Child-proof chemicals
Dispensing Apparatus
•U.S. Patent No. 7,299,950
•Invented by Richard A. Laveault, Fort Wayne; Stephen E. Stalions, Fort Wayne; and Brian R. Law, Liecester, Great Britain
•Assigned to Rieke Corp., Auburn
Hand-held sprayers are a typical means for dispensing weed killers, insecticides and other chemicals.
We’re all familiar with these sprayers being made up of a hand-pressurized container and a dispensing wand.
Convenient as they might be, these sprayers are not equipped with child-proof locks. When the sprayers are not in use, oftentimes they are stored with dangerous chemicals still left inside in a garage, alongside bicycles, scooters and other children’s toys. Nothing prevents children from gaining access to the sprayers.
This patent rectifies the problem by providing a specially designed child-resistant locking ring on the hand-held sprayer.
Vacuum Packaging Machine
•U.S. Patent No. 7,302,784
•Invented by Rodney Dale Patch, Fort Wayne, and Steven Daniel Harges, Warsaw
•Assigned to DePuy Products Inc., Warsaw
Vacuum packaging, albeit common now, was an important medical advancement because it allowed medical devices, surgical instruments and implants to be sterilized and easily preserved until needed.
Sealing prevents external contamination and oxidation of the contents. Also, irradiation processes were developed to sterilize the components while they were still inside the vacuum-sealed packaging.
Unlike vacuum-sealing everyday foods, however, stricter requirements exist for sealing medical components. One element of this is ensuring the proper seal for the medical application.
This patent ensures a proper seal by modifying the sealing mechanism on the vacuum sealer. A special heating bar is used to seal the opening. The heating bar melts the packaging material to seal the contents. The heat is monitored to properly control the process, ensuring the vacuum package is fully sealed.
Process for Producing a High-Solubility, Low-Viscosity, Isoflavone-Enriched Soy Protein Isolate and the Products Thereof
•U.S. Patent No. 7,306,821
•Invented by Navpreet Singh, Fort Wayne
•Assigned to Solae LLC, St. Louis
The health benefits of soybeans, particularly soy protein, are well-known, including reducing cholesterol. Also known is a compound found in soybeans called isoflavones that might inhibit the growth of various cancer cells in the breast, prostrate and colon, as well as reduce certain cardiovascular risk factors such as atherosclerosis and low density cholesterol.
The problem with isoflavones is they have an inherently bitter flavor, so they are removed during conventional soybean processing.
This patent provides a manufacturing process for soybeans that includes, rather than removes, the isoflavone compounds, while still eliminating the bitter flavor.
This process is easier said than done because during conventional soybean processing isoelectric precipitation is used.
This is a necessary processing step but, unfortunately, removes the isoflavones.
As an alternative, the patented methods use a special ultrafiltration process by which the soy protein maintains high levels of isoflavones, while maintaining the desirable flavor and other functional properties. The results are healthier soybean-based products.
The preceding are lay descriptions of patents obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s public records and are provided for general information purposes only.
Nothing contained herein is a legal description of any claimed invention, identification of novelty or offer of legal advice.
Because issued patents are based on applications often filed years earlier, the subject matter of some patents may have been available on the market for some time prior to the issuance of the patent.
Additional information is available at www.uspto.gov .
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