Patents Examined by Maria Veronica D. Ewald
  • Patent number: 7909596
    Abstract: The resin molding machine is capable of cleaning a resin molding die while performing a molding action without stopping the molding action and capable of securely removing contaminations from the resin molding die. The resin molding machine comprises: a press unit including a resin molding die; and a cleaning unit for cleaning a molding face of the resin molding die. The cleaning unit has an energy ray irradiation section, which irradiates an energy ray to the molding face of the resin molding die so as to easily peel off a contamination, which has been stuck on the molding face during a molding action, from the molding face. The contamination is stuck onto resin of a molded product when the product is resin-molded, so that the molded product is released from the resin molding die together with the contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Apic Yamada Corporation
    Inventors: Fumio Miyajima, Yoshio Watanabe, Tetsuya Nishizawa, Hiroaki Yamagishi, Mitsugi Yoshino, Takashi Katayama
  • Patent number: 7901197
    Abstract: A molding device for pre-shaped plastic films has a body, a platform and a driving shaft. The body can be rotatably mounted in a pre-shape machine and has an annular side surface and a top opening. The platform is detachably mounted in the top opening of the body. The driving shaft is mounted longitudinally through the body, movably extends longitudinally relative to the body and has an end attached securely to the platform to selectively raise the platform to lift a pre-shaped plastic film from the body. Accordingly, the plastic films can easily be separated from the platform, and to manually separate the plastic film from the molding device is unnecessary to prevent the plastic films from being damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: New Solid International Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Ting Sung, Yen-Chao Lu
  • Patent number: 7896639
    Abstract: Apparatus for producing an object by sequentially forming thin layers of a construction material one on top of the other responsive to data defining the object, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of printing heads each having a surface formed with a plurality of output orifices and controllable to dispense the construction material through each orifice independently of the other orifices; a shuttle to which the printing heads are mounted; a support surface; and a controller adapted to control the shuttle to move back and forth over the support surface and as the shuttle moves to control the printing heads to dispense the construction material through each of their respective orifices responsive to the data to form a first layer on the support surface and thereafter, sequentially the other layers; wherein each printing head is dismountable from the shuttle and replaceable independently of the other printing heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Objet Geometries Ltd.
    Inventors: Eliahu M. Kritchman, Igal Zeytoun
  • Patent number: 7891964
    Abstract: A pump system comprising a delivery assembly configured to feed a solid material under operational power of a first drive motor, and a screw pump comprising a housing that at least partially defines a barrel of the screw pump, an extrusion tip secured to the housing at a first end of the barrel, a liquefier secured to the housing and intersecting with the barrel, and an impeller extending at least partially through the barrel. The liquefier is configured to receive the solid material fed from the delivery assembly, to at least partially melt the received solid material, and to direct the at least partially melted material to the barrel, and the impeller is configured to drive the at least partially melted material that is directed to the barrel toward the extrusion tip under operational power of a second drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Skubic, James W. Comb, Jerome K. Grudem, Jr., William J. Swanson, John Samuel Batchelder, Steven M. Brose
  • Patent number: 7887316
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming three-dimensional objects by laser sintering that includes the use of dense phase pneumatic conveying to internally recycle overflow powder, and to thoroughly blend overflow, recovered and virgin powder to provide a consistent powder feed mix to a laser sintering machine. Overflow powder from the laser sintering machine is recovered and recycled back into the laser sintering machine for reuse. The approach results in a compact and reliable powder recycle system with complete blending and minimum attrition to the handled powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian David Cox
  • Patent number: 7878787
    Abstract: The invention relates to a forming tool 1 for forming fiber products. The forming tool according to the invention comprises a permeable shell 3 with an internal cavity 5 that is filled with loose objects 6 such as spheres. The cavity 5 is enclosed by the shell 3 and a permeable cover 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: PAKIT International Trading Company Inc.
    Inventors: Björn Nilsson, Lars Graffton, Leif Båskman, Robert Eriksson
  • Patent number: 7878785
    Abstract: The invention relates mold, particularly a mold for producing foam articles. In a preferred embodiment, the mold comprises a lid and a bowl releasingly engageable to define a mold cavity, the lid comprising: (i) a vent having a passageway for gas to escape from the mold cavity, and (ii) a plurality of grooves connected to the vent. The use of a plurality of grooves/slots in the mold cavity surface effectively acts as a siphon to draw gas away from the composition to be molded. The plurality of grooves/slots is connected to one or more vents which then allows for escape of the gas from the mold cavity to the exterior of the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Proprietect L.P.
    Inventors: Allan K. Cathcart, Leslie E. Clarke, Larry A. Genyn, Louie J. Meneses, Randall J. Lansue
  • Patent number: 7874831
    Abstract: An imprint lithography template including, inter alia, a body having a first thickness associated therewith; a patterning layer, having a second thickness associated therewith, comprising a plurality of features, having a third thickness associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Resnick, Mario Johannes Meissl, Kosta S. Selinidis, Frank Y. Xu
  • Patent number: 7866969
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a mold assembly (32, 34) and a method of using the mold for the manufacture of composite parts which, more particularly, are generated from a strengthener in a generally solid phase and a matrix in a generally liquid phase. Various types of molds and processes may be used in order to impregnate a strengthener with a matrix such that a composite part may be manufactured, but the efficiency rate and the duration of the manufacturing process significantly varies depending on the chosen type of mold and process. The present invention relates to a mold assembly and to the manufacture of composites by using the mold assembly which includes the injection of the matrix in the mold assembly containing the strengthener and a deformable member (36) which favors the impregnation of the matrix toward the strengthener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Polyvalor, Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Eduardo Ruiz, François Trochu
  • Patent number: 7866972
    Abstract: A replaceable double-plate-injection mold comprises a movable side mold plate having one side formed with a male mold core; a movable side assembly plate being connected to another side of the movable side mold plate; a fixed side mold plate having one side being formed with a female mold core; and a fixed side assembly plate having one side installed with a plurality of track supporting rods for passing through the fixed side mold plate, the movable side mold plate, and the movable side assembly plate. One side of the fixed side assembly plate is recessed for assembling a supporting plate of the male mold core; and another side thereof is corresponding to the fixed side assembly plate. A center of the movable side mold plate is formed with a receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Inventor: Fei-Pin Kuo
  • Patent number: 7862321
    Abstract: A molding arrangement is provided for multi-level stack molds wherein mold sets and runners are made up of modular sections interchangeable individually or as larger assemblies for exchanging molds for one part for those for different parts or exchanging runners between hot tip and valve gate designs to accommodate different molding arrangements. The arrangement has discrete melt paths for each mold level, at least some of which extend around rather than through the mold levels and which incorporate readily separable connectors. This enables one set of molds and possibly as well the runners for one mold level to be interchanged without interfering with the mold and runner arrangement for an adjacent level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: StackTeck Systems Limited
    Inventors: Henry John Rozema, Robert Frank Rick, Antonio Morrone
  • Patent number: 7862318
    Abstract: A tray (100) or container (478) which may be hermetically sealed having a flange (116), rim (124), handle (258), rib, bottom surface (500), sidewall (114), or other portion that is encapsulated by or formed from injection-molded material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott W. Middleton, Mark R. Sinclair, Brian R. O'Hagan, Patrick H. Wnek, Terrence P. Lafferty, Peter W. Blaas, Kevin J. Hjort, Patrick J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7862330
    Abstract: A food patty molding machine has a reciprocating mold plate. A moldable food product is pumped through a fill passage into cavities of the mold plate when the mold plate is in its fill position. A fill plate, interposed in the fill passage immediately adjacent the mold plate, has a multiplicity of fill orifices distributed in a predetermined pattern throughout an area aligned with the mold cavity when the mold plate is in its fill position. The fill orifices define paths through the fill plate, wherein the paths each have an inlet portion that is perpendicular to a fill side face of the mold plate that is connected to an outlet portion that is obliquely angled to a fill side face of the mold plate. A seal-off stripper plate is interposed in the fill passage immediately adjacent the face of the fill plate opposite the mold plate. The stripper plate is movable along a path transverse to the mold plate path between a fill location and a discharge location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Formax, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hansen, Scott A. Lindee
  • Patent number: 7862316
    Abstract: Foamed thermoplastic polymeric mechanical planarization polishing pads (“MP pads”) made with supercritical fluids are presented. A supercritical fluid foaming agent is dissolved in a thermoplastic polymer. A rapid change in the solubility and volume of the supercritical fluid foaming agent in the thermoplastic polymer results in foaming of the thermoplastic polymer. Foamed thermoplastic polymeric MP pads are advantageously both significantly and uniformly porous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kramer
  • Patent number: 7854604
    Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising, bringing a mold having a predetermined pattern into contact with at least a portion of an imprinting material formed on a substrate to be processed, and forming the pattern on the substrate to be processed by sequentially transferring the pattern for each shot, wherein one of a dicing region and a monitor pattern formation region of the substrate to be processed is coated with the imprinting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ikuo Yoneda, Shunko Magoshi
  • Patent number: 7850441
    Abstract: There is provided a mold structure containing a substrate, and a plurality of convex portions formed in the shape of concentric circles at predetermined intervals on one surface of the substrate, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the convex portions with respect to a radial direction of the concentric circles is such that a middle width M of each of the convex portions with respect to a heightwise direction is greater than a width T of a top portion of each of the convex portions with respect to the radial direction of the concentric circles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Usa, Kenji Ichikawa, Kazunori Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7845931
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of solidifying a polymerizable liquid to form a film on a substrate that features minimizing inhibition of the polymerization process by oxygen contained in the atmosphere surrounding the polymerizable liquid. To that end, the polymerizable liquid includes, inter alia, an initiator that consumes oxygen that interacts with the polymerizable liquid and generates additional free radicals to facilitate the polymerizable process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Y. Xu, Edward Brian Fletcher, Pankaj B. Lad, Michael P. C. Watts
  • Patent number: 7845930
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process or a device for the production of a three-dimensional object by layer-wise solidification of a photo-polymerizable resin by means of a planar or essentially planar construction/reference plane, at which the photo-polymerizable resin contained in the liquid material is to be hardened by electromagnetic irradiation, and wherein the material application for the subsequent layer automatically results from the separation of the last hardened layer from the construction/-reference plane, whereby the construction/reference plane is formed by an elastic film. The film is fixed in a frame, and the height position of the frame with the film is adjusted in a basin containing the liquid material such that the pressure of the liquid material compensates the sagging of the film (formation of a negative meniscus), and that the lower side of the film is permanently in contact with the material during the whole construction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Envisiontec GmbH
    Inventors: Alexandr Shkolnik, Hendrik John, Ali El-Siblani
  • Patent number: 7845928
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for marking, imprinting or applying a pattern, design or mark to a plurality of individual pieces of food product to be divided from a sheet of food product is described. In one aspect of the invention, a method may include the steps of supplying a sheet of food product, marking the plurality of individual pieces of food product to be divided from the sheet of food product, and dividing, at least partially, the individual pieces of food product from the sheet of food product. In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus may generally include a support frame, a cutting plate, and a marking head. The cutting plate preferably includes a plurality of cutting openings and an engagement surface capable of supporting and positioning a sheet of food product. The cutting openings preferably correspond to a plurality of individual pieces of food product to be divided from the sheet of food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: General Mills Marketing, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Finkowski, Mark E. Arlinghaus
  • Patent number: 7841851
    Abstract: A cementitious material delivery system may include a pump configured to pump cementitious material and an accumulator. The accumulator may be a decoupling accumulator and may contain a reservoir configured to store cementitious material, an accumulator inlet to the reservoir configured to receive cementitious material pumped by the pump, an accumulator outlet configured to deliver cementitious material from the reservoir, and a pressure applicator configured to apply pressure to the cementitious material that is delivered from the accumulator outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventor: Behrokh Khoshnevis