Patents Examined by Daniel J. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 6605251
    Abstract: This invention relates to a lubricant for metallurgical powder compositions. According to the invention, the lubricant contains a polyolefine-based polymer, which has a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 500-10000. The invention further concerns a metal-powder composition containing the lubricant, method for making sintered products by using the lubricant, and use of the same in cold and warm compaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Höganäs AB
    Inventor: Hilmar Vidarsson
  • Patent number: 6602545
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for directly making rapid prototype tooling from a computer model having a free-form shape. The method steps comprise essentially: (a) machining a soft metal tooling base so as to contour at least one free-form surface in conformity with the computer model; (b) cold-gas dynamic spraying the contoured surface to form superimposed impact welded metal particle layers, the layers consisting of at least one thermal management under-layer comprising primarily copper, and at least an outer wear resistant layer comprising primarily tool steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Furqan Z Shaikh, Howard Douglas Blair, Tsung-Yu Pan
  • Patent number: 6599372
    Abstract: A soldering flux includes a resin in an aqueous composition. The flux can also include an activating agent and a surface-active agent that promotes surface wetting. The flux can be used to coat circuits and a printed circuit board. The resin can be non-acidic and/or in an emulsified form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Fry's Metals, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanyogita Arora, Alvin F. Schneider, Karen A. Tellefsen
  • Patent number: 6599467
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for forging a titanium-based material comprises the steps of: preparing a titanium-based sintered workpiece including at least one of ceramics particles and pores in a total amount of 1% or more by volume, the ceramics particles being thermodynamically stable in a titanium alloy; and heating the workpiece to a forging temperature and forging the same. In the production process, the pores or the ceramics particles inhibit the grain growth during forging. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out the forging at a relatively high temperature at which the titanium-based material exhibits a small resistance to deformation. Moreover, the titanium-based material can maintain an appropriate microstructure even after the forging. Consequently, the impact value and the fatigue strength are inhibited from decreasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Yamaguchi, Akio Hotta, Yoshinori Shibata, Tadahiko Furuta, Takashi Saito, Satoru Iwase, Takashi Haruta, Tatsuya Kitamura
  • Patent number: 6599465
    Abstract: According to the inventive method for producing a composite part (4), a support body (1) is produced from a powder with a ferrous alloy base using powder metallurgy. A magnet body (2) which is based on an alloy that is rich in rare earths is applied to the support body (1) and both are then sintered in a furnace (1), whereby a solid joint is formed between the support body (1) and the magnet body (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Vacuumschemlze GmbH
    Inventors: Georg-Werner Reppel, Volker Zellmann
  • Patent number: 6599466
    Abstract: Lightweight metal matrix composites containing a skeleton structure of titanium, titanium aluminide, or Ti-based alloy are manufactured by low temperature infiltration with molten Mg-based alloy or Mg—Al alloy at 450-750° C., with molten In, Pb, or Sn at 300-450° C., or with molten Ag and Cu at 900-1100° C. The skeleton structure with a density of 25-35% is produced by loose sintering of Ti or Ti-based alloy powders. A primary deformation of the Ti skeleton structure before the infiltration is carried out by cold or hot rolling or forging to obtain a porous flat or shaped preform with a porosity <50% and pores drawn out in one direction such as the direction of future rolling of the composite plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: ADMA Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir S. Moxson, Eugene Ivanov
  • Patent number: 6596224
    Abstract: A powder bed (32) is built up by repeated deposition of a slurry that contains powder. Layers are made by depositing a liquid dispersion of the desired powdered material, which then slip-casts into the forming powder bed to make a new layer (34). The slurry may be deposited in any suitable manner, such as by raster or vector scanning, or by a plurality of simultaneous jets that coalesce before the liquid slip-casts into the bed, or by individual drops, the deposits of which are individually controlled, thereby generating a regular surface for each layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Emanuel M. Sachs, Michael J. Cima, Michael A. Caradonna, Jason Grau, James G. Serdy, Patrick C. Saxton, Scott A. Uhland, Jooho Moon
  • Patent number: 6596094
    Abstract: A solder paste, includes a flux, a solder alloy particle scattered or mixed in the flux and including Sn and Zn as composition elements, and a metal particle scattered or mixed in the flux and including an element in the IB group in the periodic table as a composition element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masayuki Ochiai, Yasuo Yamagishi, Hiroki Uchida, Masayuki Kitajima, Masakazu Takesue, Tadaaki Shono
  • Patent number: 6596225
    Abstract: Prosthetic joints, components for prosthetic joints, superhard bearing and articulation surfaces, diamond bearing and articulation surfaces, substrate surface topographical features, materials for making joints, bearing and articulation surfaces, and methods for manufacturing and finishing the same, and related information are disclosed, including methods for manufacturing a diamond prosthetic joint component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Diamicron, Inc.
    Inventors: Bill J. Pope, Jeffrey K. Taylor, Richard H. Dixon, Clayton F. Gardinier, Louis M. Pope, Dean C. Blackburn, Michael A. Vail, Kenneth M. Jensen
  • Patent number: 6596435
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemically active material comprising particles of spinel lithium manganese oxide having on the surface of each particle cationic metal species bound to the spinel at anionic sites of the particle surface; where the cationic metal species includes a metal selected from the group consisting of transition metals, non-transition metals having a +3 valence state, and mixtures thereof. The active material is characterized by a reduced surface area and increased capacity expressed in milliamp hour per gram as compared to the spinel alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Valence Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tracy E. Kelley, Porter H. Mitchell, Chariclea A. Scordilis-Kelley
  • Patent number: 6592807
    Abstract: A method of making a tire mold segment with a porous metal tread surface for a tire mold wherein an annular segmental tire model of refractory material is formed with tire model segments which are used to shape and form each tire mold segment from powdered metal by applying heat and pressure to sinter the powdered metal as it is shaped by the tire model segment. Blades may be mounted in the tire model segments for transfer to the tire mold segments for molding slits a tire tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
    Inventors: James Robert Tuttle, Thomas John Rood
  • Patent number: 6592809
    Abstract: A method for producing a fully dense powder metal helical gear including placing powder metal in a preform die wherein it can be compacted axially by punches to create a gear preform having various gear profiles such as a helical profile, sintering the preform, and inserting the sintered preform into a hot forming die wherein it is impacted axially by punches to fully densify the gear preform. The densified gear can be inserted in a burnishing die where a more precise gear profile can be imparted resulting in more precise dimensions. Finishing treatments, such as rolling, shaving, heat treating, machining to length and inner diameter sizing can be subsequently performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Keystone Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Anderson, Jerome E. Muroski
  • Patent number: 6589310
    Abstract: The thermal conductivity, thermal conductivity, of a sintered copper/refractory metal composite having a maximum porosity of about 1% is greatly improved when the composite contains phosphorus and sintering aid in a specified weight ratio, “phosphorus/sintering aid ratio.” The copper/refractory matrix composite herein comprises, by weight, from about 5% to about 30% copper, from about 0.2% to about 0.6% sintering aid, from about 0.08% to about 0.3% phosphorus, the remaining metal is refractory metal. The phosphorus to sintering aid ratio ranges from about 0.25 to about 0.55. In one embodiment of the invention the sintering aid contains cobalt and the refractory metal is tungsten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Brush Wellman Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Opoku-Adusei, David E. Jech, Juan L. Sepulveda
  • Patent number: 6583379
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process chamber for the selective laser fusion of material powder for the production of moulded parts. The process chamber consists of a closed chamber (1) having a bottom area, side walls and a cover area (6), a reservoir volume (3) and a production volume (2) in said bottom area, and first inlet and outlet openings (7, 9) for a protective gas. In the cover area (6), above the production volume (2), a raised region is provided with side areas, in which a beam injection window (10) is disposed that is transparent to laser radiation to be coupled in. Second inlet openings (13) are provided for a further gas in the side areas of the raised region. With the inventive design of the process chamber it is possible to protect the beam injection window (10) efficiently from being soiled by gaseous components rising from the zone of interaction, without impairment of the efficiency in guiding the protective gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Meiners, Konrad Wissenbach, Andres Gasser
  • Patent number: 6582493
    Abstract: A method for recycling thoriated tungsten objects such as thoriated tungsten scrap resulting from the fabrication of electrodes for lamps. The thoriated tungsten objects are oxidized, homogenized by mixing and chemically reduced under a hydrogen gas atmosphere to form thoriated tungsten. This method eliminates the need to separate the tungsten from its dopants. The thoriated tungsten obtained as the end product is returned to the production process and is preferably used as a raw material for the production of welding electrodes or thoriated tungsten discharge lamp electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventor: Dieter Meiss
  • Patent number: 6582651
    Abstract: A process for forming a shaped metallic article, including the steps of combining the starting materials, forming the starting materials into a shape to produce a nonmetallic metal precuror article of a certain geometry, and converting the nonmetallic article to a metallic article by reduction or decomposition, while substantially retaining the geometry of the nonmetallic article. The forming step in which the starting materials are fabricated into a shape can include extrusion, dry pressing, or slurry casting. Further, another embodiment is a metallic article produced by converting a nonmetallic article with a certain geometry, including a plurality of open-ended channels, substantially to the same geometry as the nonmetallic article from which it was converted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Geogia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Joe Kennedy Cochran, Jr., Kon Juin Lee, Thomas H. Sanders, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6579623
    Abstract: To provide a composite material member for semiconductor device, an insulated semiconductor device and non-insulated semiconductor device using the composite material member, which are effective for obtaining a semiconductor device that alleviates thermal stress or thermal strain occurring during production or operation, has no possibilities of deformation, degeneration and rupture of each member, and is highly reliably and inexpensive. The composite material member for semiconductor device is characterized by being a composite metal plate with particles composed of cuprous oxide dispersed in a copper matrix, in which a surface of the composite metal plate is covered with a metal layer, and a copper layer with thickness of 0.5 &mgr;m or larger exists in an interface formed by the composite metal plate and the metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutoshi Kurihara, Yasuo Kondo, Takumi Ueno, Toshiaki Morita, Kenji Koyama, Takashi Suzumura, Kazuhiko Nakagawa, Kunihiro Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6579493
    Abstract: A process for the removal of binder material from powder injected molded parts that employs a low pressure plasma reactor to generate reactive species which react with the binder material in the injected molded part is presented. The reactive species cause the binder material to break down into smaller molecules and thereby be removed from the injected molded part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: LupaTech S.A.
    Inventors: Aloisio Nelmo Klein, Joel Louiz R. Muzart, Antonio Rogerio Souza, Marcio Celso Fredel, Paulo Antonio Pereira Wendhausen, Maribondo do Nascimento Rubens
  • Patent number: 6576038
    Abstract: A method to agglomerate metal particles such as tantalum and niobium powders is described which includes combining a volatilizable or vaporizable liquid with the particles to form wet particles; compacting the wet particles; drying the compacted wet particles to form a cake; and heat treating the cake to form the agglomerated particles. Also described are agglomerated particles obtained by this method and further, particles, preferably tantalum or niobium powder, having a flow rate of at least about 65 mg/sec and/or an improved pore size distribution, and/or a higher Scott Density. Capacitors made from tantalum powder and niobium powder are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventor: Bhamidipaty K. D. P. Rao
  • Patent number: 6572814
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor wafer support chuck apparatus having a first sintered layer and a second sintered layer. The method comprising the steps of providing the first sintered layer having a plurality of gas distribution ports and providing the second sintered layer having a plurality of grooves. The first sintered layer is stacked on top of the second sintered layer, where a diffusion bonding layer is disposed between the first sintered layer and the second sintered layer. Thereafter, the stacked first and second sintered layers are resintered such that the diffusion bonding layer joins the first and second sintered layers together to form a semiconductor wafer support apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Shamouil Shamoulian, Arnold Kholodenko, Senh Thach, Wing Cheng