Patents Examined by Peter Vo
  • Patent number: 9205473
    Abstract: A rolling plant (R) for rolling tubes having a multi-stand rolling mill (5) with two or more rolls, in order to implement a controlled speed mandrel rolling process, comprises a hooking and releasing device (61) which is arranged in the inlet area of the rolling mill (5) to cooperate with the rear tang of the mandrel (31) and a hooking and releasing device (71) which is arranged in the outlet area of the rolling mill (5) to cooperate with the front tang of the mandrel (31) in coordinated manner with the first hooking and releasing device (61).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A.
    Inventors: Ettore Cernuschi, Claudio Maria Scalmana
  • Patent number: 8468686
    Abstract: Method and Apparatus are provided for automatically disposing plural wires along predetermined trajectories, wherein the plural wires extend from coils wound in slots of dynamoelectric machine cores. Plural wires forming leads (16?, 17?) are located in predetermined positions and caused to extend along predetermined directions (33,34) by means of manipulating equipment and tooling (3) which operates automatically. In addition, the equipment and tooling (3) cause the plural wires to become twisted and cut to form portions (16?, 17?) for connection to terminals. The tooling (3) is provided with reference surfaces (21,23) and seats (26,27) which are used to bend the plural wires along the predetermined trajectories and to provide a position constraint for the portions becoming twisted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: ATOP S.p.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Ponzio, Gianfranco Stratico, Rubino Corbinelli, Paolo Nesti
  • Patent number: 8328626
    Abstract: A method of conducting a group wagering game that includes a special award that is attainable by players at a plurality of gaming machines. The method includes receiving wagers from players at the plurality of machines for playing individual wagering games. In response to a triggering condition that is associated with one of the machines, the group wagering game is presented including an opportunity to fulfill at least one of a plurality of victory conditions. In response to all of the plurality of victory conditions being fulfilled, the special award is awarded to the machine associated with a next triggering condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy M. Hornik
  • Patent number: 7918728
    Abstract: A game is presented to a player via a personal gaming device of the invention. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes a display screen, a processing unit including a processor and a memory, and a wireless communication interface associated with the processing unit. Game code is stored at the gaming device. A player pre-purchases game play, and information enabling the game device to present the game is provided, such as via a smart card, to the gaming device for use by the game code. The information may comprise game outcome information. The outcomes of played games are verified against stored information regarding the purchased games. Activation information is transmitted to the gaming device to enable operation of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Binh T. Nguyen, Craig A. Paulsen
  • Patent number: 7490405
    Abstract: The liquid droplet discharge head comprises: a piezoelectric actuator shaped in a cylinder having a hollow part; a pressure chamber shaped in a cylinder formed in the hollow part of the piezoelectric actuator; and a droplet discharge port which is communicated with the pressure chamber and is designed for discharging a droplet of liquid in the pressure chamber by means of deformation of the pressure chamber accompanying displacement of the piezoelectric actuator, wherein the piezoelectric actuator has a structure in which displacement characteristics of a piezoelectric member are intermittently or continuously varied along an axial direction of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Sanada
  • Patent number: 7487590
    Abstract: A monolithic ink-jet printhead includes a substrate having a lower ink chamber formed on an upper surface thereof, a manifold for supplying ink to the lower ink chamber formed on a bottom surface thereof, and an ink channel providing communication therebetween; a nozzle plate having a plurality of passivation layers and a metal layer sequentially stacked on the substrate, the nozzle plate having an upper ink chamber formed therein on a bottom surface of the metal layer, a nozzle in communication with the upper ink chamber formed on an upper surface of the metal layer, and a connection hole providing communication between the upper ink chamber and the lower ink chamber; a heater located between the upper ink chamber and the lower ink chamber for heating ink contained in the lower and upper ink chambers; and a conductor electrically connected to the heater to apply a current to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hoon Song, Yong-soo Oh, Jun-hyub Park, Keon Kuk, Chang-seung Lee, Young-jae Kim, Ji-hyuk Lim
  • Patent number: 7487585
    Abstract: A metal-ceramic circuit board is characterized by being constituted by bonding on a base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy at least one of ceramic substrate boards having a conductive metal member for an electronic circuit. A method of manufacturing a metal-ceramic circuit board is characterized by comprising the steps of melting aluminum or aluminum alloy in a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere to form a molten metal, contacting one surface of a ceramic substrate board directly with the molten metal in a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere, cooling the molten metal and the ceramic substrate board to form a base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy, which is bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board without forming any oxidizing film therebetween and bonding a conductive metal member for an electronic circuit on the ceramic substrate board by using a brazing material. The base plate has a proof stress not higher than 320 (MPa) and a thickness not smaller than 1 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Dowa Metaltech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyo Osanai, Masahiro Furo
  • Patent number: 7484279
    Abstract: In a method of forming a part of a through-hole for a piezoelectric substrate having an excitation electrode and a leading electrode which are formed on a first surface of the piezoelectric substrate and are made of a thin metal film in order to establish a conductivity, the method includes: blasting a position on a second surface of the piezoelectric substrate corresponding to the leading electrode to form a preliminary hole by boring the piezoelectric substrate in its halfway; etching a bottom of the preliminary hole to form a part of a through-hole through which a part of the leading electrode is exposed; and placing a conductive material in the part of a through-hole, the conductive material contacting the leading electrode from a side of the second surface of the piezoelectric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Aoki
  • Patent number: 7484280
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a surface acoustic wave element having an interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate includes a) forming an insulation layer on a surface of an active side of the semiconductor substrate, b) forming a base layer on a whole surface of the insulation layer, c) planarizing a surface of the base layer, d) forming a piezoelectric member on a planarized surface of the base layer, e) forming the IDT electrode on a surface of the piezoelectric member, and f) forming a bank being higher than a height from the surface of the base layer to the surface of the IDT electrode on a peripheral of the surface of the base layer so as to surround the piezoelectric member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Aritsugu Yajima, Takamitsu Higuchi, Yoshikazu Kasuya
  • Patent number: 7478476
    Abstract: Inkjet printheads capable of printing smaller and larger drop-weight quantities of ink, and methods of manufacturing the inkjet printheads, are disclosed. The inkjet printhead includes a substrate. One or more portions of the substrate may be etched such that the substrate might have different thicknesses. In one example embodiment, an orifice layer can by applied to the substrate that has orifice areas with different orifice thicknesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Naoto Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7472480
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid ejecting recording head with improved operational reliability. A first coating resin layer of a liquid ejecting recording head, having a liquid flow duct and a liquid ejecting orifice, is formed of an oxetane resin composition that contains, as necessary components, an oxetane compound having at least one oxetanyl group in a molecule, and a cationic photopolymerization initiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Igarashi, Shogo Ono, Manabu Tomita, Minoru Kohno, Shigeru Ushiki, Shohei Makita
  • Patent number: 7464465
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-stiction nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead, said nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle apertures defined therein, each nozzle aperture having a respective nozzle rim, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially-fabricated printhead comprising a plurality of inkjet nozzle assemblies sealed with roof material; (b) etching partially into said roof material to define simultaneously said nozzle rims and a plurality of stiction-reducing formations; and (c) etching through said roof material to define said nozzle apertures, thereby forming said nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7464466
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a plurality of inkjet nozzles on a substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a substrate having a plurality of trenches corresponding to ink inlets; (b) depositing sacrificial material so as fill the trenches and form a scaffold on the substrate; (c) defining openings in the sacrificial material; (d) depositing roof material over the sacrificial material to form nozzle chambers and filter structures simultaneously; (e) etching nozzle apertures through the roof material; and (f) removing the sacrificial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7441316
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electronic apparatus comprises forming a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator having a fundamental mode of vibration and a second overtone mode of vibration each comprised of a flexural mode of an inverse phase, a series resistance R1 of the fundamental mode of vibration and a series resistance R2 of the second overtone mode of vibration. An amplification circuit is provided having a CMOS inverter, a feedback resistor, a negative resistance ?RL1 for the fundamental mode of vibration of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator, and a negative resistance ?RL2 for the second overtone mode of vibration thereof. A feedback circuit is provided having the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator, a plurality of capacitors and a drain resistor. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is electrically connected to the CMOS inverter and the feedback resistor of the amplification circuit and to the capacitors and the drain resistor of the feedback circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Piedek Technical Labatory
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 7437818
    Abstract: A component mounting apparatus and method for mounting a plurality of components on a board. The aparatus is provided with a board holding device for holding the board at a board holding position, a first mounting head for holding and taking out a component fed from a first component feeding position and mounting the component on the board held at the board holding position, a second mounting head for holding and taking out the component fed from a second component feeding position and mounting the component on the held board, and a component feeding device having a wafer holding table for holding a wafer on which the respective components are fed so that the wafer holding table can be moved reciprocationally between the first component feeding position and the second component feeding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kabeshita, Kurayasu Hamasaki, Noriyuki Tani, Shozo Minamitani, Yoichi Makino
  • Patent number: 7418772
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method for a SAW apparatus a first insulating layer is formed on the entire surface of a piezoelectric LiTaO3 substrate. By using a resist pattern used for forming an IDT electrode, the first insulating layer in which the IDT electrode is to be formed is removed. An electrode film made of a metal having a density higher than Al or an alloy primarily including such a metal is disposed in the area in which the first insulating layer is removed so as to form the IDT electrode. The resist pattern remaining on the first insulating layer is removed. A second insulating layer is formed to cover the first insulating layer and the IDT electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nishiyama, Takeshi Nakao, Michio Kadota
  • Patent number: 7398588
    Abstract: A method for producing a component is provided, in particular a deformation sensor, having a sensor element which includes at least one region that is sensitive with respect to expansion or compression, as well as electrical structures which are in connection therewith. To this end, a sacrificial layer is produced on or within a substrate and an activatable layer on top of the sacrificial layer, the sensitive region and at least a portion of the electrical structures being positioned on top or within an activatable layer, and a circumferential trench is produced around the region of the sensor element to be produced and having the sensitive region and the portion of the electrical structures, the trench being interrupted by at least one connecting point, which connects the region of the sensor element to the portion of the activatable layer lying outside the circumferential trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Stoll, Franz Laermer, Gilbert Moersch, Gottfried Flik, Klaus Kuettner
  • Patent number: 7377029
    Abstract: A wire winding device for electrical components has a transmission member, a wire feeding member, a wire winding member, a spool feeding member, and a driving member. Spools are respectively inserted into the wire winding member via the spool feeding member and rotated by the driving member. Wires are moved into the wire winding member via the wire feeding member and inserted into the spool. Hence, the wire can be encircled the spool automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Lankom Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lu-Ta Liu
  • Patent number: 7353600
    Abstract: A circuit board fabrication method including: forming first conductive interconnection 2 onto insulator substrate 1; applying resin film 41, which is to be interlevel insulator layer 42 for electrically insulating first conductive interconnection 2 and second conductive interconnection 6, onto insulator substrate 1; either making pillar-like member 3 stand on a prescribed position on first conductive interconnection 2 before applying resin film 41, or press fitting pillar-like member 3 into resin film 41 so as to reach either a surface vicinity of first conductive interconnection 2 or a portion of first conductive interconnection 2 after applying resin film 41; hardening resin film 41 to form interlevel insulator layer 42; pulling out pillar-like member 3 to form opening 5 in interlevel insulator layer 42; and forming second conductive interconnection 6 onto interlevel insulator layer 42 to include opening 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Tsukahara, Kazuhiro Nishikawa, Daisuke Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7343664
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic head includes forming a first pole and a flux shaping layer in spaced relation to the first pole. A nonmagnetic layer is formed adjacent the flux shaping layer and positioned on an air bearing surface (ABS) side of the flux shaping layer. A tapered recess is created in the nonmagnetic layer, the taper of the recess increasing (i.e., becoming deeper) towards the flux forming layer. The recess is filled with a magnetic material. A probe layer is formed such that it is in electrical communication with the magnetic material filling the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Gautam Khera, Sanford J. Lewis, Galina Moutchaidze, Aron Pentek, Hugo Alberto Emilio Santini, Mason Lamar Williams, III