Patents Examined by Brian Jennison
  • Method for welding and for hard surface deposition of metal parts made of aluminium by a MIG method with pulsed current and filler wire
    Patent number: 9731373
    Abstract: A method for hard surface deposition on aluminum metal parts of a turbine engine using MIG welding equipment which includes a pulsed current generator and pulsed filler metal wire feed, wherein the deposition is achieved using a filler metal wire whose composition is of the same nature as the composition of the aluminum alloy of the part to undergo hard surface deposition, with the pulsed metal wire feed and speed of deposition on the metal part of the turbine engine being adapted to carry out deposition without hot fissuring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignees: SNECMA, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS), UNIVERSITE PARIS SUD (UPS), UNIVERSITE DE NANTES
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Mottin, Jean-François Castagne, Thierry Baudin, Alexandre Yann Michel Benoit, Pascal Paillard
  • Systems and methods for wireless control of a welding power supply
    Patent number: 9724778
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include wireless control of a welding power supply via portable electronic devices. In particular, operating parameters and statuses of the welding power supply may be modified by the portable electronic device, as well as be displayed on the portable electronic device. For example, in certain embodiments, the welding power supply may be an engine-driven welding power supply, and the portable electronic device may be configured to start and/or stop an engine of the engine-driven welding power supply. A pairing procedure may be used to pair the welding power supply and the portable electronic device in a wireless communication network. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, a method of prioritization of control between a control panel of the welding power supply and the portable electronic device may be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marc Lee Denis, Benjamin G. Peotter
  • Systems and methods for prioritization of wireless control of a welding power supply
    Patent number: 9718141
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include wireless control of a welding power supply via portable electronic devices. In particular, operating parameters and statuses of the welding power supply may be modified by the portable electronic device, as well as be displayed on the portable electronic device. For example, in certain embodiments, the welding power supply may be an engine-driven welding power supply, and the portable electronic device may be configured to start and/or stop an engine of the engine-driven welding power supply. A pairing procedure may be used to pair the welding power supply and the portable electronic device in a wireless communication network. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, a method of prioritization of control between a control panel of the welding power supply and the portable electronic device may be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marc Lee Denis, Benjamin G. Peotter
  • Supporting system for a heating element and heating system
    Patent number: 9719629
    Abstract: A supporting system for a heating element includes a supporting member and a base member. The supporting member has a main extension direction extending substantially in a height direction and a proximal and distal end. The proximal end is adapted to support the heating element. The base member is connected via at least one hinge to a distal portion of the supporting member which distal portion is arranged distal from the proximal end. The supporting member is pivotable relative to the base member about a rotation axis which is oriented parallel to a substantially rigid direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignees: Plansee SE, Plansee USA LLC
    Inventors: Vadim Boguslavskiy, Arno Plankensteiner
  • Method and system to start and use combination filler wire feed and high intensity energy source for root pass welding of the inner diameter of clad pipe
    Patent number: 9718147
    Abstract: A welding system includes at least one high intensity energy source to create a weld puddle during a root pass on a narrow joint of a workpiece with a clad layer. The system also includes a controller to control a weld ramp out process such that, as the molten puddle advances to a start of an existing root pass weld, the controller at least one of decreases an energy output of the at least one high intensity energy source and reduces an interaction time between the at least one high intensity energy source and the weld puddle. After completion of the root pass, a thickness of a root pass weld in a region that is at or near the start point of the existing root pass weld is in a range of 100 percent to 130 percent of a nominal root pass thickness of a remainder of the root pass weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: LINCOLN GLOBAL, INC.
    Inventors: Paul E Denney, Steven R Peters, David Freeman, Kevin Beardsley
  • Method and apparatus for welding with CV control
    Patent number: 9718142
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for welding is disclosed. The output is preferably a cyclical CV MIG output, and each cycle is divided into segments. An output parameter is sampled a plurality of times within one or more of the segments. The CV output is controlled within the at least one segment in response to the sampling. The parameter is output power, a resistance of the load, an output current, an output voltage, or functions thereof in various embodiments. The control loop is preferably a PI or PID loop. The loop may be applied only within a window. The set point may be taught or fixed. The system can be used to weld with a controlled arc length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Davidson, James L. Uecker, Todd E. Holverson, David G. Almy, Curt J. Beck
  • Systems and methods for deicing
    Patent number: 9714494
    Abstract: A deicing method includes the steps of determining a necessary quantity of heat to substantially vaporize an interfacial layer between a solid surface and a layer of ice and applying pulsed heating at the interfacial layer. The pulsed heating is applied with the determined necessary quantity of heat to substantially vaporize the interfacial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Willam D. Duncan, Peter L. Hagelstein, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, David B. Tuckerman, Thomas A. Weaver, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Joining a workpiece in a concealed joining seam
    Patent number: 9700966
    Abstract: A method for joining concealed workpiece parts by an energy beam, wherein a lower workpiece part and an upper workpiece part are positioned relative to each other; the upper workpiece part contacts the lower workpiece part along a joining contour; the energy beam is directed onto an upper side of the upper workpiece part, moved along the joining contour by a controller, in order to join the upper workpiece part to the joining contour; an exploratory seam is produced on the upper work piece part, for detecting the joining contour; a detector detects a boundary at which a surface area of the upper work piece part borders a surface area of the upper work piece part which does have contact with the joining contour; the controller registers a position of the boundary and compares it with a target position of the boundary which is stored in the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: FFT Produktionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Kraft, Jochen Schneegans
  • Heating elements for electronic cigarettes
    Patent number: 9693588
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heating element assembly for e-cigarette. The heating element assembly includes a cylindrical ceramic e-liquid conduit to store e-liquid, at least one heating wire wound on the inside of ceramic e-liquid conduit, a base, and a cylinder on top of base. The ceramic wall around the ceramic e-liquid conduit forms a vapor path with an air intake at bottom and an air exhaust on top. The cylinder sits on the base to form a main cavity 300 that houses the ceramic e-liquid conduit. The cylinder has an e-liquid intake to receive e-liquid from an e-liquid storage. The e-liquid enters the ceramic e-liquid conduit through e-liquid intake, and the e-liquid is heated by the heating wire to generate vapor, and the generated vapor goes up through the air intake, the air exhaust, to exit the heating element assembly from the upper end of the vapor path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventor: Xiaochun Zhu
  • Cutting head
    Patent number: 9687933
    Abstract: A cutting head for a cutting machine, the cutting head having a holder arranged to support a cutting device, the holder being secured to an arm assembly that is adapted to be mounted to the cutting machine, a first servo motor to drive the arm assembly to effect rotational movement or swivel of the torch holder and a second servo motor to drive the arm assembly to effect tilt of the holder about a vertical axis whereby, in use, as the holder tilts and swivels to impart a bevel cut to a work piece the tip of the cutting device is held stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: PROFILE CUTTING SYSTEMS PTY LTD
    Inventor: Gianpiero Antonio Buccella
  • Different lightly doped drain length control for self-align light drain doping process
    Patent number: 9685557
    Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating thin-film transistors (TFTs) for an LCD having an array of pixels. The method includes depositing a first photoresist layer over a portion of a TFT stack. The TFT stack includes a conductive gate layer, and a semiconductor layer. The method also includes doping the exposed semiconductor layer with a first doping dose. The method further includes etching a portion of the conductive gate layer to expose a portion of the semiconductor layer, and doping the exposed portion of the semiconductor layer with a second doping dose. The method also includes removing the first photoresist layer, and depositing a second photoresist layer over a first portion of the doped semiconductor layer in an active area of the pixels to expose a second portion of the doped semiconductor layer in an area surrounding the active area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Ho Yu, Young Bae Park, Shih Chang Chang, Ting-Kuo Chang, Shang-Chih Lin
  • Resistance spot welding of aluminum to aluminum and steel to steel
    Patent number: 9676065
    Abstract: A method for welding a plurality of aluminum to aluminum welds and a plurality of steel to steel welds using the same welder includes providing a resistance spot welder with a pair of weld electrodes having an electrode face radius of curvature in the range between 20 mm and 40 mm. The series of aluminum to aluminum welds is first made, and then, after completing the aluminum to aluminum welds, the series of steel to steel welds are made. After completing the steel to steel welds the weld electrodes are cleaned by an abrasive to remove any buildup or contamination of aluminum on the electrodes. In the event the electrodes have mushroomed, then dressing of the electrodes is provided and then the abrasive cleaning is performed to restore the surface texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David R. Sigler, Michael J. Karagoulis
  • Food package
    Patent number: 9681499
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a food package for cooking, storing and heating of ready-to-eat food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Micvac AB
    Inventors: Joel Haamer, Martin Gustavsson
  • Induction heating apparatus for a beverage can
    Patent number: 9674900
    Abstract: An induction heating apparatus heats content efficiently while measuring a temperature of the heated content accurately. The induction heating apparatus includes a can holder, a heating coil disposed around the can holder, and a temperature measuring unit. A resealable metal beverage can having a thread formed on a neck portion and a cap screwed onto the neck portion is held by the can holder. The can holder holds the metal beverage can in a manner such that the cap of the can inserted thereto is exposed on an axially upper side. The temperature measuring unit measures a surface temperature of the cap of the metal beverage can held in the can holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: DAIWA CAN COMPANY
    Inventors: Taichi Ijuin, Tetsuya Takatomi, Norihiko Ozaku, Osamu Yoshida
  • Contact tip assembly for a welding torch
    Patent number: 9669486
    Abstract: A securement member for securing a contact tip to a welding torch assembly is provided. A channel extends axially therethrough and has an internal shoulder that extends into this channel. This internal shoulder abuts against a shoulder on the contact tip, capturing the contact tip between the shoulder and a seating surface on the diffuser and securing the contact tip in the torch assembly. The contact tip is securely seated without threading engagement, facilitating quick release and installation. The exemplary securement member couples to the diffuser such that the egress of fluid from the diffuser is blocked when used for gasless welding. This blocking allows a user to leave the diffuser secured to the welding torch when a gasless electrode is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Matthew R. Dingeldein
  • Impact-absorbing pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet and method of producing the same
    Patent number: 9657198
    Abstract: An impact-absorbing pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an impact-absorbing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer including an impact-absorbing layer. A side surface of the impact-absorbing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer includes a tapered surface; and the tapered surface has a taper angle of 65° or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonori Noguchi, Atsushi Hino, Kanji Nishida, Kazuo Kitada, Takaichi Amano
  • Systems and methods providing low current regulation for AC arc welding processes
    Patent number: 9656340
    Abstract: Systems and methods providing low current regulation for AC arc welding processes to regulate arc welding performance. In arc welding power source embodiments, configurations of bridge and arc regulation circuits allow for the directional switching of the welding output current through the welding output circuit path and induce a voltage between the electrode and the workpiece of the welding output circuit path that is sufficient to re-ignite the arc during polarity transition of the output current. The arc regulation circuit provides a high inductance level for storing energy, in both polarities, which induces the voltage level for re-igniting the arc during the zero crossing of the output current and provides low end stabilization of arc current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: LINCOLN GLOBAL, INC.
    Inventors: George B. Koprivnak, Robert L. Dodge
  • Controlling build chamber temperature
    Patent number: 9656427
    Abstract: A build chamber of a three-dimensional printer uses directed heat to preheat a region within the chamber where a build will be initiated, and then uses circulating, heated air to maintain a target temperature for the entire build volume after the build is initiated. A fixed heating element and blower may advantageously be used for both heating steps, and preheating may be accomplished more quickly by initially directing heat at the locus of build initiation rather than diffusing heat throughout an entire build volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC
    Inventor: James Griszbacher
  • Radio frequency identification controlled heatable objects
    Patent number: 9648975
    Abstract: A temperature controlled heatable object is provided in which a temperature sensor is connected to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is located within the handle of the object, and the temperature sensor is placed in contact with the object. In a first embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is partially imbedded within the object via a notch located in the side of the object. In a second embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is imbedded within a tunnel drilled within the base of the object. In a third embodiment, a temperature sensor is imbedded between the bottom of the object and a slab attached to the bottom of the object. The sensor can be located in a slot formed in either the slab or the bottom or the object. Handles and receivers for mounting the handles to the temperature controllable objects are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: IMURA INTERNATIONAL USA, INC.
    Inventor: Mamoru Imura
  • Infusion device for making beverages using cartridges
    Patent number: 9635973
    Abstract: An infusion device for making beverages using cartridges, such as capsules or pods, comprises an openable infusion unit (3) comprising at least one part (4) able to move between a home position and an operating position, a first standby zone (8) for a cartridge (2) being formed when the mobile part (4) is in the home position, first retaining means for a cartridge (2) in the first standby zone (8), a motor (13) for moving the mobile part (4), means for expelling the cartridge (2) from the unit (3), and at least one device (1) operation check and control unit (35); there are also second retaining means (36) positioned between a cartridge insertion section (34) and the first standby zone (8), to selectively retain a cartridge (2) at a second standby zone (37), the check and control unit (35) being programmed to cause the dispensing of two beverages, one after another, using two cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: CAFFITALY SYSTEM S.P.A.
    Inventor: Roberto Degli Esposti Venturi