Patents Examined by M. Rachuba
  • Patent number: 7448942
    Abstract: A surface to be polished having a plurality of surfaces of significantly different curvatures can be polished evenly by the use of resilient abrasive members by using a polishing method including the steps of selecting at least two resilient abrasive members 10a, 10b from the resilient abrasive members having a plurality of dome-shaped portions of different curvatures determined by a plurality of curvatures on the surface to be polished of the polishing target, and mounting the selected resilient abrasive members 10a, 10b to specific abrasive member mounting jigs 20a, 20b and polishing the surface to be polished of the polishing target L2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 7390241
    Abstract: A linear motion apparatus has a guide shaft including a spiral-shaped or linear-shaped rolling element rolling groove, a movable body including a spiral-shaped or linear-shaped rolling element rolling groove opposed to the rolling element rolling groove of the guide shaft, a large number of rolling elements rollably moving along a rolling element rolling passage formed between the rolling element rolling grooves of the guide shaft and movable body and, a rolling element return passage communicating with the rolling element rolling passage, wherein, in the portion of the rolling element rolling groove of the movable body that is adjacent to an open end of a rolling element return passage, an escape portion is formed by abrasive flow machining in such a manner that the grinding depth thereof increases gradually toward the open end of the rolling element return passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiharu Kajita
  • Patent number: 7344435
    Abstract: A hand-held power tool (10) is specified, comprising a work spindle (12) for driving a tool (68), said tool (68) being fastenable between a fastening element (38) and a holding portion (36) on a tool end of the work spindle (12), and a displacement device (24) for sliding the fastening element (38) between a released position in which the fastening element (38) can be detached from the work spindle (12) and a clamped position in which the fastening element (38) is clamped against the holding portion (36) by a spring element (48). The fastening element (38) includes a clamping shaft (42) that is insertable into the work spindle (12) and held in the clamped position by a lock assembly (54) inside the work spindle (12), and which can be removed when in the released position (FIG. 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: C. & E. Fein GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Pollak, Rolf Ziegler
  • Patent number: 7331844
    Abstract: A slurry feeding apparatus includes closed slurry bottle, piping, wet nitrogen generator, wet nitrogen supply pipe, suction and spray nozzles, temperature regulator, flow rate control valves, slurry delivery pump and controller for controlling the operation and flow rate of the slurry delivery pump. While a wafer is being polished by a CMP polisher, the controller continuously operates the pump. On the other hand, while the polisher is idling, the controller starts and stops the pump intermittently at regular intervals. No stirrer like a propeller is inserted into the slurry bottle, but the slurry is stirred up by spraying the slurry through the spray nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Tanoue, Yoshiharu Hidaka, Shin Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7322262
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing barber scissors (1), wherein the scissor blades (23, 33) are pre-shaped from blanks by a predetermined degree of curvature in the direction facing away from the edge. This is followed by a step of welding on a hard metal material in the form of a welding bead on respective mutually facing faces of the scissor blades (23, 33) in order to form the edges (24, 34), wherein the preliminary curvature of the scissor blades (23, 33) is neutralized owing to the influence of heat during the welding process. Subsequently the welding beads are ground so as to form the edges (24, 34), and the scissor halves (2, 3) are pre-set and hardened. Then the barber scissors (1) are hard-set in the assembled condition. The invention furthermore relates to barber scissors (1) having such a configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignees: TIM Tuttlinger-Instrumenten-Manufaktur GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Beck
  • Patent number: 7311588
    Abstract: A water grinder including: a housing in which a rotary shaft is drivably disposed, the rotary shaft being formed with an axial passage; a water incoming flow way formed in the housing; a valve disposed in the housing and controllable by a selection switch; an external water discharging assembly disposed at a front end of the housing and having at least one water outlet; and a water flow bypass communicating with the external water discharging assembly and the valve. By means of turning the selection switch, the valve can be turned to a position to conduct the water from the flow way into the passage of the rotary shaft to discharge therefrom. Alternatively, the valve can be turned to another position to conduct the water to flow into the external water discharging assembly to discharge from the water outlet. Accordingly, the water discharging position is controllable to achieve best wetting effect for the powder dust produced in grinding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Gison Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Freddy Lin
  • Patent number: 7300332
    Abstract: A polished state monitoring apparatus capable of easily grasping the progress of polishing is provided. The polished state monitoring apparatus monitors the progress of polishing of a surface to be polished by obtaining a characteristic value indicating a state of the polished surface of an object at each sampling point every predetermined interval while scanning the surface. The apparatus includes light emitting means capable of emitting light for irradiating the surface and computing units for receiving light reflected from the surface to generate a characteristic value. Then, the apparatus fetches the characteristic values obtained from the sampling points at the same sampling timing during each scan and outputs the characteristic values. This enables the progress of the polishing to be monitored in accordance with the distance from the center of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Kobayashi, Ryuichiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 7297046
    Abstract: The depth of cut and the headstock velocity of a grinding machine are controlled during the last rotation of finish grinding to maintain a substantially constant load on the grinding wheel spindle drive motor. The depth of cut is kept constant and the component speed of rotation is altered in order to maintain the constant power requirement. If the component profile alters the spindle loading during a single revolution, the component speed is altered from one point to another during each revolution so as to maintain the constant load. Headstock acceleration, deceleration, and velocity are controlled to take into account any variation in contact length between the wheel and component during the rotation of the latter, so that although the metal removal rate may vary slightly around the circumference of the component the power demand on the spindle motor is maintained substantially constant during the whole of the grinding of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Inventor: Daniel Andrew Mavro-Michaelis
  • Patent number: 7296497
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a drill blank or a mill blank by extrusion, said method comprising the forming of a first blank portion (B1) having external, axially extending external flutes and the forming of a further blank portion (B3) in the shape of a shaft. The invention also relates to a device for manufacturing a drill blank or a mill blank. The method according to the invention is characterised by: extruding a first blank portion (B1) having a free end and external flutes; allowing the extrusion to continue to supply further extruding mass into a cavity (6), said supply of extruding mass completely filling out the external flutes of the first blank portion (B1) to produce a second blank portion (B2) integral with the first blank portion (B1); allowing the extrusion to continue to produce a desired length of the first blank portion (B1); and cutting off the first blank portion (B1) at the end facing away from the second blank portion (B2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property AB
    Inventors: Jörgen Kugelberg, Roine Ericsson, Jonathan Fair, Anders Micski
  • Patent number: 7294040
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for planarizing a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, one surface of the microelectronic substrate is engaged with a planarizing pad and the opposite surface of the microelectronic substrate is positioned proximate to a substrate support. A bearing liquid, such as a planarizing liquid, is directed toward the second surface of the microelectronic substrate to form a liquid bearing between the substrate and substrate support. The microelectronic substrate can precess relative the substrate support as the substrate support moves relative to the planarizing pad. The substrate support can include a sensor to determine a characteristic, such as a thickness, of the liquid bearing. In another embodiment, a portion of the liquid bearing can be removed from the second surface of the microelectronic substrate to control the thickness of the liquid bearing and/or to remove particulate matter from the liquid bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott E. Moore
  • Patent number: 7294044
    Abstract: The present invention provides a slurry composition and method for polishing organic polymer-based ophthalmic substrates. The slurry composition according to the invention includes an aqueous dispersion of abrasive particles and a pyrrolidone compound. The abrasive particles can be alumina, zirconia, silica, titania or combinations of the foregoing. Slurry compositions according to the invention can be used to polish all types of organic polymer-based ophthalmic substrates, but are particularly useful for polishing organic polymer-based ophthalmic substrates having an index of refraction greater than 1.498 because they remove such materials at a greater efficiency than conventional slurry compositions without detrimentally affecting the quality of the resulting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ferro Corporation
    Inventor: Steven A. Ferranti
  • Patent number: 7291059
    Abstract: A process for cutting a sheet glass includes a first step of forming a groove conformed to a cutting shape in one surface of a sheet glass by a water jet, and a second step of forming a groove in the other surface of the sheet glass by a water jet to reach the groove, which are carried out sequentially, thereby cutting the sheet glass. Thus, the sheet glass can be cut by the water jets, while preventing occurrence of breaking or cranking, without need for a post-processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Takechika Sugita, Kenji Hirano
  • Patent number: 7291055
    Abstract: The present invention provides a wafer polishing method and a polishing apparatus which are capable of preventing peripheral sags of a wafer due to polishing and then manufacturing the wafer, especially an SOI wafer at a high flatness level. There is provided a wafer polishing method using a polishing apparatus which comprises a rotatable table having a polishing cloth adhered thereon and a polishing head equipped with a wafer holding plate opposing to the table and in which the back surface of the wafer is held by a holding surface of the wafer holding plate and the front surface of the wafer is pressed to and polished by the polishing pad, comprising a polishing step of polishing the front surface of the wafer to a predetermined total polishing stock removal without changing the polishing apparatus, wherein the polishing step is divided into plural sub-steps and a holding position of the wafer in a subsequent sub-step is different from a holding position of the wafer in a previous sub-step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7291058
    Abstract: The flow of media in shot peening, blast cleaning, and similar equipment is improved by applying a time varying magnetic field to the media to thereby degauss the media, allowing the media to flow through equipment without clogging and clumping due to magnetic attraction between the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jack Champaigne
  • Patent number: 7273408
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for polishing semiconductor substrates. In one embodiment, two polishing heads are mounted on two independent pivoting arms that share one pivot point. Each of the pivoting arms enable the corresponding polishing head direct access to two polishing stations. The polishing system of the present invention provides flexibility and improves throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Steven M. Zuniga
  • Patent number: 7255635
    Abstract: In polishing apparatus of the present invention, collars can be easily exchange. The polishing apparatus comprises: an outer pin gear having an inner gear section; an inner pin gear having an outer gear section; and a carrier having outer gear teeth, which are engaged with the inner gear section of the outer pin gear and the outer gear section of the inner pin gear so as to rotate and move the carrier around the inner pin gear. At least one of the inner gear section and the outer gear section includes gear teeth, each of which comprises: a pin proper being fixed to a pin ring and extended upward therefrom; a cylindrical collar rotatably covering and fitting the pin proper at a fitting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Tadakazu Miyashita, Harumichi Koyama, Mitsuhiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7249417
    Abstract: A pocketknife has a handle, a blade, a safety lock and a spring. The handle has a blade seat, a cover, a cavity, a slide slot, a passage and a pivot slot. The blade is mounted pivotally in the cavity and has a proximal end, two opposite edge and two wheels. The wheels are attached respectively to the edges of the blade, and one wheel has an engaging element. The safety lock is mounted slidably in the handle and has a slide and a latch. The slide is mounted slidably in the slide slot. The latch engages detachably the engaging element in the locking wheel on the blade. The spring is mounted in the slide slot in the handle and presses the safety lock so that the latch on the slide engages the engaging element to securely hold the blade when the blade is open or closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Inventor: Chi-Tung Chu
  • Patent number: 7249995
    Abstract: A slurry feeding apparatus includes closed slurry bottle, piping, wet nitrogen generator, wet nitrogen supply pipe, suction and spray nozzles, temperature regulator, flow rate control valves, slurry delivery pump and controller for controlling the operation and flow rate of the slurry delivery pump. While a wafer is being polished by a CMP polisher, the controller continuously operates the pump. On the other hand, while the polisher is idling, the controller starts and stops the pump intermittently at regular intervals. No stirrer like a propeller is inserted into the slurry bottle, but the slurry is stirred up by spraying the slurry through the spray nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Tanoue, Yoshiharu Hidaka, Shin Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7241210
    Abstract: A floor treating machine includes a frame provided with a housing which is supported with respect to the frame in such a manner that it can rotate about a substantially vertical housing axis, at least three heads positioned at intervals around the axis and rotatably mounted to the housing, the axis of each head being about parallel to the housing axis, and each head having a bottom surface provided with treating elements and/or coupling elements for treating members to be coupled to, and a motor on the frame which is in driving interaction with the housing and the heads via respective transmissions. At least two of the heads are drivable by separate respective head transmissions each comprising a head pulley connected to the respective head, a drive pulley interacting with the motor as well as a belt between each pair of a head pulley and a drive pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Holland Industriele Diamantwerken B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Petrus Van Vliet
  • Patent number: 7238094
    Abstract: A belt oscillating apparatus of a belt sander, wherein the belt sander includes a machine frame, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a sand belt mounted on the driving wheel and the driven wheel, and the belt oscillating apparatus is mounted on the machine frame, comprising two oscillating devices, two transmission devices and a valve. The oscillating devices are pivoted on the machine frame and pivoting the driven wheel therebetween. The transmission devices connect the oscillating devices and the valve. A pneumatic power is provided to the valve to move the driven wheel via the transmissions and the oscillating device. The oscillating devices and the transmission device are working alternately by the sand belt touches the oscillating devices, such that the sand belt is reciprocated between the oscillating devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Inventor: John Liu