Patents Issued the Week of November 18-22

12.2.24

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

U.S. Patent No. 12,146,239 entitled “Method for Fabricating a Tubular Structure Composed of Nanofibers” issued November 19, 2024, to The UAB Research Foundation of Birmingham, Alabama. Invented by Andrei V. Stanishevsky, Riley Yager, and Courtney Severino also of Birmingham, Alabama. Abstract: An AC-electrospinning system and a method are provided for fabricating inorganic fiber tubular structures. The AC-electrospinning system preferably uses an electrode system that comprises an electrical charging component electrode and at least one of an AC field attenuating component and a precursor liquid attenuating component. Use of the AC-electrospinning process to fabricate the inorganic fiber tubular structures allows the structures to be made with high porosities that are not achievable using the conventional approach.

U.S. Patent No. 12,145,538 entitled “Rock Processing Plant” issued November 19, 2024, to Kleemann GmbH of Goppingen, Germany. Invented by Jens-Oliver Najork of Heiningen, Germany, Lars Rudolph of Stuttgart, Germany, and Nils Rudolph also of Stuttgart, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to a rock processing plant (10) having a process unit (20), to which a working platform (30) that can be walked on is assigned, wherein the process unit (20) has a projection (24.5), which protrudes into the working area formed by the working platform (30), wherein the working platform (30) has a fall arrester (35), in particular in the form of a guardrail, and wherein the working platform (30) has a platform widening (33) in the area of the projection (24.5) to create a working area adjacent to the projection (24.5). To improve occupational safety the invention provides that the platform widening (33) has a floor segment (33.1) as a working surface, which is swivel mounted such that it can be folded or swiveled between a folded-down working position, in which the floor segment (33.1) can be walked on, and an upright transport position, that the fall arrester (35) is guided in the area of the platform widening (33), that at least one locking segment (36.6) is directly or indirectly coupled to the floor segment (33.1) in such a way that when the floor segment (33.1) is moved, the locking segment (36.6) is moved, wherein in the transport position the locking segment (36.6) blocks the access to the projection (24.5) at least in some areas and in the working position the locking segment (36.6) is moved out of the access area.

U.S. Patent No. 12,146,781 entitled “System and Method for Real-time Material Carryback Deduction in Loading and Dumping Work Cycles” issued November 19, 2024, to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Jonathan Spendlove of Bettendorf, Iowa, John M. Hageman of Dubuque, Iowa, and Zimin W. Vilar also of Dubuque, Iowa. Abstract: A system and method are provided for real-time deduction of material carryback in a loading container of a transport vehicle, wherein the material is loaded in the loading container by a work machine at a first site and dumped from the loading container by the transport vehicle at a second site. A first sensor (e.g., a camera associated with the work machine) provides first data corresponding to a volume of material loaded in the loading container in a first work state (e.g., loaded). A second sensor (e.g., a camera or a payload measuring unit associated with the transport vehicle) provides second data corresponding to a volume of material loaded in the loading container in a second work state (e.g., unloaded). A generated output signal corresponds to a calculated total volume of material associated with a work cycle, said total volume based on at least the provided first and second data.