, low tension conveyor belt. The conveyor system includes a tension amplifier in a returnway of a conveyor belt circuit for selectively increasing tension in the conveyor belt prior to infeed without increasing the low tension in the returnway prior to the tension amplifier. | 04-21-2016 |