Patents Examined by Phuong T Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11224939
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for thermal processing within a processing region (1) at a workpiece surface (2) by means of a laser beam (6) emitted by at least one radiation source (5). Arranged in the beam path of the laser beam (6) between the at least one radiation source (5) and the processing region (1) on the workpiece surface (2), there is at least one element (10, 11, 12) by means of which the intensity of the laser beam (6) is modifiable in a locally defined manner within the processing region (1). As an alternative or in addition thereto, the intensity of at least one of the laser beams (6) is modifiable in a locally defined manner within the processing region (1) by a defined actuation of the plurality of radiation sources (5) such that a locally defined distribution of the intensity of the laser beam (6) striking the workpiece surface (2) is achievable within the processing region (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: KJELLBERG-STIFTUNG
    Inventors: Michael Schnick, Nils Brocke
  • Patent number: 11224927
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for assembling a semiconductor device. The method may include heating the semiconductor device, which comprises a printed circuit card and a packaging laminate, according to a device heating profile to melt solder material located between an array of contact points on the printed circuit card and an array of corresponding contact points on the packaging laminate; and cooling the semiconductor device to solidify the solder material, wherein during at least a portion of the cooling a temperature of the printed circuit card is kept at substantially a same temperature or a higher temperature than a temperature of an electronic module attached to the packaging laminate opposite the corresponding array of contact points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Gaynes, Edward J Yarmchuk
  • Patent number: 11213914
    Abstract: Provided are a laser processing method capable of performing various types of processing while reducing a need to change components and method of manufacturing a display apparatus by using the laser processing method. The laser processing method includes: splitting a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source into a plurality of laser beams by using a laser beam splitter; and transmitting at least two of the plurality of laser beams through a position adjustment equipment that is on paths of the at least two laser beams in order to adjust a distance between the at least two laser beams by using a difference between a refractive index of an element of the position adjustment equipment and a refractive index of a peripheral environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Inventors: Jaesik Kim, Taemin Kang, Jeongkuk Kim, Youngsuk Cho
  • Patent number: 11213911
    Abstract: A first electrode coolant path is configured to cool a first welding electrode by liquid coolant flowing from a supply path through the first electrode coolant path to a return path. A second electrode coolant path is configured to cool a second welding electrode by liquid coolant flowing from the supply path through the second electrode coolant path to the return path. Three or more valves are configured to stop or reduce liquid coolant flow through the first or second electrode coolant path and configured to stop or reduce liquid coolant backflow from the return path when the first or second welding electrode is at least partially detached. At least one valve is coupled in the first or second electrode coolant path. A drawback apparatus generates a suction force to draw liquid coolant away from a gap formed when the first or second welding electrode is at least partially detached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Proteus Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Nicewonger
  • Patent number: 11213158
    Abstract: Predictive cooking systems and methods. A representative system can include a cooking device submergible in a container of fluid and a memory device storing instructions for causing a processor to receive information and determine heater set point temperature and on time. The processor can receive information indicative of one or more characteristics of a food item to be cooked in the fluid and a desired food temperature. The processor can perform a control process that can include sending instructions for controlling a heater, obtaining a temperature measurement of the fluid from a temperature sensor, determining a measurement of power delivered to the heater, determining constants related to corresponding physical characteristics of the fluid and/or the container based on at least one of the temperature measurement and the measurement of power, and determining a food temperature of the food item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Breville USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Baldwin, Kevin Klonoff, Christopher Charles Young
  • Patent number: 11213165
    Abstract: A radiation grill includes a housing and radiators which are arranged in the housing. A pullout which, in a position retracted into the housing, closes an opening on a front side of the housing. The pullout carries two glass plates arranged standing, which limit a cooking chamber in the retracted position of the pullout between them. Respectively, at least one of the radiators is arranged outside of the cooking chamber between each of the two glass plates and a side wall of the housing to irradiate grilled food in the cooking chamber. It is provided that movement of the pullout is limited by a stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: KAMMERER GMBH
    Inventor: Rolf Kammerer
  • Patent number: 11211931
    Abstract: According to various implementations, a sensor mat includes a mat substrate, a sensor electrode, and a shield electrode. At least a portion of the sensor and shield electrodes are spaced apart from and parallel to each other on a first surface of the mat substrate. The shield electrode is electrically coupled to a voltage source to create a capacitance between the shield electrode and the sensor electrode, and the sensor electrode is used to detect a change in the capacitance. The shield electrode may also be alternately used for heating the surface of the vehicle part adjacent the mat. For example, the sensor may be disposed adjacent a portion of a steering wheel or a seat assembly and is used for sensing presence of an occupant's hands or body adjacent the steering wheel or seat assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition LLC
    Inventors: Blaine J. Dolcetti, Phillip B. Maguire
  • Patent number: 11207743
    Abstract: In a solder processing device (A) which includes: a substantially tubular iron tip (5) that can be heated and that is extended vertically; and a solder piece supply portion (2, 6) that supplies a solder piece (Wh) from above into the iron tip (5), and in which the heat of the iron tip (5) is used to melt the solder piece (Wh) such that the molten solder is supplied downward, the supplied solder piece (Wh) is forcefully brought into contact with the inner wall of the iron tip (5). In this way, it is possible to more reliably heat and melt the solder piece (Wh) by use of the heat of the iron tip (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: AND Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Ebisawa
  • Patent number: 11206953
    Abstract: A system to create a consumable good utilizing interchangeable ingredients is disclosed in which the system includes an ingredient storage location to hold a plurality of ingredients usable in the consumable good, a selector to gather ingredients selected for inclusion in the consumable good, a mixing device to prepare the ingredients, a processing device to convert the ingredients into the consumable good, and a completion location to at least one of store the consumable good and deliver the consumable good to a user. A method and another system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: REDWIRE SPACE, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Phillip Snyder
  • Patent number: 11204394
    Abstract: A connector and sensor unit for a welding apparatus, including a first port configured to be connected to a first welding cable of the welding apparatus, a second port configured to be connected to a second welding cable of the welding apparatus, current sensor circuitry configured to sense a current being supplied by the first welding cable and the second welding cable, and to output a corresponding current sense signal, voltage sensing circuitry configured to sense a voltage between the first welding cable and the second welding cable, and to output a corresponding voltage sense signal, and supply power circuitry configured to generate a predetermined voltage for at least the current sensor circuitry, wherein the supply power circuitry receives power from the first welding cable and the second welding cable via at least one inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ESAB AB
    Inventors: André Walther, Volker Schauder, Peter Budai, Magnus Persson
  • Patent number: 11203798
    Abstract: A laser shock peening apparatus for the surface of a workpiece, said apparatus comprising a resonant cavity. When said apparatus is used to conduct laser shock peening, because of the presence of the resonant cavity, shock waves that would typically escape outward may instead be utilized, and composite shock waves may be formed as a result of the wave reflection and convergence effects of the resonant cavity. Said waves can then be used on the surface of a workpiece twice or multiple times, thereby greatly increasing energy utilization rates. In addition, a fluid-based confinement layer is limited to the inside of the resonant cavity and has a fixed shape, thereby effectively solving the problems of the poor stability of a fluid-based confinement layer and the difficulty with controlling the thickness of such a confinement layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventor: Wenwu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11203081
    Abstract: A removal device of a welding electrode tip includes a first insertion piece and a second insertion piece that are inserted into a space formed between an end surface of a large diameter portion of a shank and an end surface of the welding electrode tip, each of the first insertion piece and the second insertion piece having a wedge shape having a thickness that increases from a front end to a back portion in an insertion direction, wherein the first insertion piece and the second insertion piece have a thickness by overlap of the first insertion piece and the second insertion piece, and the thickness changes from a thickness smaller than a length of the space to a thickness larger than the length of the space according to an overlap amount in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: OBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Izumi, Tadao Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11202529
    Abstract: A machine (1) for preparing beverages comprising a machine casing (2) and discharge (7) including a discharge casing (71) with an opening (72) confined by a side wall (73) and a base wall (74) that includes at least one discharge passageway (75) disposed on a side opposite to the opening (72). The discharge casing (71) comprises retention elements (76) arranged in substantially mutually opposite positions on the perimeter region of the casing opening (72), whereby the retention elements (76) provide a removable retention along a vertical longitudinal plane of said discharge casing (71) on the machine casing (2). Thus, the opening (72) is confined above by a downwards oriented portion of said machine casing (2) when retained thereon by said retention elements (76). The retention elements (76) are adapted to provide retention on the machine casing (2) and release therefrom by manual actuation thereof without requiring the use of tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: NOVADELTA—COMÉRCIO E INDÚSTRIA DE CAFÉS S.A.
    Inventors: Rui Miguel Nabeiro, João André de Figueiredo Branco, Marco Filipe Gonçalves Martins
  • Patent number: 11198557
    Abstract: Capsule containing a substance for the preparation of a potable beverage, the capsule having an aluminum capsule body having a side wall and an outwardly extending flange and a sealing member at the outwardly extending flange for providing a fluid sealing contact with an enclosing member of a beverage preparation device. The beverage preparation device comprises an annular element having a free contact end which may be provided with a plurality of radially extending open grooves. The sealing member is integral with the outwardly extending flange and comprises a projection. An annular trough between the inner projection foot and the side wall has a bottom axially spaced from the outer projection foot towards the bottom of the capsule body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Kamerbeek, Arend Hendrik Groothornte, Hielke Dijkstra, Erik Pieter Van Gaasbeek
  • Patent number: 11198839
    Abstract: A beverage-making apparatus includes a fermentation tank assembly including a fermentation tank having an opening formed therein and a fermentation tank cover configured to open and close the opening. The beverage-making apparatus also includes a refrigeration cycle apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle apparatus is configured to circulate a refrigerant therethrough and to control a temperature of the fermentation tank as the evaporator is disposed at the fermentation tank. The beverage-making apparatus further includes a heat insulating wall surrounding both the fermentation tank and the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chungook Chong, Heeyeon Kim, Sunyoung Park
  • Patent number: 11198196
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of modifying a surface of a material, in situ, while the material is being used to at least one of form or modify a portion of a part to remove flaws layer-by-layer and improve a part from a layerwise built, or a coating. The method may involve generating first, second and third beams. The third beam may act on a surface of a material to heat a portion of the surface of the material into a flowable state to thus modify a surface characteristic of the material. The first beam may control an optically addressable light valve (OALV) which modifies an energy of the third beam. The second beam may control an optically addressable electric field modulator (OAEFM) to generate an electric field in a vicinity of the surface and to influence a movement of the portion of material while the portion of material is in the flowable state. The beams are modulated based on a sensing element feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Selim Elhadj, Jae Hyuck Yoo
  • Patent number: 11191385
    Abstract: A boil-over prevention device is provide which is adapted to a bottom surface to engage the rim of the sidewall surrounding the open end of a pot. A top surface of the body of the device curves around to redirect escaping fluid streams from the pot, to a distal edge of the ramp and back into the open end of the pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventor: Alyson Yamada
  • Patent number: 11185939
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machining apparatus includes: a processing tank, a lower-side wire guide assembly, a lower arm, a direction changing pulley, a winding roller, and a conveying device. The conveying device comprises a high-pressure jet flow generator and a suction pipe. The high-pressure jet flow generator is provided between the direction changing pulley and the winding roller on a side of a front end of a lower arm, and spouts a high-pressure jet flow toward a direction of the winding roller so that a wire electrode is guided only by a restraining force of the high-pressure jet flow and sent flying to the direction of the winding roller with the high-pressure jet flow. The suction pipe is provided on an exit side of the winding roller, and sucks and captures a tip of the wire electrode sent by the high-pressure jet flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SODICK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Sakaguchi, Tsuyoshi Takeda, Tsubasa Kuragaya
  • Patent number: 11179002
    Abstract: A heating device comprises a housing, a driving member a fan, a heating member and a cover. The housing is formed with a cavity and a plurality of holes communicating with the cavity. The driving member is disposed in the cavity and has a driving shaft extending along a first direction. The fan is disposed on the driving shaft and faces the holes. The heating element is disposed between the fan and the plurality of holes. The cover has annular steps. The diameter of the outer surface of the annular steps of the cover is gradually reduced in the first direction. The annular steps can accommodate pots of different diameter openings. With only one heating device that can be used with several pots, the user can cook different sizes of food, and save storage space and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SUZHOU BAOSHENG ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO. LTD
    Inventor: Weiling Lu
  • Patent number: 11173566
    Abstract: A first electrode coolant path is configured to cool a first welding electrode by liquid coolant flowing from a supply path through the first electrode coolant path to a return path. A second electrode coolant path is configured to cool a second welding electrode by liquid coolant flowing from the supply path through the second electrode coolant path to the return path. Three or more valves are configured to stop or reduce liquid coolant flow through the first or second electrode coolant path and configured to stop or reduce liquid coolant backflow from the return path when the first or second welding electrode is at least partially detached. At least one valve is coupled in the first or second electrode coolant path. A drawback apparatus generates a suction force to draw liquid coolant away from a gap formed when the first or second welding electrode is at least partially detached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Proteus Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Nicewonger