Patents Examined by Lois Zheng
  • Patent number: 8414711
    Abstract: A workpiece including aluminum or an aluminum alloy on a surface thereof is subjected to surface treatment including the steps of immersing in an acidic or alkaline aluminum oxide film-removing solution containing a salt or oxide of a metal capable of substitution with aluminum and forming a substituted metal layer and contained in the removing solution on a surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy while removing an aluminum oxide film on aluminum or aluminum alloy surface, forming a substituted zinc film by zinc substitution treatment without removing the substituted metal layer, removing the substituted metal layer and substituted zinc film with an oxidizing liquid, and subjecting again to zinc substitution treatment, forming a substituted zinc film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: C. Uyemura & Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Uchida, Kazuki Yoshikawa, Toshiaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 8409370
    Abstract: A treatment solution for insulation coating for grain oriented electrical steel sheet includes at least one member selected from phosphates of Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Zn, Al, and Mn, and colloidal silica in a proportion of 0.2 to 10 mol in terms of SiO2 and a titanium chelate compound in a proportion of 0.01 to 4.0 mol in terms of Ti, relative to PO4: 1 mol in the phosphates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Takashima, Mineo Muraki, Makoto Watanabe, Tomofumi Shigekuni
  • Patent number: 8404062
    Abstract: A cooling device and a cooling method for a hot strip allow uniform and stable cooling of the strip at a high cooling rate when supplying the coolant to the upper surface of the hot strip. The cooling device includes an upper header unit 21 for supplying a rod-like flow to the upper surface of the strip 10. The upper header unit 21 is formed of the first upper header group including plural first upper headers 21a arranged in a conveying direction and a second upper header group including plural second upper headers 21b arranged in the conveying direction. The cooling device is provided with an ON-OFF mechanism 30 to allow each of the upper headers 21a and 21b of the first and the second upper header groups to independently execute the ON-OFF control (start/end injection control) of an injection (feeding) of the rod-like flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ueoka, Naoki Nakata, Takashi Kuroki, Nobuo Nishiura
  • Patent number: 8377236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stabilized lithium metal powder having a substantially continuous protective layer of lithium phosphate on the lithium metal powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Marina Yakovleva, Yuan Gao, Yangxing Li
  • Patent number: 8376196
    Abstract: A device for interchangeable connection of a casting tube to a spout of a melt vessel with a sliding closure fastened on a melt vessel. The closure is formed by at least one stationary closure plate and a closure plate that can be displaced relative thereto, wherein the displaceable closure plate is coupled to a sliding drive system and carries the casting tube. To improve the changeover process of a casting tube and to make it safer, the displaceable closure plate carries a connecting ring for the centered accommodation of the casting tube and the displaceable closure plate carries a changing device for the casting tube. The changing device is synchronously displaceable with the displaceable plate. A tensioning device presses the casting tube onto the displaceable closure plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Vai Metals Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Ebner, Johann Penn, Heinrich Thoene, Franz Wimmer
  • Patent number: 8372216
    Abstract: A continuous method for surface treatment of metal strips applies a finish coat having a thickness of not more than 3 ?m, the apparatus employed for application being equipped with at least one IR sensor which faces a coated side of the strip, operates in reflection geometry, and serves to measure the coat thickness of the finish coat, with the strip running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Guido Vandermeulen, Bernd Strubel, Helmut Witteler, Jessica Neumann, Walter Bertkau, Bernd Laubusch, Jens Haas, Mirjam Herrlich-Loos, Helmut Löw, Walter Braumandl
  • Patent number: 8366845
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles. The apparatus includes a conveyer for transferring the plurality of curved suture needles from a source of curved suture needles to a receiver, a housing positioned adjacent the conveyer, the housing having a first end, a second end, and an opening running from the first end to the second end, the opening aligned with the conveyer to enable the plurality of curved suture needles to pass therethrough, and a heat source located within the housing for heating the plurality of curved suture needles as the plurality of curved suture needles are transferred by the conveyer from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing. Also provided is a process for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles to enhance the stiffness and yield moment of the curved suture needles. The curved suture needles so treated have a desirable combination of stiffness, strength and ductility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Richard Cichocki, Jr., David DeMarest, Gregory Hollin, Eugene D. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8366846
    Abstract: Disclosed is an Al—Mg—Si aluminum alloy sheet that can prevent ridging marks during press forming and has good reproducibility even with stricter fabricating conditions. In an Al—Mg—Si aluminum alloy sheet of a specific composition, hot rolling is performed on the basis of a set relationship between the rolling start temperature Ts and the rolling finish temperature Tf° C., whereby the relationship of the cube orientation distribution profile in the horizontal direction of the sheet with the cube orientation alone or another crystal orientation distribution profile at various locations in the depth direction of the sheet is made more uniform, suppressing the appearance of ridging marks that develop during sheet press forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Takaki, Takeo Sakurai, Kwangjin Lee
  • Patent number: 8361244
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for protecting metal surfaces in oil & gas exploration and production, refinery and petrochemical process applications subject to solid particulate erosion at temperatures of up to 1000° C. The method includes the step of providing the metal surfaces in such applications with a hot erosion resistant cermet lining or insert, wherein the cermet lining or insert includes a) about 30 to about 95 vol % of a ceramic phase, and b) a metal binder phase, wherein the cermet lining or insert has a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0 and a K1C fracture toughness of at least 7.0 MPa-m1/2. The metal surfaces may also be provided with a hot erosion resistant cermet coating having a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Researach and Engineering Company
    Inventors: John Roger Peterson, Robert Lee Antram, Christopher John Fowler, Neeraj Srinivas Thirumalai, ChangMin Chun, Emery Bela Lendvai-Lintner
  • Patent number: 8357423
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making a refractory carbide layer on the accessible surface of a C/C composite material, the method including a step consisting in placing the composite material in contact with a reactive composition in solid form that contains an atomic proportion greater than or equal to one-third and less than or equal to 95% of a metal that is a precursor of a determined carbide having a melting temperature greater than 2000° C., and an atomic proportion of silicon that is greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to two-thirds. The method further includes a step consisting in impregnating the accessible surface of the C/C composite material with the reactive composition melted at a temperature that is greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the metal that is a precursor of a determined carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignees: Snecma Propulsion Solide, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Jacques Thebault, Christian Robin-Brosse, Aurélie Quet, René Pailler
  • Patent number: 8349092
    Abstract: A method for treating or pre-treating parts, profiled-pieces, strips, sheet metals or wires having metallic surfaces, in which at least 5% of these surfaces consists of aluminum or of at least one aluminum alloy with an acid aqueous solution which contains fluoride, zinc and phosphate and which has the following dissolved contents in the phosphatizing solution: sodium virtually none, from 0.04 to less than 2 g/L; potassium virtually none or in a concentration ranging from 0.025 to 2.5 g/L; sodium and potassium in a concentration ranging from 0.025 to 2.5 g/L as sodium, whereby the potassium content is converted to sodium on a molar basis; zinc 0.2 to 4 g/L zinc, 5 to 65 g/L calculated as PO4; 0.03 to 0.5 g/L phosphate free fluoride wherein the total fluoride is present in a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 5 g/L. A zinc-containing phosphate layer is thereby deposited onto the metallic surfaces with a layer weight ranging from 0.5 to 10 g/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Chemetall GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Specht, Peter Schubach, Rüdiger Rein, Peter Claude
  • Patent number: 8349248
    Abstract: A metallic material is made from at least one refractory metal or an alloy based on at least one refractory metal. The metallic material has an oxygen content of about 1,000 to about 30,000 ?g/g and the oxygen is interstitial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jens Trotzschel, Bernd Spaniol
  • Patent number: 8333847
    Abstract: A chemical conversion treatment liquid which can stably form a phosphate-type chemical conversion film on a steel material for a joint portion of an oil well steel pipe containing 0.5-13% Cr is developed. Using a chemical conversion treatment liquid to which a prescribed amount of potassium is added, a chemical conversion film containing a prescribed amount of potassium compounds and having a prescribed thickness can be formed on the threaded surface of a joint portion of an oil well steel pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Izawa, Kunio Goto
  • Patent number: 8323423
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for protecting metal surfaces in oil & gas exploration and production, refinery and petrochemical process applications subject to solid particulate erosion at temperatures of up to 1000° C. The method includes the step of providing the metal surfaces in such applications with a hot erosion resistant cermet lining or insert, wherein the cermet lining or insert includes a) about 30 to about 95 vol % of a ceramic phase, and b) a metal binder phase, wherein the cermet lining or insert has a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0 and a K1C fracture toughness of at least 7.0 MPa-m1/2. The metal surfaces may also be provided with a hot erosion resistant cermet coating having a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: John Roger Peterson, Narasimha-Rao Venkata Bangaru, Robert Lee Antram, Christopher John Fowler, Neeraj Srinivas Thirumalai, ChangMin Chun, Emery Bela Lendvai-Lintner
  • Patent number: 8323472
    Abstract: The method of surface treatment, as applied onto a metal base material, of the present invention includes a reduction treatment step of reduction-treating the oxide film formed on the metal base material and an oxidation treatment step of oxidation-treating the oxide film having been subjected to the reduction treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Hasegawa, Yusuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8317940
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for protecting metal surfaces in oil & gas exploration and production, refinery and petrochemical process applications subject to solid particulate erosion at temperatures of up to 1000° C. The method includes the step of providing the metal surfaces in such applications with a hot erosion resistant cermet lining or insert, wherein the cermet lining or insert includes a) about 30 to about 95 vol % of a ceramic phase, and b) a metal binder phase, wherein the cermet lining or insert has a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0 and a K1C fracture toughness of at least 7.0 MPa-m1/2. The metal surfaces may also be provided with a hot erosion resistant cermet coating having a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: John Roger Peterson, Narasimha-Rao Venkata Bangaru, Robert Lee Antram, Christopher John Fowler, Neeraj Srinivas Thirumalai, ChangMin Chun, Emery Bela Lendvai-Lintner
  • Patent number: 8317897
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for supersonically injecting oxygen into a furnace, in particular a cupola furnace, in which the total oxygen required for the furnace operation is injected with the aid of two distinct circuits, i.e., the first circuit comprising at least one supersonic oxygen injecting nozzle and a second circuit which comprises additionally oxygen injecting means and is connected to the first circuit by pressure-sensitive means, such as a discharging device (or upstream pressure adjuster), in such a way that a stable pressure is obtained in the first circuit upon the attainment of the maximum flowrate thereof, wherein the first circuit can consists of several supersonic nozzle groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Philippe Beaudoin
  • Patent number: 8318250
    Abstract: Anchored nanostructure materials and methods for their fabrication are described. The anchored nanostructure materials may utilize nano-catalysts that include powder-based or solid-based support materials. The support material may comprise metal, such as NiAl, ceramic, a cermet, or silicon or other metalloid. Typically, nanoparticles are disposed adjacent a surface of the support material. Nanostructures may be formed as anchored to nanoparticles that are adjacent the surface of the support material by heating the nano-catalysts and then exposing the nano-catalysts to an organic vapor. The nanostructures are typically single wall or multi-wall carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC
    Inventors: Roland D. Seals, Paul A. Menchhofer, Jane Y. Howe, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 8313570
    Abstract: A composition for coating a metal substrate with a white to off-white or gray colored autodeposited coating comprising water, polymeric resin, HF and pigment particles comprising a core of titanium dioxide, an intermediate zirconia and/or alumina layer, and an outer organic layer, optionally the particles are treated with an anionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Henkel KGaA
    Inventors: Omar L. Abu-Shanab, Bashir Ahmed, Manesh Nadupparambil Sekharan, William E. Fristad, Nicholas Herdzik
  • Patent number: 8307484
    Abstract: An automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the salt water pool to be cleaned, and an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, includes a processor/controller that is programmed to activate the chlorine generator, the pump and drive means in predetermined operational sequences that minimize wear and tear on the water pump and drive means, while at the same time distribute and maintain a safe level of sanitizing chlorine in the pool, to thereby obviate the need for an in-line chlorinator or other chemical additive treatments; an optional automated sensor device can be provided to activate a secondary maintenance program which enables the pool cleaner to operate over prolonged periods of time as the sole means for filtering and sanitizing the pool water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Aqua Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Porat