Other

The Holmes Group, Inc.

Sunbeam Products, Inc.

Kaz, Inc.

Gte Products Corporation

Helen of Troy Limited

Gte Automatic Electric Laboratories Incorporated

Sherwood Engineering Design Services, Inc.

Robert A Sherwood

William Levy

Roy A Griffin

Christopher S Kanel

Jaideep Jayaram

Carlos Alberto Natividad

James G Montagnino

Johnson Hsu

Svein T Nordberg

Justin C Patterson

Richard Katzman

Yinon Barzilai

Paul Powers

Heather Jones-Lawlor

Anatoly Ratsimor

James Tracy

Danny Xu

Mark A Estrada

Rick Silviera

John C Polonchak

John Polonchak

Ronald Lerner

Charles Thrasher

John W Rudolph

A water drainage system includes an underground conduit, a pop-up drain emitter, and a turf cover. The underground conduit is configured to direct water away from an eavestrough that is secured to a building. The pop-up drain emitter is secured to an end of the conduit and has a lid. The lid is configured to transition from a retracted position to an advanced position to emit water from the underground conduit. The lid is disposed above ground in at least the advanced position. The turf cover is disposed above and adjacent to the ground and radially about an outer periphery of the pop-up drain emitter. The turf cover is configured to inhibit vegetative growth radially about the outer periphery of the pop-up drain emitter.

Turf cover for a water drainage system

A downspout drain filter includes a housing and a filter media. The housing defines an internal cavity, an inlet to the internal cavity along a top of the housing, and an outlet from the internal cavity along a bottom of the housing. The filter media is disposed within the internal cavity. The filter media divides the internal cavity into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The filter media is configured to trap debris in the upper chamber from fluid flowing downward through the internal cavity. The filter media is permeable such that the fluid flows from the upper chamber to the lower chamber.

Filtration system for a water drainage system

A pop-up emitter includes a conduit, a cover plate, a pop-up lid, and a clip. The conduit defines a flow channel configured to establish fluid communication with a drainage system. The cover plate protrudes radially outward from a top end of the conduit and about the flow channel. The cover plate defines a slot along a top surface of the cover plate. The pop-up lid has a horizontally extending pin protruding outward therefrom. The pin is disposed within the slot. The pop-up lid is configured to pivot about the pin to transition between a first position where the plate covers the flow channel along the top end and a second position where the flow channel is exposed such that water is emitted therefrom. The clip is disposed within the slot and engages the pin such that the clip retains the pin within the slot.

Turf cover and emitter for a water drainage system

A sump system includes a catch basin and a sump pump. The catch basin is configured to receive runoff water. The catch basin defines a vertical chamber extending downward. The catch basin also defines a horizontal chamber intersecting the vertical chamber to form an intersecting region. The horizontal chamber extends outwardly in first and second horizontal directions from the vertical chamber such that the horizontal chamber forms first and second regions on first and second horizontal sides the intersecting region, respectively. The vertical chamber extends downward in a vertical direction from the horizontal chamber such that the vertical chamber forms a third region on a bottom side of the intersecting region. The sump pump is at least partially disposed within the third region.

Sump system

A catch basin that configured to receive runoff water includes a first tube, a second tube, and a perforated cap. The first tube extends downward from an upper end to a lower end of the catch basin. The first tube has a first cross-sectional area that is defined along a first plane that extends horizontally though the first tube. The second tube extends horizontally outward from the lower end of the first tube at position that is below the upper end. The second tube is in fluid communication with the first tube and has a second cross-sectional area that is defined along a second plane that extends horizontally though the second tube, wherein the second cross-sectional area is greater than the first cross-sectional area. The perforated cap is secured to a horizontal end of the second tube.

A sump system includes a catch basin and a sump pump. The catch basin is configured to receive runoff water. The catch basin has an upper end and a bottom surface. The catch basin defines a vertical chamber and a horizontal chamber. The vertical chamber extends downward in a vertical direction from the upper end to a first portion of the bottom surface. The horizontal chamber intersects the first chamber to form an intersecting region. The horizontal chamber is defined by an upper surface and a second portion the bottom surface. The horizontal chamber extends outwardly in a horizontal direction from an outer periphery of the first chamber and has a vertical dimension that extends upward from the bottom surface to the upper surface. The upper surface is positioned below the upper end. The sump pump is disposed within the catch basin.

A portable electric appliance includes a housing, an electrically operable element positioned within the housing, a transmitter adapted to transmit a beam of radiation, and a receiver responsive to the beam of radiation. The transmitter is positioned external to the housing, and the receiver is positioned to receive the beam of radiation. The electrically operable element is de-energized in response to the beam of radiation being blocked or interrupted. A method adapted to disable a portable electric appliance includes transmitting a beam of radiation from a transmitter on the portable electric appliance, receiving the beam of radiation by a receiver on the portable electric appliance, and de-energizing an electrically operable element associated with the portable electric appliance in response to the beam of radiation being blocked or interrupted.

Portable electrical appliance with object sensing assembly

A portable heater incorporates a housing, heating element, outlet for heat generated by the heating element, and diagnostic testing capabilities that test for defective or abnormal conditions of various safety features and report their status. The features include an object sensing or cover detect function, which operates to disconnect the heater from the primary power source in the event an object is detected that may obstruct the heater outlet, a tilt sensor, which detects whether the heater has been tilted, a fuse, and a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) breaker. The diagnostic testing function preferably receives power directly from the primary source of power to enable the status of the tests to be displayed whenever the heater is plugged in. Light emitting diodes preferably provide backlighting to icons representing the various features to indicate their status to the user.

Portable electrical appliance with diagnostic system

An apparatus and corresponding method measure physical parameters using a plurality of low-cost sensors coupled in series is provided. These sensors can be thermal sensors for measuring the temperature of a heating pad. Different types of sensors to measure temperature, moisture, pressure, or state change of a switch may be employed. Such sensors may be distributed throughout a building to concurrently monitor multiple physical parameters at numerous locations. The sensors are easily manufactured, thus reducing sensor cost. Costs are further reduced by the use of two wires to connect the series of sensors. Moreover, the wires can be run easily through conduit or cable troughs.

Method and apparatus for measuring physical parameters

According to the present invention, a heating pad controller incorporating a discrete ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) is provided which varies the duty cycle characteristics of a periodic signal during which power is applied to a heating pad heating element during a portion of the signal ('on' time). An oscillator circuit is used to produce a controlled duty cycle control signal for controlling the power applied to the heating pad by varying the on-time of the duty cycle. User control of the length of the on-time of the duty cycle is provided by way of a user controlled switch, thereby providing for a plurality of controller operating modes (e.g., WARM, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, etc.). To configure the duty cycle for each heat setting the heating pad controller utilizes switchable electrical components of varying impedance connected to the ASIC. A heating pad controller according to the present invention can be configured for use with heating pads of varying sizes simply by installing electrical components with the appropriate impedance during manufacture of the circuit board.

Configurable heating pad controller

A cooking apparatus includes a cooking chamber and user interface, which includes a controller, display, and memory for storing recipes. The display is coupled to the controller and displays recipes. A method includes selectively displaying recipes and selecting a manual or recipe mode. In the manual mode, a heat setting and cooking time is selected. The selected cooking time is decremented in predetermined increments and the heating element is energized in accordance with the selected heat setting, after which the heating element is energized according to a keep warm setting for a predetermined time, following which it is de-energized. In the recipe mode, a main menu is displayed, from which the user selects a recipe category. A sub menu is displayed, from which the user selects a recipe identifier associated with the selected recipe category. A list of ingredients for the selected recipe identifier is then displayed.

Cooking apparatus with electronic recipe display

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier, a cooking apparatus, or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, and optionally time-automated switching of modes of operation. The circuit includes a single control switch to switch between operational modes and to select a level of operation. The circuit preferably includes an application-specific integrated circuit, to provide circuit logic. The single control switch, preferably a push-button switch, selects a mode of operation for a household appliance controlling a local environment, e.g., a humidifier or a heater, and the level of operation. The unit operates in the selected operational mode at the selected level, as indicated by either an energized light-emitting diode or a digital display. Operational modes may include a timed mode, a manual mode, and/or automatic mode for regulation of the environmental condition with a sensor included in the circuit.

Electronic control circuit for household appliances including humidifiers

A speech or phrase emitting celebration device, in the nature of a pi&#xf1;ata, includes a longitudinal axial channel within which is placed a complementally sized integrated circuit ('IC') including a library of pre-programmed voice chips having phrases selected by random. The circuit is responsive to impacts or shocks upon a fanciful housing of the device sufficient to actuate a shock sensor switch thereof. A speaker, in electrical communication with the circuit board of the integrated circuit, is in mechanical communication with a speaker at an end of the channel so that the emitted phrase may be heard by those in the vicinity of the device. A hollow cylindrical sensor may be disposed within the interior channel to provide appropriate input to the shock sensor switch, or a more sensitive discrete element sensor may be used.

Speech-emitting celebration device

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier, a cooking apparatus, or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, and time-automated switching of modes of operation. The circuit includes a single control switch to manually set power output, to set a value for automatically comparing and responding to a sensed condition, and to set a time-automated sequence of operational modes. The circuit includes a microprocessor, preferably an application-specific integrated circuit, to provide circuit logic. The single control switch, preferably a push-button switch, selects a mode of operation. The circuit includes a thermistor or humidity sensor. The unit responds to the sensed condition, in accordance with the temperature/humidity value set by the control switch. The unit bypasses sensor operation in manual mode. In timed mode, a manual or automatic mode operates for selected time, followed by an automatic mode or powering off.

Control circuit for kitchen appliances

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, the electronic control circuit including a single control switch for controlling both power output and responding to a sensed condition. The electronic circuit includes a microprocessor, preferably in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit to provide the circuit logic. The single control switch is preferably a push-button switch which places the unit in the selected mode of operation. The electronic control circuit also includes a thermistor or humidity sensor to sense conditions and, depending upon the set temperature/humidity by the control switch and the sensed condition the unit will operate accordingly. The unit can also operate in a manual mode, thereby bypassing the sensor operation.

Growing community of inventors

El Paso, TX, United States of America

Robert A Sherwood