Patents Examined by Galen H Hauth
  • Patent number: 11478960
    Abstract: A method produces a vehicle replacement part for a first vehicle component of a connecting system, which is fixed to a second vehicle component via a detachable clip connection. The first vehicle component has a male fixing element, and the second vehicle component has a female fixing element. To connect the first vehicle component to the second vehicle component, the male fixing element is plugged into the female fixing element and is latched. The production method of the vehicle replacement part provides an unfinished part, which is dimensioned to produce the vehicle replacement part. Then, the unfinished part is reshaped in accordance with the geometry of the first vehicle component. Male fixing elements are then provided and, in the last step, the male fixing elements are joined to the reshaped unfinished part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Friedrich, Dominik Rietzel, Bernhard Schmid
  • Patent number: 11472085
    Abstract: Gas-permeable barrier films include a polyolefin and an inorganic filler dispersed in the polyolefin. Methods for forming polymeric films and articles of manufacture prepared therefrom are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Vadim G. Zaikov, Jeffrey A. Middlesworth, Bradley Sonnentag, Brooke D. Kitzmiller
  • Patent number: 11465323
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a method for producing a multilayer film, the method including: (A) a step for continuously coextruding from a T die (3) a molten film (4) of a multilayer film in which a first acrylic resin layer (?1), an aromatic polycarbonate resin layer (?), and a second acrylic resin layer (?2) are directly laminated in the stated order using a coextrusion apparatus; (B) a step for feeding and pressing the molten film of the multilayer film between a first mirror surface body (5) that rotates or revolves and a second mirror surface body (6) that rotates or revolves so that the first acrylic resin layer (?1) is disposed on the first-mirror-surface-body side; and (C) a step for holding the pressed multilayer film against the first mirror surface body and sends the pressed multilayer film to the subsequent third mirror surface body (8) that rotates or revolves, where TR1 (surface temperature of first mirror surface body), TR2 (surface temperature of second mirror surface body), T?1 (glass transition temp
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventors: Hideaki Yambe, Kohei Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11458665
    Abstract: A single-screw extruder for changing a morphology of a superabsorbent polymer, specifically a polymer gel. The single-screw extruder has an input aperture, a channel, a screw and an output aperture. The screw has a pitch value of a pitch of the screw flights along the conveying zone of the channel, where the channel has a mixing-element arrangement with at least one mixing element which protrudes into the channel of the single-screw extruder and which is configured for the mixing of the SAP polymer gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Monica Haag, Stephan Deuerlein, Holger Barthel, Volker Klock, Roland Krauss
  • Patent number: 11453151
    Abstract: A device for electromagnetic forming of components having a cavity may include: a core extending along a central axis and configured to be fitted into the cavity to carry out a forming operation on a component; wherein the core may be configured to be pulled out of the cavity after the forming operation, wherein the core may include a plurality of segments in parallel arrangement, wherein the segments may be made of non-conductive material, and wherein the segments may be configured to alternate between a machining configuration, in which the segments are locked together to prepare the core for a machining operation, and an extraction configuration, in which the segments mutually slide to reduce a diameter of the core and to remove the core from the cavity; and drive means for moving the segments, wherein the drive means is configured to alternate the segments between the machining and extraction configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: GUALA CLOSURES S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Giovannini, Luca Viale
  • Patent number: 11446850
    Abstract: A method for injection molding of plastic materials into a cavity of a mold by means of a molding apparatus including at least one injector having a pin valve displaceable between a fully closed position and a maximum opening position, and vice versa, in a controlled fashion in respect of its position and speed. In the opening displacement from the fully closed position to the maximum opening position, the pin valve is initially moved at a first speed and subsequently at a second speed, where the first speed is the highest opening displacement speed of the pin valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventors: Andrea Zigante, Claudio Dall'acqua
  • Patent number: 11447893
    Abstract: This disclosure describes meltblown methods, assemblies, and systems for polymer production. In one such implementation, a meltblown system provides improved uniform output and reduction of fiber size given certain polymer material and production rate. In certain meltblown implementations, the equipment may be ready and quickly swapped while provided in hot standby mode such that the maintenance down time is minimized. The disclosed meltblown equipment may include a polymer beam and air chamber and a die tip assembly. The die tip assembly, in certain embodiments, may quickly be attached onto or removed from the polymer beam and air chamber. In preferred embodiments, the meltblown system includes a single input (e.g., a specific type of polymer material). The meltblown system includes some tapered structures that facilitate polymer flow. The assembly mechanisms used in the meltblown system enables cleaning of the polymer distribution components with each use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Extrusion Group, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Charles Cook, Kurtis Lee Brown, Micheal Troy Houston
  • Patent number: 11440239
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for reducing bowing effects on a substrate while the substrate is being transported, for example in an elevator mechanism, from a first travel path to a second travel path, where the first travel path is offset from the second travel path so that the first travel path is not collinear with the second travel path. The substrate can be any substrate that is bowed and for which one wishes to eliminate or reduce the bow. One specific substrate that can benefit from the techniques described herein are personalized documents such as plastic cards including but not limited to financial (e.g. credit and debit) cards, drivers' licenses, national identification cards, gift cards, loyalty cards, employee badges, and other plastic cards which bear personalized data unique to the card holder and/or which bear other card or document information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Entrust Corporation
    Inventors: Milo B. Squires, Benjamin H. Sannel, Jon Wawra
  • Patent number: 11420373
    Abstract: The invention relates to a preform device for positioning extruded rubber mixtures, characterized in that the preform device consists of an inlet module (2) and an outlet module (3), wherein both the inlet module (2) and the outlet module (3) each have a base surface (11, 12) and a contact face (19, 21) opposite the base surface (11, 12, 13), and wherein the surface of the contact face (19, 21) of the inlet module (2) is smaller than the surface of the base surface (11, 12) of the inlet module (2). The invention also relates to an extruder mold system for molding extruded rubber mixtures into a complete rubber element (40), having the preform device and at least one final forming device, and to a corresponding extruder system (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Wichmann, Thomas Reinhardt, Stephan Disselhoff
  • Patent number: 11420362
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to automating removal of an untrimmed shell from a mold. In one embodiment, a shell removal device includes a body and a platform disposed within the body. The platform is configured to secure a mold that has an untrimmed shell formed over the mold. The shell removal device further includes a cover configured to secure the untrimmed shell to an upper surface of one or more sidewalls of the body and provide a seal between a lower surface of the untrimmed shell and the upper surface of the one or more sidewalls of the body. The shell removal device may include a media inlet in the body to permit pressurized media into the interior of the body to cause a pressure differential between an upper surface of the untrimmed shell and the lower surface of the untrimmed shell to cause the untrimmed shell to release from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehdi Mojdeh, Shiva P. Sambu, Dennis McNamara
  • Patent number: 11413831
    Abstract: Tool arrangement for compacting a composite preform assembly comprising a support structure preform and an array of component preforms each extending from the support structure preform and spaced apart along the support structure preform. The tool arrangement comprises a support tool defining a lay-up surface for laying up the support structure preform; a plurality of component moulds, each component mould comprising a pair of blocks configured to cooperate with one another to receive and compact a respective component preform extending from the support structure therebetween, each block having a compaction surface for engaging the component preform and a driving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Inventors: Robert C. Backhouse, Christopher D. Jones
  • Patent number: 11407565
    Abstract: A method of forming an undercut which is engageable with an edge, on a side wall of a cover intermediate body using a cover intermediate body and a secondary processing die. In the secondary processing die, a moving inner core has, on the outer surface thereof, a concave shape corresponding to a convex shape of the inner surface of the undercut. The moving inner core is made up of a plurality of core segments which are arranged along the circumferential direction. Each core segment is vertically movable along an inclined surface of a core. When the moving inner core is moved upward, the moving inner core transforms smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall of a cover. The slide core has, on the inner surface thereof, a convex shape corresponding to the concave shape of the undercut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mita, Michihisa Yamazaki, Ryoichi Takita
  • Patent number: 11389740
    Abstract: A toy system includes: a toy body including an interface; an extrusion tube including a sidewall that defines an open interior region, the sidewall extends from a first end to a second end, at least one of the first end and the second end is configured to attach to the interface, and the sidewall defines extrusion features that pass through the sidewall; and a plunger configured to move in the interior region and to force a moldable material in the interior region through the extrusion features to form an extruded moldable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Bang Zoom Design, Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Casino, Michael G. Hoeting
  • Patent number: 11390062
    Abstract: A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes: providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, irradiating the build region with light through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid, and advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer. The irradiating step includes projecting focused light at the build region, and the advancing step is carried out at a rate that is dependent on an average light intensity of the focused light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. DeSimone, Alexander Ermoshkin, Edward T. Samulski, Jason P. Rolland
  • Patent number: 11383418
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing the so-called “bladders”, that is generally tubular elements made of rubber, which can be inflated and used as compacting tools in the processed for curing composites, allowing to distribute homogeneously, on the surface in contact to the portion to be cured, the pressure obtained by inletting air or other gas inside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: AVIOREC S.R.L.
    Inventor: Jacopo Recchia
  • Patent number: 11376779
    Abstract: An extruder screw for the plasticizing of at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture, with a melting zone, a wave zone and a mixing zone arranged between the melting zone and the wave zone, wherein a conveying web extending in a helix-like manner along a screw longitudinal axis is formed in the melting zone and in the wave zone, wherein a conveying web of the melting zone terminates at an end of the melting zone facing the mixing zone, and a conveying web of the wave zone begins at an end facing the mixing zone. The application also relates to an extrusion device with this extruder screw, and a method for plasticizing at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KRAUSSMAFFEI EXTRUSION GMBH
    Inventors: Otto Skrabala, Stephan Roider
  • Patent number: 11370582
    Abstract: A method of forming an undercut which is engageable with an edge, on a side wall of a cover intermediate body using a cover intermediate body and a secondary processing die. In the secondary processing die, a moving inner core has, on the outer surface thereof, a concave shape corresponding to a convex shape of the inner surface of the undercut. The moving inner core is made up of a plurality of core segments which are arranged along the circumferential direction. Each core segment is vertically movable along an inclined surface of a core. When the moving inner core is moved upward, the moving inner core transforms smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall of a cover. The slide core has, on the inner surface thereof, a convex shape corresponding to the concave shape of the undercut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mita, Michihisa Yamazaki, Ryoichi Takita
  • Patent number: 11364667
    Abstract: An installation for producing a profiled band based on several mixtures of elastomers of a different composition by means of coextrusion. The installation includes at least two extruders for supplying a mixture of elastomers to an extrusion head. The extrusion head comprises an assembly of at least two plates which are arranged side by side. Each plate having at least one cavity which enables the mixture from an extruder to be chaneled towards an outlet hole. The plates are arranged substantially transversely relative to the output direction of the mixture flows of the extruders in order to produce a discharge at approximately 90° of the mixture flow at the outlet of the screw of each extruder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Christophe Ougier, Arnaud Letocart
  • Patent number: 11369050
    Abstract: Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites and methods of producing the same are described. Carbon nanostructure (CNS) fillers including cross-linked carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a polymeric encapsulation material are provided, where the carbon nanotubes are encapsulated by the polymeric encapsulation material. The CNS fillers are treated to remove at least a portion of the polymeric encapsulation material. After removing the polymeric encapsulation material, the CNS fillers are mixed with a curable matrix material to obtain EMI shielding composites. In some cases, the removal of the polymeric encapsulation material results in diminished dielectric polarization characteristics for the composites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: Dipankar Ghosh
  • Patent number: 11345064
    Abstract: A method for removing a hollow support element (17) from within a moulded part (15) to form a cavity (25) within the moulded part, the hollow support element being disposed within the moulded part and composed of material having a softening temperature, the method comprising: heating a liquid (20) to a temperature at least equal to the softening temperature of the material; injecting the heated liquid into an opening (24) in the moulded part to deform the material; and removing deformed material and liquid from the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: McLaren Automotive Limited, The University of Sheffield
    Inventors: Claudio Santoni, Elaine Arnold, Timothy Swait, Mark Laycock