Patents by Inventor Andrea C. PAUL

Andrea C. PAUL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220333687
    Abstract: An unchamfered piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. SMITH, Thomas STONG, Andrea C. PAUL, Alexander S. COOPER
  • Patent number: 11162587
    Abstract: A piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. Smith, Marc W. Benjamin, Andrea C. Paul
  • Publication number: 20190368607
    Abstract: An unchamfered piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. SMITH, Thomas STONG, Andrea C. PAUL, Alexander S. Cooper
  • Publication number: 20190264809
    Abstract: A piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. SMITH, Marc W. BENJAMIN, Andrea C. PAUL
  • Patent number: 10323747
    Abstract: A piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. Smith, Marc W. Benjamin, Andrea C. Paul
  • Publication number: 20180283553
    Abstract: A piston ring that is pre-treated by grit blasting to a defined roughness, followed by PVD coating with a metal nitride to a thickness of at least 10 ?m, leaving peaks and valleys in the coated piston ring. The coated piston ring is then lapped to remove the peaks without penetrating the coating, so that valleys and plateaus remain in the coated surface. The resulting piston ring exhibits superior coating retention due to the increased surface area created by the grit blasting, and yet also superior performance, as the cavities remaining increase the porosity of the coating and thus enhance the lubrication of the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas J. SMITH, Marc W. BENJAMIN, Andrea C. PAUL