Patents by Inventor Benoît Melen

Benoît Melen 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).

  • Patent number: 10494830
    Abstract: The invention has for object a method for manufacturing concrete construction blocks (6) for a wind-generator tower made up of at least two consecutive blocks secured to one another by a contact surface of each of the two blocks, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: pouring concrete into a first cage of reinforcements (10-1) so as to obtain the first concrete construction block comprising a first contact surface (9), and pouring concrete into a second cage of reinforcements (10-2) so as to obtain the second concrete construction block, the second cage of reinforcements being provided in a form (21) arranged such that the first contact surface (9) of the first block (6-1) makes up a wall for delimiting (26) the pouring of the concrete such as to form a contact surface (9) of the second block (6-2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SOLETANCHE FREYSSINET
    Inventors: Nicolas Fabry, Benoit Melen, Erik Mellier
  • Publication number: 20190257292
    Abstract: In order to handle a wind turbine blade between the ground and a rotor of an electric generator mounted on a nacelle (15) at the top of a tower (10), the blade (25) is retained in a support (40) that is mounted on a trolley (30) arranged against the tower. The trolley is moved and guided along the tower using at least one cable (32, 33) which is angled in such a way as to apply a force having a horizontal component in the direction of the tower to the trolley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Benoit MELEN, Nicolas FABRY, Eric LAURENT
  • Patent number: 10364800
    Abstract: The invention has for object a system for assembling a tower for a wind generator consisting of a plurality of blocks, comprising: a structure for lifting each one of said blocks, and a structure for supporting said lifting structure, the lifting structure being moveable in relation to the support structure between a block-gripping position and a block-holding position, the lifting structure comprising a body for gripping each block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: SOLETANCHE FREYSSINET
    Inventors: Beat Joss, Nicolas Fabry, Benoît Melen
  • Patent number: 9951513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for erecting a structure 0 comprising at least two prefabricated concrete elements 1, 2, the method comprising: installing a first concrete element 1; placing a second concrete element 2 with at least one spacer 4 maintaining a gap between respective end faces 104, 203 of the first element and second element; tensioning at least one bar 105, 3 held on the first and second elements and passing through the gap maintained by the spacer, and introducing a hardenable interface product 5 into said gap. The method thus makes it possible to move off the critical path relating to the erection the need to wait, between two assembly operations, for the joints between the assembled pieces to have hardened. Incidentally, a significant reduction in the time taken for erecting such a structure is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SOLETANCHE FREYSSINET
    Inventors: Patrick Ladret, Vanessa Buchin-Roulie, Benoît Melen
  • Publication number: 20170314284
    Abstract: The invention has for object a method for manufacturing concrete construction blocks (6) for a wind-generator tower made up of at least two consecutive blocks secured to one another by a contact surface of each of the two blocks, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: pouring concrete into a first cage of reinforcements (10-1) so as to obtain the first concrete construction block comprising a first contact surface (9), and pouring concrete into a second cage of reinforcements (10-2) so as to obtain the second concrete construction block, the second cage of reinforcements being provided in a form (21) arranged such that the first contact surface (9) of the first block (6-1) makes up a wall for delimiting (26) the pouring of the concrete such as to form a contact surface (9) of the second block (6-2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Nicolas FABRY, Benoit MELEN, Erik MELLIER
  • Publication number: 20170241407
    Abstract: The invention has for object a system for assembling a tower for a wind generator consisting of a plurality of blocks, comprising: a structure for lifting each one of said blocks, and a structure for supporting said lifting structure, the lifting structure being moveable in relation to the support structure between a block-gripping position and a block-holding position, the lifting structure comprising a body for gripping each block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Beat JOSS, Ncolas FABRY, Benoît MELEN
  • Publication number: 20160160491
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for erecting a structure 0 comprising at least two prefabricated concrete elements 1, 2, the method comprising: installing a first concrete element 1; placing a second concrete element 2 with at least one spacer 4 maintaining a gap between respective end faces 104, 203 of the first element and second element; tensioning at least one bar 105, 3 held on the first and second elements and passing through the gap maintained by the spacer, and introducing a hardenable interface product 5 into said gap. The method thus makes it possible to move off the critical path relating to the erection the need to wait, between two assembly operations, for the joints between the assembled pieces to have hardened. Incidentally, a significant reduction in the time taken for erecting such a structure is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick LADRET, Vanessa BUCHIN-ROULIE, Benoît MELEN
  • Patent number: 8297025
    Abstract: In the method of building a hybrid tower, a metal mast is erected and connected to a foundation and a concrete structure having a plurality of superimposed concrete segments is built around the metal mast by using the metal mast as a support. Afterwards, the metal mast is disconnected from the foundation and lifted by telescoping and guiding the metal mast along concrete structure. Finally, the lifted metal mast is connected to the concrete structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Soletanche Freyssinet
    Inventors: Alain Huynh Tuong, Benoit Melen
  • Publication number: 20120266552
    Abstract: A hollow column having a wall surrounding an inner space is erected. Pre-stressing cables comprising tendons and two cable terminations are pre-assembled. Each tendon is contained in a respective jacket with a protective substance. Each cable termination comprises a block for anchoring each tendon of a pre-stressing cable, a chamber filled with a protective substance on a rear side of the block and a sealing system closing the chamber opposite the block. Each tendon of the pre-stressing cable extends through the sealing system and has its jacket interrupted in the chamber. The pre-assembled pre-stressing cables are installed in the inner space of the hollow column, with the two terminations of each cable bearing against abutment portions provided at the upper and lower parts of the column. The pre-stressing cables can then be tensioned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Inventors: Alain Huynh Tong, Benoît Melen
  • Publication number: 20110239584
    Abstract: In the method of building a hybrid tower, a metal mast is erected and connected to a foundation and a concrete structure having a plurality of superimposed concrete segments is built around the metal mast by using the metal mast as a support. Afterwards, the metal mast is disconnected from the foundation and lifted by telescoping and guiding the metal mast along concrete structure. Finally, the lifted metal mast is connected to the concrete structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Soletanche Freyssinet
    Inventors: Alain Huynh Tuong, Benoit Melen