Patents Issued the Week of March 23-27

3.29.26

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. 12,582,733 entitled “Parallel Heating System and Method for Amalgam Lamps” issued March 25, 2026 to Tru-D SmartUVC of Memphis, Tennessee. Invented by Brian Manley also of Memphis, Tennessee. Abstract: The present disclosure relates to ultraviolet (UV) disinfection devices, systems and methods for automatically preheating a plurality of UV emitters of the UV disinfection device in response to the UV disinfection device being coupled to a power source, independent of the activation of the plurality of EV emitters, or a ballast or power supply thereof, in order to minimize a total disinfection cycle time. In certain optional embodiments, the present disclosure relates to UV disinfection devices, systems and methods for dynamically adjusting a power-level of each of the plurality of UV emitters based on corresponding UV sensor measurements in order to further minimize the total disinfection cycle time. In other optional embodiments, the present disclosure relates to UV disinfection devices, systems and methods for optimizing alignment of each of a plurality of UV emitters within a room in order to further minimize the total disinfection cycle time.

U.S. Patent No. 12,584,277 entitled “Constant Surface Patterns During Slip Form Paving” issued March 25, 2026 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Christoph Weigel of Sankt Augustin, Germany. Abstract: A slip form paving machine includes a slip form mold having a mold width extending transversely to a paving direction. At least one smoothing beam is supported behind the slip form mold for engaging an upper surface of a formed not yet hardened concrete structure to smooth the upper surface, the at least one smoothing beam being configured to oscillate transversely to the paving direction. At least one advance speed sensor is configured to provide an advance speed signal corresponding to an advance speed of the slip form paving machine in the paving direction. A controller is configured to receive the advance speed signal and to generate a command signal to control a frequency of transverse oscillation of the at least one smoothing beam such that a constant relationship is maintained between the advance speed and the frequency of transverse oscillation.

U.S. Patent No. D1,119,325 entitled “Cleaning Brush” issued March 25, 2026 to LE Holdings, LLC of Franklin, Tennessee. Invented by Mia Kaminski also of Franklin, Tennessee. Claims:  The ornamental design for a cleaning brush, as shown and described.