Recently Issued Patents

11.4.22

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 14 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. 11,486,180 entitled “Furniture Hinge” issued November 1, 2022 to SAMET KALIP VE MADEN ESYA SAN. VE TIC. A.S. of Istanbul, Turkey. Invented by Ertac Capur; Ufuk Kiziltan and Himmet Tanriverdi all of Istanbul, Turkey. The invention relates to a furniture hinge comprising a stop element (20) and a joint part (30) connected to the stop element (20) via a joint lever (27), the joint part (30) supporting a damper (60), for applying a damping effect between the stop element (20) and the joint part (30), a locking element (43) being adjustable between a release position and a locking position by means of an operating element (41) of an actuating unit (40), and the locking element (43) locking the damper (60) in an at least partially compressed damping position. For improved operating reliability, it is provided according to the invention for the locking element (43) to be adjustable relative to the operating element (41) by means of at least one actuator (41.7) and at least one actuator receiving portion (43.3).

U.S. Patent No. 11,489,795 entitled “Systems and Methods for Providing Contact and Information Exchange and Management Thereof” issued November 1, 2022 to PINME, LLC of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Chris Crass of Nashville, Tennessee. Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for a contact and information exchange and management system. The system includes a network, a server couplable to the network, and a plurality of electronic devices couplable to the network. Each electronic device includes an application module executable by the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including obtaining at least one set of information relating to a first user of a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, receiving a selection of shareable information from the first user of the first electronic device, transmitting an indication of the shareable information from the first electronic device via the communication module of the first electronic device to the server, and obtaining the shareable information at a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices from the server via the communication module of the second electronic device.

U.S. Patent No. 11,485,422 entitled “Aerodynamic Mud Flap for Motor Vehicle” issued November 1, 2022 to HSMA, LLC (d/b/a Eco Flaps) of Brentwood, Tennessee. Invented by Darron Ming of Van Buren, Arkansas; Asa Hazelwood of Nashville, Tennessee; Eric Richard Larson of Spring Valley, Ohio; Kevin Paul Shatzer of Fairfield, Ohio and James Dow Smith of West Chester, Ohio. A mud flap for a wheeled vehicle includes an upper mounting portion and an extended protection portion. The extended protection portion includes at least two areas with slotted air flow openings. An upper slot area includes rows of elongated slots with the slots arranged in columns in each row. A lower slot area includes rows of elongated slots with the slots arranged in columns in each row. The slots in the upper slot area have heights that are greater than the heights of slots in the lower slot area. In some embodiments, a middle slot area is positioned between the upper slot area and the lower slot area. The slots in the middle slot area have different heights in different rows. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the slots in the upper slot area is replaced with diagonal mounting features.