Patents Examined by Joel D Crandall
  • Patent number: 11685019
    Abstract: A management device simultaneously clamps both the power cord and the vacuum tube of a floor preparation machine to appropriately direct the power cord and vacuum tube and protect from damage the power cord, vacuum tube cord plug and machine socket associated with the power cord and fitting associated with the vacuum tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: National Flooring Equipment Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Kivisto
  • Patent number: 11679471
    Abstract: A grinding device is operated by grinding of a surface of the workpiece with at least one grinding medium while recording actual data of the surface after grinding with at least one data collection device. Actual data recorded during grinding is then compared with target data stored in an electronic memory in an electronic data processing device. Based on the comparison, adjustments are made to at least one grinding parameter if a deviation of the actual data from the target data exceeds a predetermined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Karl Heesemann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Giese
  • Patent number: 11679472
    Abstract: A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes positioning a conditioning head to bring a conditioning pad into contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad. The method further includes generating a first pressure signal using a first pressure sensor based on a force being applied to the polishing surface by the conditioning pad. The method further includes generating a surface condition signal using an optical scanner. The method further includes adjusting the positioning of the conditioning pad in response to at least one of the first pressure signal or the surface condition signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: ChunHung Chen, Sheng-Chen Wang
  • Patent number: 11679468
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing method includes placing a wafer onto a top side of a polish pad disposed on a platen; introducing a slurry through at least one first hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad; polishing the wafer with the top side of the polish pad; introducing a gas through a second hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad after polishing the wafer, wherein an opening diameter of the at least one first hole is greater than an opening diameter of the second hole; and moving the wafer away from the polish pad while introducing the gas is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chia-Ying Tien
  • Patent number: 11679469
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tool includes a platen and a polishing pad attached to the platen, where a first surface of the polishing pad facing away from the platen includes a first polishing zone and a second polishing zone, where the first polishing zone is a circular region at a center of the first surface of the polishing pad, and the second polishing zone is an annular region around the first polishing zone, where the first polishing zone and the second polishing zone have different surface properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Michael Yen, Kao-Feng Liao, Hsin-Ying Ho, Chun-Wen Hsiao, Sheng-Chao Chuang, Ting-Hsun Chang, Fu-Ming Huang, Chun-Chieh Lin, Peng-Chung Jangjian, Ji James Cui, Liang-Guang Chen, Chih Hung Chen, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11673224
    Abstract: Disclosed is a light transmitting member for a polishing pad. The light transmitting member has a cylindrical or truncated conical shape, and a screw thread is formed on a side portion thereof. A polishing pad includes such a light transmitting member and a substrate polishing apparatus includes such a polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kinoshita, Sachiko Takeda, Chikako Koyama
  • Patent number: 11673229
    Abstract: There is provided a processing apparatus that polishes the back surface side of a wafer on which devices are formed on the front surface side. The processing apparatus includes a chuck table that holds the wafer and rotates and a polishing unit that forms scratches on the back surface side of the wafer while polishing the back surface side of the wafer. The processing apparatus includes also a scratch determining unit that determines whether or not the scratches exist on the back surface side of the wafer polished by the polishing unit and an informing unit that informs that a region in which the scratches do not exist is included in the wafer when a region for which it has been determined that the scratches do not exist by the scratch determining unit is included in the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Sakai
  • Patent number: 11673219
    Abstract: A sealing portion on a lower end of a cover portion of a spindle cover has an upper side surface and a lower side surface that are inclined toward an outer circumferential surface of a spindle. A larger-diameter disk and the outer circumferential surface of the spindle define therebetween a second gap that is narrower than a first gap defined between the spindle and the cover portion. The second gap is effective to prevent a processing waste liquid from entering between the spindle and the spindle cover to prevent a solid waste contained in the processing waste liquid from sticking to the spindle. The spindle is thus prevented from becoming less liable to rotate smoothly due to solid waste deposits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naili Liu
  • Patent number: 11667004
    Abstract: A method of polishing a target surface of a waveguide to achieve perpendicularity relative to a reference surface is disclosed. The method includes i) providing a polishing apparatus having a polishing plate with a flat surface defining a reference plane, and an adjustable mounting apparatus configured to hold the waveguide during polishing at a plurality of angular orientations; ii) positioning an optical alignment sensor and a light reflecting apparatus such that a first collimated light beam is reflected off of a surface parallel to the reference plane, and a second perpendicular collimated light beam is reflected off of the reference surface; iii) aligning the waveguide within the polishing apparatus such that the reflections received by the optical alignment sensor align within the optical alignment sensor, thereby being indicative of perpendicularity between the reference plane and the reference surface; and iv) polishing the target surface of the aligned waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventors: Amit Maziel, Naamah Levin, Lilya Lobachinsky, Yochay Danziger
  • Patent number: 11660725
    Abstract: A shroud assembly fixed to an abrasive blasting nozzle provides acoustic dampening during operation of the blasting system to reduce damage to the hearing of the user. The shroud assembly additionally provides features that improve safety and reduce fatigue during use. A first embodiment includes an end closure made up of flat acoustic panels and an alternate embodiment includes an end opening having peripheral chevron shaped acoustic panel edges. The shroud assembly includes a mechanism for attachment of the shroud to the abrasive blasting nozzle, a cylindrical blast column positioned forward from and coaxial with the blast nozzle, a cylindrical cone shell with at least one layer of acoustic dampening material surrounding and coaxial with the cylindrical blast column, a dead man switch handle, a second extended handle, a peripheral air curtain generator at the forward opening, and nested layers of one or more types of acoustic material(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventor: Gary C. Haverda
  • Patent number: 11660719
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cutting machine comprising a rotating cutting wheel for performing separating cuts in a workpiece, and also relates to a workpiece positioning device for such a cutting machine. The cutting machine comprises a cutting wheel and a drive motor for driving the cutting wheel, a clamping means for clamping the workpiece, means for mechanically positioning the workpiece along one or two translational directions and additionally about one or two rotation axes, and a lifting mechanism for setting the cutting wheel on the workpiece to perform separating cuts in the positioned workpiece using the cutting wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ATM GmbH
    Inventor: Heinrich Müller
  • Patent number: 11660722
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate and bring a lower surface of the substrate into contact with the polishing pad, and an in-situ friction monitoring system including a friction sensor. The friction sensor includes a pad portion having a substrate contacting portion with an upper surface to contact the lower surface of the substrate, and a pair of capacitive sensors positioned below and on opposing sides of the substrate contacting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Wiswell, Chih Chung Chou, Dominic J. Benvegnu
  • Patent number: 11660723
    Abstract: In an automatic polishing system configured such that under control of a polishing robot and/or a polishing tool by a polishing controller, the polishing tool provides a polishing action on a polishing subject face, a color intensity measurement instrument is provided for measuring an intensity of a specified color in the polishing subject face. Based on the intensity of the specified color measured by this color intensity measurement instrument, the polishing controller controls the polishing robot and/or the polishing tool, so that an amount of polishing work by the polishing tool onto the polishing subject face is adjusted according to the intensity of the specified color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Taikisha Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Shiwa, Genji Nakayama, Yoshio Higashi
  • Patent number: 11660718
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an adjustable device for removing burrs of a back cavity of a wheel. The adjustable device for removing the burrs of the back cavity of the wheel includes a frame provided with a rotary table inside, a support frame is fixedly connected to the rotary table, and a left rotary table and a right rotary table are arranged on the support frame. The device is ingenious in design, novel in conception, high in universality, short in cycle time and high in efficiency, and is suitable for removing burrs of wheels in different specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Huiying Liu, Dong Guo
  • Patent number: 11662544
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lens holding block for positioning and retaining a lens substrate in a processing machine, including a bottom part that is able to immobilize the lens holding block in the processing machine and an upper part. The upper part includes a chamber wherein is housed and attached a porous article so as to receive the lens substrate to be processed and which is able to be impregnated with a fluid, and a method for positioning and retaining a lens substrate onto a lens holding block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Michael Mauderer, Holger Schaefer, Herger Alt
  • Patent number: 11660720
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a wheel rim finishing device. A motor is fixedly mounted on a stand through a shaft sleeve I. A supporting body is arranged on the stand. The side, close to a locating disk, of the supporting body is provided with an outer roller. An inner driving roller body and an inner driven roller body are arranged at a position, close to the outer roller, on the inner side of the locating disk. The wheel rim finishing device is simple in structure and high in universality, and may adapt to wheel types with different rim structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weimin Cai, Jiandong Guo, Xiaoguang Huang, Yajun Wang, Xiao Liu, Lijie Hu, Yao Zheng, Zhiyuan Yu
  • Patent number: 11648636
    Abstract: A grinding and/or polishing machine (10) for slabs of stone material, such as natural or agglomerated stone, ceramic or glass, comprises a support bench (12) for the slabs to be machined and at least one machining station (14) with a pair of bridge-like support structures (16, 18) arranged opposite each other with, above, a beam supporting a plurality of machining spindles (26). First relative movement means (19) move the slab in a longitudinal direction with respect to the machining station (14), while the beam moves transversely with respect to its length by means of second movement means (21). Each spindle is supported on the beam so that it can be swivelled by associated movement means (34, 35, 40, 50, 60) about an oscillation axis (33) which is parallel to, but separate from the motorized vertical axis (32) of the spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: BRETON SPA
    Inventors: Luca Toncelli, Michele Stangherlin
  • Patent number: 11648639
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a polishing ring assembly suitable for polishing an electrostatic chuck and method of using the same. In one embodiment, the polishing ring assembly has a retaining ring assembly and an electrostatic chuck fixture. The retaining ring assembly includes an inner diameter and a top surface, a plurality of outer drive rings wherein the plurality of outer drive rings are placed on the top surface of the ceramic retaining ring. The electrostatic chuck fixture includes an electrostatic chuck drive plate adjacent to the inner diameter of in the ceramic retaining ring. The electrostatic chuck drive plate has a lock to secure retaining ring assembly with the electrostatic chuck fixture without transferring the weight from one assembly over to the other through the locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ming-ye Lu, Wendell Glenn Boyd, Jr., Stacy Meyer
  • Patent number: 11648645
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a conditioner head includes bringing two clamps of a cleaning tool inward toward a disk-shaped pad conditioner head to press a sponge against an outer surface of the disk-shaped pad conditioner head, and creating relative motion between the cleaning tool and the pad conditioner head to wipe the sponge against the pad conditioner head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shantanu Rajiv Gadgil, Sumit Subhash Patankar, Nathan Arron Davis, Michael J. Coughlin, Allen L. D'Ambra
  • Patent number: 11642750
    Abstract: An air cylinder that changes the posture of an automatic wet sanding unit main body having sandpaper mounted thereon is provided with a guide rod, and an outer circumferential surface of the guide rod has grooves that extend along a shaft centerline of the guide rod and have an arc-shaped cross-section. Balls are interposed between a bottom of each groove and an inner surface of a bush that is provided inside the air cylinder. Thus, it is possible to make two objects compatible with each other: to achieve high-accuracy automatic wet sanding by enhancing the adaptability of the sandpaper to the shape of a painted surface through a reduction of the diameter of the piston rod; and to enhance the durability of the automatic wet sanding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryuji Hayashi