Patents Examined by Keith Walker
  • Patent number: 12686048
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for casting metal parts. The apparatus is contemplated as including at least one mold cavity formed by at least one at least partly surrounding cavity wall, a system of sprues, runners and/or ingates defining at least one flow channel for filling the at least one mold cavity with molten metal, at least one riser insert arranged at least partly inside at least one riser cavity of at least one riser. The at least one riser insert comprises at least one insert cavity for receiving molten metal at least partially from the at least one mold cavity and at least one the insert cavity at least partly surrounding riser insert wall, wherein the at least one riser insert is configured to at least partly decelerate the solidification of the molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V.
    Inventors: Alexander Mokre, Zsolt Molnar
  • Patent number: 12686084
    Abstract: A device, use of the device and method for setting a specific operating position of an apparatus component, such as a wire feed of a welding installation. The apparatus component can be moved, in particular linearly displaced, to set the specific operating position and, after being moved into the specific operating position, can be fixed in place in said position for operation. The device includes a positioning element that has a modifiable surface on which the specific operating position can be preset for operation; and a setting aid that comprises at least one region interacting with the modifiable surface of the positioning element, and which is embodied to lie against the apparatus component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: EVG Entwicklungs-u. Verwertungs-Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Potocnik
  • Patent number: 12678855
    Abstract: Provided are a casting die inspection method and a casting device, the method including: a step for acquiring the ultimate pressure in a cavity section, at the time when a prescribed vacuuming time has elapsed since evacuation the inside of the cavity section of the casting die was started; a step for evacuating the inside of the cavity section and acquiring an increased pressure in the cavity section that has increased during a prescribed stop time, at the time when the prescribed stop time has elapsed since the evacuation was stopped; a step for evaluating a first sealing property of the casting device on the basis of the ultimate pressure; and a step for evaluating a second sealing property of the casting device on the basis of the increased pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Kimura, Kenji Yuki, Ryo Onishi, Masashi Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 12683244
    Abstract: An electrochemical device which includes an electrode plate and a porous layer formed on a surface of the electrode plate. The porous layer includes nanofibers and inorganic particles. The nanofibers and the inorganic particles are bonded together by a crosslinker. In addition, an electronic device, which includes this electrochemical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Amperex Technology Limited
    Inventors: Yibo Zhang, Hongmei Wei, Qiaoshu Hu, Bin Wang, Chi Ho Kwok, Ka I Lee, Chenmin Liu
  • Patent number: 12665213
    Abstract: A system includes a stack module box, within which is accommodated a fuel cell stack and which stack module box has at least one fuel cell, the fuel cell being in connection with a plurality of media guides leading to the stack module box and from which media can be delivered to the stack module box or received from the stack module box, wherein at least two of the media guides have electrically conductive regions for discharge of current from the fuel cell stack, and/or the wall of the stack module box is electrically conductive in the regions laying opposite to the media guides, and wherein connection lines are led away from the fuel cell stack to the electrically conductive regions and away therefrom. A fuel cell device and a fuel cell vehicle including such a stack module box are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, kraftwerk ASSETS Inc.
    Inventors: Sascha Kühn, Lutz Heinrich, Heiko Turner, Dirk Jenssen, Christian Schlitzberger, Martin Buchenberger, Friedhelm Walkling, Florian Moll, Steffen Wieland, Christin Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 12651880
    Abstract: A first flexible electronic circuit includes a non-conductive substrate and a conductive trace layer, including a bonding pad, on a surface of the non-conductive substrate. A second flexible electronic circuit likewise includes a substrate and a conductive trace layer, including a bonding pad, on a surface of the non-conductive substrate. The second flexible electronic circuit also includes a conductive interface layer on an opposite surface of the non-conductive substrate to the bonding pad. A plurality of vias, filled with conductive material, extend through the substrate of the second flexible electronic circuit and couple the conductive interface layer to the bonding pad. The bonding pads are brought in contact with each other, and energy (e.g., ultrasonic energy or thermal energy) is applied to the conductive interface layer until the bonding pads are bonded (e.g., ultrasonically welded or soldered) to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
    Inventor: Arthur G. Blanck
  • Patent number: 12649199
    Abstract: A wedge bonding tool is provided. The wedge bonding tool includes a body portion and a tip portion at a terminal end of the body portion. The tip portion includes a groove surface defining a groove. The groove is configured to receive a wire during a wire bonding operation. The groove surface includes a plurality of laser scribed recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tanbir Saini, Amey Vidvans, Christoph B. Luechinger, Frank Daniels
  • Patent number: 12646775
    Abstract: A battery module with enhanced stability against fire and explosion. The battery module includes a cell assembly having a plurality of secondary batteries, a lower case having an open top and having an accommodation space, an upper case coupled to the lower case to cover the open top of the lower case and having a connection hole perforated to communicate with the accommodation space; an upper cover coupled to the upper case to cover an upper portion of the upper case and configured to form a buffer space spaced apart from the upper case, the upper cover having a discharge hole perforated so that the buffer space communicates with the outside; and at least one partition member extending in a horizontal direction inside the buffer space to form a moving passage extending from the connection hole to the discharge hole and configured to have an adjustable extension length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-Woo Ryu, Jong-Hyun Jo, Yong-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 12629763
    Abstract: An iron holder includes a stand body, a rest, and a heat shield configured to at least partially surround a soldering iron. The stand body includes a tip support portion, a base portion, an intermediate portion, an accessory holding portion, and a handle support portion. The tip support portion is higher in elevation than the handle support portion, creating a tip-up angle for the soldering iron to rest at. The heat shield is disposed at the tip support portion and comprises one singular piece of metal that is bent into a half-pipe shape and perforated with holes. The handle support portion has a rubberized cover for additional grip and heat insulation. The rest ensures that a tip of the soldering iron does not contact the heat shield. In the tip-up orientation, the soldering iron handle is less likely to increase in temperature from the tip of the soldering iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: James Spaudling
  • Patent number: 12623265
    Abstract: A method and a device that bridge an interruption in production in a combined casting-rolling installation to provide a combined casting-rolling installation for producing a hot-rolled finished strip, in which, in the case of an interruption, also thick precursor material having a thickness of >30 mm can be separated in a rapid and reliable manner from the next precursor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Fürst, Simon Grosseiber, Thomas Lengauer, Alexander Mayr, Wolfgang Peitl, Alois Seilinger
  • Patent number: 12617016
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of preparing substantially spherical metallic alloyed particles, having micron and sub-micron (i.e., nanometer)-scaled dimensions, and the powders so prepared, as well as articles derived from these powders. In particular embodiments, these metallic alloyed particles, comprising rare earth metals, can be prepared in sizes as small 80 nm in diameter with size variances as low as 2-5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Noveon Magnetics Inc.
    Inventors: Miha Zakotnik, Davide Prosperi, Gojmir Furlan, Catalina O. Tudor, Alex Ivor Bevan
  • Patent number: 12609360
    Abstract: A technique relating to a battery structure is disclosed. Abase substrate and a battery layer having a support substrate are prepared. The battery layer includes a protection layer formed on the support substrate, a film battery element formed on the protection layer and an insulator covering the film battery element. The battery layer is placed onto the base substrate with the bottom of the support substrate facing up. The support substrate is then removed from the battery layer at least in part by etching while protecting the film battery element by the protection layer. A stacked battery structure including the base substrate and the two or more battery layers is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Horibe, Kuniaki Sueoka, Takahito Watanabe
  • Patent number: 12610780
    Abstract: A bonding system for bonding a semiconductor element to a substrate is provided. The bonding system includes a bonding tool assembly for bonding a semiconductor element to a substrate. The bonding system also includes a support structure assembly for supporting the substrate. The bonding system further includes a vacuum sensor for sensing a vacuum leakage at an interface between the bonding tool assembly and the support structure assembly during contact therebetween. The vacuum sensor is also used in connection with a tilt adjustment between the bonding tool assembly and the support structure assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2025
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew Tarabulski
  • Patent number: 12605760
    Abstract: A low-pressure casting apparatus includes a lower mold disposed on a holding furnace, an upper mold configured to be raised and lowered relative to the lower mold, and a plurality of side molds disposed above the lower mold. A cavity is formed between the lower mold, the upper mold and the side molds. The lower mold includes a lower cast main part forming an inner bottom surface of the cavity, and a lower mold base part holding the lower cast main part. The lower cast main part has a sprue bushing that opens into the cavity. At least one of the side molds is advanceable and retractable relative to a mold center. The lower mold base part has guide pillars that restrict advanced positions of the side molds. The horizontal adjustment gap is provided between the lower cast main part and the lower mold base part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seigo Shorei, Giichirou Okamura
  • Patent number: 12599956
    Abstract: A casting device and a casting processes for producing a cast component in a mold in which a mold cavity is formed, and a cast component produced by means of the casting process. The casting device includes a first melt feeder, configured to receive a first molten material, a second melt feeder, configured to receive a second molten material, and a feed device configured for simultaneous or temporally independent charging of the mold cavity with the first molten material from the first melt feeder and the second molten material from the second melt feeder by means of gravity. It is provided that the feed device has at least one first outlet that can be introduced into the mold cavity and can be moved relative to the mold cavity in order to charge the mold cavity with the first molten material and/or the second molten material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Wolfram Volk, Stefan Braunreuther, Thomas Gress, Simon Schmid
  • Patent number: 12603285
    Abstract: A battery includes an electrode assembly including a cathode including a cathode collector, a cathode active material layer provided in a first region of a surface of the cathode collector, and an insulating layer provided in a second region of the surface of the cathode collector and adjacent to the cathode active material layer, an anode including an anode collector and an anode active material layer provided in a region of a surface of the anode collector and a separator provided between the cathode and the anode. At least a portion of the separator is configured to be attached to at least a portion of the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sinyoung Jung, Jonggyu Park, Yeonil Lee
  • Patent number: 12603203
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an Sm—Fe—N magnet includes filling a metal sheath with a magnet powder including an Sm—Fe—N compound as a main component and sealing the metal sheath, applying a magnetic field to the magnet powder sealed in the metal sheath, and magnetizing the magnet powder by magnetically orienting the magnet powder and aligning a direction of magnetic orientation in one direction, preliminarily rolling the magnetically oriented magnet powder sealed in the metal sheath to make the magnetically oriented magnet powder into a green compact, and pressurizing the green compact sealed in the metal sheath and densifying the green compact to form a magnet body, wherein the preliminary rolling is performed by lightly rolling the magnetically oriented magnet powder sealed in the metal sheath with a pressure smaller than a pressure for pressurizing the green compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Haruki Eguchi, Akihiro Nomura, Natsuki Yoneyama, Hiroo Takahashi, Osamu Harasaki, Hiroki Yoshizawa, Isao Nakanowatari
  • Patent number: 12599959
    Abstract: A casting process of a central rotary joint includes the steps of obtaining an upper casting mold, a lower casting mold, and a sand core through 3-dimensional printing, inserting the chill into the sand core, placing the sand core with the chill in the lower mold, inverting the upper mold onto the lower mold to form a assembled mold and define a casting cavity and a vertical pouring channel connected to the casting cavity between the upper and lower molds, injecting liquid iron into the casting cavity through the vertical pouring channel, unmolding after the liquid iron is condensed to obtain the central rotary joint. Through the vertical pouring channel, the chill and related processes, the sequential solidification of the liquid iron is achieved, effectively avoiding deformation and shrinkage porosity caused by the shrinkage of the liquid iron and graphite expansion during the solidification process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: China Railway Sunward Engineering Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiong Nie
  • Patent number: 12599982
    Abstract: A method of brazing golf club components composed of dissimilar materials, and particularly titanium and steel materials, is disclosed herein. The method includes the steps of preparing surfaces of the components for brazing, applying to at least one of the surfaces a nickel-based filler, fixturing each of the first and second golf club components within a vacuum brazing furnace so that the surfaces face one another, and performing at least one brazing cycle within the vacuum brazing furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
    Inventor: Alex Power
  • Patent number: 12595532
    Abstract: Disclosed is a combined treatment method for laterite nickel ore hydrometallurgical slag and phosphating slag, the combined treatment method includes uniformly mixing a laterite nickel ore hydrometallurgical slag, a phosphating slag, and a sodium alkaline salt to obtain a mixed material; subjecting the mixed material to sodium reduction roasting to obtain a roasted material; leaching the roasted material with water and filtering to obtain a water leaching solution and a water leaching slag; subjecting the water leaching slag to magnetic separation to obtain an iron concentrate. In the disclosure, by mixing a laterite nickel ore hydrometallurgical slag and a phosphating slag and then performing sodium reduction roasting, the iron exists in the form of Fe3O4 and elements such as manganese and zinc exist in the slag in the form of oxides, and during the roasting process, aluminum oxides react with alkali to be converted into sodium aluminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignees: PT QMB NEW ENERGY MATERIALS, PT ESG NEW ENERGY MATERIAL, GEM CO., LTD., PT GEM INDONESIA NEW ENERGY MATERIALS
    Inventors: Kaihua Xu, Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, Andi Syaputra Hasibuan, Emil Salim, Rizky Wanaldi, Xiaodong Yan, Tegar Mukti Aji, Piyan Rahmadi