Voluntary benefits outsourcing systems and methods
Patent No. 9,811,861
Voluntary benefits outsourcing systems and methods may be used to provide voluntary benefits to employees. An employee may choose to select any number of voluntary benefits from a menu of voluntary benefits available to that employee through the voluntary benefits system. Available voluntary benefits may include, but are not limited to, automobile insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, disability insurance, healthcare insurance, dental insurance, long term care insurance, pet care insurance and legal services insurance, discounts on computers, movie tickets, auto financing, educational testing, telephones, travel, child care, and a host of other work/life offerings, for example. The voluntary benefits systems and methods include calculating a single payroll deduction based upon the selection of the voluntary benefits by the employee. In this manner, the employee may receive a pay check with only one deduction for all selected voluntary benefits.
Inventors: Peter Marcia (Richmond)
Nov. 7, 2017
Lawn ornament having rotatable blades with solar-activated light-emitting devices
Patent No. 9,808,735
A decorative lawn ornament including a rotatable carrier having a plurality of blades. At least one light-emitting device is arranged on each of the plurality of blades to emit light from the blades. A solar panel is provided to receive and collect sunlight, and a photoswitch is automatically operable between an activated state during instances of insufficient sunlight to thereby activate the light-emitting device, and a deactivated state during instances of sunlight to thereby deactivate the light-emitting device. The decorative lawn ornament is operable such that when a flow of air strikes it, the blades rotate and a decorative member rotates to control an orientation of the blades and the light emitted by the light-emitting devices.
Inventors: Fei Qiu (Richmond), Chengyong Tu (Ningbo, China), Richard Koval (Earlysville, Va.)
Assignee: Plow & Hearth (Madison, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Methods and apparatus for electromagnetic processing of phyllosilicate minerals
Patent No. 9,810,480
Methods and apparatus for processing phyllosilicate minerals are provided. In some embodiments, the phyllosilicate mineral is clay. In some embodiments, the phyllosilicate mineral is bentonite clay.
Inventors: Steve E. Sears (Chesterfield, Va.), Larry Palmer (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Nov. 7, 2017
Flexible shaft for holding a tool of rotary driven motion
Patent No. 9,808,867
A tool having a flexible shaft, a first end and, a second end and capable of being bent about its axis. The tool transfers rotary motion from a device to tool. The shaft, manufactured from a rigid material, has at least one flexible segment, each flexible segment have at least one sinuous slot ascending in a helical path. With multiple segments, the helical path of the slots can be opposite or the same. With one or more segments having multiple slots, the slots can be parallel or have opposite ascensions, thereby crossing one another. The helical paths can vary within each segment or from segment to segment.
Inventors: William R. Krause (Charlottesville, Va.), Garland Edwards (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Flex Technology Inc. (Charlottesville, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Bipolar junction transistor device having base epitaxy region on etched opening in DARC layer
Patent No. 9,812,445
A method is provided of forming a bipolar transistor device. The method comprises depositing a collector dielectric layer over a substrate in a collector active region, depositing a dielectric anti-reflective (DARC) layer over the collector dielectric layer, dry etching away a base opening in the DARC layer, and wet etching away a portion of the collector dielectric layer in the base opening to provide an extended base opening to the substrate. The method further comprises performing a base deposition to form a base epitaxy region in the extended base opening and extending over first and second portions of the DARC layer that remains as a result of the dry etching away the base opening in the DARC layer, and forming an emitter region over the base epitaxy region.
Inventors: Patrick B. Shea (Washington, D.C.), Michael Rennie (Mechanicsville, Va.), Sandro J. Di Giacomo (Ellicott City, Md.)
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. (Falls Church, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Optimized braid construction
Patent No. 9,816,211
Braided bodies having a reduced braid density while retaining high tensile properties. High tenacity fibers are braided together at a braid density of less than or equal to 20 picks per inch, wherein the tenacity of the braided body does not decrease with increasing braid density from 17 picks per inch to 19 picks per inch in length of the braided body.
Inventors: Lori L. Wagner (Richmond), Huy Xuan Nguyen (Midlothian, Va.), Thomas Tam (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Multiuser amusement rocking device
Patent No. 9,814,990
An outdoor amusement rocking device having a frame and a support member that together form a curvature saddle-shaped play structure. The amusement device includes a hyperbole paraboloid frame structure defining an interior area and a resilient support sheet material disposed in the interior area of the frame and attached to the frame.
Inventors: Amanda Lacy (Portland, Maine), Beverly Fries (Barboursville, Va.), Ting Xu (Richmond), David Yakos (Bozeman, Mont.)
Assignee: Plow & Hearth (Madison, Va.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Refrigeration system having a common air plenum
Patent No. 9,814,326
An air cooling system for a temperature-controlled display case includes at least two modular cooling elements, one or more fans configured to provide an air flow to the at least two modular cooling elements, and an air plenum common to each of the one or more fans and the at least two modular cooling elements, the air plenum being configured to direct the air flow from the one or more fans through the at least two modular cooling elements and into a product area of the temperature-controlled display case.
Inventors: Jules G. Choueifati (Richmond), Larry C. Howington (Chesterfield, Va.), Timothy D. Swofford (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Hill Phoenix Inc. (Conyers, Ga.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Medicament delivery device for administration of opioid antagonists including formulations for naloxone
Patent No. 9,814,838
Medicament delivery devices for administration of opioid antagonists are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing, a medicament container disposed within the housing and an energy storage member disposed within the housing. The medicament container is filled with a naloxone composition that includes naloxone or salts thereof, a tonicity-adjusting agent, and a pH-adjusting agent, whereby the osmolality of the naloxone composition ranges from about 250-350 mOsm and the pH ranges from about 3-5. The energy storage member is configured to produce a force to deliver the naloxone composition.
Inventors: Eric S. Edwards (Moseley, Va.), Evan T. Edwards (Charlottesville, Va.), Mark J. Licata (Doswell, Va.), Paul F. Meyers (Fishers, Ind.), Frank E. Blondino (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: kaleo Inc. (Richmond)
Nov. 14, 2017
Voluntary benefits outsourcing systems and methods
Patent No. 9,811,861
Voluntary benefits outsourcing systems and methods may be used to provide voluntary benefits to employees. An employee may choose to select any number of voluntary benefits from a menu of voluntary benefits available to that employee through the voluntary benefits system. Available voluntary benefits may include, but are not limited to, automobile insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, disability insurance, healthcare insurance, dental insurance, long term care insurance, pet care insurance and legal services insurance, discounts on computers, movie tickets, auto financing, educational testing, telephones, travel, child care, and a host of other work/life offerings, for example. The voluntary benefits systems and methods include calculating a single payroll deduction based upon the selection of the voluntary benefits by the employee. In this manner, the employee may receive a pay check with only one deduction for all selected voluntary benefits.
Inventors: Peter Marcia (Richmond)
Nov. 7, 2017
Lawn ornament having rotatable blades with solar-activated light-emitting devices
Patent No. 9,808,735
A decorative lawn ornament including a rotatable carrier having a plurality of blades. At least one light-emitting device is arranged on each of the plurality of blades to emit light from the blades. A solar panel is provided to receive and collect sunlight, and a photoswitch is automatically operable between an activated state during instances of insufficient sunlight to thereby activate the light-emitting device, and a deactivated state during instances of sunlight to thereby deactivate the light-emitting device. The decorative lawn ornament is operable such that when a flow of air strikes it, the blades rotate and a decorative member rotates to control an orientation of the blades and the light emitted by the light-emitting devices.
Inventors: Fei Qiu (Richmond), Chengyong Tu (Ningbo, China), Richard Koval (Earlysville, Va.)
Assignee: Plow & Hearth (Madison, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Methods and apparatus for electromagnetic processing of phyllosilicate minerals
Patent No. 9,810,480
Methods and apparatus for processing phyllosilicate minerals are provided. In some embodiments, the phyllosilicate mineral is clay. In some embodiments, the phyllosilicate mineral is bentonite clay.
Inventors: Steve E. Sears (Chesterfield, Va.), Larry Palmer (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Targeted Microwave Solutions Inc. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Nov. 7, 2017
Flexible shaft for holding a tool of rotary driven motion
Patent No. 9,808,867
A tool having a flexible shaft, a first end and, a second end and capable of being bent about its axis. The tool transfers rotary motion from a device to tool. The shaft, manufactured from a rigid material, has at least one flexible segment, each flexible segment have at least one sinuous slot ascending in a helical path. With multiple segments, the helical path of the slots can be opposite or the same. With one or more segments having multiple slots, the slots can be parallel or have opposite ascensions, thereby crossing one another. The helical paths can vary within each segment or from segment to segment.
Inventors: William R. Krause (Charlottesville, Va.), Garland Edwards (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Flex Technology Inc. (Charlottesville, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Bipolar junction transistor device having base epitaxy region on etched opening in DARC layer
Patent No. 9,812,445
A method is provided of forming a bipolar transistor device. The method comprises depositing a collector dielectric layer over a substrate in a collector active region, depositing a dielectric anti-reflective (DARC) layer over the collector dielectric layer, dry etching away a base opening in the DARC layer, and wet etching away a portion of the collector dielectric layer in the base opening to provide an extended base opening to the substrate. The method further comprises performing a base deposition to form a base epitaxy region in the extended base opening and extending over first and second portions of the DARC layer that remains as a result of the dry etching away the base opening in the DARC layer, and forming an emitter region over the base epitaxy region.
Inventors: Patrick B. Shea (Washington, D.C.), Michael Rennie (Mechanicsville, Va.), Sandro J. Di Giacomo (Ellicott City, Md.)
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. (Falls Church, Va.)
Nov. 7, 2017
Optimized braid construction
Patent No. 9,816,211
Braided bodies having a reduced braid density while retaining high tensile properties. High tenacity fibers are braided together at a braid density of less than or equal to 20 picks per inch, wherein the tenacity of the braided body does not decrease with increasing braid density from 17 picks per inch to 19 picks per inch in length of the braided body.
Inventors: Lori L. Wagner (Richmond), Huy Xuan Nguyen (Midlothian, Va.), Thomas Tam (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, N.J.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Multiuser amusement rocking device
Patent No. 9,814,990
An outdoor amusement rocking device having a frame and a support member that together form a curvature saddle-shaped play structure. The amusement device includes a hyperbole paraboloid frame structure defining an interior area and a resilient support sheet material disposed in the interior area of the frame and attached to the frame.
Inventors: Amanda Lacy (Portland, Maine), Beverly Fries (Barboursville, Va.), Ting Xu (Richmond), David Yakos (Bozeman, Mont.)
Assignee: Plow & Hearth (Madison, Va.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Refrigeration system having a common air plenum
Patent No. 9,814,326
An air cooling system for a temperature-controlled display case includes at least two modular cooling elements, one or more fans configured to provide an air flow to the at least two modular cooling elements, and an air plenum common to each of the one or more fans and the at least two modular cooling elements, the air plenum being configured to direct the air flow from the one or more fans through the at least two modular cooling elements and into a product area of the temperature-controlled display case.
Inventors: Jules G. Choueifati (Richmond), Larry C. Howington (Chesterfield, Va.), Timothy D. Swofford (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Hill Phoenix Inc. (Conyers, Ga.)
Nov. 14, 2017
Medicament delivery device for administration of opioid antagonists including formulations for naloxone
Patent No. 9,814,838
Medicament delivery devices for administration of opioid antagonists are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing, a medicament container disposed within the housing and an energy storage member disposed within the housing. The medicament container is filled with a naloxone composition that includes naloxone or salts thereof, a tonicity-adjusting agent, and a pH-adjusting agent, whereby the osmolality of the naloxone composition ranges from about 250-350 mOsm and the pH ranges from about 3-5. The energy storage member is configured to produce a force to deliver the naloxone composition.
Inventors: Eric S. Edwards (Moseley, Va.), Evan T. Edwards (Charlottesville, Va.), Mark J. Licata (Doswell, Va.), Paul F. Meyers (Fishers, Ind.), Frank E. Blondino (Henrico, Va.)
Assignee: kaleo Inc. (Richmond)
Nov. 14, 2017