Patents Examined by Kiley Stoner
  • Patent number: 9604323
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a steam turbine low-pressure or medium-pressure module deflector, said deflector comprising an internal ring and an external ring as well as vanes, said method comprising a step of welding said vanes to said rings. The main characteristic of a method according to the invention is that the welding step is preceded by a step of automatically machining the ends of each vane to create a peripheral recess around each of said ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Arnaud Buguin, Dominique Travers
  • Patent number: 9601452
    Abstract: A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: removing a template membrane from the MNW; infiltrating the MNW with a bonding material; placing the bonding material on the adjacent surface; bringing an adjacent surface into contact with a top surface of the MNW while the bonding material is bondable; and allowing the bonding material to cool and form a solid bond between the MNW and the adjacent surface. A thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust bonding method for attaching a metal nanowire (MNW) array to an adjacent surface includes the steps of: choosing a bonding material based on a desired bonding process; and without removing the MNW from a template membrane that fills an interstitial volume of the MNW, depositing the bonding material onto a tip of the MNW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Northrup Grumman Systems Corporation, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: John A. Starkovich, Edward M. Silverman, Jesse B. Tice, Hsiao-Hu Peng, Michael T. Barako, Kenneth E. Goodson
  • Patent number: 9597747
    Abstract: Methods of applying aluminum coating layers over copper wires are disclosed. A first method may include applying aluminum powder to the surface of a rod, passing the rod through a first set of compression rolls thereby forcing the aluminum powder into a compacted preform around the rod, and heating the rod covered by the preform at 550° C. to 620° C. Further, the heated preform coated rod is passed through a second set of compression rolls thereby obtaining an aluminum coated copper rod. A second method includes disposing a copper rod inside an aluminum tube having an inner layer formed of brazing aluminum alloy, reducing the diameter of the tube's inner surface to match the copper rod, and heating the composite tube-rod such that the inner layer of the brazing alloy fuses to the rod. Another method includes passing the copper rod through a spray of metallic aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AFL Telecommunications LLC
    Inventor: David Payne
  • Patent number: 9595768
    Abstract: A glazing is disclosed comprising at least one ply of glass having an electrically conductive component on at least one surface, and an electrical connector electrically connected to the electrically conductive component through a soldered joint, the solder of the joint having a composition comprising 0.5 wt % or more indium, wherein the electrical connector comprises a nickel plated contact for contacting the solder. Also disclosed are solders having a composition comprising 14 to 75 wt % In, 14 to 75 wt % Sn, to 5 wt % Ag, to 5 wt % Ni, and less than 0.1 wt % Pb. Also disclosed is use of a solder having a composition comprising 0.5 wt % or more indium to solder a nickel plated electrical connector to an electrically conductive component on the surface of a ply of glass. The aspects of the invention improve the durability of electrical connections on glazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignees: Pilkington Group Limited, Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd., Nishinihon Shoko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Lyon, Naotaka Ikawa, Kazuo Inada, Mamoru Yoshida, Takashi Muromachi, Kazuhisa Ono, Kozo Okamoto, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9592568
    Abstract: A subsea friction welding apparatus comprises a chuck for supporting and retaining a weld item prior to welding the weld item to a work-piece, said chuck comprises a plurality of jaws having an internal profile to grip a corresponding profiled surface on the weld item and means for radially expanding the internal profile of the jaws of the chuck, said means actuable by axial insertion of the weld item into the chuck thereby avoiding relative rotation of the chuck and the weld item during insertion of the weld item into the chuck. In operation of the method, a supply of weld items and a weld head are deployed to a subsea location and the weld items are loaded via ROV into the weld head at the subsea location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: PROSERV UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Adam James O'Leary, David Benjamin Smith, Nathan Alan Paculba, Kevin Grant Munro, David Ewen Gibson
  • Patent number: 9586294
    Abstract: Orbital welding device including a body, a welding head carried by one end of the body, and a device for holding the body on a tubular element to be welded, including: cantilever portions of the end of the body, which project in an overhanging manner transversely to a rotation axis of the welding head and beyond the rotation axis; a plurality of through holes formed through the cantilever portions transversally to these portions and to the rotation axis, positioned axially to the side of the welding head; a plurality of pneumatic devices accommodated in the through holes so that each device can selectively extract and lock in an extracted position toward the rotation axis a respective pin adapted to interact with the element to be welded; a pair of manifolds fixed in a laterally removable manner on the outside of the cantilever portions and in hydraulic communication with the through holes and compressed air supply conduits connected to a control box provided with an electrovalve controlled by a manually oper
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rubini Emiliano, Raimondo Massimiliano
  • Patent number: 9586281
    Abstract: Forming a solder joint between metal layers by preparing a structure having solder material placed between two metal layers and heating the structure to grow an intermetallic compound in a space between the two metal layers. Growing the intermetallic compound includes setting a first surface, in contact with the solder material between the two metal layers, to a first temperature, thereby enabling growth of the intermetallic compound; setting a second surface, in contact with the solder material between the two metal layers, to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; and maintaining a temperature gradient (temperature/unit thickness) between the two metal layers at a predetermined value or higher until the intermetallic compound substantially fills the space between the two metal layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toyohiro Aoki, Akihiro Horibe, Hiroyuki Mori, Yasumitsu Orii, Kazushige Toriyama, Ting-Li Yang
  • Patent number: 9586284
    Abstract: A purge dam assembly confines a volume within an assembly of pipes, including a distal pipe and a proximal pipe together arranged for butt welding at a seam. A distal disk is covered at its periphery with a distal bootie including gasketing material. A proximal disk is covered at its periphery with a proximal bootie including the gasketing material. The each disk is sized such that the bootie contacts but does not completely seal against an inner surface of one of the tubes or pipes permitting a purging flow of gas from the volume and past each disk. A cross-member having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end is affixed to the proximal disk and the distal end is affixed to the distal disk to preserve the spatial separation between the proximal disk and distal disks and to maintain the proximal and distal disks in coaxial alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventors: Coke Evans, Ralph M. Cohen, Richard Bottorff
  • Patent number: 9583372
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing device includes a susceptor which is a ceramic plate formed of AlN and a gas introduction pipe which is joined to the susceptor. An annular pipe joining bank is provided at a position of the susceptor facing a flange of the gas introduction pipe. In addition, a pipe brazed part is formed between the flange and the pipe joining bank. The flange has a width of 3 mm or more and a thickness of from 0.5 to 2 mm. It is preferable that the height of the pipe joining bank be 0.5 mm or more, the edge of the bank facing the outer edge of the flange. be chamfered as designated by C0.3 or more or rounded as designated by R0.3 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kataigi, Takashi Tanimura
  • Patent number: 9579741
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus of adsorbing solder balls and a method of attaching the solder balls using the same. The solder ball adsorbing apparatus includes a body, a plurality of eject pins disposed in the body and configured to move in downward and upward directions with respect to a substrate on which the solder balls are to be loaded, and a solder ball holder disposed in the body and configured to hold the solder balls at the eject pins and release the solder balls therefrom. The eject pins include a first eject pin disposed at a center of the body in parallel with a vertical surface that is perpendicular to a bottom surface of the body, a second eject pin disposed at an edge of the body at a first angle with respect to the vertical surface, and a third eject pin disposed between the first and second eject pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eun-Sun An
  • Patent number: 9583261
    Abstract: A powder magnetic core which exhibits a high compact density and a reduced iron loss can be obtained by compacting a soft magnetic powder in which the mass ratio of soft magnetic powder particles that pass through a filter having an opening of 75 ?m is 95 mass % or higher relative to the whole amount of the soft magnetic powder and which has a mean strain of less than 0.100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mitani, Takeo Miyamura, Hirofumi Hojo, Tomotsuna Kamijo
  • Patent number: 9573221
    Abstract: A welding assembly includes a sonotrode, cleaning station, and controller. The controller periodically commands clamping of the sonotrode onto the cleaning block, and a transmission of ultrasonic energy into the cleaning block for a calibrated duration sufficient for removing residual amounts of metal from welding pads of the sonotrode. The cleaning block may include an aluminum bar coated with a polymeric material, e.g., porous polyethylene silica or alumina composite. A thin sacrificial layer of an anti-adhesion material, e.g., colloidal silica, may be periodically applied to the welding pads, particularly after a transition from welding a first metal to welding a second metal. The sacrificial layer may be applied via a sponge, a saturated surface, or spraying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael P. Balogh, Wayne W. Cai, Teresa J. Rinker, Thomas J. Chapaton, Peng Lu, Eric G. Hartnagle
  • Patent number: 9576928
    Abstract: A bond head assembly for bonding a semiconductor element to a substrate is provided. The bond head assembly includes a base structure, a heater, and a clamping system securing the heater to the base structure. The clamping system includes a plurality of elastic elements constraining the heater along a plurality of axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew B. Wasserman
  • Patent number: 9573213
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are provided for manufacturing bearing assemblies. In accordance with one embodiment, a fixture is provided for use in brazing bearing elements to a bearing ring. The fixture comprises a substantially annular body and at least one or more force-applying mechanism associated with the annular body. The force applying mechanisms include a push rod disposed within a channel that is formed in the annular body, the push rod being displaceable within the channel. A biasing member is configured to bias the push rod in a radial direction relative to the annular body. In one embodiment, a plurality of force-applying mechanisms are circumferentially spaced about the substantially annular body. In one embodiment, the push rods extend radially inwardly from a peripheral surface of the body, while in another embodiment the push rods extend radially outwardly from peripheral surface of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy N. Sexton, John Corradini
  • Patent number: 9567159
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system is disclosed for making garbage dumpsters which includes a box comprising: a bottom panel; a back panel; a front panel; a left panel; a right panel; wherein said bottom panel; said back panel; said front panel; said left panel; and said right panel; are configured so that a last remaining one of said panels can be hung on a plurality of hooks protruding from edges of two of said panels, thereby creating a container without using tools and without welding; where said container is configured to be lifted by fork portions of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Triton Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Loney, Brian Loney, Robert Schmerbach
  • Patent number: 9572295
    Abstract: In an electronic component mounting method, a light-emitting element is temporarily fixed to a board by solder paste and adhesive, the adhesive is cured to fix a main body of the light-emitting element to the board, and solder is melted to bond a terminal of the light-emitting element to the board. The method includes: detecting a positional deviation of an emission portion in a top surface of the light-emitting element; detecting a position of the light-emitting element in a state in which the light-emitting element is held by an absorption nozzle; positioning the emission portion to a prescribed position on the board based on the positional deviation and the position of the light-emitting element; mounting the light-emitting element on the board at a position deviated from the prescribed position by the positional deviation; curing the adhesive; and heating the board to melt the solder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Azuma, Masayuki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 9572266
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor substrate manufacturing apparatus and a substrate treating method, and more particularly, an apparatus and method for performing a reflow treating process on a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus treating apparatus includes a load port on which a carrier accommodating a substrate is seated, a substrate treating module including one reflow treating unit or a plurality of reflow treating units for performing a reflow process on the substrate, and a substrate transfer module including a transfer robot transferring the substrate between the load port and the substrate treating module, the substrate transfer module being disposed between the load port and the substrate treating module. The reflow treating unit includes a process chamber having a treating space therein and an exhaust member exhausting a fluid within the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Semigear, Inc.
    Inventor: Jian Zhang
  • Patent number: 9566661
    Abstract: The invention aims at providing a friction stir welding method which can achieve joining a butting portion to a deep location therein by reducing the load on the friction stirring device. The friction stir welding method for joining two metal members (1) using a primary joining rotary tool (F) with a stirring pin (F2) includes a primary joining process in which a rotating stirring pin (F2) is moved to the butting portion formed by butting the metal members (1) against each other and friction stir welding is carried out. In the primary joining process, only the stirring pin (F2) is brought into contact with the metal members (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 9555501
    Abstract: A process for obtaining a mechanical component by joining a first metallic material and a second metallic material. The process comprises: (A) putting the first material and the second material in contact with each other, (B) fixating a sheet metal element onto the first material to at least partly enclosing the second material and so that the sheet metal element is at least partly in contact with the second material. The sheet metal element comprises carbon, joining the first material and the second material by diffusion welding. The carbon activity of the second material Ca2 and the carbon activity of the sheet metal element Cam at the temperature of joining fulfills a relation Ca2?Cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Ingemar Strandell
  • Patent number: 9555500
    Abstract: A method to join a first material and a second material by diffusion welding, wherein a third material is put in between the first material and the second material during the joining process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Ingemar Strandell