Patents Examined by Erin Saad
  • Patent number: 9272362
    Abstract: In one aspect of the disclosure, an article for filling an opening in an object includes a plug having a body, a first flange, and a second flange. The plug has a trailing end. The first flange is in contact with the body and extends away from the body. The second flange is in contact with the first flange and extends away from the first flange and the body. The second flange is configured to deform toward the body upon installation of the plug into the opening. This deformation of the second flange rotationally and translationally secures the plug in the opening and consolidates the plug in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mike P. Matlack, Amy M. Helvey, Randy A. Card
  • Patent number: 9272352
    Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a solar cell soldered to a mounting element, such as a ceramic substrate. The solder bond can comprise a void. A method of reducing a solder void comprises reflowing the solder using a vacuum source and a heat source in a sealed chamber. The chamber is formed, at least in part, by a cowling into which the solar cell module is mounted. A system for reducing voids in a solder bond comprises a heat source and a vacuum source coupled to the sealed chamber into which a solar cell module is placed. The system can optionally include a control system that automates the execution of methods of reducing solder voids. The system can further include a pressure source to aid in reducing the solder void and reflowing the solder after the void is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Dason Cheung, Murad Kurwa, Richard Loi
  • Patent number: 9263620
    Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a solar cell soldered to a mounting element, such as a ceramic substrate. The solder bond can comprise a void. A method of reducing a solder void comprises reflowing the solder using a vacuum source and a heat source in a sealed chamber. The chamber is formed, at least in part, by a cowling into which the solar cell module is mounted. A system for reducing voids in a solder bond comprises a heat source and a vacuum source coupled to the sealed chamber into which a solar cell module is placed. The system can optionally include a control system that automates the execution of methods of reducing solder voids. The system can further include a pressure source to aid in reducing the solder void and reflowing the solder after the void is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Dason Cheung, Murad Kurwa, Richard Loi
  • Patent number: 9248522
    Abstract: In a friction stir welding apparatus that can control a penetrating position of a probe with respect to a processing target member to an optimum position at a time of friction stir welding by detecting a wear volume and a tip position of the probe, as a drive mechanism moves down a holder having a coefficient of thermal expansion larger than that of the probe and holding the probe, a detector can freely detect a length of a member including the holder and the probe, and a probe detection mechanism can freely detect a tip length, which is the length of the member of only the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: F-TECH INC., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Saitou, Hiroyasu Yamaguchi, Yukio Shoji, Mitsuru Sayama, Tsutomu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9252309
    Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a solar cell die that is soldered to a substrate. The substrate comprises one or more power contacts. A power conductor is soldered to a power contact, thereby electrically coupling the power conductor to the solar cell die. A pre-heat module heats a first side of the substrate at a first area to a first temperature for a first duration. Then, a solder heat source solders a power conductor to a power contact at a second area of the substrate at a second temperature for a second duration. The resulting solder connection at the power conductor is less prone to cold-solder defects. The temperature of the pre-heat module is controlled to promote curing of an RTV sealant used in the manufacture of the solar cell module. The temperature of the solder heat source is controlled to avoid burning and degrading of the RTV sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Dason Cheung, Murad Kurwa, Richard Loi, Mario Lopez Ruiz
  • Patent number: 9242308
    Abstract: A system and method for friction stir welding of small diameter tubing, wherein the small diameter tubing is held in a correct position with a grasp sufficient to perform FSW when the tubing is comprised of high melting temperature materials, wherein the small diameter tubing can be rotated by the positioning and holding system while a FSW tool is held stationary, or vice versa, wherein internal mandrels are also described which can fit inside the smaller dimensions of the small diameter tubing and expand to provide a counter force to prevent deformation of the tubing when forces are applied by the FSW tool, wherein new FSW tool geometries are also described which enable the FSW tool to direct more heat on a tool/workpiece interface to counteract a lack of contact between the FSW shoulder and the workpiece because of tube curvature, and wherein the FSW tool is positioned on a small diameter tube by trailing the joint to provide desirable heating at the joint/workpiece interface and surface finishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: MEGASTIR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Peterson, John Hall, Russell J Steel, Jonathan Babb, Matt Collier, Scott M. Packer
  • Patent number: 9246073
    Abstract: A mounting structure is provided that can allow gaseous matter generated when performing a heat treatment to escape to outside efficiently. A mounting structure 10 includes a substrate 1 having electrodes 2a and 2b, an electronic component 3 having electrodes 21a and 21b, joints 15a and 15b that electrically connect the electrodes 2a and 2b of the substrate 1 and the electrodes 21a and 21b of the electronic component 3 and also fix the electronic component 3 to the surface of the substrate 1, and a convex portion 4 that abuts against the electrode 2a of the substrate 1 and the electrode 21a of the electronic component 3 and is used as a spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sasaoka, Kaori Toyoda, Kentaro Nishiwaki, Hiroki Ikeuchi, Hiroshi Nasu
  • Patent number: 9243845
    Abstract: To prevent evaporated flux from being attached to rotation axes of motors which rotate fans positioned in a preheating zone, a main heating zone and a cooling zone and being solidified, the evaporated flux is efficiently and surely collected with the flux liquefying before the flux is solidified and having fluidity. A drain portion 20 constituting a flux collection apparatus 10A is formed at a side of a motor base 16 opposed to the fan and at a circumferential portion of the rotation axis 14. A surface of the drain portion 20 opposed to the fan is formed as an inclined surface 20A which is inclined from a level position of the motor base 16 to a discharge port 46 provided at a back side of the motor base 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Senju Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Sugihara, Hiroshi Taguchi, Daisuke Kasahara, Koichiro Hosokawa, Yuta Saito
  • Patent number: 9233436
    Abstract: An assembly having a substrate and at least one component fastened thereon by sintering using a sintering agent, in particular sintering paste. The sintering agent is situated in a recess of the substrate that accommodates at least some areas of the component. A method for producing an assembly having a substrate and at least one component fastened thereon by sintering using a sintering agent, in particular sintering paste. The sintering agent is brought into a recess of the substrate that accommodates at least some areas of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Wolde-Giorgis, Thomas Kalich
  • Patent number: 9227275
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a head 2 includes the steps of: (A) producing a plurality of head components Ph; (B) welding at least two of the head components Ph to each other while abutting the head components Ph on a guide core gc1; and (C) removing the guide core gc1. Preferably, the guide core gc1 is made of a water-soluble material. Preferably, at least one of the head components Ph is produced by a press process. Preferably, the guide core gc1 has a lack part Ms1. Preferably, existence of the lack part Ms1 avoids contact between a welding joint part wd1 and the guide core gc1 in the step B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Akio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9227267
    Abstract: A method of solid phase bonding metal pieces by securing a first and second metal pieces in edge to edge contact; subjecting the first and second metal pieces to a first upset comprising heating the first and second edges to a temperature in the range of 0.35-0.95 of the melting temperature of the first and second metal pieces and applying a first axil force to the first and second metal pieces to urge the first and second edges together, to upset the metal at the edge to edge contact and form a bond; and subjecting the bonded metal piece to a second upset comprising heating the bonded metal piece between secured locations to a temperature in the range of 0.35-0.95 of the melting temperature of the metal and applying a second axil force to the bonded metal piece to upset the bonded metal piece and form a solid phase bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: William Engineering LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Dion, Gregg A. Dion
  • Patent number: 9227276
    Abstract: A high temperature brazing fixture and method of manufacture for a gas turbine component made of a superalloy is disclosed herein. The high temperature brazing fixture includes a first and second frame member, a support member, and positioning member, all of which are made from the superalloy and fastened together using tab and tab lock couplings. The support member is configured to interface with and support the gas turbine engine component, and the positioning member is configured to interface with and position at least a first location of or hold a first dimension of the gas turbine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas C. Schacht, John Michael Irwin
  • Patent number: 9221127
    Abstract: In a method for producing welded pipes from steel, in which strips or metal sheets are formed into a pipe provided with a longitudinal or helical slot and the abutting edges of the slotted pipe are welded together, the process parameters for production of the pipes are specified on the basis of previously ascertained material properties and geometry of the strips or metal sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: EUROPIPE GMBH
    Inventors: Franz Martin Knoop, Michael Kaack, Ludwig Oesterlein
  • Patent number: 9216468
    Abstract: Provided are: a method for brazing an aluminum alloy, which is characterized in that brazing is carried out by heating an aluminum brazing sheet without using flux in a furnace that is in an argon gas-containing atmosphere, said aluminum brazing sheet comprising a core material that is composed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a brazing filler material that is composed of an aluminum alloy and clad on one surface or both surfaces of the core material, and said core material and/or said brazing filler material containing Mg; and a brazing apparatus which is used in the method for brazing an aluminum alloy. The brazing method has good and stable brazing properties and is applicable in industrial practice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignees: Kanto Yakin Kogyo Co., Ltd., Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp.
    Inventors: Kiichi Kanda, Kenichi Watanabe, Yutaka Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 9216467
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy extruded tube product for a heat exchanger assembly and made from an 1xxx-series aluminum alloys and including furthermore a purposive addition of one or more wetting elements selected from the group of: Bi 0.03% to 0.5%, Pb 0.03% to 0.5%, Sb 0.03% to 0.5%, Li 0.03% to 0.5%, Se 0.03% to 0.5%, Y 0.03% to 0.05%, Th 0.03% to 0.05%, and the sum of these elements being 0.5% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ALERIS ROLLED PRODUCTS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Adrianus Jacobus Wittebrood, Steven Kirkham, Achim Bürger, Klaus Vieregge
  • Patent number: 9209527
    Abstract: A method of joining a first metal member having at least a surface made of a first metal to a second metal member having at least a surface made of a second metal with a joining material sandwiched therebetween. The joining material includes a low melting point metal having a lower melting point than the first metal and/or the second metal. The low melting point metal composing the joining material is Sn or an alloy containing Sn. At least one of the first metal and the second metal is a metal or an alloy which forms an intermetallic compound with the low melting point metal, and which has a lattice constant difference of 50% or more from the intermetallic compound. The joining material located between the first metal member and the second metal member is heat-treated at a temperature at which the low melting point metal is melted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakano, Hidekiyo Takaoka
  • Patent number: 9198302
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of soldering an electronic component (3) to a substrate (1) with high accuracy using transient liquid phase soldering. The component (3) is exactly positioned above the substrate (1) with a handling tool, placed in the melted solder (2) and pressed against the substrate (1). The component (3) is then released and the solder (2) allowed solidifying. Due to the use of a solder (2) having a sufficiently high amount of a second metal or metal alloy of a higher melting point which only partly dissolves in the melted first metal or metal alloy of a lower melting point, a solid framework forms during the liquid phase soldering which inhibits a lateral movement of the placed component (3) during soldering. Since the positioning of the component (3) is made using exact reference features on the substrate (1), the whole soldering process results in a highly accurate lateral position of the soldered component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Gordon Patrick Rudolf Elger
  • Patent number: 9186713
    Abstract: A hot coiler drum working at 900-1200° C. includes: a drum body (3), two flanges (1), several radial rib plates (5) and several axial rib plates (6). The several radial rib plates (5) are fixedly arranged on an inner wall of the drum body (3) uniformly along the axial direction of the drum body (3), the several axial rib plates (6) are arranged on the inner wall of the drum body (3) uniformly except a window (4) zone of the drum body (3), and the axial rib plates (6) and the radial rib plates (5) are welded with the drum body (3) into a whole. A method for producing the drum is also provided. The manufacturing method replaces casting with welding, which eliminates the need for a large-sized casting device, thereby enhancing the finished product rate using simple processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: YAN TAI DEVELOPMENT ZONE BLUE WHALE MAINTENANCE WELDING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dianshuang Chen, Jinggang Sun
  • Patent number: 9180537
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy extruded tube product for a heat exchanger assembly and made from a 3xxx-series aluminum alloys and including furthermore a purposive addition of one or more wetting elements selected from the group of: Bi 0.03% to 0.5%, Pb 0.03% to 0.5%, Sb 0.03% to 0.5%, Li 0.03% to 0.5%, Se 0.03% to 0.5%, Y 0.03% to 0.05%, Th 0.03% to 0.05%, and the sum of these elements being 0.5% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: ALERIS ROLLED PRODUCTS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Adrianus Jacobus Wittebrood, Steven Kirkham, Achim Bürger, Klaus Vieregge
  • Patent number: 9180540
    Abstract: A solar cell module comprises a solar cell die that is soldered to a substrate. The substrate comprises one or more power contacts. A power conductor is soldered to a power contact, thereby electrically coupling the power conductor to the solar cell die. A pre-heat module heats a first side of the substrate at a first area to a first temperature for a first duration. Then, a solder heat source solders a power conductor to a power contact at a second area of the substrate at a second temperature for a second duration. The resulting solder connection at the power conductor is less prone to cold-solder defects. The temperature of the pre-heat module is controlled to promote curing of an RTV sealant used in the manufacture of the solar cell module. The temperature of the solder heat source is controlled to avoid burning and degrading of the RTV sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Dason Cheung, Mario Lopez Ruiz, Richard Loi, Murad Kurwa