Patents by Inventor James Allen Fife

James Allen Fife 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: 20220080502
    Abstract: Provided is a process for providing a flake powder characterized by a particle size of ?40 mesh to +200 mesh; a Scott density of at least 1.458 g/cm3; and a flow of at least 1 g/s. The process includes introducing a milled flake powder in a solvent to a first dryer; removing the solvent at a temperature below a melting point of the solvent under a reduced atmosphere to obtain a partially dry flake powder; and introducing the partially dry flake powder to a second dryer to form flake powder wherein particles of partially dry flake powder are heated and simultaneously subjected to an uncorrelated motion relative to adjacent particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: James Allen Fife, Liliana Vela, Mary Lou Lindstrom
  • Publication number: 20170084397
    Abstract: A method for forming a high aspect ratio sintered powder anode with low warpage, an anode made thereby and a cathode comprising the anode are provided. The method comprises placing a multiplicity of anode precursors on a forming substrate in a common plane wherein no more than 10% of the anode precursors are out of the common plane. A second substrate is then placed over the forming substrate with the anode precursors between the forming substrate and the second substrate thereby forming a sandwiched assembly. The sandwiched assembly is heated to a sintering temperature of the anode precursors thereby forming the sintered powder anodes. The and sintered powder anodes are removed from between the forming substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Keith Lee Moore, Philip M. Lessner, Chris Stolarski, James Allen Fife, Liancai Ning
  • Patent number: 8717777
    Abstract: The present technology relates to fused capacitor structures provided with a leadframe design configured to accepting a plurality of selectively placed fuses. The leadframe and fuse configuration enables construction of fused capacitors exhibiting low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) and allows construction of a variety of fuse configuration using a single leadframe design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Mark Edson, James Allen Fife, Glenn Maurice Vaillancourt, David Allen Wadler
  • Patent number: 8257463
    Abstract: A capacitor anode that is formed from flake powder is provided. The anodes are formed from low density flake powder (e.g., relatively large in size), which is believed to provide a short transmission line between the outer surface and interior of the anode. This may result in a low equivalent series resistance (“ESR”) and improved volumetric efficiency for capacitors made from such anodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventors: James Allen Fife, Zebbie Lynn Sebald
  • Patent number: 7691177
    Abstract: Porous microparticles of high-purity tantalum may be processed in a vacuum plasmatron using a hollow cathode and spraying apparatus in which the coolant is in the form of a metal surface. In one embodiment, the initial powder of tantalum is introduced through a coaxial hole in a hollow cathode and supplied to a vertical column of plasma by inert gas and exposed to heating to temperatures close to the melting point of tantalum. The atomizing tantalum particles are directed through a hole in the anode and collide with a rotating inclined tantalum substrate and cooled from within water, thereby flattened and solidifying the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Niotan, Inc.
    Inventors: John Crawley, Vladimir Semenovitch Cherednichenko, James Allen Fife
  • Patent number: 7511943
    Abstract: A wet electrolytic capacitor that includes an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte is provided. The cathode contains a substrate and a coating overlying the substrate. The coating comprises a sintered body containing carbonaceous particles (e.g., activated carbon) and inorganic particles (e.g., NbO2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventors: James Allen Fife, Gang Ning, Zebbie Lynn Sebald, James Steven Bates, Robert Hazen Pease
  • Patent number: 7480130
    Abstract: A wet electrolytic capacitor that includes an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte is provided. The cathode contains a plurality of metal particles disposed on a surface of a substrate and sinter bonded thereto. The metal particles have a median size of from about 20 to about 500 micrometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventors: James Allen Fife, Zebbie Lynn Sebald, Gang Ning
  • Publication number: 20080118391
    Abstract: Porous microparticles of high-purity tantalum may be processed in a vacuum plasmatron using a hollow cathode and spraying apparatus in which the coolant is in the form of a metal surface. In one embodiment, the initial powder of tantalum is introduced through a coaxial hole in a hollow cathode and supplied to a vertical column of plasma by inert gas and exposed to heating to temperatures close to he melting point of tantalum. The atomizing tantalum particles are directed through a hole in the anode and collide with a rotating inclined tantalum substrate and cooled from within water, thereby flattened and solidifying the particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: Niotan, Inc.
    Inventors: John Crawley, Vladimir Semenovitch Cherednichenko, James Allen Fife
  • Patent number: 5986877
    Abstract: A capacitor having a central electrode body having sintered metal anode with an electrode lead, the anode having a sintered product produced from a tantalum powder having deagglomerated particles such that the product of the volume mean diameter in microns multiplied by the specific surface area measured in m.sup.2 /g is a number in the range of below about 25. Capacitors having a central electrode with the anode produced from a sintered product produced from a heat treated and oxidized tantalum powder wherein the oxidized particle size is greater than about 0.7 m.sup.2 /g. Capacitors are defined in terms of anodes produced from powders having specified ratios of Scott Bulk Density to surface area or ratio of die fill rate to surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventors: Viren M. Pathare, Bhamidipaty K. D. P. Rao, James Allen Fife, Hongju Chang, Roger W. Steele, Lee M. Ruch
  • Patent number: 5954856
    Abstract: A process for sizing (i.e., comminuting) a tantalum powder including agglomerates of smaller particles, which process yields a tantalum powder having an as-comminuted agglomerate size distribution with the product of the Volume Mean Diameter, MV (in microns as measured by light scattering techniques such as Microtrac analysis), times specific surface area, BET (m.sup.2 /g), being less than about 25. These powders after sizing typically have ratios of Scott Bulk Density : BET Surface Area in the range from about 20 to about 35. Also provided are powders having a substantially unimodal and narrow agglomerate size distribution in all stages of production, namely after sizing (i.e., deagglomeration by comminution), thermal agglomeration (i.e., heat treatment), and deoxidation. These resultant powders have high surface area and good flowability properties and, upon sintering, exhibit controlled shrinkage with high porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventors: Viren M. Pathare, Bhamidipaty K. D. P. Rao, James Allen Fife, Hongju Chang, Roger W. Steele, Lee M. Ruch