Patents Examined by Fred J. Parker
  • Patent number: 7247338
    Abstract: Methods and systems for coating at least a portion of a medical device (e.g., a stent structure) include providing a plurality of coating particles (e.g., monodisperse coating particles) in a defined volume. For example, the particles may be provided using one or more nozzle structures, wherein each nozzle structure includes at least one opening terminating at a dispensing end. The plurality of coating particles may be provided in the defined volume by dispensing a plurality of microdroplets having an electrical charge associated therewith from the dispensing ends of the one or more nozzle structures through use of a nonuniform electrical field between the dispensing ends and the medical device. Electrical charge is concentrated on the particle as the microdroplet evaporates. With a plurality of coating particles provided in the defined volume, such particles can be moved towards at least one surface of the medical device to form a coating thereon (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: David Y. H. Pui, Da-Ren Chen
  • Patent number: 7244466
    Abstract: An improved nozzle for use in kinetic spray systems is disclosed. The nozzle includes a supersonic portion comprising a tubular section and a flow regulator. A portion of the flow regulator is received in the tubular portion. The flow regulator includes a biconical flow concentrator that allows one to create very small dimension coatings on substrates. Using the present nozzle enables one to create spot coatings and very narrow width line coatings that find use in electrical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Hubert Van Steenkiste
  • Patent number: 7241476
    Abstract: Mask (10, 10?, 21, 22) for use in coating a carbon-carbon composite brake disc (25) with anti-oxidant. The mask is composed of carbon-carbon composite material or nonreactive ceramic material. The mask is configured with edge ridges (11, 13) that are aligned with the outer and inner annular diameters of the carbon-carbon composite brake disc, a gasflow channel (12) between the ridges, and a gas access port (18) that allows gas to enter the gasflow channel. The mask may also include a gas exit port (16) having a valve (17) operatively connected thereto, so that gas flow may be restricted when pressure within the mask and carbon-carbon composite brake disc falls below a specified minimum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Allen H. Simpson, Richard W. Smith, Marcia A. Wright, Phillip D. Johnson, David R. Cole
  • Patent number: 7238394
    Abstract: In a powder coating apparatus a pulse signal S2 of a low voltage generated by a pulse signal generation circuit (7) is boosted to a high voltage by means of a high voltage impression circuit (8), so that it is impressed upon corona electrodes (5). As a result, a corona discharge is intermittently generated from the corona electrodes (5) toward an object to be coated, whereby powder coating material sprayed from a nozzle opening of a gun main body in a forward direction is charged with negative ions developed by the corona discharge, whereafter it is directed toward the object to be coated, and is deposited on a surface of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Nihon Parkerizing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Morita, Hiroki Murai, Kosei Yabe, Akira Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7238388
    Abstract: A composition for forming a ferroelectric thin film includes: a PZT sol-gel solution including at least one of: a whole or partial hydrolysate of a lead precursor and a whole or partial hydrolyzed and polycondensated product thereof; a whole or partial hydrolysate of a zirconium precursor, a whole or partial hydrolyzed and polycondensated product thereof, and a zirconium complex having at least one hydroxy ion and at least one non-hydrolyzable ligand; and a whole or partial hydrolysate of a titanium precursor, a whole or partial hydrolyzed and polycondensated product thereof, and a titanium complex having at least one hydroxyl ion and at least one non-hydrolyzable ligand; and a Bi2SiO5 sol-gel solution including at least one of: a whole or partial hydrolysate of a silicon precursor and a whole or partial hydrolyzed and polycondensated product thereof, and a resultant obtained by refluxing triphenyl bismuth as a bismuth precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-kyun Lee, Young-soo Park, June-key Lee
  • Patent number: 7235278
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of applying a particulate material to a substrate includes applying adhesive to the substrate and passing the substrate through a chamber in which a particulate material is suspended in a fluid in order to adhere the particulate material to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: McNeil-PPC, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Y. Fung, Denis Tremblay
  • Patent number: 7232614
    Abstract: A tungsten disulfide metal surface treatment in which the substrate material is prepared through impingement of small blast media particle sizes to create formed pockets in the substrate material approximately matched to the size of the tungsten disulfide particles. A sand blast apparatus having a vibratory bowl with a throttled intake pipe enables small blast media particles to be used to prepare the substrate surface with the formed pockets. A method for forming the tungsten disulfide surface treatment through roughening the substrate surface in a controlled manner is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Material Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Craig T. LeClaire
  • Patent number: 7226639
    Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a method of obtaining fibrous carbon materials by carbonization of cellulosic fibrous materials carried out continuously or batchwise in the presence of at least one organosilicon compound. Characteristically, said organosilicon compound is chosen from the family of crosslinked, cyclic or branched oligomers and resins, which have a number-average molecular mass of between 500 and 10 000 and which consist of units of formula SiO4 (called Q4 units) and units of formula SiOxRy (OR?)z.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: SNECMA Propulsion Solide
    Inventors: Pierre Olry, Hervé Plaisantin, Sylvie Loison, René Pailler
  • Patent number: 7223444
    Abstract: A fast method of creating nanostructures comprising the steps of forming one or more electrically-charged regions (5) of predetermined shape on a surface (1) of a first material, by contacting the regions with a stamp for transferring electric charge, and providing electrically charged nanoparticles (7) of a second material, and permitting the particles to flow in the vicinity of the regions, to be deposited on the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: QuNano AB
    Inventors: Knut Wilfried Deppert, Carl Martin Hall Magnusson, Lars Ivar Samuelson, Thomas Johannes Krinke
  • Patent number: 7223445
    Abstract: A process for the deposition of particulate material of a desired substance on a surface includes: (i) charging a particle formation vessel with a compressed fluid; (ii) introducing into the particle formation vessel a first feed stream comprising a solvent and the desired substance dissolved therein and a second feed stream comprising the compressed fluid, wherein the desired substance is less soluble in the compressed fluid relative to its solubility in the solvent and the solvent is soluble in the compressed fluid, and wherein the first feed stream is dispersed in the compressed fluid, allowing extraction of the solvent into the compressed fluid and precipitation of particles of the desired substance; (iii) exhausting compressed fluid, solvent and the desired substance from the particle formation vessel at a rate substantially equal to the rate of addition of such components to the vessel in step (ii) through a restrictive passage to a lower pressure whereby the compressed fluid is transformed to a gaseous
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Rajesh V. Mehta, Ramesh Jagannathan, Seshadri Jagannathan, Kelly S. Robinson, Karen L. Pond, Bradley M. Houghtaling
  • Patent number: 7220459
    Abstract: A method for finishing a manufactured article by powder painting, comprising the step of applying, on a surface to be decorated of the manufactured article, one decorative layer obtained by means of the transfer by controlled migration of powder particles which originate from a graphic matrix arranged in front of the surface to be decorated and designed to adhere thereto; the transfer and adhesion steps being provided by a first electostatic field which comprises lines of force incident at right angles to the surface to be decorated, the manufactured article acting fully or partly as reference electrode for the first electrostatic field, so as to produce a condition of solid contact between the electrode and the surface to be decorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Paradigma S.R.L.
    Inventor: Tito Trevisan
  • Patent number: 7220458
    Abstract: A method for applying a protective coating on an article, comprising the following steps: selecting an article with a surface for applying a coating thickness; creating undercut grooves on the article, where the grooves depend beneath the surface to a bottom portion with the grooves having an upper width on the surface and a lower width on the bottom portion connected by side walls, where at least one of the side walls connects the upper width and the lower width to form an undercut angle with the surface less than 90°; and, applying the protective coating onto the article to fill the undercut grooves and cover the surface, thereby forming weak paths within the protective coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Los Alamos National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Kendall Hollis, Brian Bartram
  • Patent number: 7217444
    Abstract: A system for electrostatic powder coating irregular shaped, three-dimensional articles with 10 ?m average diameter powder particles. A supply of powder particles are triboelectrically charged and transported onto one or more donor rolls without the need from fluidization of the powder particles. The charged powder particles on the one or more donor rolls are metered to provide a uniform layer thereon. A combination of AC electric fields and/or air jet detach the powder particles from the one or more donor rolls and produce a powder cloud that is directed to the grounded article to be coated. A layer of powder particles coats the outer surface of the article, and the layer is subsequently cured to form a permanent and durable film on the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Dan A. Hays, Jack T. Lestrange
  • Patent number: 7217439
    Abstract: The creation method of a dyed drawing includes a step of arranging of a mesh sheet on the surface of the canvas for the dyed drawing, arranging leaves and flowers on the upper surface of a mesh sheet, covering the plant matter with a synthetic resin sheet, creating the dyed drawing on the canvas including pushing the leaves and flowers to the mesh sheet after pressing the synthetic resin sheet with a spatula etc., the pigment of the leaves and flowers outflowing and being adhered to the canvas, and removing the mesh sheet, the leaves and flowers and the synthetic resin sheet which are located on the surface of the canvas for the dyed drawing so the dyed drawing can be created, adhering and transferring the pigment of leaves and flowers of the plant matter to the drawing paper, canvas, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Nobuo Sugino
  • Patent number: 7214408
    Abstract: A method of producing an aggregate of hollow or solid carbon fibers is provided, which comprises the step of (i) heating a solution comprising carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur as components; or (ii) heating a vapor of a solution comprising carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur as components in an atmosphere of a saturated vapor of the solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokai University Educational System
    Inventors: Teigo Sakakibara, Yoichi Hirose
  • Patent number: 7211292
    Abstract: The method is disclosed for coating or impregnating a metal cutting tool with a metal oxide. The method includes the steps of applying a liquid metal carboxylate composition, or a solution thereof, to a substrate material, and exposing the metal cutting tool to an environment that will cause vaporization or dissipation of any excess carboxylic acids in the liquid metal carboxylate composition and conversion of the metal carboxylates to metal oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: C3 Intl, LLC
    Inventor: Leonid V. Budaragin
  • Patent number: 7211298
    Abstract: A fiber planted steel sheet obtained by forming only a fiber planting layer having excellent adhesion to a substrate made from a composition having special composition on the surface of a surface treated steel sheet as a substrate without forming a primer of a polyester synthetic resin containing an anticorrosive pigment and the like and electrostatically planting short fibers in the planting layer. Therefore, the electrostatically fiber planted steel sheet is produced by coating an aqueous adhesive composition for planting fibers comprising an emulsion resin having a glass transition temperature of ?40 to 40° C., aqueous coloring pigment dispersion, defoamer and pH modifier on the surface of the surface treated steel sheet to form a fiber planting layer having excellent adhesion to the steel sheet on the surface of the steel sheet and electrostatically planting short fibers while the surface of the planting layer retains adhesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Corporation
    Inventor: Teruyuki Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 7208199
    Abstract: After displaying information (10) on the surface of an outer wall (4) of a cell structure, a portion surrounding the displayed information (10) is coated with a coating agent to form a region permeated with a coating agent (24) wherein pores (22) of the outer wall (4) are filled with the coating agent in a section of the outer wall (4) on which the information (10) is displayed. The region permeated with a coating agent (24) prevents a catalyst solution from exuding from the inside of the outer wall (4) of the cell structure. According to a method for protecting the displayed information and the cell structure of which surface information is protected by the protection method, a displayed information portion after loading catalyst components is prevented from being colored, and the displayed information can be maintained in a readable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd
    Inventors: Masayoshi Miwa, Masayasu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7208193
    Abstract: A method for direct writing an electrically conductive metallic feature on an insulating substrate comprises creating a gas jet comprising metallic particles (301), ejecting the gas jet comprising metallic particles through a straight bore tube (302), and impacting the gas jet comprising metallic particles onto a substrate to impinge the metallic particles on the substrate to form the electrically conductive metallic feature (303).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Research Foundation of the State University of New York
    Inventors: Richard Gambino, Robert Greenlaw, Shaun Kubik, Jon Longtin, Joshua Margolies, Sanjay Sampath
  • Patent number: 7205027
    Abstract: A powder coating method that provides enhanced finish characteristics to a powder coated object. The object to be powder coated is vibrated such that the powder readily flows on the surface of the object. The improved flow of the applied powder results in a powder coated object having enhanced, or otherwise superior finish characteristics. The method works with existing powder coating methods, systems, and materials and the vibration may be applied before, during, and/or after the powder is applied, i.e., during heating and/or curing. Additionally, the vibrations may be produced by a variety of means and/or methods including direct mechanical contact (i.e., a vibrating plate), indirect mechanical contact (i.e., a vibrating hang wire), and/or indirect non-contact (i.e., acoustic) methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Inventor: Brandyn Brosemer