Patents Examined by Hana C Page
  • Patent number: 12370775
    Abstract: A material system may include: an aluminum layer; a glass composite layer adjacent to the first aluminum layer; and a carbon composite layer adjacent to the first glass composite layer, and opposite to the first aluminum layer. A method of manufacturing a material system may include: stacking an aluminum layer, glass composite layer that may include thermoplastic prepreg plies, and carbon composite layer so that the aluminum layer is adjacent to the glass composite layer, and the glass composite layer is adjacent to the carbon composite layer; and consolidating the thermoplastic prepreg plies to soften the aluminum layer. A method of manufacturing a material system may include: stacking an aluminum layer, glass composite layer that comprises thermoplastic resin, and carbon composite layer so that the glass composite layer is between the aluminum and carbon composite layers; and adjusting temperature and pressure to consolidate the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick Bickford Stickler, Alexander Rubin
  • Patent number: 12365120
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing a panel includes a forming assembly having opposing press plates and at least one platen assembly arranged between the opposing press plates. The platen assembly includes first and second platens connected together via at least one elastic deformable member. Further, the forming assembly is operable in a heating mode and a cooling mode. Moreover, the first platen is maintained at a predetermined temperature range during each of the heating and cooling modes. During the heating mode, the elastic deformable member(s) is compressed such that the first and second platens contact each other. As such, one or more layers of material to be consolidated are held by the forming assembly as the forming assembly applies heat and pressure to the layer(s), thereby consolidating the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventors: James Robert Tobin, Andrew McCalip
  • Patent number: 12353135
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a relief carrier using a solidifiable material includes a support structure configured for providing a substantially cylindrical support surface. The support surface may be formed by a substrate intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated or by a cylindrical support not intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated. A container is provided for the solidifiable material, the container having a wall arranged substantially parallel to an axis of the support structure; a moving means to move the support structure relative to the wall such that subsequent areas of the support surface face the wall during the moving. Moving includes at least a rotation around the axis. An irradiating means sends irradiation, through the wall in a predetermined area between the support surface and the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: XSYS Prepress N.V.
    Inventors: Bart Wattyn, Eva Freudenthaler, Martin Kunz
  • Patent number: 12337552
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vacuum apparatus for applying a vacuum to a reinforcement lay-up during in composite manufacture, and a method of use. The vacuum apparatus comprises a vacuum port component (100) having body portion (102) defining a contact surface (104) and an internal cavity. A vacuum port (108) for connection to a vacuum pump is oriented away from the contact surface communicates with the internal cavity. The vacuum port component can be connected to vacuum component (200) body portion also defining a contact surface and an internal cavity (207), and further comprising a plurality of inlet apertures or slots (206) extending therethrough and in communication with the vacuum component internal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Limited
    Inventor: Zacharias Kakaratsios
  • Patent number: 12337501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a formaldehyde-free medium-high-density board capable of meeting deep facing requirements, and a method for manufacturing same. The method includes: wood chipping, screening, cooking and softening, fiber separating, gluing, drying and sorting, paving, pre-pressing, hot pressing, cooling, sanding, and inspection and warehousing, where the gluing is two-step gluing, including: first performing gluing once by using a lignin adhesive, and then performing secondary gluing by using an MDI adhesive after waterproof treatment. According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, by using biomass adhesives and formaldehyde-free adhesives without adding additives such as a curing agent and an anti-mildew agent, formaldehyde pollution is eliminated from the source by using a two-step gluing method, so that production is formaldehyde-free, and the product is formaldehyde-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignees: BEIJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY, POWER DEKOR GROUP CO., LTD., HUNAN FORESTECH NEW MATERIALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Runcang Sun, Tongqi Yuan, Xiaolong Chen, Supeng Wang, Yueying Chen, Xianpeng Zhou
  • Patent number: 12319019
    Abstract: A fiber-reinforced composite material molding apparatus includes a molding die, a bagging film that seals a fiber base material in the molding die to form a hermetically sealed space, an intake line that depressurizes the hermetically sealed space, and a resin injection line that injects a resin material into the fiber base material. The molding die includes a main body portion including a main groove that extends along a longitudinal direction and is connected to the resin injection line, lateral grooves that are formed at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction and extend along a width direction, and a step portion that extends along the longitudinal direction and is disposed between the main groove and the lateral grooves, and a lid portion that extends along the longitudinal direction, is disposed being in contact with the step portion to cover the main groove, and forms a part of a molding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kodai Shimono, Hiroshi Tokutomi
  • Patent number: 12285893
    Abstract: A method for detachably attaching a linking unit, including an end with a hole and a slit, to a mold, the method comprising inserting a first attachment member connected to the mold through the hole; and inserting a second attachment member connected to the mold through the slit, wherein the linking unit is detached from the mold by moving the linking unit in a direction opposite to a direction in which the slit is formed in a state where the first attachment member is disconnected from the mold and the second attachment member remains connected to the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignees: Canon Virginia, Inc., Canon U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi Yanahara, Koki Kodaira, Hideo Matsumoto, Nobunari Shimoe, Hiroyuki Katagiri, Tomoaki Ikeguchi, Junko Tajima, Kenta Inaba
  • Patent number: 12283687
    Abstract: A method for fabricating wide and continuous double-sided lithium metal anodes includes thermally evaporating lithium to form first and second continuous lithium layers on respective first and second continuous polymer substrates, so as to form respective first and second continuous lithium/polymer sheets. The first and second continuous lithium/polymer sheets are laminated onto respective top and bottom surfaces of a continuous metallic substrate, which may be made of copper, with the first and second continuous lithium layers being disposed in direct contact with the respective top and bottom surfaces to form a continuous polymer/lithium/metal/lithium/polymer structure. The first and second continuous polymer substrates are then removed from the continuous polymer/lithium/metal/lithium/polymer structure to provide a continuous lithium/metal/lithium anode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Wai Ping Gloria Tam
  • Patent number: 12240192
    Abstract: Co-molding of non-crimped fabric and sheet molding composition. The pre-preg of non-crimped fabric is dried to achieve suitable stiffness for molding. The pre-preg allows the pre-formed non-crimped fabric feature to retain its shape during molding. A plurality of thorns is provided in the molding tooling to further prevent movement of pre-preg during molding. The method of co-molding includes, drying of the pre-preg to achieve suitable stiffness for molding, pre-forming of the pre-preg, and incorporating a plurality of stand-off features or thorns in the molding tool to prevent movement of pre-preg during co-molding so that predetermined full coverage of non-crimped fabric is maintained in predetermined area(s) of the molded part and the continuous fibers of the non-crimped fabric are not distorted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Magna Exteriors Inc.
    Inventors: Rudolph A. Schrempf, Ranjit Pachha, Matthew Homen, Ian M. Byberg
  • Patent number: 12214540
    Abstract: A method for continuously manufacturing a complex acoustic multi-element panel for an acoustic attenuation structure, the method including supplying a thermoplastic resin film at the entry of a stamping system including at least one pair of complementary cylinders, a heating of the thermoplastic resin film upstream of the entry of the stamping system, and a passage of the thermoplastic resin film between the at least one pair of complementary cylinders, the pair of complementary cylinders including a male cylinder with teeth radially protruding from the cylinder and a female cylinder with cavities on its radial surface, the cavities of the female cylinder being of shapes complementary to the shapes of the teeth of the male cylinder and a separation of the stamped film at the exit of the stamping system using a separator disposed at the exit of the stamping system between the stamped film and the female cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Nicolas Pierre Lanfant, Hugues Laurent Alglave, Patrick Dunleavy
  • Patent number: 12202176
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite component, the method comprising: providing a first mould tool and a second mould tool, the first and second mould tools being configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between them, and the second mould tool having a moulding surface defined by at least two demountable mould bodies; attaching the first mould tool to a press at a first workstation; subsequently, at a second workstation spaced from the first workstation, loading at least part of the second mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation; moving the second mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool; causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and second tools to bring the first and second tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween; and setting in shape the reinforcement material located in the mould ca
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: McLaren Automotive Limited
    Inventor: Claudio Santoni
  • Patent number: 12186954
    Abstract: An injection molding system includes an injection station, a molding device, and a plunger. The injection station includes a platform including an opening and an injector over the platform. The molding device is disposed between the platform and the injector and over the opening, wherein the molding device includes a mold cavity and a clamping unit for clamping the molding device. The plunger under the platform, wherein the plunger includes a base and a rod extendable through the opening toward the molding device and retractable toward the base. An injection molding method includes conveying a molding device to an injection station and disposing the molding device between an injector and a platform; disposing a plunger under the platform; moving the injector towards the molding device; applying a plunging force on the molding device by extending the rod through the opening; and injecting a molding material into a mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: KING STEEL MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Liang-Hui Yeh, Ching-Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 12186974
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Michael L. Fripp, Kejia Yang, Radu Reit, Benjamin Lund, Walter Voit
  • Patent number: 12186852
    Abstract: A stacker for a 3D printer apparatus contains a positioning conveyor and a support plate hinged to drop on a signal, whereupon a push plate will push a printed and powdered sheet downward and onto registration pins, to form a stacked register of such sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Impossible Objects, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Swartz, Michael Sutin
  • Patent number: 12179436
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an additively manufactured component may comprise operating an additive manufacturing machine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having a blind design surface, operating the additive manufacturing machine to form a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein the blind design surface and the removal tool are at least partially enclosed by and in contact with a support material, and translating the removal tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of the support material from the blind design surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence A Binek, David W Morganson
  • Patent number: 12179446
    Abstract: A device for shaping at least one fibrous preform for producing a bladed part of a turbomachine, this device including a mould formed by several parts that are interlocked with each other, this mould defining at least one internal cavity configured to receive the preform and to enclose the preform integrally, this cavity being intended to have two platform areas and a blade area extending between the two platform areas, wherein the mould includes at least a lower shell, an upper shell, a side shell, and end shells, and in that each of the side and end shells includes three elements, respectively lower, intermediate and upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Maxime Marie Desire Blaise, Hubert Jean Marie Fabre, Jeff Pote
  • Patent number: 12180925
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an adaptable pre-cast resin-infused carbon-fiber beam, which method includes the steps of arranging a plurality of elongate carbon-fiber blocks side by side; arranging sheets to enclose the blocks and to extend over opposing faces of adjacent blocks; arranging the sheets to converge as an outwardly projecting elongate bead at a junction between adjacent blocks; and pulling on the elongate bead to inhibit resin flow between blocks during a resin infusion step. Also provided is a pre-cast adaptable carbon-fiber beam manufactured using that method; a method of manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade; and a wind turbine rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Allan Hurup, Mogens Nielsen, Wei Sun
  • Patent number: 12172389
    Abstract: A molding apparatus reduces waviness or deformation of fibers. The molding apparatus includes a fiber feeder (7) that feeds fibers (5) to a lamination area (32) long in a first direction, a resin composition feeder (11) that feeds a resin composition (9) to the lamination area (32), an impregnator (17) that impregnates the fibers (5) fed to the lamination area (32) with the resin composition (9), a curing accelerator (13) that accelerates curing of the resin composition (9) fed to the lamination area (32) while the fibers (5) fed in the lamination area (32) are being tensioned, and a transporter (15) that relatively moves the devices (7, 11, 17, and 13) in the first direction with respect to the lamination area (32). The resin composition (9) contains an epoxy resin (A), a cyanate resin (B), and an aromatic amine curing agent (C) that is liquid at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: ADEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiro Fujita, Kazuhide Morino, Masato Inadome, Masayoshi Goke, Takeshi Sukemune, Yosuke Aragane, Tomo Kimura, Akinori Okubo
  • Patent number: 12157280
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite component, the method comprising: providing a mould (15) comprising a first part (8) of the mould and a second part (13) of the mould, the first part (8) and second part (13) when assembled define an exterior surface of the composite component; loading the first part (8) of the mould with reinforcing material (20); injecting matrix precursor into the first part (8) of the mould to impregnate reinforcing material (20) located in the first part (8) of the mould with matrix precursor; closing the second part (13) of the mould and the first part (8) of the mould around the reinforcing material (20) and matrix precursor to assemble the first part (8) and second part (13) to define an exterior surface of the composite component; and injecting matrix precursor into the closed mould to impregnate reinforcing material (20) located between the first and second parts (8, 13) of the mould with matrix precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE LIMITED
    Inventor: Claudio Santoni
  • Patent number: 12134218
    Abstract: Provided is a method of molding, by using a mold, a component including a metal plate and a thermoplastic resin containing a thermoplastic resin arranged on a surface on one side of the metal plate, the mold including at least a movable mold and a fixed mold including a support portion. Specifically, the molding method includes: an arranging step of arranging a premolded metal plate within the mold; a fixing step of fixing the metal plate by pressing the metal plate against the movable mold with use of the support portion; and a molding step including forming a cavity between the fixed mold and the metal plate by closing the mold, bringing the thermoplastic resin into close contact with the metal plate, and forming an exposed portion by exposing the metal plate out of the softened thermoplastic resin with use of the support portion. With this, without leakage of the thermoplastic resin, a joint region to a metal surface of another component can be reliably secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhe Jiang, Takashi Oda, Katsumi Morohoshi