Patents Examined by Robert F Neibaur
  • Patent number: 12172265
    Abstract: A mandrel assembly may be used with a rotary power tool to provide a reliable and stable connection between the rotary tool and a tool accessory. The mandrel assembly provides a quick-connect/quick-release connection between the tool output shaft and the accessory via a clamping action. In particular, the mandrel assembly is movable between a first configuration in which the accessory may clamped tween a clamping element formed on one end of the mandrel and a collar which surrounds the mandrel and a second configuration in which the accessory may be loaded onto or detached from the mandrel assembly. Movement from the first configuration to the second configuration, and from the second configuration to the first configuration each include axial motion in combination with a rotation of the mandrel in the same direction relative to the collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Inventors: Jeremy Rubens, Caitlyn Miklasz, Alexander Hills
  • Patent number: 12172270
    Abstract: A screw bit body which allows for efficient torque force application onto a socket fastener. The screw bit body includes a plurality of laterally-bracing sidewalls, a first base, and a second base. The laterally-bracing sidewalls are radially distributed about a rotation axis of the screw bit body with each further including a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a bracing surface, and an engagement cavity. The engagement cavity creates an additional gripping point to prevent slippage in between the screw bit body and the socket fastener. The engagement cavity traverses normal and into the bracing surface. Additionally, the engagement cavity traverses into the screw bit body from the first base to the second base. The engagement cavity is specifically positioned offset from the first lateral edge by a first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: GRIP HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Paul Kukucka, Thomas Stefan Kukucka
  • Patent number: 12172718
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting heavy machinery, equipment or other heavy loads from one location to another, whereby the apparatus may be constructed as a walking machine including a plurality of lifting assemblies operative to lift the load above the supporting surface and then move the load relative to the supporting surface by transporting the load via rollers or tracks in the walking machines. In one example, the lifting assemblies are provided with separate longitudinal and lateral drive mechanisms independently operative for translating the load in either or both longitudinal and lateral directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Columbia Trailer Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Boyd Williams, Steven Andrew Csergei
  • Patent number: 12167827
    Abstract: An autonomous cleaning device is provided. The autonomous cleaning device includes: a device body; and a drive module, a cleaning module and a sensing module, wherein the drive module, the cleaning module and the sensing module are detachably assembled to the device body, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignees: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD., BEIJING ROBOROCK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xing Li, Zitao Wang, Zhijun Li, Yongfeng Xia
  • Patent number: 12167820
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for steam cleaning comprise a steam cleaning device/system employed for steam cleaning or treating operations. In an embodiment, a steam cleaning device may comprise agitation features employed for steam cleaning or treating. In another embodiment, the steam cleaning device may be a steam accessory employed for steam cleaning or treating. In yet another embodiment, the steam cleaning device may comprise various features employed for multi-purpose steam cleaning or treating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Dan Innes, Lee Cottrell, Paul Grandstrand
  • Patent number: 12168281
    Abstract: Methods of forming a cutting element include leaching a diamond table of the cutting element and subsequent to leaching the diamond table of the cutting element, forming a chamfer on the diamond table of the cutting element at an interface between a cutting surface of the diamond table and an outer side surface of the diamond table. Methods of forming earth-boring tools include forming a cutting element and securing the cutting element to a body of the earth-boring tool. Forming the cutting element includes including leaching a diamond table of the cutting element and subsequent to leaching the diamond table of the cutting element, forming a chamfer on the diamond table of the cutting element at an interface between a cutting surface of the diamond table and an outer side surface of the diamond table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jair Leal, John A. Bomidi, Aaron Gunn
  • Patent number: 12162117
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for a vacuum pedestal and method of cleaning a pedestal used in semiconductor device fabrication are described. The apparatus has a baseplate, a collar attached to the baseplate, a cap disposed on the collar, and a shaft that extends from the collar through the cap, collar and baseplate. A manual rotatable handle is attached to a shaft portion that extends from the cap. Motion of the handle in a downward direction is impeded by the cap. A disk is attached to a lower portion of the shaft and is separated from a bottom of the baseplate due to weighted rings, which are attached to the disk and surround the lower portion of the shaft such that a vertical float is present between the shaft and the cap. At least one abrasive pad is attached to the disk to remove build-up on the underlying pedestal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Robert McKinney, Sushanth Kondi, Mahendra Byrapura Manjunath, Gary B. Lind, Vinayakaraddy Gulabal, Andrew Paul Eib, Eddie Ze Thean Ooi, Vishnu Sai Yalamarty
  • Patent number: 12151334
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an automatic chuck apparatus comprising a mechanical chuck, a mechanical chuck mounting bracket, a hydraulic motor, a lifting mechanism, a chuck key and a lifting cylinder. The mechanical chuck is mounted above the mechanical chuck mounting bracket. The hydraulic motor, the lifting mechanism and the lifting cylinder are mounted below the mechanical chuck mounting bracket. The hydraulic motor is configured to control the rotation of the chuck key, the lifting cylinder is configured to drive the chuck key to ascend or descend through the lifting mechanism, thereby the mechanical chuck is locked or loosened by the chuck key. The present disclosure further provides a grinding wheel cutting apparatus and a cutting method. In the present disclosure, the locking of the chuck is automatically controlled, thereby improving the working efficiency and ensuring sufficient locking force of the chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignees: Biam Alloys Co., Ltd., Jiuma Automatic Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiafei Zhou, Hongbo Li, Yu Meng, Xujie Wan
  • Patent number: 12151336
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing pad located on a top surface of a platen configured to rotate around a vertical axis passing through the platen, a wafer carrier configured to hold a substrate on a bottom surface thereof and to press the substrate on a top surface of the polishing pad, a slurry dispenser configured to dispense slurry over the top surface of the polishing pad, and a pad conditioning unit comprising a pad conditioning disk and a conditioning head configured to hold the pad conditioning disk. The conditioning head includes an electromagnet and the pad conditioning disk comprises a first ferromagnetic material portion configured to be attracted to the electromagnet when the electromagnet is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Wen-Pin Ho, Ren-Hao Jheng, S. P. Cheng
  • Patent number: 12154810
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing system for processing a set of semiconductor wafers includes a controller, a transfer robot controlled by the controller, a wet bath for containing a cleaning solution, and a cassette positioned in the wet bath for holding the set of wafers. The transfer robot transfers the wafer from a transfer location to the cassette and the controller controls the transfer robot during the transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: GlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: ShinBae Park, SangJun Kim
  • Patent number: 12154783
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has a base material. The semiconductor wafer may have an edge support ring. A grinding phase of a surface of the semiconductor wafer removes a portion of the base material. The grinder is removed from or lifted off the surface of the semiconductor wafer during a separation phase. The surface of the semiconductor wafer and under the grinder is rinsed during the grinding phase and separation phase to remove particles. A rinsing solution is dispensed from a rinsing solution source to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The rinsing solution source can move in position while dispensing the rinsing solution to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The grinding phase and separation phase are repeated during the entire grinding operation, when grinding conductive TSVs, or during the final grinding stages, until the final thickness of the semiconductor wafer is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 12145236
    Abstract: Containment and exhaust systems for substrate polishing components are disclosed. In one aspect, a substrate carrier head, includes a polishing pad, a substrate carrier head configured to retain a wafer against the polishing pad, an atomizer configured to atomize a liquid and spread a layer of the atomized liquid over a surface area of the polishing pad, and a chamber configured to contain and exhaust the atomized liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Axus Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Ray Trojan, John Kevin Shugrue
  • Patent number: 12138701
    Abstract: A method for creating a surface structure on a gear wheel in a honing process, in which at least one honing tool is moved along the gear wheel in a first direction using a first crossed axes angle, and in which, subsequently, the at least one honing tool is moved along the gear wheel in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, using a second crossed axes angle, and in which the first crossed axes angle and the second crossed axes angle are chosen such that first scoring marks produced when the at least one honing tool is moved in the first direction on a surface of the gear wheel at least partially intersect, at a given angle, respective second scoring marks produced when the at least one honing tool is moved in the second direction on the surface of the gear wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Markus Heilmann, Philipp Buratowski
  • Patent number: 12138744
    Abstract: This disclosure includes methods and systems for producing ophthalmic lenses. Some methods include identifying a plurality of zones within a spatial representation of a lens blank, selecting, for each of the zones, one or more parameters for producing the lens, and producing the lens by removing material from the lens blank according to the one or more parameters of each of the zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Sébastien Piraube, Bruce Taylor, Brad Gelb, Mark Kaluza, Peter Hones, Fred Adolfo
  • Patent number: 12138737
    Abstract: A polishing pad having a polishing portion comprising a polymer matrix and rate enhancing lamellar particles that include a phosphate or an arsenate of group III-A or group IV-A metals can be effective in chemical mechanical polishing especially when using a slurry comprising particles having a positive charge in slurry conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammad T. Islam
  • Patent number: 12138740
    Abstract: A wheel cover including a first cover attachable to a body of a power tool and a second cover removably attachable to the first cover reduces rattling of the second cover. The wheel cover includes a first cover attachable to a body of the power tool to cover at least a portion of a first surface of the tip tool adjacent to the body of the power tool, a second cover removably attachable to the first cover to cover at least a portion of a second surface of the tip tool opposite to the body of the power tool, and a rattle restrainer that reduces, while the second cover is attached to the first cover, rattling of the second cover relative to the first cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryosuke Otani
  • Patent number: 12138732
    Abstract: Embodiments herein include carrier loading stations and methods related thereto which may be used to beneficially remove nano-scale and/or micron-scale particles adhered to a bevel edge of a substrate before polishing of the substrate. By removing such contaminates, e.g., loosely adhered particles of dielectric material, from the bevel edge, contamination of the polishing interface can be avoided thus preventing and/or substantially reducing scratch related defectivity associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Asheesh Jain, Sameer Deshpande
  • Patent number: 12137865
    Abstract: A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaning appliance includes a housing which defines a suction chamber. The suction chamber has a suction inlet through which air enters the suction chamber, and a suction port through which air exits the suction chamber. The cleaner head includes a plurality of casters for supporting the cleaner head. Each caster is rotatable relative to the housing about a first axis which is perpendicular to the suction inlet. Each caster is also rotatable relative to the housing about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Aaron Yii How Teo, Stefan Koch, Robert Michael Cox, Stuart Lloyd Genn
  • Patent number: 12138743
    Abstract: A polishing device includes a bearing mechanism including a bearing plate configured to carry wafers and drive the wafer to rotate and a first polishing mechanism including at least one group of rotatable first polishing wheels. Each first polishing wheel is formed with a first polishing groove extending along a circumferential direction. Each group includes two first polishing wheels. The two first polishing wheels in each group are arranged symmetrically with respect to the bearing plate and rotation axes of the two first polishing wheels are coplanar with a rotation axis of the bearing plate. The two first polishing wheels in each group are capable of moving close to or away from the wafer, so that an inner sidewall of the first polishing groove is pressed against or moves away from the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignees: XI'AN ESWIN MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., XI'AN ESWIN SILICON WAFER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Kang
  • Patent number: 12137797
    Abstract: A cleaning roller is mountable to a cleaning robot. The cleaning roller includes a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller. The cleaning roller further includes a core including a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along an axis of rotation. An inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion or the second end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Blouin, Pierre Paul Richard Souloumiac, Pu Zhou