Patents Examined by Christopher A. Fiorilla
  • Patent number: 6838120
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing carbon/silicon-carbide composite by a ‘One-shot’ process including carbonization, heat processing, infiltration, and forming an anti-oxidation layer on surface is provided through the steps of: 1) hardening a stacked carbon/phenolic preform; 2) carbonization and heat processing the preform until the temperature reaches at 2300° C.; 3) infiltrating and sintering the liquid metal silicon within the temperature of 1400˜1800° C.; and 4) inducting a compound including SiO2to gas phase and heat processing it while forming an anti-oxidation layer on the surface within temperature range of 2000° C.˜2700° C. (desirably, in the range of higher than 2300° C., and more desirably, at the temperature near 2500° C.). Herein, the carbonization, heat processing, and ultra-high heat processing might be performed at the same time in the step 2) and the step 4) might not be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Agency for Defense Development
    Inventors: Yun Chul Kim, Yong Gu Won, Hyung Sik Lee, Kwang Hyeon Lim, Dong Hyuk Sin
  • Patent number: 6835280
    Abstract: A heat shield for use in a laminator having a laminating roller includes a movable shield member. The heat shield has a retracted position in which a laminating side of the laminating roller is exposed. Additionally, the heat shield has a shielding position in which the shield member covers the laminating side of the laminating roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Fargo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent D. Lien, Ted M. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6824727
    Abstract: A SiAlON-based ceramic particularly suited for use as a cutting tool in the high speed chip forming machining of metals composed of a SiAlON matrix including a) a phase of alpha′ SiAlON represented by the general formula of Mx (Si,Al)12(O,N)16, wherein 0<x<2 and M is at least two cationic elements, a first cationic element being 0.2 to 4 weight percent Mg and optionally between 0.5 and 15 weight percent of one or more of Ca, Sr, and Ba calculated as oxide, based on the SiAlON matrix, and a second cationic element being one or more of Y, Sc, La and the rare earth (RE) elements; b) a phase consisting of beta′ SiAlON represented by the general formula Si6−zAl2OzN8−z wherein 0<z<4.2; and c) a component containing glass, and at least one additional intergranular crystal phase that is detectable using X-ray diffraction techniques is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Indexable Cutting Tools of Canada Limited
    Inventors: Robert Donald Roy, David Allan
  • Patent number: 6824713
    Abstract: Thermistor elements composed mainly of a metal oxide sintered body are prepared by mixing a metal oxide precursor in a liquid phase to prepare a solution or slurry of the precursor. The precursor solution or slurry is sprayed to form droplet particles which are heat treated to form a thermistor raw material powder which powder is then molded and sintered into a shape to provide a metal oxide sintered body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Kuzuoka, Itsuhei Ogata, Daisuke Makino, Muneo Yorinaga
  • Patent number: 6824616
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a processing method for processing a substrate, and comprises a step of coating a coating solution on a surface of the substrate while relatively moving a coating solution discharge nozzle and the substrate and discharging the coating solution from the nozzle onto the substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is exposed to a solvent atmosphere of the coating solution or the pressure is temporarily applied thereto in a container. Thereafter, the pressure inside the container in which the substrate is housed is reduced to dry the coating solution on the substrate. According to the present invention, it is possible to narrow the so-called edge cutting width, which is at a periphery part of the substrate and is not commercialized, and to maintain an in-plane uniformity of the coating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro Kitano, Shinichi Sugimoto, Shinji Kobayashi, Naoya Hirakawa, Akira Fukutomi, Nobukazu Ishizaka
  • Patent number: 6824628
    Abstract: A compliant marking tool for attachment to a fiber placement machine that is capable of marking detail locations on a work piece positioned on the fiber placement machine. The marking tool has a flexible member that is configured and adapted to bow and twist in response to the marking tool contacting the work piece. A holder is pivotably connected to the flexible member. A marking member is positioned in the holder and is capable of moving within the holder. The flexing of the flexible member along with the pivoting of the holder and the movement of the marking member allow the marking tool to follow the contours of the work piece and mark detail locations without damaging or at least minimizing the potential of damaging the work piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Donald A. Anderson, Brice A. Johnson, James B. Andersen
  • Patent number: 6821474
    Abstract: The invention allows the fabrication of small, dense beads of dielectric materials with selected compositions, which are incorporated into a polymeric matrix for use in capacitors, filters, and the like. A porous, generally spherical bead of hydrous metal oxide containing titanium or zirconium is made by a sol-gel process to form a substantially rigid bead having a generally fine crystallite size and correspondingly finely distributed internal porosity. The resulting gel bead may be washed and hydrothermally reacted with a soluble alkaline earth salt (typically Ba or Sr) at elevated temperature and pressure to convert the bead into a mixed hydrous titanium- or zirconium-alkaline earth oxide while retaining the generally spherical shape. Alternatively, the gel bead may be made by coprecipitation. This mixed oxide bead is then washed, dried and calcined to produce the desired (BaTiO3, PbTiO3, SrZrO3) structure. The sintered beads are incorporated into a selected polymer matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Lauf, Kimberly K. Anderson, Frederick C. Montgomery, Jack L. Collins, John J. Felten
  • Patent number: 6817398
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-held device for applying a film from a backing tape onto a substrate. The device has a housing in which a supply of the backing tape and a take-up device for the backing tape are arranged, and an application member which projects from the housing. The application member has an application gib and is pivotably connected to an application base supported at the housing about a swivelling axis extending transversely to the projecting application gib. The application member has two lateral support legs arranged at a distance from the application edge and defining an abutment plane with the application edge which abuts on the substrate in the mode of operation of the hand-held device. In order to enhance the bearing characteristics of the application member, the joint is provided in the projection onto the abutment plane between the support legs and the application edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Societe Bic
    Inventors: Winfried Huthmacher, Roland Schneider
  • Patent number: 6814808
    Abstract: A quartz carrier having spaced, parallel grooved rods for holding a batch of semi-conductor wafers edgewise in upstanding, spaced, parallel relation is formed with a pair of flat end plates supporting the ends of the rods. The ends of the end plates extend laterally outwardly of the rods and support a pair of inverted “U”-shaped carrier support members extending along the length of the carrier. A tool having an carrier engaging rod mounted to a handle allows the user to insert the carrier engaging rod into one of the carrier support members to support the weight of the carrier. A rod mounted to the handle extends beyond the length of the wafer supporting grooved rods and engages the ends of the end plates to limit the rotation of the carrier about the carrier support member, enabling the user to raise and manipulate the carrier by means of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Sci-Tech Glassblowing, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn A. Gados, Matthew Coe
  • Patent number: 6814903
    Abstract: A method for producing high-alumina bodies with superior chemical properties at reduced sintering temperatures, including the steps of providing an alumina powder precursor, adding about 4 weight percent magnesia powder precursor, homogenizing the resultant green powder precursor, pressing a green body from the green powder precursor, removing residual moisture and organic material from the green body, and firing the green body to about cone 13, wherein the resulting high-alumina body is substantially non-vitreous, has a substantially uniformly sized grain structure, is very resistant to dissolution in molten aluminum, and has superior resistance to chemical attack over substantially the entire pH range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Inventor: Gerard E. Parker
  • Patent number: 6811741
    Abstract: A method to make thick or thin films a very low cost. The method is generally similar to the conventional tape casting techniques while being more flexible and versatile. The invention involves preparing a slip (solution) of desired material and including solvents such as ethanol and an appropriate dispersant to prevent agglomeration. The slip is then sprayed on a substrate to be coated using an atomizer which spreads the slip in a fine mist. Upon hitting the substrate, the solvent evaporates, leaving a green tape containing the powder and other additives, whereafter the tape may be punctured, cut, and heated for the desired application. The tape thickness can vary from about 1 &mgr;m upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Robert S. Glass
  • Patent number: 6811737
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing ceramic bodies having a construction such that cells are alternately sealed at one but not both end surfaces of a ceramic honeycomb structural body by filling a sealing slurry into predetermined cells at both end surfaces of a ceramic honeycomb formed body and sintering the ceramic honeycomb formed body, is performed by: forming a mask for respective ceramic honeycomb formed bodies by arranging a sheet on an end surface of the ceramic honeycomb formed body and piercing holes in the sheet at positions corresponding to the predetermined cells; immersing an end portion of the ceramic honeycomb formed body to which the mask is arranged into the sealing slurry; and filling the sealing slurry into the cells through the holes pierced in the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Fukuta, Akio Enomoto, Eiji Ito
  • Patent number: 6808656
    Abstract: A nuclear fuel sintered body is produced from a powder which contains at least one fissile heavy metal oxide. During the further treatment of the powder over the course of the process preceding the sintering operation, a dopant that contains at least 100 ppm of an iron oxide compound is added to the powder. The powder is a UO2-containing powder obtained from a dry-chemical conversion process, and if appropriate, a powder which contains further fissile heavy metal oxide (U3O8, PuO2, inter alia). As a result, the sintered body is provided with high plasticity combined, at the same time, with a large grain size. This advantageously reduces an interaction between the nuclear fuel sintered body and a fuel rod cladding tube during an operation of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Gradel, Wolfgang Dörr
  • Patent number: 6808577
    Abstract: A process for producing a monolithic ceramic electronic component, which includes: providing a ceramic slurry, a conductive paste and a ceramic paste; forming a plurality of composite structures each comprising a ceramic green sheet produced by shaping the ceramic slurry, internal circuit element films formed by applying the conductive paste partially onto a main surface of the ceramic green sheet so as to provide step-like sections, and a ceramic green layer which compensates for spaces defined by the step-like sections, the ceramic green layer being formed by applying the ceramic paste onto the region on the main surface of the sheet on which the element films are not formed so as to substantially compensate for the spaces; forming a green laminate by laminating the composite structures; and firing the green laminate. A monolithic ceramic electronic component which is produced through the process; a ceramic paste; and a production process for the paste are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Miyazaki, Satoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6808663
    Abstract: There is a method of manufacturing a ceramic structure in which a ceramics raw material, a prefoamed resin foam, and a forming aid if needed are mixed together to prepare a mixture, then the mixture is formed into a formed body, and subsequently the formed body is fired to obtain a porous ceramic structure. According to the manufacturing method, a ceramic structure having a high porosity can be obtained, without using a large amount of flammable powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Noguchi, Hideaki Nishi, Hiroyuki Suenobu
  • Patent number: 6808670
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing an inorganic material-based article comprising the steps of (1) forming a sol solution mainly composed of an inorganic component, (2) producing inorganic material-based gel fine fibers by extruding the resulting sol solution from a nozzle, and at the same time, applying an electrical field to the extruded sol solution to thin the extruded sol solution, and then, collecting inorganic material-based gel fine fibers on a support, (3) drying the collected inorganic material-based gel fine fibers to produce inorganic material-based article containing inorganic material-based dried gel fine fibers, and then, (4) sintering the inorganic material-based article containing inorganic material-based dried gel fine fibers to produce inorganic material-based article containing inorganic material-based sintered fine fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Japan Vilene Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Kawabe, Takashi Tarao, Kouji Kimura
  • Patent number: 6808676
    Abstract: A method and device for producing shaped ceramic bodies, particularly ceramic sheets or multilayer hybrids provided with printed circuit traces, switching elements and/or plated-through holes. The shaped ceramic bodies are initially present as green bodies and also contain organic auxiliary agents, for example as a binder. During sintering and/or removal of the binder from the shaped ceramic bodies, they are compressed between porous setter plates in whose pores a catalytically active substance is introduced, so that the gaseous, organic, bake-out products of the green bodies, these products developing during sintering and/or binder removal, are catalytically converted when escaping through the porous setter plates. The setter plates be provided with separating layers that likewise may contain the catalytically active substance. The method should provide a considerable time savings when sintering and/or removing binder from the shaped ceramic bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Eisele
  • Patent number: 6805830
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sensing element is provided, in particular for determining the oxygen content in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, a composite construction having at least one ceramic paste (green film) present in film form being sintered to yield the sensing element, and sharp edges of the sensing element being blunted before sintering to increase the thermal shock resistance of the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Theodor Graser, Olaf Jach, Hans-Jörg Renz, Harald Neumann, Anton Hans
  • Patent number: 6802996
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus capable of extrusion molding a comparatively wide, thin ceramic sheet using a screw extruder while suppressing the wrinkling thereof. The molding apparatus includes a screw-type extruder and a mold at the forward end of the extruder is used to extrusion mold a ceramic sheet from the ceramic material introduced into the extruder by way of the mold. The extrusion molding is carried out while regulating the temperature of the portion of the ceramic material passing through the mold corresponding to each of a plurality of areas (control zones) into which the mold is divided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Tsuruta, Satoru Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6800240
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a ceramic resistor wherein the resisting material of the resistor is a ceramic material prepared by a method comprising the steps of providing four or more types of substance, compound, or composite as starting raw materials, admixing the starting raw materials, forming the resultant mixture, and firing the formed material, characterized in that the admixing step is carried out in a mixing vessel (1) by the use of a first agitating blade (2) as a means for allowing the starting materials to flow over the whole mixing vessel and a second agitating blade (3) as a means for diaggregating the aggregates of the starting materials. The method can be employed for suppressing the variation of resistance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: K-Tech Devices Corp.
    Inventor: Shigeki Takaya