Patents Examined by Lee D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 12220739
    Abstract: A table assembly is used to support a workpiece to facilitate bending of the workpiece. The table assembly is attached to a press brake system and include a base and a clamp. The clamp is movable relative to the base to enable placement of the workpiece onto the base, and the clamp secures the workpiece to the base to block relative movement between the workpiece and the press brake system without additional user operations. The workpiece is secured via the table assembly without a manual force (e.g., to hold the workpiece in place) while the press brake system operates to bend the workpiece. The table assembly reduces, limits, or eliminates certain user operations during metalworking. The table assembly improves user experience (e.g., reduce an amount of manual labor) and/or efficiency associated with press brake operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, inc.
    Inventors: Josh Stuart, Chris Emmel, Steve Barner, Kyle Garrett, Aaron Snyder, Jason Schacher
  • Patent number: 12220796
    Abstract: A clamping device is disclosed having a rigid frame and a concavity for accepting items to be clamped together, a clamping action upon items entering into the concavity being facilitated by a contacting member in conjunction with a force-maintaining member and a displacement-limiting element to readily accommodate a range of clamped item dimensions without requiring separate opening or tightening adjustments to be performed by a user while applying the clamping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: William D. Macy, Nathan D. Eversole
  • Patent number: 12220730
    Abstract: A clamping device for clamping silicon wafers of different sizes and cleaning same includes a main body and a plurality of clamping mechanisms. The surface of the main body defines a plurality of receiving grooves. Separate circular and concentric rows of clamping mechanisms are radially disposed around a central axis of the main body. The clamping mechanism includes first and second clamping members each received in one of the receiving grooves and are adjustable in respect of working height above or flush with the carrying surface of the main body. The first clamping member is closer to the center axis with respect to the second clamping member. A cleaning device with the clamping device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: TRIPLE WIN TECHNOLOGY(SHENZHEN) CO.LTD.
    Inventors: Liang-Yuan Li, Lian-Jie Tan, Yuan Wen
  • Patent number: 12220835
    Abstract: A woodworking bridge has two base walls or components that enable the bridge to span an abutment or joint between two work pieces. A top surface enables a clamp to engage the bridge to permit the clamp to apply a clamping force to a first work piece and a second work piece on both sides of the joint and prevent the clamp from contacting the joint. This allows any adhesive that oozes from the joint to be cleaned without curing in the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the two work pieces. The work pieces may then be stained without any cured adhesive in the pores of the work pieces where stain is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Woodpeckers, LLC
    Inventor: Wayne Sherman
  • Patent number: 12209634
    Abstract: A modular attachment device for insertion into a plurality of strands of a braided rope, comprising: at least one braiding segment that is braidable into the plurality of strands; at least one first lateral fixation segment that is mountable to the at least one braiding segment at a first lateral attachment interface; and at least one second lateral fixation segment that is mountable to the at least one braiding segment at a second lateral attachment interface, wherein at least one of the first and second lateral fixation segments comprises at least one anchor point for attachment of an external component, and wherein the first and second lateral fixation segments are mountable to the at least one braiding segment for securing the plurality of strands on the at least one braiding segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Heider, Alexandru Dinca, Dominik Vogel
  • Patent number: 12208478
    Abstract: A positioning device is provided, including: a base seat, including a plurality through holes and a slide groove; a clamping assembly, disposed within the slide groove, including a first clamping body and a second clamping body; an adjustment assembly, including a first driving rod, a second driving rod and at least one rotation rod, the first driving rod including a first thread section and a first bevel gear, the second driving rod including a second thread section and a second bevel gear, the first clamping body and the second clamping body are respectively screwed on the first thread section and the second thread section, each rotation rod including a third bevel gear, the third bevel gear respectively meshed with the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Inventors: Chang-Yi Lin, Chang-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 12211734
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a lift pin mechanism for substrate processing chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, the lift pin mechanism includes a lift pin comprising a shaft with a top end, a bottom end, and a coupling end at the bottom end; a bellows assembly disposed about the shaft. The bellows assembly includes an upper bellows flange having an opening for axial movement of the shaft; a bellows having a first end coupled to a lower surface of the upper bellows flange such that the shaft extends into a central volume surrounded by the bellows; and a bellows guide assembly coupled to a second end of the bellows to seal the central volume. The shaft is coupled to the bellows guide assembly at the coupling end. The bellows guide assembly is axially movable to move the lift pin with respect to the upper bellows flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Sulyman, Carlaton Wong, Rajinder Dhindsa, Timothy Joseph Franklin, Steven Babayan, Anwar Husain, James Hugh Rogers, Xue Yang Chang
  • Patent number: 12208468
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a delivery unit for delivering a workpiece between a cassette placed on a cassette rest and a chuck table and a measuring unit for measuring a thickness of the workpiece. The delivery unit includes a base having a non-contact-type suction holder for ejecting air to develop a negative pressure to attract and hold the workpiece under suction out of contact therewith, and a moving unit for moving the base. The height of the non-contact-type suction holder is adjusted according to the thickness of the workpiece measured by the measuring unit to place the non-contact-type suction holder in a position that is spaced from a face side of the workpiece by a distance in a predetermined range while the workpiece is being delivered by the delivery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Natsuko Hanamura
  • Patent number: 12196364
    Abstract: A clamp apparatus is disclosed that includes a body, first and second actuators, first, second, third and fourth gear sets, first and second movable grippers, and at least one leaf spring. The first gear set is coupled to the first actuator and the second gear set is coupled to the second actuator. The first gear set engages the second gear set. The first and second movable grippers are each operatively coupled to the body. The third gear set is coupled to the first movable gripper and the fourth gear set is coupled to the second movable gripper. The third gear set operatively engages the fourth gear set. The leaf spring engages with the third gear set and the fourth gear set to urge the first movable gripper and the second movable gripper toward a clamped position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: DEKA Research Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Janway, Larry B. Gray, Matthew Richard Gill, Richard J. Lanigan, Thomas A. Friedrich, Stephen L. Fichera, John M. Kerwin, Erik N. Sabin, Dean Kamen
  • Patent number: 12194605
    Abstract: A clamp includes a first clamp body and a second clamp body, which intersect and are fastened by a pivot mechanism, form a jaw opening at one end of a pivot mechanism, and have respective handles at the other end of the pivot mechanism. A stop mechanism is disposed on the first clamp body and an anti-pinch flange is disposed at a position, corresponding to the protruding stop mechanism, on the second clamp body to prevent the two handles of the first clamp body and the second clamp body from further closing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignees: Hangzhou United Tools Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 12195313
    Abstract: A set of lift controls may be configured to determine the load on the motor (112) by a vehicle of an unknown weight during operation at a standard lift speed and use such information to determine a potential speed that the motor may raise the vehicle at while staying within safe operational levels for the motor. One or more of a magnitude of electrical power drawn, a pressure generating by a hydraulic lifting, or a sensed vehicle weight may be used to provide an indication of load on the motor and/or a higher potential speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Vehicle Service Group, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Deuerling, Doug Spiller, Ron Schneider, John Uhl, Gerry Lauderbaugh, Robert Elliott, Darian Smith, Doug Brown, Jason Stewart
  • Patent number: 12194604
    Abstract: A dismantling device, comprising a base, a bearing mechanism, a moving mechanism and a pulling-out assembly, the bearing mechanism supports a product to be dismantled; the pulling-out assembly comprises a connecting mechanism, a drive mechanism, a catching member and a sliding block; the connecting mechanism comprises an outer framework and an inner framework sliding relative to the outer framework; the outer framework is connected to the moving mechanism and presses against the product; the drive mechanism is connected to the inner framework and the sliding block; the catching member is slidably arranged in the inner framework; the sliding block slides with the catching member; and the drive mechanism drives the catching member to clamps the part and the inner framework dismantles the part from the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignees: FU DING ELECTRONICAL TECHNOLOGY (JIASHAN) CO., LTD., FUZHUN PRECISION TOOLING (JIASHAN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yi Zhou, Xiong-Jun Shu, Yue Li, Dao-Cheng Wang, Ya-Jie Gao, Ping Jiang, Liang-En Zhu
  • Patent number: 12185878
    Abstract: A system for collecting liquids includes a platter and two or more cutting boards. The platter includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a platter edge surrounding and joining the upper surface and the lower surface. The platter edge on the upper surface is higher than two or more centers of the upper surface. The platter includes one or more ridges on the lower surface. The one or more ridges is contiguous with the platter edge on the upper surface. Each of the two or more cutting boards include a top surface for receiving food items, a bottom surface resting on the upper surface of the platter, and a board edge surrounding and joining the top surface and the bottom surface. Each cutting board is placed on a center of the upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Inventor: Kristin Noto
  • Patent number: 12186851
    Abstract: A method for evacuating a volume below a substrate in a substrate processing system includes arranging the substrate on a lift mechanism of a substrate support to define the volume below the substrate between the substrate and an upper surface of the substrate support. An evacuation step is initiated to evacuate the volume below the substrate. The evacuation step includes pumping down the volume below the substrate at least one of through and around the lift mechanism. The lift mechanism is lowered during the evacuation step to position the substrate on the upper surface of the substrate support and the evacuation step is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Michael Philip Roberts, Paul Konkola, Michael G. R. Smith, Brian Joseph Williams, Ravi Kumar, Pulkit Agarwal, Adrien Lavoie
  • Patent number: 12179293
    Abstract: A fixture assembly for supporting a plurality of blanks during a shearing and welding operation. The fixture assembly includes a base frame. A rotating frame is rotatably connected to the base frame. A fixed block is fixed to the rotating frame for supporting a first blank. A moveable block is moveably connected to the rotating frame for supporting a second blank. A first clamp is provided for coupling the first blank to the fixed block. A second clamp is provided for coupling the second blank to the moveable block. A vertical actuator is coupled with the rotating frame and configured to move the moveable block in a vertical direction being perpendicular to a plane of the rotating frame for moving the second blank. A horizontal actuator is coupled with the rotating frame and configured to move the moveable block in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Florian Hanschmann, Anastasiia Makhaeva
  • Patent number: 12179328
    Abstract: A staple removing device includes a placing table on which a sheet bundle bound by a staple is placed; a removing part including a tip end portion that can be inserted between the sheet bundle and the staple and is configured to be movable along the placing table between a standby position and a removal position and to be inserted between the sheet bundle and the staple when the tip end portion moves to the removal position; a first motor configured to move the removing part; and an accommodation part configured to accommodate the staple removed by the removing part, wherein the first motor is located below the removing part when the tip end portion is at the standby position, and the accommodation part is located below the removing part when the tip end portion is at the removal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: MAX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Yagi, Katsuya Hakozaki
  • Patent number: 12180737
    Abstract: A post driver and remover for the installation and removal of posts includes a post receiver having a post receiver body having a driving end and an opposite driven end. The post receiver body defines a post receiving space having an open end adjacent the driven end and a closed end adjacent the driving end. The post receiving space is sized and shaped to receive an upper end portion of one of the posts. The post receiver body also has a first extractor and a second extractor. The first extractor receives a first post of a first cross-sectional size or shape, and the second extractor has a different size or shape from the first extractor to receive a second post of a second cross-sectional size or shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: AOB Products Company
    Inventors: Ryan Varnum, Timothy S. Kinney, Kyle Smith, Matthew Kinamore, James Tayon, Seth Wheeler, Aaron Wood, Jason Nickerson, Curtis Smith, Bryan Mach, Eric Smith
  • Patent number: 12171376
    Abstract: A system for serving and collecting liquids includes a platter and a cutting board. The platter includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and an edge surrounding and joining the upper surface and the lower surface. The edge on the upper surface is higher than a center of the upper surface. The cutting board includes a top surface for receiving food items, a bottom surface resting on the upper surface of the platter, and multiple holes extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. The holes progressively widen after a specific depth from the top surface to the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Inventor: Kristin Noto
  • Patent number: 12170217
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a stage including an electrostatic chuck configured to attract a substrate; a heater configured to heat the stage; a heating drive part configured to supply power to the heater so that a temperature of the stage becomes a target value; and a detector configured to detect an abnormality in attraction of the substrate by the electrostatic chuck, wherein the detector is further configured to detect the abnormality based on fluctuation of the power supplied to the heater, the fluctuation being generated by the attraction of the substrate by the electrostatic chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroaki Chihaya, Yasuhiko Kojima, Einstein Noel Abarra, Tetsuya Miyashita
  • Patent number: 12162097
    Abstract: A workpiece positioner assembly including a headstock apparatus having a motor and a headstock swing arm rotatably supported on the headstock apparatus. The headstock swing arm is configured to be rotated by the motor. The assembly includes a tailstock apparatus and a tailstock swing arm rotatably supported on the tailstock apparatus. The tailstock swing arm and the headstock swing arm are configured to support a workpiece. The assembly also includes a beam coupled to the headstock swing arm and to the tailstock swing arm to transmit rotation of the headstock swing arm to the tailstock swing arm, and a compliance assembly. The compliance assembly is provided between at least one of the headstock swing arm and the beam to enable relative movement between the headstock swing arm and the beam, and the tailstock swing arm and the beam to enable relative movement between the tailstock swing arm and the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: YASKAWA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Donald J. Metz, Alberto H. Gay, Carl S. Wiener