Patents by Inventor Kwok Pong Chan
Kwok Pong Chan 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).
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Patent number: 11919233Abstract: Various embodiments provide a method of additively manufacturing a part including depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface, depositing a binder solution on the layer of the powder at first locations, and depositing a sintering aid solution on the layer of the powder at second locations. The sintering aid solution comprises a sintering aid in a solvent. In various embodiments, the sintering aid enables an increased brown strength as compared to parts containing unbound powder. The method enables binders that provide high green strength to be used at the edges of the part, while also balancing a shortened debind time with an increased brown strength. Embodiments in which binder solution is deposited according to a predetermined pattern at second locations are also described.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mary Kathryn Thompson, Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, Vadim Bromberg, Xi Yang, Ananda Barua, William C. Alberts
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Publication number: 20240051019Abstract: A green body part comprises a first green portion, a second green portion, an interfacial joint between the first green portion and the second green portion, and a joint material disposed within the interfacial joint. The joint material comprises a powder having a particle size distribution than or equal to 1 ?m and less than or equal to 50 ?m. A method of manufacturing a joined part includes applying a joint material on a face of the first green portion and contacting the second green portion to the joint material on the face of the first green portion to form a joined green body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2023Publication date: February 15, 2024Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Sivaruban Shivanathan, Elliot C. Dilger, Gregg H. Wilson
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Patent number: 11806191Abstract: A grid of phased array transducers includes a piezoelectric layer and a plurality of ground contact traces. The piezoelectric layer includes a first side and a second side. The plurality of ground contact traces is disposed on the first side of the piezoelectric layer along an elevational direction, where each ground contact trace of the plurality of ground contact traces extends along an azimuthal direction. Further, each phased array transducer of the grid of phased array transducers is disposed between an adjacently disposed pair of ground contact traces of the plurality of ground contact traces. Moreover, each phased array transducer includes at least a portion of at least one ground contact trace of a corresponding pair of ground contact traces, and where each phased array transducer includes a plurality of transducer elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2018Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Douglas Glenn Wildes, Lowell Scott Smith, Kwok Pong Chan, Vadim Bromberg, David Martin Mills, Warren Lee, Timothy James Fiorillo, Chi Tat Chiu
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Patent number: 11673323Abstract: A method of manufacturing a green body part comprises depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface; and selectively depositing a binder solution comprising a thermoplastic binder, a fluorescent material, and a binder medium into the layer of powder in a pattern representative of a structure of a layer of the green body part. The thermoplastic binder comprises one or more polymer strands dissolved in a solvent medium having an average molecular weight from greater than or equal to 7,000 g/mol to less than or equal to 100,000 g/mol. Binder solutions comprising fluorescent material and green body parts adhered together using the same are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Joshua Tyler Mook, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg
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Patent number: 11667078Abstract: A method of manufacturing comprises depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface and selectively depositing a water-based binder solution comprising from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % of a non-aqueous solvent having a boiling point of greater than 100° C. and less than or equal to 175° C. at 1 atm and a thermoplastic binder comprises a first polymer strand including a first functional group and a second polymer strand including a second functional group into the layer of powder in a pattern representative of a structure of a part. The method further comprises non-covalently coupling the first and second polymer strands together via interaction between the first and second functional groups to form a green body part.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg
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Publication number: 20230082562Abstract: A binder comprises a monomer and an initiator. The monomer comprises at least one of a difunctional monomer and a monofunctional monomer. A method of manufacturing a part includes depositing a layer of particulate material on a working surface; selectively applying a binder in at least one of an edge of the layer of particulate material and an infill pattern representative of a stress of the object; repeating the steps of depositing and selectively applying to form a plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder; and exposing the plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder to an excitation source to decompose the initiator and initiate polymerization of the monomer to thereby form the green body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, Vadim Bromberg, Joshua Tyler Mook, William C. Alberts
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Publication number: 20230073194Abstract: Various embodiments provide a method of additively manufacturing a part including depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface, depositing a binder solution on the layer of the powder at first locations, and depositing a sintering aid solution on the layer of the powder at second locations. The sintering aid solution comprises a sintering aid in a solvent. In various embodiments, the sintering aid enables an increased brown strength as compared to parts containing unbound powder. The method enables binders that provide high green strength to be used at the edges of the part, while also balancing a shortened debind time with an increased brown strength. Embodiments in which binder solution is deposited according to a predetermined pattern at second locations are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mary Kathryn Thompson, Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, Vadim Bromberg, Xi Yang, Ananda Barua, William C. Alberts
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Publication number: 20220314545Abstract: Additive manufacturing apparatuses, components of additive manufacturing apparatuses, and methods of using such manufacturing apparatuses and components are disclosed. An additive manufacturing apparatus may include a recoat head for distributing build material in a build area, a print head for depositing material in the build area, one or more actuators for moving the recoat head and the print head relative to the build area, and a cleaning station for cleaning the print head.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2020Publication date: October 6, 2022Inventors: Vadim Bromberg, John Sterle, Victor Fulton, Tyler Andrew Griffith, Peter Douglas Lueschen, Carlos H. Bonilla, Joseph L. Smolenski, Timothy Francis Andrews, Younkoo Jeong, Jacob Mayer, Kwok Pong Chan, Mary Kathryn Thompson, Ruben E. Fairman
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Publication number: 20220305556Abstract: A binder solution configured for use in binder jet printing is provided. The binder solution may include a primer, a surfactant, and a linkable thermoplastic binder comprising a first polymer strand and a second polymer strand, wherein the first polymer strand comprises a first functional group and the second polymer strand comprises a second functional group, and wherein the first and second functional groups are configured to non-covalently couple at least a portion of the second polymer strand with at least a portion of the first polymer strand; wherein the first polymer strand and the second polymer strand are both polymer strands of the same thermoplastic polymer, and wherein the first polymer strand further comprises the second functional group and the second polymer strand further comprises the first functional group.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2022Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Carlos Bonilla Gonzalez, Kwok Pong Chan
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Publication number: 20220242130Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to additive manufacturing apparatuses, cleaning stations incorporated therein, and methods of cleaning using the cleaning stations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2020Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg, Kwok Pong Chan, Robert Edgar Estes, Jacob Mayer, Joshua Tyler Mook, Janet Mekker, William Cosmo Murphy, Arunkumar Natarjan, Mary Kathryn Thompson, Xi Yang, Travis Sands
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Publication number: 20220227127Abstract: An apparatus includes a printing head (154) comprising jet nozzles (158) spaced apart from one another, where a distance from a first jet nozzle to a second jet nozzle positioned adjacent the first jet nozzle defines a jet-spacing, a printing head position control assembly includes a first actuator assembly (102) to move the printing head along the longitudinal axis and a second actuator assembly (103) to move the printing head along a latitudinal axis, and an control unit communicatively coupled to the printing head position control assembly. The control unit causes jet nozzles to dispense drops of binder (50) while the printing head traverses a first pass trajectory along the longitudinal axis in a first direction, indexes the printing head to a second pass trajectory along the latitudinal axis, and causes jet nozzles to dispense drops of binder while the printing head traverses the second pass trajectory along the longitudinal axis in a second direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2020Publication date: July 21, 2022Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vadim Bromberg, John Sterle, Carlos H. Bonilla, Kwok Pong Chan, Mary Kathryn Thompson, Ruben E. Fairman, Jacob Mayer
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Publication number: 20210370589Abstract: A method of manufacturing comprises depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface and selectively depositing a water-based binder solution comprising from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % of a non-aqueous solvent having a boiling point of greater than 100° C. and less than or equal to 175° C. at 1 atm and a thermoplastic binder comprises a first polymer strand including a first functional group and a second polymer strand including a second functional group into the layer of powder in a pattern representative of a structure of a part. The method further comprises non-covalently coupling the first and second polymer strands together via interaction between the first and second functional groups to form a green body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg
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Publication number: 20210371619Abstract: A binder solution comprises greater than or equal to 0.5 wt % and less than or equal to 20 wt % of nanoparticles, a thermoplastic binder, and a solvent. The nanoparticles may comprise metallic nanoparticles comprising nickel, silver, chromium, aluminum, cobalt, iron, or combinations thereof. The nanoparticles may comprise ceramic nanoparticles, the comprising alumina, aluminum nitride, zirconia, titania, silica, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, boron nitride, or combinations thereof. A method of manufacturing a part includes depositing a layer of particulate material on a working surface, applying a binder solution into the layer of particulate material in a pattern, repeating the steps of depositing and selectively applying to form a plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder solution, and curing the applied binder solution in the plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder solution to evaporate the solvent and thereby form a green body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg
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Publication number: 20210370588Abstract: A method of manufacturing a green body part comprises depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface; and selectively depositing a binder solution comprising a thermoplastic binder, a fluorescent material, and a binder medium into the layer of powder in a pattern representative of a structure of a layer of the green body part. The thermoplastic binder comprises one or more polymer strands dissolved in a solvent medium having an average molecular weight from greater than or equal to 7,000 g/mol to less than or equal to 100,000 g/mol. Binder solutions comprising fluorescent material and green body parts adhered together using the same are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Joshua Tyler Mook, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Vadim Bromberg
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Publication number: 20210370547Abstract: A binder solution comprises a fugitive metal precursor, a thermoplastic binder, and a solvent. The fugitive metal precursor may comprise an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a post-transition metal, a metalloid, a rare earth metal, or combinations thereof. The fugitive metal precursor may comprise a salt such as carboxylate, nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, formate, chloride, halide, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. A method of manufacturing a part includes depositing a layer of particulate material on a working surface, selectively applying a binder solution into the layer of particulate material in a pattern representative of a layer of the part, repeating the steps of depositing and selectively applying to form a plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder solution, and curing the applied binder solution in the plurality of layers of particulate material with the applied binder solution to evaporate the solvent and form a green body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Kwok Pong Chan, William C. Alberts, Xi Yang, Mary Kathryn Thompson
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Patent number: 10918356Abstract: An ultrasound transducer includes a transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements. The transducer array has a first side and a second side. Further, one or more ground electrodes are disposed on the first side of the transducer array, and one or more signal electrodes are disposed on the second side of the transducer array. Moreover, an acoustic backing structure is operatively coupled to the plurality of transducer elements of the transducer array. Also, a plurality of electrical traces is routed on a surface of the acoustic backing structure and operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more signal electrodes and one or more ground electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2016Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vadim Bromberg, Lowell Scott Smith, Douglas Glenn Wildes, Kwok Pong Chan, Reinhold Bruestle, Matthew Harvey Krohn, Chester Frank Saj
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Patent number: 10797221Abstract: Assemblies for an ultrasonic probe and manufacturing methods are presented. In one example, the method includes additively forming first portions of the assembly using a first material with first acoustic properties and second portions of the assembly using a second material with second acoustic properties, the first and second acoustic properties being configured to modify ultrasonic signals of the ultrasonic probe. In another aspect, a housing for an ultrasonic probe is presented. The housing includes additively-formed portions, a fluid channel, and at least one cavity. The first additively-formed portions include a first material with first acoustic properties. The second additively-formed portions include a second material with second acoustic properties. The first and second acoustic properties are configured to modify ultrasonic signals of the ultrasonic probe. The fluid channel is for receiving fluid within the housing of the ultrasonic probe.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2017Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLCInventors: Matthew Harvey Krohn, Sven Runte, Vadim Bromberg, Kwok Pong Chan, Alexander Felix Fiseni, Mihirkumar Pravinbhai Patel
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Patent number: 10598577Abstract: A method includes providing a biological sample, providing a sample collection device, wherein the sample collection device includes a sample binding surface including a photodegradable polymer configured to bind the biological sample, contacting the biological sample with the sample binding surface of the sample collection device, and irradiating the sample binding surface and the bound biological sample using light emitted from a light source to initiate degradation of the photodegradable polymer of the sample binding surface to cause release of the biological sample.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, John Richard Nelson, Patrick McCoy Spooner, Ralf Lenigk, Wei Gao, Kwok Pong Chan, Lakshmi Sireesha Kaanumalle, Abraham Joy, Nicholas Nun
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Publication number: 20190350554Abstract: A grid of phased array transducers includes a piezoelectric layer and a plurality of ground contact traces. The piezoelectric layer includes a first side and a second side. The plurality of ground contact traces is disposed on the first side of the piezoelectric layer along an elevational direction, where each ground contact trace of the plurality of ground contact traces extends along an azimuthal direction. Further, each phased array transducer of the grid of phased array transducers is disposed between an adjacently disposed pair of ground contact traces of the plurality of ground contact traces. Moreover, each phased array transducer includes at least a portion of at least one ground contact trace of a corresponding pair of ground contact traces, and where each phased array transducer includes a plurality of transducer elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2018Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventors: Douglas Glenn Wildes, Lowell Scott Smith, Kwok Pong Chan, Vadim Bromberg, David Martin Mills, Warren Lee, Timothy James Fiorillo, Chi Tat Chiu
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Patent number: 10343214Abstract: A method of binder jet printing a part includes depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface and selectively printing a binder solution comprising a binder into the layer of powder in a first pattern to generate a printed layer. The pattern is representative of a structure of a layer of the part. The method also includes selectively printing a channel support agent solution comprising a channel support agent into the layer of powder to generate a green body. The channel support agent is selectively printed in a second pattern representative of an internal channel of the part. The method further includes heating the green body part above a first temperature to remove the binder and generate a brown body part and heating the brown body part above a second temperature to sinter the powder to generate the part having the internal channel generated from removal of the channel support agent.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2017Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Carlos Bonilla Gonzalez, Vadim Bromberg, Jeffrey Jon Schoonover, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Prabhjot Singh, Kwok Pong Chan