Patents Examined by Joseph W Iskra
  • Patent number: 11268763
    Abstract: Electric arc, and ladle, furnaces 10 have components 14 with a high-emissivity/high reflectivity layer 18 disposed on the hot face 16. The component 14 includes a water-cooled panel 40, a duct 34, roof 12 frame 38, pipes, dry delta 36, water-cooled delta 28, fourth hole elbow 32, fourth hole roof 42, side walls 26 and combinations thereof. The high-emissivity/high-reflectivity layer 18 comprises, in dry admixture, from about 5% to about 40% of an inorganic adhesive, from about 45% to about 92% of a filler, and from about 1% to about 25% of one or more emissivity agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: Emisshield, Inc., Melter S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: John W. Olver, Timothy Wayne Wilson, Carlos Uribe, Alberto Rivera
  • Patent number: 11253944
    Abstract: A steel plate frame and a thin plate are made of different materials. A plurality of through holes are formed in a portion of the thin plate to be placed on the steel plate frame. A plurality of projections 6c are formed on a support plate, each of the projections being allowed to be inserted into a corresponding one of the through holes. An adhesive is applied to a portion of the steel plate frame on which the thin plate is placed. The thin plate is placed on the steel plate frame, and the steel plate frame and the thin plate are bonded together by the adhesive. The support plate is placed on the thin plate to insert the projections into the through holes. The projections and the steel plate frame are welded to form a plurality of welded spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Watanabe, Reiichi Suzuki, Hideto Katsuma
  • Patent number: 11247293
    Abstract: A highly corrosion-resistant spot weldment can be produced at low cost without occurrence of prominent protrusions and the like on the surface. The spot weldment is joined by a nugget formed inside stacked sheet materials through bringing a pair of electrodes arranged opposite to each other into pressure contact with the stacked sheet materials from outside and energizing the stacked sheet materials from the electrodes. The nugget has a diameter that is ?4?t (t: thickness of sheet material) and a flattening level of 3.5 to 8, which is a ratio of diameter to thickness. Both outer surface parts of the sheet materials are free from protrusions formed due to bulging of molten metal. Even when the electrodes are made of a copper alloy, the increased amount of Cu in the outer surface parts is 0.2 mass % or less with respect to the component composition before spot welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Matsuoka, Tatsuyuki Amago, Takashi Asada, Toru Hioki, Manabu Ooga, Shuhei Ogura
  • Patent number: 11235422
    Abstract: A method for joining together metal workpiece (12,14 or 12,150, 14) includes forming a laser weld joint (66) in a workpiece stack-up (10) that fusion welds two or more overlapping metal workpiece (12,14 or 12,150 or 14) together. The laser weld joint (66) has an initial top surface (76). Once the laser weld joint (66) is formed, the method calls for impinging the laser weld joint (66) with a laser beam (24) and moving the laser beam (24) along the initial joint (66) including the initial top surface (76). The laser beam (24) is eventually removed from the laser weld joint (66) to allow the melted upper portion (78) of the joint (66) to resolidify and provide the laser weld joint (66) with a modified top surface (84) that is smoother than the initial top surface (76). By providing the laser weld joint with a smoother modified top surface, residual stress concentration points are removed and the laser weld joint is less liable to damage seal strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Yu Pan, David Yang, Wu Tao, Paolo Novelletto
  • Patent number: 11224233
    Abstract: Content containers and vessels, one aspect including a deformable fluid-tight container shell defining an internal volume and separating the internal volume from an external environment; a room-temperature semi-solid content contained within the internal volume; and a valve operationally connected to and disposed at least partially without the deformable container shell; where the semi-solid content is a hydrophobic matrix with at least partially emulsified hydrophilic components; where the container shell is substantially fluid-tight; where the valve has open state(s) and a closed state; where the valve may be actuated between the open state(s) and the closed state; where the valve is self-cleaning; where during the open state(s), the internal volume is in fluidic communication with the external environment; where during the closed state, the internal volume content cannot fluidically communicate with the external environment; and where the content remains moisture-stable while the valve is in the closed sta
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew J. Rubin, Adam D. Ambrecht
  • Patent number: 11219231
    Abstract: A heated air popcorn popper and related methods of popping popcorn in which unpopped kernels are retained in a heating zone and are prevented from being expelled before they have been exposed to a heated air stream for sufficient time to result in popping of the kernels. The popcorn popper can have a popping portion including a retention mechanism capable of moving in response to physical contact with popped kernels that experience a dramatic volumetric increase in size following popping. As the number of popped kernels within the popping portion increases, the level of the popped kernels rises until they physically contact the retention mechanism, whereby the retention mechanism is forced to transition from a covering disposition to an open disposition in which popped kernels are allowed to exit the heating zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: National Presto Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Seth Rooney, Michael R. Berge
  • Patent number: 11213913
    Abstract: A laser reflow apparatus capable of reducing tact time for a single bonding object, and accelerating an overall bonding process for all of a plurality of bonding objects is provided. The laser reflow apparatus comprises a bonding object transfer unit including a stage, a laser emission unit, a beam transmission plate, and a beam transmission plate transfer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: LASERSSEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Joon Choi, Byoung Cheol Kim, Byung Roc Kim, Nam Seong Kim
  • Patent number: 11219097
    Abstract: A subsea direct electrical heating power supply system includes at least one input device adapted to couple the direct electrical heating power supply system to a power supply and a subsea variable speed drive, for receiving electrical power from the at least one input device and for providing an AC output, including a plurality of series-connected power cells. Each power cell includes an inverter and a bypass device to selectively bypass the power cell. The system further includes an adjustable subsea capacitor connected to the AC output of the subsea variable speed drive; an output device adapted to couple the direct electrical heating power supply system to a subsea pipeline section; and a controller, adapted to adjust the capacitance of the adjustable subsea capacitor such that upon the system output voltage being reduced, the current output by the direct electrical heating power supply system is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY AS
    Inventor: Aravinda Perera
  • Patent number: 11211280
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of preventing a susceptor made of quartz from being damaged by contacting a reflector deformed by thermal expansion. A substrate support according to the technique may include an upper susceptor made of quartz; a lower susceptor made of quartz; and a reflector reflecting heat and made of a metal in a planar shape. A lower surface of the upper susceptor is bonded with an upper surface of the lower susceptor such that the reflector is interposed therebetween, a first recess accommodating the reflector is provided at the upper surface of the lower susceptor, and a portion of the lower surface of the upper susceptor facing the first recess is roughened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Sato, Naoya Matsuura
  • Patent number: 11185192
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a cooking appliance, comprises a cooking system and a transport control system. The cooking system comprises a cleaning device, a cooking cavity connected to the cleaning device, and a first control device. The cleaning device is provided with a first input port and a second input port; the first control device can independently control the cooking system; the transport control system is located on the outer side of the cooking system and is detachably connected to the cooking system; and the transport control system can be communicated with the first input port and the second input port to transport a foodstuff to be cleaned and water for cleaning the foodstuff to the cleaning device by means of the first input port and the second input port, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventors: Ruoyu Mei, Weijie Chen, Pofeng Ho, Dianguo Pan, Xiaokai Liu, Ya Zhou
  • Patent number: 11173526
    Abstract: In one embodiment, systems and methods include using an automated laser system to remove a portion of a coating for nutplate installation. An automated laser system comprises a laser scanner and a laser head, wherein the laser head is coupled to the laser scanner. The laser head comprises a containment unit and a vacuum connector wherein the vacuum connector is disposed on a first side of the containment unit. The laser head further comprises a camera system, a light source, a first actuator, and a second actuator all disposed on a top surface of the containment unit. The laser head further comprises an end piece, wherein the second actuator is configured to displace the end piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: David Haynes Coleman, Michael Bryan Stoddard, Jeffrey P. Langevin, Steven E. Twaddle, Alexandria Zoe Arthur
  • Patent number: 11171462
    Abstract: A fiber laser apparatus that generates invisible laser light using an amplification optical fiber having a core and that propagates a fundamental mode and a low-order mode is provided. The fiber laser apparatus includes a visible laser light source that generates visible laser light, an introducing section that introduces the visible laser light generated by the visible laser light source into a core of the amplification optical fiber, a cladding light attenuating section that attenuates light which has propagated through a cladding of the amplification optical fiber, at a subsequent stage of the amplification optical fiber, and a drive unit that drives the visible laser light source to emit the visible laser light through a core of the output optical fiber in a case of performing alignment of an irradiation position of the invisible laser light with respect to a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Kashiwagi, Akira Fujisaki, Yoshihiro Emori
  • Patent number: 11167376
    Abstract: A method for roughening a surface of a metal molded body which can be used as an intermediate for manufacturing a composite molded body of a metal molded body with a resin, a rubber, a metal, or the like is provided. The method for roughening a metal molded body surface includes a step of irradiating the surface of the metal molded body with laser light at an irradiation rate of 2000 mm/sec or more with an energy density of 1 MW/cm2 or more using a laser apparatus, and the laser light irradiation step is a step of irradiating laser light so that laser light-irradiated portions and non-laser light-irradiated portions are generated alternately when the laser light is irradiated to be in a straight line, a curved line, or a combination of a straight line and a curved line on the surface of the metal molded body to be roughened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: DAICEL POLYMER LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Itakura, Masahiro Katayama, Takayuki Uno
  • Patent number: 11161204
    Abstract: An allograft optimization system utilizes an optical system to determine the outer perimeter of a tissue blank for allograft cutting therefrom. The optical system determines an optimal allograft array pattern that can be derived from the irregular tissue blank and may include a plurality of various allograft shapes and sizes. A computer operates an allograft optimization computer program that receives input regarding the outer perimeter of the tissue blank. A cutting implement, such as a laser, is configured to cut the allografts from the irregularly shaped tissue blank according the allograft array pattern. The cutting implement is automatically actuated by an actuator with respect to the tissue blank to cut the allografts therefrom. The cutting implement may be a laser or a galvo laser that is directed by one or more mirrors. The tissue may be birth tissue including placental tissue and amnion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Amnio Technology LLC
    Inventors: Merrill Stromer, Larry Macal, Donald R. Taylor, Cris Holmes, James E. Ellis
  • Patent number: 11148230
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a deposition mask including: arranging a deposition mask to be processed on a stage and forming a deposition hole in the deposition mask by irradiating the deposition mask with a laser beam. The laser beam forming the deposition hole is irradiated plural times in an identical moving path in a region where the deposition hole is formed, the laser beam includes a pulse laser, and pulse energy of the laser beam when the laser beam is irradiated once is different from pulse energy of the laser beam when the laser beam is irradiated twice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taras Litoshenko, Voronov Alexander, Gyoowan Han
  • Patent number: 11141813
    Abstract: A method for improving adhesion is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the method comprises providing a base substrate and emitting energy from an energy source onto a surface of the base substrate at a predetermined wavelength to achieve one or more material properties. The one or more material properties including a surface elemental ratio of Aluminum to Magnesium between approximately 3 to 17, an elemental ratio of oxygen to carbon between 3 to 11, and a contact angle of less than 30 degrees such that upon application of an adhesive material an increased adhesive bond of predetermined strength is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Nathan F. Tortorella, Hema V. Guthy, Sankaran Subramaniam
  • Patent number: 11123816
    Abstract: A resistance spot welding method may involve spot welding a workpiece stack-up that includes a steel workpiece and an aluminum alloy workpiece. A pair of opposed welding electrodes are pressed against opposite sides of the workpiece stack-up with one welding electrode contacting the aluminum alloy workpiece and the other welding electrode contacting the steel workpiece. The welding electrodes are constructed so that, when an electrical current is passed between the electrodes and through the workpiece stack-up, the electrical current has a greater current density in the steel workpiece than in the aluminum alloy workpiece to thereby concentrate heat within a smaller zone in the steel workpiece. Concentrating heat within a smaller zone in the steel workpiece is believed to modify the solidification behavior of the resultant molten aluminum alloy weld pool in a desirable way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David R. Sigler, James G. Schroth, Blair E. Carlson, Yelena Myasnikova, David Yang
  • Patent number: 11116247
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a three-dimensional printer coupled with microwave and a printing method applied for food design. A microwave heating probe embedded in the inner wall of a barrel releases microwaves at the front end, and in combination with the setting of a vertical distance between the front end of the microwave heating probe and an extrusion nozzle, the effect of instant curing of an extruded material is realized. A cooling device is disposed so as to ensure that a material to be printed in the barrel is not cured by microwave heating before the material to be printed enters the extrusion nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Daming Fan, Zilong Zhao, Liming Jin, Bowen Yan, Hao Zhang, Wenhua Gao, Hongwei Cao, Huayu Yang, Jianxin Zhao, Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11116244
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a precision cooking oven that utilizes laser sheets to cook food, thus creating homogeneously heated and uniformly seared food bodies and surfaces. Laser sheets move back and forth evenly injecting heat into items being cooked. All food cold or hot areas can be eliminated since intersecting laser lines can be completely projected on and accommodate an item's exterior surfaces. Items with non-uniform cross-sections and properties can be cooked uniformly by controlling the exact amount of energy projected into differing sections of the food. The oven is also capable of cooking autonomously. Since laser sheets can be precisely controlled, cooking results can be very predictable once the boundary conditions for a thermal analysis are determined. The oven can detect the properties of the items to be cooked and thereafter compute the needed time and power to achieve the desired results stipulated by an oven operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventor: Henry Yu-Heng Lee
  • Patent number: 11110547
    Abstract: A laser welding method according to the present disclosure includes a coupling forming step and a welding step. In the coupling forming step, a T coupling is formed by superimposing a side surface of a first member and a lower surface of a second member on each other. In the welding step, an upper surface of the second member opposite to the lower surface is irradiated with a laser beam so that the first member and the second member are welded to each other by the laser beam. Moreover, in the welding step, the laser beam is moved in a direction along the side surface of the first member while being weaved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Kawamoto, Yasushi Mukai, Junji Fujiwara, Tatsuyuki Nakagawa