Involving Defined Plastic Flow Or Melting Of Entire Lamina Patents (Class 156/309.6)
  • Patent number: 6358343
    Abstract: A method for forming a plastic drum including the steps of selecting a lower component having a bottom and a generally cylindrical side wall, the side wall defining an opening, and selecting an upper component having a center section and an annular end portion, the end portion having an annular slot. The method further includes the step of locating the upper component on the lower component such that the upper component covers the end opening and such that at least part of the side wall of the lower component is received in the annular slot, and welding the portion of the side wall received in the annular slot to the upper component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Inventor: C. Winfield Scott
  • Publication number: 20020029445
    Abstract: The invention relates to a structured textile material made of at least two different, needled base nonwoven fabrics. The base nonwoven fabrics have a structure obtained by needling from at least one side. The needles used for the structure needling are fork needles or crown needles, and the depth of the forks and barbs, respectively, is so selected that, when piercing through, they completely fill up with fibers of the base nonwoven fabric facing the needles. The textile material have unmixed, pure fibers in the pattern, in the background and on the reverse side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Karlheinz Stein, Heinrich Laun, Michel Passler
  • Publication number: 20020022143
    Abstract: A separable adhesive layer made by extrusion lamination including a mixture of silicone-modified polyethylene and adhesive polyolefin. In the laminate, a backing layer and a top layer are laminated together therewith. The laminate is produced either by broad-slot monoextrusion or broad-slot coextrusion of the adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Peter Ludwig, Wilhelm Munninger, Werner Tschenet
  • Patent number: 6340518
    Abstract: A flexible metal foil laminate sheet wherein a polyimide layer comprises a polyimide laminate having a three-layer structure in which thermoplastic polyimide layers are formed on both the surfaces of a polyimide film; metal foil layers are heated and pressed against both the sides of the polyimide laminate; and the thickness of the thermoplastic polyimide layer is 100% or more of an average roughness at 10 points on the surface of the metal foil which contacts the thermoplastic polyimide layer; and a method for manufacturing the flexible metal foil laminate sheet. According to the present invention, there can be manufactured the flexible metal foil laminate sheet in which a necessary and sufficient adhesive force is present in an interface between a metal foil and an insulating layer and which is excellent in heat resistance, chemical resistance, electrical properties and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikio Kitahara, Minehiro Mori, Naoshi Mineta, Takashi Kayama
  • Patent number: 6340089
    Abstract: A screening screen assembly for a vibratory screening machine including an apertured plate, and a subassembly of an undulating support screen and fine screening screen and finer screening screen bonded to each other by a fused plastic grid and bonded to the apertured plate. A method of fabricating a screening screen assembly for a vibratory screening machine including the steps of providing a support screen, superimposing a plastic grid onto the support screen, superimposing a finer screening screen onto the fine screening screen, applying heat and pressure to the superimposed screens to fuse the plastic grid and thereby form a flat bonded laminate subassembly by causing the fused plastic grid to permeate the fine screen and the finer screen and the support screen, forming the bonded laminate subassembly into an undulating shape, providing an apertured plate, and bonding the undulating bonded subassembly to the apertured plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Derrick Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: John J. Bakula
  • Publication number: 20010055690
    Abstract: The present invention produces a polyester resin covered metal sheet having extremely excellent formability, which can be available for uses in which severe forming is practiced such as drawing, drawing and ironing, and drawn and stretch forming as well as the composite forming consisting of drawn and stretch forming followed by ironing, and a production method thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: HIROYUKI IWASHITA, FUMIKO GOTOH, ATSUO TANAKA
  • Patent number: 6329629
    Abstract: A laser joining system deforms a workpiece projection based on collapse of the projection to a predetermined displacement. The laser joining system has a laser system for generating a predetermined level of laser radiation based on radiation control signals. An actuation system directs the laser radiation to the projection and contacts the projection with a laser head based on forced control signals. The actuation system also generates position feedback based on a position of the laser head, wherein the position feedback includes a reference position of the laser head. The joining system further includes a controller communicating with the laser system and the actuation system. The controller generates the radiation control signals and the force control signals based on the position feedback. When the projection collapses to a predetermined displacement with respect to the referenced position, one of the radiation control signals causes the laser system to discontinue generation of the laser radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Branson Ultrasonics Corporation
    Inventor: David Grewell
  • Patent number: 6326053
    Abstract: Retroreflective article (10), e.g., in the form of a pavement marking, having raised, nonintegral protuberances (16) that exhibit good dry retroreflectivity and recover retroreflectivity quickly after exposure to water. The protuberance comprise a thermoplastic polymer body. Partially embedded in the protuberance are optical elements (14) which are in optical association with a light scattering agent. The protuberance is disposed on top of a conformable base sheet (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Larry K. Stump, Gregory F. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 6315853
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head by combining each of the processes to fabricate a heater board comprises (I) the first step of patterning a resistive layer on a substrate, (II) the second step of laminating a first protection layer and patterning the protection layer to form a groove by removing an area for wiring electrode layers to be formed later, (III) the third step of laminating a layer formed by material for use of the wiring electrode layers, (IV) the forth step of continuously giving heat treatment to the surface of the substrate, while the surface is not allowed to be exposed to the air outside, to enable the layer formed by the material of the wiring electrode layers to flow into only the groove on the first protection layer provided in the first step, and making the surface flat, as a result of which, a pair of electrode layers are formed to enable the resistive layer between them to be constituted as the heat generating unit and (V) the fifth step of forming a second protecti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Masami Kasamoto, Toshihiro Mori, Teruo Ozaki
  • Patent number: 6312543
    Abstract: A process for producing a tubular article is provided which, comprising winding a first thermoplastic sheet film on a cylindrical member with the wind-starting portion and the wind-ending portion thereof overlapped, placing a metal tube outside the above wound film either (a) by winding a metal sheet with both of the sheet ends thereof abutted or (b) by fitting a metal tube, winding a second thermoplastic sheet film on the metal tube with the wind-starting portion and the wind-ending portion thereof overlapped, fitting a tubular member outside the wound second thermoplastic sheet film, and heating at least the first and second thermoplastic films to bond the overlapped portions of the thermoplastic sheet films. The tubular article produced according to the present invention has significantly improved film properties such as heat resistance (thermal expansion, break strength at high temperatures, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Takeuchi, Yasuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6302993
    Abstract: The invention provides a process, and product thereof, for forming a chemically resistant fusion bonded between chemically dissimilar materials by use of an acid-based terpolymer for protective garments. The olefin terpolymers are preferably copolymers of an olefin, an acid and an ester. The process involves placing the olefin terpolymer film between two dissimilar films such as a facepiece and the fabric material of the garments and applying heat and pressure. The resulting fusion bonded film composite is strong, flexible and upon the application of sufficient stress exhibits total cohesive rupture failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: LakeLand Industries
    Inventors: W. Novis Smith, Joel McCloskey, Kelly Bradford
  • Patent number: 6294046
    Abstract: To provide a heat-sealing apparatus capable of: achieving a complete sealing property by causing a liquid or dirt having entered small irregularities in a tube inner face to flow out of a sealed zone together with a molten resin; and a heat seal with no crack caused by the molten resin having flowed into container and with an excellent compression strength. A heat-sealing apparatus for forming a packaging material 1 made of a laminate including a synthetic resin layer into a tubular-shape of a container, and transversely heat-sealing a tubular packaging material container filled with fluid by using a sealing jaw 3 having a high-frequency coil 2 with a ridge 11 on its flat pressing face and a jaw 5 opposing to it, wherein a first groove 16 is disposed on at least one pressing face of the high-frequency coil 2, capable of forming a synthetic resin bulge adjacent to the outer side of a zone to be sealed on a container's interior side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kume, Hiroshi Katayama, Michio Ueda
  • Patent number: 6288326
    Abstract: A photovoltaic module comprises a substrate, a semiconductor layer arranged on one of the principal surfaces of the substrate, divided into a plurality of sections and sealed by a encapsulation material, in that the encapsulation material is arranged on the principal surface of the substrate without its end face projecting outwardly beyond the end face of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Akimine Hayashi, Naoaki Nakanishi, Seishiro Mizukami, Takeharu Yamawaki
  • Patent number: 6287221
    Abstract: A baseball bat article includes a baseball bat, a glossy finish coating material and an image-carrying transfer element. The baseball bat has a grip portion, a barrel portion and an intermediate portion interposed between the grip portion and the barrel portion. The baseball bat extends along a central axis to define a bat length. The glossy finish coating material is applied to the baseball bat to form a glossy finish, at least along the bat length. The image-carrying transfer element is fabricated from a transparent sheet material. Further, the image-carrying transfer element is defined by an outer periphery and has a first surface and an opposite second surface with a photographic image formed on either the first or second surface. The image-carrying transfer element is imperceptibly affixed to the baseball bat at a selected location along the bat length with either the first or second surface in contact with the baseball bat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Inventor: Scott A. Pino
  • Patent number: 6287407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a structured textile material made of at least two different, needled base nonwoven fabrics. The base nonwoven fabrics have a structure obtained by needling from at least one side. The needles used for the structure needling are fork needles or crown needles, and the depth of the forks and barbs, respectively, is so selected that, when piercing through, they completely fill up with fibers of the base nonwoven fabric facing the needles. The textile material have unmixed, pure fibers in the pattern, in the background and on the reverse side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Karlheinz Stein, Heinrich Laun, Michel Pässler
  • Publication number: 20010004917
    Abstract: A method of producing a drainage grid or network comprising a number of interlocked strips is disclosed which comprises providing a warp direction a plurality of strips having a channel or channels formed longitudinally therein, feeding such strips into a bonding zone wherein a filter material is bonded over the channel or channels, subsequently providing strips of polymeric material transverse to the warp strips and bonding them thereto to form the weft of the network and thereafter collecting the network or grid so produced. The warp and weft may be produced from yarn reinforced polymeric webbing which is heat bonded to give a mesh. It has been found that polyolefin materials, particularly polyethylene, are suitable. Where reinforcing is provided this may be in the form of reinforcing polyester yarns and are preferably inserted in the longitudinal direction in bundles. The filter fabric may also be a thermoplastic material and may be heat bonded, needle punched or woven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: T. J. Edwards, M. K. McCreath
  • Patent number: 6248205
    Abstract: An armrest adapted to be mounted to a vehicle door comprises a primary substrate adapted to be mounted to a vehicle door panel with a secondary substrate mounted to the primary substrate and defining a recess. A foam layer is mounted to the secondary substrate within the recess, and a flexible outer casing intergrally molded to the primary substrate forming a recess with the primary substrate which receives the secondary substrate and the foam layer. A method of fabricating the armrest for the vehicle door is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Leon Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Scheidmantel, Robert H. Versaw, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6248194
    Abstract: A novel fabricated tube construction includes a sleeve formed from a stock material and a plastic neck member which includes a shoulder. The sleeve has overlapping edges which are joined together to form an lap seam. The neck member shoulder includes a mounting portion which has at least one raised, plastic weld rib thereon. An end portion of the sleeve initially overlays the shoulder such that the lap seam of the sleeve overlays the raised weld rib on the mounting portion. As a result, a small void is formed between the lap seam and the mounting portion. When the sleeve and the shoulder are joined together, the raised, plastic weld rib on the mounting portion melts and flows into the void to fill and seal the void. A portion of the mounting portion also melts to form a seal between the shoulder and the sleeve. When the shoulder and the sleeve are joined together in this manner, a leak-proof seal or joint is formed around the entire periphery of the shoulder between the shoulder and the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Atrion Medical Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Rowland W. Kanner
  • Patent number: 6235133
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a conveyor belt having an elongate body made of uncured rubber and/or synthetic rubber. A polymeric parting material is placed adjacent to the upper and lower surfaces of the body, and heated platens are applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the body (i.e. belt material) to soften the adjacent upper and lower layer portions of the belt. This causes the softened belt material to flow into interstitial openings in the parting material. The resulting belt has the parting material squeezed into a thinner layer and embedded in the adjacent surface portions of the body of the belt. This provides a substantially uniform and reflectively soft texture surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corp.
    Inventor: Keishi Sato
  • Publication number: 20010001181
    Abstract: In a fastening device with tape, a synthetic resin first member is integrally molded on front and back surfaces of a tape having at least one attachment hole in such a manner as to hold an entire peripheral edge portion of the attachment hole of the tape and has an opening portion at a center thereof, and then a synthetic resin second member is attached, by molding or the like, to the first member along an inner peripheral surface of at least the opening portion of the first member and has an engaging portion to be engaged with an opposing fastener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2001
    Publication date: May 17, 2001
    Applicant: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Shunji Akashi, Kiyomasa Segawa
  • Publication number: 20010000584
    Abstract: A trim component (1) includes a substrate (2) and two different cover materials (3, 4), which are not spliced together but are independently adhesively bonded onto the substrate (2) by a hot-melt contact adhesion. The junction (7) is received in a valley (6) of the substrate that is pinched closed using a molding apparatus that includes a horizontally movable pinching stamp (13) which forms a pinching gap (16) relative to a protruding edge (11A) of a fixed mold tool (11). A tucking blade (22) cooperates with a counter-clamping blade (26) to clampingly hold and then press the substrate and junction of the cover sheets into the pinching gap. The tucking blade is then retracted while the pinching stamp pinches closed the pinching gap, to form a tightly closed valley in the substrate with the junction cleanly pinched therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: May 3, 2001
    Inventor: Gerhard Spengler
  • Patent number: 6217991
    Abstract: A resin laminated metallic sheet having excellent adhesion during forming, corrosion resistance, and impact resistance is continuously manufactured at high speed with consistent properties is constantly kept at a selected and variable traveling speed of the metallic sheet by controlling the orientation of resin film after lamination, heating the continuously traveling metallic sheet, laminating resin films on both sides of the heated metal sheet using laminating rolls, and thereafter deflecting the traveling direction of the resin laminated metallic sheet using a deflector roll disposed movably in a direction perpendicular to the direction at a right angle from traveling direction of the metallic sheet, and further, differentiating a contacting period of time in which each surface of the resin laminated metallic sheet is contacting each of the laminating rolls, or differentiating an amount of the heat of each surface portion of the resin laminated metallic sheet lost by the cooling effect due to the contact o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Toyo Kohan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Tanaka, Yoshiki Sakamoto, Noriaki Kaguma
  • Patent number: 6210779
    Abstract: Multi-functional materials which have a photocatalytic layer with a photocatalytic function disposed on the surface of a base through an amorphous binder layer 6 interposed therebetween. Photocatalytic particles of the photocatalytic layer are joined together by a surface energy or solid-state sintering. The photocatalytic layer may have a structure in which fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles or a structure in which no fine particles fill interstices defined between photocatalytic particles. A metal such as Ag, Pt, or the like may be fixed or not fixed to surfaces of the photocatalytic particles. A lower layer of the photocatalytic layer is embedded in the binder layer such that an intermediate layer is formed between the binder layer and the photocatalytic layer, the intermediate layer including components of the binder and photocatalytic layers in varying concentrations therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiya Watanabe, Eiichi Kojima, Keiichiro Norimoto, Tamon Kimura, Mitsuyoshi Machida, Makoto Hayakawa, Atsushi Kitamura, Makoto Chikuni, Yoshimitsu Saeki, Tatsuhiko Kuga, Yasushi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6210521
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel process for making a radially arranged aluminum foil-filled plastic pellet for shielding against electromagnetic interference, comprising sandwiching a plastic matrix in between two layers of aluminum foil to form an aluminum/plastic/aluminum laminated sheet; slicing the laminated sheet into a plurality of aluminum/plastic/aluminum laminated strips; dividing the plurality of laminated strips into at least one group, each group containing 3 to 20 radially arranged strips; moisturizing and binding at least one group of laminated strips with a molten plastic matrix to form at least one radially arranged aluminum foil-filled plastic bar; and cutting at least one plastic bar into radially arranged aluminum foil-filled plastic pellets. By the present invention, the cost of making the conductive plastic pellets can be decreased, the amount of aluminum foil in the pellet can be greatly increased, and the breakage of the aluminum foil in the die can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Tung-Han Chuang, Chin-Ming Chiang
  • Patent number: 6193834
    Abstract: An apparatus for fusing a pipe to a fitting includes an induction heating element wholly encased or coated with a flusible thermoplastic polymeric material, a fitting having a socket or a flange. The induction heating element is adapted to be inserted into said socket or mounted on said flange, the fitting and the element together defining a throughbore, a portion of a pipe adapted to be inserted into the throughbore or mountable on said flange. The apparatus also includes a locating and maintaining member on the induction heating element with one or more projections adapted to be snap-fitted on the fitting, the pipe or both, and capable of locating and maintaining the position of the heating element relative to the fitting or the member portion. The induction fusion element is capable of fusing the fitting and the pipe portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Uponor Aldyl Company
    Inventor: Cin Lee Smith
  • Patent number: 6190486
    Abstract: A self-inflatable mattress is formed from an open pore foam core and one or more layers of dual melt film. Initially, a layer of dual melt film is placed on top of the open pore foam block such that the side with the lower melting temperature contacts the foam core. A non-stick, heat transferable buffer layer is then placed on top of the film and heat and pressure are applied, preferably through a roller, causing the bottom surface of the film to stick to the top surface of the foam core. The edges of the top sheet are also adhesably attached to the sides of the core using a pair of heated side pressure rollers. Lastly, the cushion is inverted and a second, or bottom, sheet of dual melt film is placed on top of the foam core and attached to the bottom surface and the sides in a similar manner. Finally, a valve, which may be either oral, or one way, is attached to the side of the mattress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Switlik Parchute Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Stanley Switlik
  • Patent number: 6183838
    Abstract: A composite material and method of forming such composite material is provided in which first and second layers of plastic film are laminated together and define a multiplicity of spaced apart, gas filled cavities therebetween, and a third layer of a fibrous or other suitable material is mechanically bonded to one of the first and second layers of plastic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Sealed Air Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Paul Kannankeril
  • Patent number: 6176953
    Abstract: An ultrasonically welded joint is made by placing a thermoplastic film (5) between two thermoplastic members (10, 20). The two thermoplastic members each have a mating part of a complex joint. One part of the joint, known as the shear joint (40), serves to shear away part (6) of the film when the two members come together, and another section of the same joint, known as the mash joint (30), serves to bond the film and the two members all together during the ultrasonic welding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby Dean Landreth, Steven D. Pratt, Sivakumar Muthuswamy, Ronald J. Kelley
  • Patent number: 6171423
    Abstract: A process for fabricating a composite vessel includes the steps of: A) preforming (e.g., by winding fiber and at least one thermoplastic substance onto a thermoplastic liner) a thermoplastic shell which has at least one opening for access to the interior; B) extruding a circular cross section of a fluid parison of thermoplastic material (which preferably is chosen to have a melting point lower than that of the thermoplastic shell) into the interior of the thermoplastic shell through the opening; C) in a mold, applying at least one force (such as gas under pressure) which tends to urge the fluid parison toward the interior walls of the thermoplastic shell (which may be preheated prior to introduction into the mold) such that the fluid parison imparts heat to the thermoplastic shell; D) continuing step C) until the thermoplastic shell and the fluid parison consolidate to form a composite vessel; E) cooling the vessel until it is solidified; and F) removing the vessel from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Essef Corporation
    Inventors: James C. Murphy, Gerald S. Boyce, Erik Coeckelbergs