Patents Examined by Jeff Aftergut
  • Patent number: 9387623
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an aircraft landing gear rocker beam comprising a body having a clevis (24) with two lugs (19, 21) parallel to a direction that is radial relative to the body, the method comprising the steps of: forming a first mandrel; applying one or more first braided fiber layers (11) on the first mandrel; fitting a second mandrel element on the assembly as constituted in this way, the second mandrel element extending between the two lugs (19, 21) of the clevis (24) that is to be formed; applying one or more second braided fiber layers (17) on the assembly as constituted in this way; injecting resin into the various layers (11, 17) and polymerizing the resin; and machining the resulting workpiece blank in order to cut away a region of the second braided layers (17) in order to separate the two lugs (19, 21) of the clevis (24) from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: MESSIER-BURGATTI-DOWTY
    Inventors: Richard Masson, Thierry Rougier, Patrick Dunleavy
  • Patent number: 9387945
    Abstract: An apparatus for the reeling up of fiber bundles, in particular of hollow fiber membrane bundles, and in particular for the manufacture of dialysis filters, includes a reel carrier rotatable around a main axis. The apparatus includes at least two reels which are rotatably supported on the reel carrier, with the axes of rotation of the reels being perpendicular to the main axis of the reel carrier. The apparatus can be used for the wrapping of a fiber bundle with a film, having a receiver of first and second side elements and a flexible channel fastened between them for the reception of the film and the fiber bundle. A drive is provided to move at least the first side element transversely to the channel, and at least one folding device movable transversely to the flexible channel for the folding of the film around the fiber bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Hermann Reuschenbach, Joern Hoermann
  • Patent number: 9387654
    Abstract: The patentable subject matter is the method for joining foamed copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA) with polyurethane (PU) by combining hot PU mixture with a solid substrate made of foamed EVA. The method as per the invention is intended to be used largely in footwear manufacture processes. The joining method wherein the surfaces of an element being joined made of foamed EVA (polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate) are prepared by mechanical grinding of the surface and subsequent degreasing, characterized in that the surfaces of the element made of foamed EVA (polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate) are heated to and kept at the temperature of 45-55° C. and then 2-butanol activator is applied which is then cured with UV rays for 15 seconds and subsequently POLYOL GF 422 and IZO GT 991 are heated for 10-12 hours with POLYOL being heated to 70-80° C. combining with the catalyst and IZO being heated to 65-75° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ZAKLAD PRODUKCJI OBUWIA “LEMIGO”
    Inventor: Miroslaw Garbacz
  • Patent number: 9381726
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for packaging secondary optical element. By coating optical glue on the bottom surface of the secondary optical element and on the substrate and by hardening individually, as well as using the technical characteristics of flipping the substrate and the fixture, the secondary optical element can fall naturally and be positioned above an optoelectric device such as a solar cell or a light-emitting diode. No additional fastener is required for supporting the secondary optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Atomic Energy Council—Institute of Nuclear Energy Research
    Inventors: Yueh-Mu Lee, Zun-Hao Shih, Yi-Ping Liang, Hwa-Yuh Shin, Hwen-Fen Hong
  • Patent number: 9380832
    Abstract: An article of footwear is provided having a pressurized fluid-filled chamber in the sole structure having a continuous perimeter weld and lacking an inflation channel. The chamber may be formed from opposing polymer sheets, a continuous perimeter weld lacking a weld channel bonding the sheets and forming an interior void between the sheets, and a fluid disposed within the interior void exerting outward pressure on the sheets. A method for making the chamber can include placing a pair of polymer sheets in an opposing arrangement, pressing opposing perimeter weld portions of the sheets against each other to form an airtight seal along a perimeter region of an interior void, supplying a flow of pressurized air between the opposing sheets into the interior void, and, while maintaining a desired fluid pressure, welding the perimeter weld portions of the sheets to each other. A high-frequency welder for forming chamber is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: David G. Smith, Stuart C. Forstrom
  • Patent number: 9370695
    Abstract: A sport ball may have a plurality of panels that are joined at seams to form a casing. The panels may include a thermoplastic polymer material applied to an interior side of the panels, and the thermoplastic polymer material may be heat-activated to extend across the seams. The ball may further include a bladder within the casing and an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder. The thermoplastic polymer material may also be heat-activated to bond with the intermediate layer or casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Chi Chang, Yi-Jung Shen, Scott R. Berggren
  • Patent number: 9364037
    Abstract: A limited durability fastening for a garment. The garment is provided with fastening members which engage to close the fastening and the fastening members are provided with means for controlling the degradation of the closure strength of the fastening as it is opened and closed and thus the number of permissible closures of the fastening having a pre-determined closure strength. The garment is particularly useful when fitted to a foot where short life is desirable at low cost or to a garment where re-use is to be discouraged for either clinical or commercial reasons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Covidien AG
    Inventors: Gordon J. Cook, David Portsmouth
  • Patent number: 9368260
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a cable, comprises providing a cable core comprising at least one conductor therein, extruding a stopping layer about at least the cable core, extruding a jacketing layer about the stopping layer, and cabling at least one armor wire layer about the jacketing layer to form the cable, wherein the stopping layer comprises a polymer layer configured to mechanically and thermally protect the cable core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Varkey, Jushik Yun, Burcu Unal
  • Patent number: 9358726
    Abstract: A labeling machine for applying tubular labels to articles; the machine comprises a conveying device movable along a given path and at least one unit to receive and retain an article to be labelled, a feeder to feed a label to the unit, a former to bend the label in a vertical tubular configuration with opposite vertical edges overlapping one another, and at least one welding device arranged on the conveying device to weld the overlapped edges of the label; the welding device comprises an electrically heatable sealing element, provided with a striplike working surface having a height at least equal to the height of the label overlapped edges to be welded, electrical power supplying means selectively connectable to the sealing element and controlled for heating the sealing element along a given portion of the mentioned path and for cooling the sealing element along a subsequent portion of the path, and actuator displacing the sealing element to and from the overlapped edges of the label along a horizontal dire
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: SIDEL S.P.A. CON SOCIO UNICO
    Inventors: Raffaele Pace, Mirko Rossi
  • Patent number: 9352540
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for tensioning the fabric of a device for restoring a removable panel, characterized in that it comprises at least one structure, a thermal chamber arranged inside said structure and able to heat said flexible fabric, an internal frame elastically secured to said thermal chamber, and at least one actuator secured to the structure and able to move the thermal chamber so that, on the one hand, the thermal chamber is moved between a “fabric at rest” position and a “fabric stretched” position and, on the other hand, to move the internal frame between a “fabric at rest” position and an intermediate position located between said “fabric at rest” and “fabric stretched” positions, the flexible fabric resting on part of the thermal chamber and being held by its peripheral edge between the internal frame and the structure. The invention also proposes a method for coating a removable panel that uses the tensioning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Scherrer, Mario Maheux
  • Patent number: 9352521
    Abstract: A pressure vessel is disclosed. The pressure vessel may include a boss, a liner, an O-ring, and a composite overwrap of shell. A boss may comprise a through aperture, a first groove encircling the through aperture, and a first engagement mechanism. A liner may comprise an interior surface, exterior surface, and a second engagement mechanism. The interior surface may define an interior cavity of the pressure vessel. The second engagement mechanism may mechanically engage the first engagement mechanism to secure the liner to the boss. An O-ring may be positioned within the first groove of the boss and abut the exterior surface of the liner. A composite overwrap may surround the liner and at least a portion of the boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Inventor: Michael A. Olson
  • Patent number: 9339627
    Abstract: A non-compliant medical balloon, where the non-compliant medical balloon may be changed from a deflated state to an inflated state by increasing pressure within the balloon, is made with a first fiber layer, a second fiber layer over said first fiber layer such that the fibers of the first fiber layer and the fibers of the second fiber layer form an angle and a binding layer coating the first fiber layer and said second fiber layer. The interior surface area of the non-compliant medical balloon remains unchanged when the balloon changes from a deflated state to an inflated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
    Inventor: James P. Beckham
  • Patent number: 9327478
    Abstract: An apparatus for laying fiber tapes includes a deflection guide for the fiber tapes made up of pressure plates arranged adjacent to one another transversely to the deflection axis and a frame for receiving the pressure plates which is displaceable in the laying direction. Pressure plates with rollers for deflecting the tape are provided between the pressure plates with a sliding surface for the deflection of the tape, and the retainers for the rollers, which retainers are arranged laterally on the pressure plates, displaceably engage in the pressing direction in recesses of the pressure plates with the sliding surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GFM—GmbH
    Inventor: Harald Dietachmayr
  • Patent number: 9321219
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of assembling composite material parts (10, 12). The method makes provision for: mounting (S6) the parts for assembly under stress on a stand (14), which parts have been partially polymerized; heating (S7) these parts so as to polymerize them completely, thereby enabling the stresses in the parts to be relaxed and enabling them to match the shape of the sand; cooling (S8) the parts; and assembling (S9) in conventional manner the parts as cooled in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.), Airbus Operations, Airbus Operations S.L.
    Inventors: Pierre Zahlen, Virginie Charbonnier, Philippe Blot, Melania Perez-Sanchez
  • Patent number: 9315007
    Abstract: A composites lamination system uses a six-axis positioner and multiple removable heads for applying composite material to a tool. The six-axis positioner has a gantry and a wrist. The gantry has two spaced uprights that support a crossbeam that is movable in the X-axis. A workzone containing a tool is positioned between the two spaced uprights. A movable column is supported on the crossbeam, and is movable relative to the crossbeam in the Y-axis and the Z-axis. A wrist mounted on the column rotates around an I-axis parallel to the X-axis, around a J-axis parallel to the Y-axis, and around a K-axis parallel to the Z-axis. A replaceable head is mounted on the wrist so that the gantry and the wrist provide six axis of motion for the replaceable head, and removal of the head from the wrist allows the six axis of motion to remain with the positioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Fives Machining Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Milo M. Vaniglia
  • Patent number: 9315005
    Abstract: A method and a device for producing mirror units for heliostats, comprising a main body as a carrier of a reflective surface and a fixing carriage to ensure stress-free mounting of the main body during production, comprising the following features: a) a feed for main bodies (13) by means of a mirror-carrier delivery feed (3), b) a feed for fixing carriages (2) by means of running rails (4), c) a device for transferring a main body (13) into a fixing carriage, d) a mirror feed (8), e) an adhesive bonding device (5), f) a device for pressing a main body (13) together with a plurality of mirrors (11) and g) a measuring device (9) for checking relevant tolerances of the production process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Herre, Bernd Vogt
  • Patent number: 9309021
    Abstract: A container for holding food or beverages includes an inner thermoformed sleeve and a molded insulating foam support layer. The inner sleeve and foam support layer each have a circumferential wall extending from a bottom wall. The foam layer is bonded to the thermoformed sleeve on the outside or inside of the sleeve. The container can also include an outer sleeve bonded to an outer surface of the foam support layer. The inner sleeve may be made of thermoformed polystyrene. The outer sleeve may be a paper label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Grupo Convermex, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Benito Alvarez, Efrén Antonio De Urquijo Carmona
  • Patent number: 9307796
    Abstract: A novel reinforcement system for maximizing tensile strength and modulus of elasticity per ply for composite systems has one or more pockets with a first pocket edge, a second pocket edge, a pocket front surface, and a pocket rear surface. The pocket front surface and the pocket rear surface each have a pocket cross-stitch that perpendicularly traverses the pocket. The pocket traverses the fabric parallel and adjacent to the first fabric edge and the second fabric edge in a warp, or 0 degree, or x-axis direction. The pockets contain one or more fiber tows with a plurality of filaments in a stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Inventor: James J. Butler
  • Patent number: 9302633
    Abstract: Before back molding, a two-dimensionally extending decorative element is provided with through-holes. At least in the area of the through-holes, a film is applied to the rear of the two-dimensionally extending decorative element. When a plastic melt is introduced, for example by way of injection molding or extruding, the pressure of the plastic melt presses the film into the through-holes. The component is used, in particular, to produce an illuminable field, for example, of a door sill protector of a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: WEIDPLAS GmbH
    Inventors: Marcel Stössel, Fredi Pfister, Josef Benz, Nikolai Baltzer
  • Patent number: 9303682
    Abstract: A shaft arrangement for transmitting torques from a hub of a wind power plant to a generator has connecting elements at both ends for a mechanical connection. The connecting elements are each overlapped by end regions of a connecting shaft tube, wherein the shaft tube consists of a fibre composite material having a plurality of bundles of fibre. In the region overlapped by the shaft tube, the connecting elements have a plurality of protruding retaining pins about which and between which the bundles of fibre are placed and extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Schäfer MWN GmbH
    Inventor: Carsten Sohl