Patents Examined by Marc Jimenez
  • Patent number: 7114254
    Abstract: A metal gasket assembly has a gasket plate and an annular grommet. The gasket plate is formed with an opening having opposing surfaces adjacent the opening to define a predetermined fixed thickness of a plate. The annular grommet has an elastically deformable U-shaped body. The U-shaped body has legs presenting outer sealing surfaces defining an initial undeformed thickness that is greater than the thickness of the gasket plate. The opening formed in the gasket plate receives the grommet. A compressive force applied in a generally perpendicular direction to the opposing surfaces of the gasket plate deform the legs of the body to a reduced thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of the gasket plate. When the compressive force is reduced with changes in operating conditions, the legs of the grommet return toward their original undeformed thickness to maintain a seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Reisel, Thomas O. Zurfluh
  • Patent number: 7115084
    Abstract: A replaceable fuser member including a thin, seamless or welded high temperature nickel sleeve, a base cushion positioned around the sleeve, a primer coat of a silane coupling agent containing epoxies on the sleeve, and an outside coating applied over the base cushion elastomer layer. The sleeve is replaceable on a mandrel positioned in an electrophotographic copying machine in a fuser station of the electrophotographic copying machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jiann-Chen Chen, Biao Tan, Joseph A. Pavlisko, Muhammed Aslam, Allen Kass, Nataly Boulatnikov
  • Patent number: 7107661
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus of recycling a printed circuit board for separating and retrieving a metallic material, which includes a printed metallic material, and an insulating material, both composing the printed circuit board. Both the metallic material and the insulating material, which are separated and retrieved, are possible for recycling. In the method for recycling the printed circuit board, hot filtration equipment 4a and resin-metal separation equipment 51 are used in hot filtration process P400. The waste printed circuit board 1 is heated and force-filtered so that only the insulating material 1a pass through the filter. Then, the insulating material 1a and the metallic material 1b are separated and retrieved. It is preferred that the insulating body base 23 of the printed circuit board 100 as the waste printed circuit board is made of thermoplastic resin or a mixture of thermoplastic resin and inorganic loading material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Rikiya Kamimura, Katsumi Nakamura, Kouji Kond, Atsusi Sakaida, Toshihisa Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 7107660
    Abstract: A method and kit for repairing vehicle door skins by reorienting vehicle hem flanges from a closed orientation to an open orientation to allow removal of a damaged door skin from a door frame and replacing with a new door skin with an open orientation hem flange that is reoriented to a closed orientation to integrate the door skin and door frame with an adhesive. The repair kit includes a first tool for lifting and opening the damaged door skin hem flange to allow removal of the damaged door skin and reuse of the door frame. The tool kit includes a second repair tool for reorientation and closing the new door skin replacement door skin hem flange on the reused door frame with an adhesive to provide a repaired vehicle door with the replacement skin and reused door frame integral as a vehicle door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Lord Corporation
    Inventor: Edward T. Staquet
  • Patent number: 7100271
    Abstract: A vehicle framing system for framing an automotive vehicle body from a plurality of separate body components wherein the body components each include a reference surface. The system includes an assembly station having spaced-apart frame members positioned so that, when a vehicle carrier supporting the vehicle body components is positioned at the assembly station, the frame members extend along opposite sides of the vehicle carrier. At least two docking stations are secured to each frame member at predetermined locations. A robot mounts its associated tool arm with a docking station. At least one set of reference block and framing clamp is secured to each tool arm and these framing clamps maintain the reference surfaces of the vehicle body components against the reference blocks to hold the vehicle components at a predetermined position relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Valiant Corporation
    Inventor: Dominique Baulier
  • Patent number: 7096583
    Abstract: This invention provides an improved system and method for producing manifolds such as those used to direct exhaust gasses from an internal combustion engine into a turbocharger. The manifold is made from two or more pieces which are machined in such a way as to create passageways when the separate pieces are assembled together. The method is much faster and easier to produce than present methods and allows for improved accuracy. The ability to machine these manifolds using computer controlled machines will lower costs and improve quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Inventor: Leen David Steed
  • Patent number: 7097604
    Abstract: In a guide roller for a stamping machine for deflecting a stamping foil web and/or a substrate web to be stamped upon, so that the guide roller has a negligibly low degree of friction, fixed to a roller spindle that is fixed with respect to the machine is at least one porous air-permeable spindle sleeve at which at least one roller sleeve is rotatably mounted. The roller spindle has a compressed gas passage for acting on the or each spindle sleeve with compressed gas to produce a gas cushion between the or each respective spindle sleeve and the associated roller sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Leonard Kurz GmbH & Co.,KG
    Inventors: Georg Kaluza, Ralf Friedmann
  • Patent number: 7097605
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a roller for the thermomechanical treatment of a web-shaped medium, the roller including: a roller body; axial bores for a thermal treatment fluid which are incorporated in roller body near to an outer surface of the roller body and into which the thermal treatment fluid flows on an inflow side; inflow zones, formed on the inflow side in the upstream ends of the bores or in feed channels through which the thermal treatment fluid flows into the bores; and directing or guiding portions provided in the inflow zones, which transfer a rotational movement of the roller onto the thermal treatment fluid, the directing portions at least substantially completely transfer the rotational movement onto the thermal treatment fluid and in this way suppress a relative swirl between the bores and the thermal treatment fluid, while still in the inflow zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: SHW Casting Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz-Michael Zaoralek
  • Patent number: 7093362
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a modular fuel injector permits the fabrication of the electrical group subassembly outside a clean room while a fuel group subassembly is fabricated inside a clean room. The fuel injector comprises a valve group subassembly and a coil group subassembly. The valve group subassembly includes a tube assembly having a longitudinal axis that extends between a first end and a second end; a seat that is secured at the second end of the tube assembly and that defines an opening; an armature assembly that is disposed within the tube assembly; a member that biases the armature assembly toward the seat; an adjusting tube that is disposed in the tube assembly and that engages the member for adjusting a biasing force of the member; a filter that is located at least within the tube assembly; and a first attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Michael P. Dallmeyer, Michael J. Hornby
  • Patent number: 7094191
    Abstract: A press roll is employed in the press section, calender section, etc., of a papermaking machine. The press roll includes a first tapered surface (11a) and a first clamping surface (12a). The first tapered surface (11a) is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the supporting head (11) and diminishes in outside diameter toward its axially outer end. The first clamping surface (12a) is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the clamping member (12) and coincides with the first tapered surface (11a). With the first tapered surface (11a) and the first clamping surface (12a), a blanket (10) is clamped on the first tapered surface (11a) in a perpendicular direction. In this way, the blanket (10) can be exchanged easily and uniformly in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruyoshi Fujiwara, Tetsuo Makino, Hidemasa Iijima
  • Patent number: 7093335
    Abstract: A method is provided for repairing a surface portion of an article including a metallic environmental resistant coating on a substrate. The coating includes a coating outer portion bonded with the substrate through a diffusion zone that includes at least one feature, for example Al and/or an intermetallic phase, in an amount detrimental to application of a metallic replacement coating and/or repair of the article. The method comprises removing the coating outer portion to expose a surface of the diffusion zone. The substrate and the diffusion zone are heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to diffuse and/or dissolve at least a portion of the at least one feature in the exposed surface and in a portion of the diffusion zone beneath the exposed surface to a level below the detrimental amount. This provides a replacement surface portion integral with diffusion zone. Then a metallic replacement coating outer portion is applied to the replacement surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Conner, Roger Dale Wustman, Jonathan Philip Clarke
  • Patent number: 7089667
    Abstract: A method of assembling a truss utilizing a truss assembly apparatus having a truss table with a work surface, the steps comprising: arranging at least two truss members on the work surface to form a truss in a first assembly zone; clamping the truss in the first zone with a movable first clamp rail having at least one flip-arm recess therein; and automatically flipping the truss from the first assembly zone to a second assembly zone by activating a plurality of flip arms, at least a portion of one of the plurality of flip arms movable into the at least one corresponding flip-arm recesses of the first clamp rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Alpine Engineered Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David L. McAdoo
  • Patent number: 7086153
    Abstract: Distortion of the cross-sectional shape of a tube when producing a heat exchanger tube by cutting a continuous tube is prevented by forming cutting grooves in a strip material in advance by an upper and bottom cutter. The two side edges of the strip shaped member where stress will concentrate in the next tube forming step, the parts strongly bent, etc. are made thick, while the parts forming the belly surfaces of the tubes are made thin. At least four rollers are divided into two groups and arranged in a zigzag configuration. The continuous tube receives bending force in the forward and reverse directions between the group of rollers and is easily broken at the cutting grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Takumi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7076854
    Abstract: A toothed or splined shaft having an external toothing is pushed with clearance into an internal toothing of a hub, tooth to space, and the external toothing of the shaft is pressed together with the internal toothing of the hub. In the push-in position of the shaft, the latter is deformed plastically out of a cavity of the shaft in a radial circumferential widening operation and, so as to provide freedom from clearance between the spaces of the external toothing of the shaft and the internal toothing of the hub, the internal toothing engaging into the external toothing is pressed against the hub in such a way that the hub is deformed elastically and a press fit between the shaft and the hub is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Torsten Harms, Juergen Knuedel
  • Patent number: 7076860
    Abstract: An optical component manipulation system has two opposed jaws, which can each be independently positioned relative to each other in a coordinate plane to thereby effect the desired positioning of optical components within the larger system. Z-axis rigidity is provided by air-bearings. Laser heating of the jaws is used for solder, or similar heat driven bonding, processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Axsun Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert K. Jenner, Dale C. Flanders, Peter S. Whitney, Jonathan R. Coppeta
  • Patent number: 7076856
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method for joining structural members are provided. The apparatus includes a support structure of extendable members, each with an adjustable support surface for engaging the structural members so that structural members of different sizes and shapes can be accommodated. Gantries, which are longitudinally adjustable, support a joining device having co-operable heads that engage the structural members. The heads are adjustable in a transverse direction along the gantries so that the heads can be configured in an opposing configuration and used to join the structural members therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Branko Sarh
  • Patent number: 7070551
    Abstract: Impression roller (10) for a laminating machine for producing a packaging material which comprises a carcass layer (40) consisting of paper or carton, which carcass layer exhibits through holes (42), and which carcass layer exhibits, on one of its sides, a barrier layer (44), a plastic lining (46, 47) which is arranged outside the barrier layer, and a film of laminant thermoplast (43) which is arranged between the carcass layer (40) and the barrier layer (44), with the said impression roller exhibiting a jacket surface which is faced with an inner facing layer (12) consisting of an elastic material, exhibiting a first hardness and a first thickness. According to the invention, an outer facing layer (13) consisting of an elastic material, exhibiting a second hardness and a second thickness, with the said first hardness being greater than the said second hardness and with the said first thickness being greater than the said second thickness, is arranged on the outside of the said inner facing layer (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventor: Rolf Lasson
  • Patent number: 7065872
    Abstract: A method of processing a rotor. The rotor is formed by casting an ingot to have first and second regions formed of different alloys that intermix during casting to define a transition zone therebetween. The ingot is forged to yield a rotor forging that contains axially-aligned first and second alloy regions and a transition zone therebetween. A three-dimensional approximation of the transition zone is generated, which can be used to predict the effects of the transition zone on the dynamic performance of a rotor machined from the forging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Swami Ganesh, Robin Carl Schwant, Ling Yang, John Zhiqiang Wang, Francis Alexander Reed, Robert V. Falsetti
  • Patent number: 7065865
    Abstract: A truss assembly apparatus for assembling truss structures, by assembly on two or more consecutive, spaced apart, coplanar work table surfaces and with a gantry type press assembly of a plurality of wooden truss members and truss connector plates with toothed projections, the truss members coupled by embedding the connector plate projections into said truss members. The truss assembly apparatus has a gantry type press assembly with first and second ends adapted to be mounted on first and second ends of each of said work table surfaces, for movement over the work table surfaces and the space between adjacent work table surfaces. The gantry assembly has a continuous belt on the first and second ends for driving of the gantry assembly, by engagement of the continuous driving belt with the first and second table ends. The gantry assembly is configured to be supported by the continuous belt, during movement of the gantry over a work table surface when crossing the space between work table surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventor: Ghislain Simard
  • Patent number: 7065852
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hydraulic shock absorber is provided with a piston main body manufacturing step 21 including the process of sintering of the piston main body and the process of forming of the molded sealing are performed, a piston assembly manufacturing step 22 including process of forming of the throttle oil passage on the piston main body manufactured in the piston main body manufacturing step 21 and the assembly of valves onto the piston main body, and a hydraulic shock absorber manufacturing step 23 for manufacturing a hydraulic shock absorber using the piston assembly. In this manner, it is not necessary to provide for an intermediate inventory between each process. Furthermore inventory monitoring processes are simplified in the piston main body manufacturing step and productivity is increased since it is not necessary to monitor the inventory level with respect to a plurality of piston assembly types with different valves or throttle hydraulic passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimio Sudo, Ryuji Uda