Patents Examined by Sean Smith
  • Patent number: 6244144
    Abstract: A horizontal band saw device for cutting lengthwise along boards passed therethrough enables increased cutting capacity of such boards and includes a head with both a first board conveyor passing therethrough and a second board conveyor passing therethrough. The head includes an inlet end, an outlet end, a board receiving passage, and a movable band saw blade, the board receiving passage having the movable band saw blade passing from a first side to a second side thereof. The first board conveyor extends through the board receiving passage of the head and beneath the band saw blade. The second board conveyor extends through the board receiving passage of the head and beneath the band saw blade, the second board conveyor being spaced from the first board conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Inventor: Douglas William Goldie
  • Patent number: 6243941
    Abstract: The thermal head fabrication method provides a thermal head having a lower protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer on heat generators and electrodes, an intermediate protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer on the lower protective layer and an upper protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer with carbon as a main component on the intermediate protective layer. At least one of surfaces of the lower and intermediate protective layers is cleaned by ion irradiation processing, by polishing with a lapping tape or an adhesive tape, or by heating processing in vacuum before forming a higher protective layer. This allows the thermal head to have excellent adhesion between any individual layers and sufficient durability to ensure that the thermal recording of high-quality images is consistently performed over an extended period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kashiwaya, Junji Nakada
  • Patent number: 6240631
    Abstract: A battery replacement system and method for electronic devices which does not require a back-up battery or storage capacitor. A battery is placed within a tunnel formed in the electronic device. The tunnel has an input opening and an output opening. During use, the battery resides within the tunnel where it makes electrical contact with the power terminals of the device. When the battery is exhausted and needs to be replaced, a new battery is introduced into the tunnel via the input opening. As the new battery enters the tunnel, it makes electrical contact with the power terminals, while at the same time serving to push the exhausted battery out the output opening of the tunnel. The tunnel is configured such that the new battery makes electrical contact with the power terminals before the exhausted battery loses contact with the terminals. In this way, there is no interruption in power being supplied to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: GSL Research Technology Limited
    Inventor: Kit Man Chow
  • Patent number: 6240624
    Abstract: A dust collection electrode with catalyst to be provided on the electronic dust collector is manufactured simply at low cost without using a furnace. To the surface of the metal tube of the sheathed heater a low temperature curing type heat resistant inorganic adhesive is applied. Thereafter, a catalyst such as Zeolite is adhered to the heat-resistant inorganic adhesive. Next, the sheathed heater is energized to make self-heating, and using said heating, the heat-resistant inorganic adhesive is heated to cure, thereby fixing the layer to the surface of the metal tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasumasa Hironaka
  • Patent number: 6240635
    Abstract: Circuit boards are formed within the boundaries of an insulative sheet or panel such that the panel may be automatably processed. The periphery of each printed circuit board is defined by at least a plurality of score lines which do not extend to the edge of the sheets and may include also uncut and/or unscored areas to provide stability to either the sheet or segments of scrap material, lending rigidity to the sheet. Following complete fabrication of the printed circuit board, the sheet is cut by a routing process to extend selected score lines to the edges of the sheet to destroy the integrity of the frame of scrap material surrounding the printed circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Peter Graves, George Anton Huston
  • Patent number: 6240623
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system of manufacturing an electric heater (1) intended for heating foam-molded cushions for e.g. vehicle seats or mattresses, said heater (1) comprising an electric conductor (2) which preferably consists of an insulated or non-insulated metal wire. The method comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of protruding members (10) forming part of a conductor layout structure (9) in a pattern adapted to the configuration of the heater (1), arranging a conveyor (13) which is equipped with a follower (14) along a track (13) which essentially corresponds to the desired configuration of the heater (1) around said protruding member (10), and moving said conveyor (13) while said follower (14) deposits said conductor (2) along said track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Tocksfors Verkstads AB
    Inventor: Göran Johansson
  • Patent number: 6230391
    Abstract: A kit and method for minimizing the chance of a short circuit during servicing of a signal tap. The kit includes a pair of insertion tools. Each insertion tool includes a shaft dimensioned to be received within a plug port of the tap and a slot extending along its length. The kit further includes a pair of external insulator strips, each having an insertion portion configured to be positionable within the shaft slot. To prepare the tap for servicing, each insertion tool is positioned in a respective plug port. An external insulator strip is positioned in and moved along the respective slot to a position that isolates the contact terminals and reduces the risk of a short circuit. In taps including an internal bypass switch, the kit may further include a pair of internal insulator strips which are positioned between the bypass switch ends and the tap housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Joseph Chilton, Livia N. McCleary, William Henry Segarra
  • Patent number: 6226861
    Abstract: An A/F sensor generates a current signal corresponding to an air-fuel ratio in response to a voltage applied by a bias control circuit. After a sensor current is received as a voltage signal via a voltage follower, it is outputted to an A/D converter having a predetermined input voltage range, 0 to 5V. A sensor current detection circuit has a plurality of current detection resistors. In order to variably set the resistance value by the sensor current detection circuit, a switch circuit is switched in accordance with the sensor current depending on whether the A/F value to be detected is in the zone near the stoichiometric ratio or in other air-fuel ratio zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Kurokawa, Satoshi Hada, Tomoo Kawase, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Satoshi Haseda
  • Patent number: 6223406
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a resonance element includes the steps of preparing a multilayered body having a plurality of piezoelectric layers and a plurality of inner electrodes laminated to each other, forming an insulating film on one surface of the multilayered body at exposed portions of the inner electrodes, the insulating film having a plurality of openings constituting substantially parallel rows which are substantially parallel to the laminating direction of the multilayered body, forming an outer electrode on substantially the entire surface on which the insulating film is formed, forming a plurality of grooves on the surface on which the outer electrode is formed and cutting the multilayered body substantially parallel to the grooves, wherein a first group of the openings in a first of the rows are disposed on every alternate exposed portion of the internal electrodes, and a second group of remaining openings in a second row adjacent to the first row are disposed on each of the remaining alternate ex
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takeshima, Takeshi Yamazaki, Shigemasa Kusabiraki, Yutaka Kawai
  • Patent number: 6223423
    Abstract: A conductive polymer PTC device includes upper, lower, and center electrodes, with a first PTC conductive polymer layer between the upper and center electrodes, and a second PTC conductive polymer layer between the center and lower electrodes. Each of the upper and lower electrodes is separated into an isolated portion and a main portion. The isolated portions of the upper and lower electrodes are electrically connected to each other and to the center electrode by an input terminal. Upper and lower output terminals are provided, respectively, on the main portions of the upper and lower electrodes and are electrically connected to each other. The resulting device is, effectively, two PTC devices connected in parallel, thereby providing an increased effective cross-sectional area for the current flow path, and thus a larger hold current, for a given footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Bourns Multifuse (Hong Kong) Ltd.
    Inventor: Steven Darryl Hogge
  • Patent number: 6216334
    Abstract: A flexible electric heater comprises a heat resistant support (4) of sheet or tape form having at least one electrical resistance heating element (1) secured thereto. The at least one heating element comprises a ribbon (2) of electrical resistance material provided with a plurality of integral tabs (3). The tabs have been pressed through the support to secure the heating element to the support. The support (4) is flexible and comprises a woven fabric material, such as woven glass fabric or woven ceramic fabric, or a non-fibrous material, such as flexible mica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Ceramaspeed Limited
    Inventor: John Thomas Hughes
  • Patent number: 6212759
    Abstract: An assembly device for assembling components of a disc drive, the assembly device being adapted to assembly components of a disc drive supported at a disc drive station. The assembly members are operably supported for operation between a load position and an install position aligned with the disc drive station. Components are engaged by the assembly members and transported to the disc drive station. At the disc drive station, the components are aligned for assembly in the disc drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dan Liu, Michael W. Pfeiffer
  • Patent number: 6209194
    Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading apparatus using servo motors allows simultaneous loading and unloading of two or more semiconductor device packages into and from test devices. The loading and unloading apparatus has a feeding mechanism which has a feed container carrying two semiconductor device packages which have not yet been tested; a loading tool for transferring those two semiconductor device packages from the feed container to a centering position; a DC test contact tool; an insertion tool; a removal tool; and a sorting station for sorting the semiconductor device packages depending on results of a burn-in test. The tools of the apparatus are driven by the action of servo motors, thereby allowing independent movements thereof in the vertical and horizontal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju Il Kang, Byung Ro Kim, Sung Yeol Lee, Hyun Ho Kim, Young Ki Park
  • Patent number: 6205653
    Abstract: A device useful in the field of digital telecommunications, particularly for on-site mounting of a connector on a coaxial cable which has a portable clip (10) adaptable to the diameter of the coaxial cable in order to immobilize the cable. The clip includes a base with a first edge, an opposed second edge and a reference plane formed therebetween. The reference plane supports the coaxial cable and includes a groove formed therein adapted to receive a ferrule of a connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: TRT Lucent Technologies SA
    Inventors: Manuel Perez, Bernard Archer
  • Patent number: 6205648
    Abstract: An electric heater unit is manufactured so as to form a base in a supporting dish by compacting powdered microporous insulation into the base. At least one electrical resistance heating element is supported on or adjacent to the base and a peripheral wall is formed in the supporting dish and integral with the base by compacting further microporous insulation material into the dish to a controlled compaction density. The compaction density of the peripheral wall may be different from that of the base, for example higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Ceramaspeed Limited
    Inventor: John Thomas Hughes
  • Patent number: 6202295
    Abstract: A method of removing a connecting block from a wiring block and associated tool is disclosed. A rear surface of a telecommunications board is mounted adjacent to a support surface and forms a plenum between the wiring block and support surface where cable-pair conductors are contained. Male connectors are mounted on the telecommunications board and terminate the cable-pair conductors. Female connecting blocks are complementary fitting to the male connectors and include clips that slice through insulation on cable-pair conductors. The female connecting blocks include opposing attachment legs that engage the male connectors. The attachment legs of the connecting block are engaged with the removal tool having opposing lever arms that form pivoting jaws at one end and engage the opposing attachment legs. The opposing lever arms are depressed to spread outward the pivoting jaws and the attachment legs. The removal tool is pulled upward such that the connecting block is removed from the wiring block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: William Easter, Dale Evans, John Maze, Frank Miceli
  • Patent number: 6199268
    Abstract: The method is used to produce a varistor which has a cylindrical resistance body (1) made from a material based on metal oxide, and two electrodes (2, 3) which are each arranged on one of two mutually parallel end faces of the cylindrical resistance body (1). In a first method step, a layer of electrode material is applied to both end faces, as far as their outer boundary (9), which is designed as a sharp edge. In a -second method step, a circular ring (4), which is delimited by the outer boundary (9), runs to as far as the end face of the resistance body (1) and has a width of from approx. 10 to 500 &mgr;m, is removed from the electrode, or the resistance body (1) and electrode are beveled (5′) at the outer boundary. The method allows simple and economic manufacture of a varistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Felix Greuter, Michael Hagemeister, Wolfgang Kluge
  • Patent number: 6199272
    Abstract: A pallet-storing block of an electronic component-mounting apparatus stores a plurality of pallets each carrying thereon a tray containing a large number of electronic components. A desired pallet selected from the pallets is moved along a transfer path, in a manner such that the desired pallet is advanced to be introduced into a pickup area which extends to cover almost all of the transfer path or withdrawn from the pickup area into the pallet-storing block. Desired electronic components are sequentially picked up from the desired pallet introduced into the pickup area and mounted on a circuit board. The desired pallet is moved to a desired position within the pickup area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Seto, Kazuyoshi Oyama, Yoshiharu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 6199265
    Abstract: When a magnet cover 21 is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surfaces of magnets 18 annularly arranged on the inner peripheral surface of a hollow cylindrical yoke 11 having at an end thereof a closure wall 12, the magnets 18 are arranged peripherally at regular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the magnet cover 21 that is supported by the lower die 34. The yoke 11 is held by the upper die 31 and arranged coaxially relative to the magnet cover 21 with open end 14 directed to the magnet cover 21. As the upper die 31 and the lower die 34 are closed relative to each other, the magnets 18 and the magnet cover 21 are press-fitted into the yoke 11 as the outer peripheral surfaces 19 of the magnets 18 are pressed by the inner peripheral surface of the yoke 11. Thus, the magnets 18 are rigidly secured to the yoke 11 without arranging a through hole in the closure wall 12 of the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Itou, Shuji Uehara, Hiroshi Hiruma
  • Patent number: 6195873
    Abstract: A method for forming an electrical contact is provided. A base layer having a conductive member is provided. An intermediate layer is formed over at least the conductive member. A photoresist layer is formed and patterned over at least a portion of the intermediate layer to define a contact patterning region above the conductive member. An amount of overlay between the contact patterning region and the conductive member is measured. A size of a contact opening is determined based on the amount of overlay. The contact opening of the determined size is formed in the intermediate layer. The contact opening communicates with the conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Jim Fulford