Patents Issued to SD Inventors

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (U.S.P.T.O.) issued the following patents in October of 2021, each of which had at least one inventor residing in South Dakota. Keep inventing!

Patent No.      11,149,624

Title:               Mounting Structure for Engine Coolant Collector

Inventors:      Dean W. Walters, Rapid City; Allen Y. Chen, Dunlap, IL; DeForest C. Gould, III, Washington, IL; Jason L. Van Farowe, Brimfield IL; Quinton M. Burcar, Peoria, IL

Assigned:       Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria, IL

Summary:      The inventors have developed a coolant collector bracket for an internal combustion engine with a design that simplifies the engine assembly process.

Patent No.      11,147,712

Title:               Ocular Shield for Facilitating Generation of Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP)

Inventors:      Shawn Michael Vuong, Sioux Falls

Assigned:       N/A

Summary:      The inventor has developed a device for positioning on a patient’s eye for protecting the eye during surgical procedures and for generating light emissions which trigger signals from the patient’s eye to the patient’s brain which can be used to analyze the patient’s medical condition.

Patent No.      11,147,297

Title:               Heating Medium Injectors and Injection Methods for Heating Foodstuffs

Inventors:      Nicholas A. Roth, Dakota Dunes

Assigned:       Empirical Innovations, Inc., Dakota Dunes

Summary:      The inventor has developed a design that reduces clogging in an apparatus that injects steam into a fluid such as milk to pasteurize the milk.

Patent No.      11,147,292

Title:               Microbial-based Process for High Quality Protein Concentrate

Inventors:      William Gibbons, Brookings; Michael L. Brown, Volga

Assigned:       Prairie Aquatech, LLC, Brookings

Summary:      The inventors have developed processes for producing protein concentrates from soybeans for feeding to fish in an aquaculture environment.

Patent No.      D932,882

Title:               Corner Key

Inventors:      Wilbur J. Kellum, Garretson

Assigned:       Amesbury Group, Inc., Edina, MN

Summary:      The inventor has developed an ornamental design for a key device used at the corner of a window frame.

Patent No.      11,145,815

Title:               Nano Memory Device

Inventors:      Charles Tolle, Rapid City; Haiping Hong, Rapid City; Christian Widener, Rapid City; Greg Christensen, Rapid City; Jack Yang, Rapid City

Assigned:       South Dakota Board of Regents, Pierre

Summary:      The inventors have developed improvements in nanoscale, or very small scale, computer memory circuits.

Patent No.      11,136,801

Title:               Inverted Constant Force Window Balance

Inventors:      Wilbur J. Kellum, Garretson; Chad Swier, Sioux Falls; Travis Steen, Sioux Falls; Tyler Welbig, Harrisburg

Assigned:       Amesbury Group, Inc., Edina, MN

Summary:      The inventors have developed an improved window balance mechanism used to facilitate opening and closing of a window sash positioned in window jamb.

Patent No.      11,136,508

Title:               Solvent Extraction of Oil from Distillers Dried Grains and Methods of Using Extraction Products

Inventors:      Keith Bruinsma, Brookings; Donald Endres, Brookings; Steven J. Furcich, Chaska, MN

Assigned:       Novita Nutrition, LLC, Brookings

Summary:      The inventors have developed improved techniques for removing oils from distillers dried grain solubles produced as a coproduct during ethanol production.

Patent No.      11,135,651

Title:               Laser-stirred Powder Bed Fusion

Inventors:      Bryant K. Foster, Columbus, OH; Jacob Marchal, Rapid City; Alber Sadek, Dublin, OH; Shawn M. Kelly, Huntersville, NC

Assigned:       Edison Welding Institute, Inc., Columbus, OH

Summary:      The inventors have developed improvements in an additive manufacturing, or “3–D printing,” process in which a fusing laser moves across a bed of raw material in a circular or stirring motion.

Patent No.      11,135,568

Title:               Methods of Regenerating Molecular Sieves, and Related Systems

Inventors:      Neil D. Anderson, Sioux Falls; James M. Geraets, Sioux Falls; William Higgins, Sioux Falls; Spencer Douglas Lyman, Port Arthur, TX; Bill Miller, Sioux Falls; Rodney Duane Pierson, Wentworth; Danika Pollreisz, Sioux Falls; Brock Weeldreyer, Sioux Falls

Assigned:       POET Research, Inc., Sioux Falls

Summary:      The inventors have developed techniques for removing water accumulated in molecular sieves that collect the water from an ethanol and water mixture produced during ethanol production.

Patent No.      11,135,241

Title:               Compositions and Methods to Affect Skin Irritation

Inventors:      Ronald E. Utecht, Volga; Therese M. Downey, Sioux Falls; Miri Seiberg, Princeton, NJ; Stanley S. Shapiro, Roseland, NJ; Jack V. Foster, Jr., New Orleans, LA

Assigned:       Alumend, LLC, Sioux Falls; Wavepharma, LLC, New Orleans, LA

Summary:      The inventors have developed chemical compositions for treating skin conditions or irritations that are less likely themselves to cause irritation when applied to the skin.

Patent No.      11,134,668

Title:               Nozzle Control System and Method

Inventors:      John D. Preheim, Beresford; Brent A. Driesen, Alvord, IA; Jared Ernest Kocer, Sioux Falls

Assigned:       Raven Industries, Inc., Sioux Falls

Summary:      The inventors have developed an agricultural sprayer system that provides greater control over the spraying of a substance to make application rates more uniform and minimize waste.

If you have questions about how to obtain a patent for your invention, Woods Fuller attorney Jeff Proehl is happy to help!