Patents Examined by Bernard Pianalto
  • Patent number: 6773765
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making a flexible magnet with an induced anisotropy, and in particular to a process for making a flexible anisotropic magnet by thermal spraying in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The method may be used to fabricate a substrate having a flexible anisotropic magnetic coating or a free standing anisotropic flexible magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventors: Richard J. Gambino, Dongil Shin, Jeffrey A. Brogan
  • Patent number: 6773045
    Abstract: In a bumper and/or a bumper protective strip which are arranged tightly together in a finished position, holding apparatus are provided, with which the bumper protective strip is detachably fastenable to provide a spacing from the bumper with respect to the finished spacing. In a method for the painting of the combination of a bumper and with a bumper protective strip, the bumper and the bumper protective strip are before painting, secured together in a spaced relationship and are painted together. Thus, it is possible to paint bumper with bumper protective strips economically with exactly the same color hue and to transport them joined with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Peguform GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Grossklaus
  • Patent number: 6773763
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a permanent magnet by the steps of preparing an admixture of magnetic material and binder material, the admixture material having a particle size of less than 325 mesh. Then heating a carrier gas to a temperature substantially below the melting point of either component of the admixture. The admixture is introduced into the carrier gas and the admixture is sprayed atop a ductile carrier. The admixture adheres to the carrier and forms a solid permanent magnet. An electric field is applied to the sprayed admixture to create a permanent magnetic moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, John Matthew Ginder, Robert Corbly McCune
  • Patent number: 6772710
    Abstract: In a PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) apparatus including a reaction chamber; plural susceptors installed inside the reaction chamber and horizontally mounted with a wafer respectively; a heating means for heating the susceptors; a power supply unit installed outside of the reaction chamber; a plasma electrode receiving RF power from the power supply unit, generating and maintaining plasma inside the reaction chamber; and a rotation jet spray having two spray injectors horizontally rotating and supplying gas inside the reaction chamber, a thin film is deposited by supplying BTMSM vapor and oxygen retaining gas through the spray injector, supplying hydrogen retaining gas through the other spray injector and horizontally rotating the spray injectors in the supply. Herein, a pressure in the reaction chamber is in the range of 0.1 Torr˜1 Torr, the wafer is heated at 25° C.˜400° C., and RF power in the range of 100 W˜2000 W is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Jusung Engineering Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Young Suk Lee
  • Patent number: 6773764
    Abstract: A method for patterning a recording medium selectively thermally couples a recording medium and a heat source to alter a chemical composition of the recording medium. An apparatus for patterning a recording medium has a heat source for generating and directing an incident thermal wave to a recording medium so as to alter a chemical composition of the recording medium, and a controller for coordinating a mutual position of the incident thermal wave and the recording medium for inducing a direct thermal coupling between the recording medium and the heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ernesto E. Marinero, Hemantha K. Wickramasinghe
  • Patent number: 6773747
    Abstract: The improved Wurster of the present invention includes an air diverter which supplies a flow of air in a radial direction adjacent the spray nozzle body and spray nozzle, so as to force the product away from the nozzle during the spraying process. The air diverter includes a sleeve with air passages therein, a manifold connected to the sleeve and to a source of secondary pressurized air or gas, and a collar to mount the assembled air diverter onto the perforated plate of the Wurster apparatus. In operation, the air diverter allows the spray pattern from the nozzle to more fully develop, allows more complete atomization of the spray solution, and allows for higher spray rates with little or no agglomeration of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Vector Corporation
    Inventor: Brian K. Jensen
  • Patent number: 6773761
    Abstract: A method of applying a varnish, whether or not it includes a solvent, on a component, in particular a vehicle headlight reflector, comprises the following steps: (i) selecting a varnish having a viscosity at ambient temperature of about 500 to 2000 mPa.s, and a viscosity at the application temperature which is lower than about 200 mPa.s, with a viscosity which is substantially independent of variation in the temperature within the range of application; (ii) heating the surface of the component before the step of moistening the varnish at a selected temperature &thgr;p1; (iii) heating the varnish at the moment of application to a selected temperature &thgr;v; and (iv) during the spreading step, maintaining the component at a selected temperature &thgr;p2 for a selected time tp2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Frédéric Cote, Michel Montaudouin
  • Patent number: 6773745
    Abstract: A method of producing a magnetic recording medium comprising the step of forming a magnetic layer on a non-magnetic base film running at a constant speed by continuous oblique evaporation depositing metal vapor of volatilized metal incident obliquely to a surface of the non-magnetic base film, wherein the evaporation is conducted at a film forming rate, defined as an average deposition rate of the magnetic layer at a part of the non-magnetic base film exposed to the incident metal vapor, of not less than a predetermined rate to form an internal microstructure of the magnetic layer comprising columns each having a diameter of not more than about 15 nm constituted by magnetic particles having a size of not more than about 10 nm connected in chains in a direction substantially perpendicular to the magnetic layer and non-magnetic particles packed between the columns and separating the columns from each other, and a magnetic recording medium produced by the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Arisaka, Junichi Tachibana, Takuya Ito, Yoh Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 6770141
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling evaporative drying processes using environmental equivalency control process parameters to provide a specified product quality. In an environmental equivalency-based control system, measured values are received by environmental equivalency calculation hardware or software. An environmental equivalency value is calculated based on the measured parameters. One or more of the process parameters may then be varied to maintain the environmental equivalency value for the process within a predetermined range of environmental equivalency values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: SmithKline Beecham Corporation
    Inventors: Dwayne A Campbell, Joseph T. Marranca, Raymond E. Pope, Robert Allen Stagner
  • Patent number: 6767591
    Abstract: A flexible and self-adhesive repositionable dry erasable markerboard is disclosed, together with a method for making such repositionable dry erasable markerboard. The repositionable dry erasable markerboard is made of a second layer, comprising a paper layer, with a first layer, comprising a dry erasable layer applied to the upper surface of the second layer, and a third layer, comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, applied to the lower surface of the second layer. The dry erasable first layer may be either a coating cured under the presence of a nitrogen blanket or a film. The pressure sensitive adhesive of the third layer may be applied to the entire surface of the second layer or selectively zone-coated. The pressure sensitive adhesive of the third layer may be covered with a fourth layer, comprising a removable liner. The paper second layer may be coated and/or printed. The repositionable dry erasable markerboard is flexible and may be rolled into a tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: InVision Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A Meccia, Gregg A Steliga
  • Patent number: 6764721
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is formed of a soft magnetic layer, an anti-ferromagnetic layer, a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer, and a liquid lubricant layer deposited in that order on a non-magnetic substrate. The anti-ferromagnetic layer is a Mn alloy containing at least Co at 10 atomic % or greater and 50 atomic % or less or a Mn alloy containing at least Ir at 10 atomic % or greater and 30 atomic % or less. A radial magnetic field is applied during formation of the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the soft magnetic layer. Exchange coupling with the anti-ferromagnetic layer controls magnetic domain walls of the soft magnetic layer. The need for heat treatment after film formation is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Uwazumi, Yasushi Sakai, Toyoji Ataka
  • Patent number: 6761769
    Abstract: An applicator has a rubber heater (51) attached to the outer peripheral surface of the application member (4) in the vicinity of a nozzle (3). Thereby, the temperature in the vicinity of the nozzle (3) is controlled by a control unit by detecting the temperature using a thermal resistor (52). A change in the viscosity of the viscous material (2) is prevented by keeping the temperature substantially constant, so that the volume of the viscous material from the nozzle (3) is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Inaba, Eiichiro Terayama, Naoichi Chikahisa, Shunji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6759097
    Abstract: Methods and devices for producing images on coated articles are provided. The methods generally comprise applying a layer of magnetizable pigment coating in liquid form on a substrate, with the magnetizable pigment coating containing a plurality of magnetic non-spherical particles or flakes. A magnetic field is then applied to selected regions of the pigment coating while the coating is in liquid form, with the magnetic field altering the orientation of selected magnetic particles or flakes. Finally, the pigment coating is solidified, affixing the reoriented particles or flakes in a non-parallel position to the surface of the pigment coating to produce an image such as a three dimensional-like image on the surface of the coating. The pigment coating can contain various interference or non-interference magnetic particles or flakes, such as magnetic color shifting pigments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Flex Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger W. Phillips, Charlotte R. LeGallee, Charles T. Markantes, Paul G. Coombs, Matthew R. Witzman
  • Patent number: 6759081
    Abstract: A structure and method of fabricating a magnetic read head, comprises forming a fill layer for a magnetic read head gap using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The fill layer comprises an insulator, preferably aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, mixtures thereof and layered structures thereof. Materials having higher thermal conductivity than aluminum oxide, such as berylium oxide and boron nitride, can also be employed in layers within an aluminum oxide structure. The thickness of the ALD-formed head gap fill layer is between approximately 5 nm and 100 nm, preferably between approximately 10 nm and 40 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: ASM International, N.V.
    Inventors: Juha Huganen, Tapio Kanniainen
  • Patent number: 6759096
    Abstract: The foregoing differential gloss covering comprises a backing substrate, an ink layer, and a cured top layer having a first surface portion with a first gloss and a second surface portion, made by the process comprising providing the backing substrate; depositing an ink formulation comprising a curing agent over at least a first area of a top side of the backing substrate to form said ink layer; coating the top side of the backing substrate with a radiation curable formulation to form a top curable layer; diffusing at least a portion of the curing agent into the top curable layer; curing the top curable layer to form the cured top layer and thereby forming a differential gloss covering having said first surface portion above the first area of said top of said backing substrate having the first gloss and the second surface portion having the second gloss that is different from said first gloss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Congoleum Corporation
    Inventors: Richard C. MacQueen, Thomas E. Janini, Anthony A. Parker
  • Patent number: 6759084
    Abstract: It is important for a CPP GMR read head that it have both high resistance as well as high cross-sectional area. This has been achieved by inserting a NOL (nano-oxide layer) though the middle of one or both of the two non-magnetic conductive layers. A key feature is that the NOL is formed by first depositing the conductive layer to about half its normal thickness. Then a metallic film is deposited thereon to a thickness that is low enough for it to still consist of individual islands. The latter are then fully oxidized without significantly oxidizing the conductive layer on which they lie. The remainder of the conductive layer is then deposited to a thickness sufficient to fully enclose the islands of oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kochan Ju, Min Li, Simon Liao, Jeiwei Chang
  • Patent number: 6756074
    Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a combinatorial coating library including a coating system operatively coupled to at least one of a plurality of materials suitable for forming at least one coating layer on a surface of one or more substrates. The systems and methods also including a curing system operative to apply at least one of a plurality of curing environments to each of a plurality of regions associated with the at least one coating layer, the curing system comprising a plurality of waveguides each having a first end corresponding to at least one of the plurality of regions and a second end associated with at least one curing source. The combinatorial coating library comprising a predetermined combination of at least one of the plurality of materials and at least one of the plurality of curing environments associated with each of the plurality of regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Avery Dennison Corporation
    Inventors: Radislav Alexandrovich Potyrailo, Daniel Robert Olson, Michael Jarvath Brennan, Jay Raghunandan Akhave, Mark Anthony Licon, Ali Reza Mehrabi, Dennis Lee Saunders, Bret Ja Chisholm
  • Patent number: 6756071
    Abstract: A GMR spin valve is provided for reading a magnetic signal from a magnetic recording medium. The spin valve includes a non-magnetic layer such as for example copper, separated by first and second magnetic layers. The spin valve includes a pinned magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer, the resistance of the spin valve changing with the relative angle between the direction of magnetization of free and pinned layers. Extremely smooth surfaces are provided at the interfaces between the non-magnetic layer and the adjacent magnetic layers. This smooth interface greatly enhances the performance and reliability of the spin valve by allowing extremely tight control of the thickness of the non-magnetic layer and by preventing atomic diffusion between the non-magnetic and magnetic layers. This smooth interface is achieved by including a surfactant in the deposition of the non-magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), Inc.
    Inventors: Zhupei Shi, Ming Mao, Qunwen Leng
  • Patent number: 6756085
    Abstract: Low dielectric constant materials with improved elastic modulus and material hardness. The process of making such materials involves providing a dielectric material and ultraviolet (UV) curing the material to produce a UV cured dielectric material. UV curing yields a material with improved modulus and material hardness. The improvement is each typically greater than or about 50%. The UV cured dielectric material can optionally be post-UV treated. The post-UV treatment reduces the dielectric constant of the material while maintaining an improved elastic modulus and material hardness as compared to the UV cured dielectric material. UV cured dielectrics can additionally exhibit a lower total thermal budget for curing than for furnace curing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlo Waldfried, Qingyuan Han, Orlando Escorcia, Ivan L. Berry, III
  • Patent number: 6756080
    Abstract: The installation according to the invention comprises at least one robot of which a mobile part supports at least one sprayer and a tank of coating product connected thereto for feeding the sprayer. The robot bears a second tank adapted to be filled with cleaning product, this second tank being connected to feed cleaning product to the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits connecting the first tank to the sprayer. The first tank, the sprayer and/or the conduits can be cleaned in masked time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Sames Technologies
    Inventor: Patrick Ballu