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Patents Issued the Week of January 20-24
1.27.25
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. 12,203,552 entitled “Internally Clamping Rectangular Sealing Ring” issued January 21, 2025 to Konzelmann GmbH of Löchgau, Germany. Invented by Matthias Heine of Stuttgart, Germany; Michail Michailidis of Bönnigheim, Germany and Heino Kramp also of Bönnigheim, Germany. Abstract: The invention relates to an internally clamping rectangular seal (40) for sealing a shaft (20) with respect to a housing (10), wherein the rectangular seal can be inserted into a groove (13) disposed circumferentially on a shaft bore (12), wherein the rectangular seal is interrupted along its circumferential direction at a joint (42) and two ring-end sections (43, 44) are formed, and wherein the rectangular seal has an outer surface (40.4) facing radially outwards, an inner clamping surface (40.1) facing radially inwards and opposing flank surfaces (40.3) facing in the axial direction. Therefore, provision is made that at least one contact ramp (45.1, 45.2, 45.3) is disposed at at least one ring-end section, that the at least one contact ramp is oriented obliquely with respect to the circumferential direction and obliquely with respect to the radial direction of the rectangular seal, and that the at least one contact ramp, starting from a non-stressed state of the rectangular seal, forms a first mechanical contact, pointing in the circumferential direction, between the opposing ring-end sections when the radius of the rectangular seal is reduced by prestressing the rectangular seal. The rectangular seal permits low leakage rates and can be installed non-directionally.
U.S. Patent No. 12,203,226 entitled “Dowel Bar Inserter” issued January 21, 2025 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Gunnar Ramseger of Borod, Germany. Abstract: A dowel bar inserter includes first and second end carriages, a bottom pan assembly configured to engage a top surface of a concrete slab, an insertion beam, and a plurality of insertion forks attached to the insertion beam. First and second insertion actuators support the insertion beam from the first and second end carriages. First and second end suspension actuators support the bottom pan assembly from the end carriages independent of the raising and lowering of the insertion beam relative to the end carriages. Each of the suspension actuators includes associated therewith a suspension actuator extension sensor configured to detect an amount of extension of the respective suspension actuator.