Patents Examined by Ruth G Hidalgo-Hernandez
  • Patent number: 9278413
    Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for the optimization of shoulder arthroplasty component design through the use of computed tomography scan data from arthritic shoulders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
    Inventor: John W. Sperling
  • Patent number: 9258663
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assembling non-occluding earbuds are disclosed. The earbud includes a non-occluding housing having a directional sound port offset with respect to a center axis of the earbud. The housing can have an asymmetric shape amenable to in-the-ear retention. Additionally, the housing can have a seamless or nearly seamless construction even though two or more parts are joined together to form the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Aase, Ian Davison, Kurt Stiehl, Brian Wark
  • Patent number: 9242063
    Abstract: A forehead-contacting device for a breathing mask includes a support element made from an elastomer material. The support element forms a support face which in an application position is adapted to seat on a forehead area of a user. The support element includes a jacket that defines a hollow chamber adapted to be filled with a viscous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: RESMED R&D GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Johann S. Burz, Achim Biener, Bernd C. Lang
  • Patent number: 9221101
    Abstract: A process and device in production of precise three-dimensional sinters of a shape substantially close to that of an original part, using flash sintering produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology. A mold is produced in a die of an enclosure for SPS flash sintering, the mold being shaped as an impression of the original part. The following are deposited in successive layers in the mold: a layer based on a superalloy powder, a metallic protection layer, and a thermal barrier layer. In a sintering, pressurization is initiated and a pulsed current passes through, producing a rapid rise in temperature in accordance with a flash sintering cycle whose temperature, pressure, and duration are regulated, with at least one temperature plateau and one pressure plateau. The layer of superalloy forms, by diffusion, during the sintering, a bonding continuum of material with the part to be repaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Juliette Hugot, Justine Menuey
  • Patent number: 9211616
    Abstract: A method of constructing a manufacture system for manufacturing one product by sequential manufacture works each of which is performed by each of at least one manufacture work machine, the method including: a main-apparatus preparing step of preparing, for said each of the at least one manufacture work machine, a main apparatus including a main frame and a central control device; a work-element-performing-apparatus preparing step of preparing, for said each of the at least one manufacture work machine, a plurality of work-element performing apparatuses; a work-element-performing-apparatus installing step of installing the prepared plurality of work-element performing apparatuses on the main frame of the prepared main apparatus; and a central-control-device setting step of executing setting, with respect to the central control device of the prepared main apparatus, for controlling the prepared plurality of work-element performing apparatuses in a centralized manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seigo Kodama, Noriaki Iwaki
  • Patent number: 9205804
    Abstract: A method for preventing twisting of a strap of a car seat, the method comprising receiving the strap through a body portion of a device, wherein the body portion includes opposite open ends, and wherein the strap extends through the body portion and protrudes from each of the ends, and positioning the device below at least one of a chest clip and a bottom clip coupled to the strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Inventor: Jeannine Bernardo
  • Patent number: 9015943
    Abstract: The current invention provides a tube-grasping body for grasping an insert tube in a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger production methods and apparatuses utilizing the tube-grasping body, wherein the tube-grasping body enables to enlarge and connect an insert tube to a heat radiating fin for producing a heat exchanger, still keeping the total length of insert tubes at an almost same level even after the enlargement; and the tube-grasping body is connected at its exterior to the guide-pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kyoshin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Tokura
  • Patent number: 9009970
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing includes a polygonal shape closed structure part with a bent shape in the longitudinal direction only by press forming. The method uses two metal plates for manufacturing a curvilineal closed structure part and includes a press forming process of forming straight or bent folding lines in the longitudinal direction of the two metal plates at positions corresponding to a polygonal bent shape with a flange formed at least at one of the ends of the width direction of each plate, a process of forming a closed structure by laying the two metal plates to overlap each other flange to flange and end to end for ends without flanges and by welding the portions laid to overlap each other in the longitudinal direction of the metal plates, and a process of forming a polygonal shape closed structure having a bent shape in the longitudinal direction by holding both ends of the closed structure and by compressing it toward its central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Higai, Takayuki Futatsuka, Yoshikiyo Tamai, Takaaki Hira, Yuji Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 8752296
    Abstract: A scaffold assembly permits a single individual to install the assembly on an open stud wall. The assembly includes a horizontally oriented walkway supporting member, a vertically oriented rail support member, and a support unit extending from the walkway supporting member to the ground. An attachment assembly is connected to the walkway supporting member and includes a pair of rotatable members, one of which bears against the outer edges of a pair of adjacent studs and the other of which bears against the inner edges of the adjacent pair of studs in order to secure the scaffold assembly in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventors: W. Floyd Samons, Walter T Campbell
  • Patent number: 8739404
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to the use and manufacture of cooling features within a component used in a hot gas path, such as within a turbine. In one embodiment, channels are formed within an external surface of the component and filled with a removable material. The external surface and channels may then be coated with one or more layers, such as a structural layer and/or top coat. The removable material may then be removed to leave the channels free of the removable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Bin Wei, Ann Melinda Ritter, Don Mark Lipkin, Raul Basilio Rebak, Lawrence Bernard Kool, Dennis Michael Gray
  • Patent number: 8726515
    Abstract: An oil-impregnated sintered which does not damage rotating shaft and itself and has a high durability even in the case that the rotating shaft is inclined in the bearing by a large shear load applied thereto, and a method of manufacturing an oil-impregnated sintered bearing which exhibits center deviation-suppressing action of the bearing satisfactorily by accurately forming a bearing hole in an intermediate completely sintered are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Diamet Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Maruyama, Teruo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8720066
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bellows hose, which is capable of being used without leakage, and which has a longer length and/or diameter than has been previously achievable. A bellows hose comprises an inner tubular bellows and an outer tubular bellows. An insulation layer is provided between the bellows. An armoured layer is provided around the outer bellows, to improve the insulation further. The hose can have length above 30 m and a diameter above 400 mm. A method of, and apparatus for, making the hose are also described, which involves the use of a non-metallic mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel Aron Witz, David Cox, Gerard Anthony Hall, Richard Smith
  • Patent number: 8713793
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method—for producing an engine valve (V) filled with metallic sodium (Na) within by means of: forming a stem section (S), which has a hollow section (H), at an intended size by successively drawing the stem section (S) using dies (D1, D2, Dx, Dx+1, Dn) in a manner so as to causing the size of the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the stem section (S) to contact in a stepwise fashion; and inserting metallic sodium (Na) into the hollow section (H) of the stem section (S)—wherein after drawing the stem section (S) until the inner diameter of the hollow section (H) of the stem section (S) has become a prescribed size (steps S11-S15) and then inserting the block-shaped solid metallic sodium (Na) into the hollow section (H) of the stem section (S) (step S16), the stem section (S) is further drawn (steps S17 and S18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yoshimura Company
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Hyoji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8713797
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composite hose, which is capable of being used without leakage, and which has a longer length and/or diameter than has been previously achievable. A composite hose comprises a tubular body of flexible material arranged between an inner and an outer helically wound wire. The hose further comprises an axial strengthening means adapted to reduce deformation of the tubular body when the tubular body is subjected to axial tension, the axial strengthening means being adapted to exert a radially inward force on at least part of the tubular body when axial strengthening means is subjected to axial tension. The hose can have length above 30 m and a diameter above 400 mm. A method of, and apparatus for, making the hose are also described, which involves the use of a non-metallic mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel Aron Witz, David Cox, Gerard Anthony Hall, Richard Smith
  • Patent number: 8689447
    Abstract: A fire retardant, transparent panel and method of making the panel, that is especially well suited for use on mobile platforms, and particularly on aircrafts. The panel is a composite of a transparent matrix and a plurality of fire-retardant nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have a diameter less than the visible spectrum of light, and in one form between about 0.1 nm to about 400 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles may be arranged randomly or in predetermined patterns within the matrix during manufacturing of the panel. The panel is lightweight, transparent and yet highly fire retardant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: John N. Harris
  • Patent number: 8677595
    Abstract: A method of making retractable pipe, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: (1) preparing a pipe body which comprises an outer pipe and an inner pipe; providing a handle seat and a handle button on the outer pipe; providing a handle actuation means inside the handle seat; providing a push rod assembly, a locking block, a sliding block and a reset spring at the handle actuation means; (2) providing a guiding groove and locking troughs on the inner pipe, and arranging locking troughs on the inner pipe; (3) providing a fixing sleeve inside the handle seat; providing raised guiding rails on the fixing sleeve; the raised guiding rails are slidably inserted in the guiding groove; the sliding block forces a locking tongue to fit into the locking trough to lock the retractable pipe. A retractable pipe made by the above method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Dongguan Jiede Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhengwei Zeng
  • Patent number: 8661679
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a bearing device for a wheel, the method including forming an inner shaft so that an outside diameter of the inner shaft at a first portion is smaller than an outside diameter of the inner shaft at a second portion which is adjacent to the first portion, the peripheral surface of the inner shaft at the first portion is to be heat-treated, and the peripheral surface of the inner shaft at the second portion is not to be heat-treated, and the first portion has a predetermined length in an axial direction, and heat-treating the peripheral surface of the inner shaft at the first portion, and finishing a peripheral surface of the inner shaft by lathe turning whereby a step is not formed at a border between the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Coporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Kamikawa
  • Patent number: 8640320
    Abstract: A method of joining a first and a second work piece, such as automotive closure panels, includes supporting the work pieces on a fixture, and then joining the work pieces to one another by a first solid state weld with a vibrating roller head of a tool assembly, such as a robotically-controlled ultrasonic seam welder. Next, a flange of the second work piece is hemmed about an outer periphery of the first work piece using the same or a different roller head with the work pieces supported by the fixture. The hemmed flange is then joined to the first work piece by a second solid state weld with the vibrating roller head of the robotically-controlled ultrasonic seam welder. A system for joining a first and a second work piece is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John E. Carsley, Blair E. Carlson, James G. Schroth, David R. Sigler
  • Patent number: 8615878
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for fabricating a heat pipe, and an instrument of the method. The method for fabricating a heat pipe includes providing a hollow tube, wherein the hollow tube has an open end and a closed end; disposing a mandril into the hollow tube from the open end, wherein the inside wall of the hollow tube is separated from the mandril by a space, and wherein the mandril comprises a first portion and a second portion and the first portion has a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the second portion; filling up the space between the mandril and the hollow tube with a powder; performing a sintering process to the hollow tube, forming a first agglomeration region and a second agglomeration region; removing the mandril; injecting a working fluid into the hollow tube; and sealing the open end of the hollow tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Wistron Corp.
    Inventor: Wei-Cheng Chou
  • Patent number: 8613139
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing at least a portion of a metal part of a turbine engine having a width. The portion of the metal part is manufactured by metal disposition using a MIG welding apparatus including a pulsed current generator and a pulsed deposition-wire flow, and used for varying the current and flow, the manufacture being carried out in the form of metal beads in several consecutive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Thierry Jean Emile Flesch, Jean-Baptiste Mottin