Patents Examined by Sang Y. Paik
  • Patent number: 11224307
    Abstract: A heating appliance includes a translucent cooktop and a burner in communication with the cooktop. The burner is operable between deactive and active states. The upper surface of the cooktop defines a cooldown state after the burner is moved from the active to the deactive state. A light module includes a light source and is in an illuminated state when the burner is in the active state and when the cooktop is in the cooldown state. A light guide extends from the light module and around a portion of the burner. The light guide is positioned such that the light source directs light through the light guide. The outer surface of the light guide includes a formed surface that directs light upward and through the cooktop, wherein the light guide is visible through the cooktop when the light module is in the illuminated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick A. Millett
  • Patent number: 11219096
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of suppressing adhesion of by-products to a furnace opening portion. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a reaction vessel having an opening at a lower end and accommodating a substrate retainer; a shaft rotatably supporting the substrate retainer; a cap including: a side surface portion having a predetermined gap with an inner surface of the reaction vessel; a cylindrical portion through which the shaft is inserted; an upper plate portion of an annular shape; and a flange connected to a lower end of the side surface portion; and a cap cover connected to the shaft above the upper end of the cylindrical portion. A purge gas from thereunder flows sequentially to a space between the shaft and the cylindrical portion, a space between the upper plate portion and the cap cover and a space between the side surface portion and the cap cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shuhei Saido
  • Patent number: 11211265
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a processing container that accommodates a plurality of substrates, a gas supply unit that supplies a raw material gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit that exhausts the raw material gas in the processing container, and a heating unit that heats the plurality of substrates. The gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe including: a first straight pipe portion that extends upward along a longitudinal direction of an inner wall surface of the processing container; a bent portion where a distal end side that extends above the first straight pipe portion is bent downward; a second straight pipe portion that extends downward from the bent portion; and a plurality of gas ejecting holes formed on the second straight pipe portion. The first straight pipe portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the second straight pipe portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Satoshi Takagi, Hiroyuki Hayashi, Hsiulin Tsai
  • Patent number: 11204186
    Abstract: A terminal device for connecting a heating apparatus with an electricity supply, in particular for a tubular heating apparatus for household appliances, wherein the heating apparatus includes at least one electric resistance heating element, comprises a mounting and reception section arranged for being electrically connected with the electric resistance heating element of the heating apparatus, a connector section arranged for being electrically connected on its one end side with an electrical power supply and on its other end side with the mounting and reception section, and a thermal fuse unit for detecting an excess temperature of the heating apparatus, which is in heat transfer contact with at least the mounting and reception section and which is connected in the electric supply circuit for supplying the electric resistance heating element of the heating apparatus with electricity. The mounting and reception section comprises a cavity for receiving the thermal fuse unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: BLECKMANN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Reichl, Georg Görg, Peter Melcher
  • Patent number: 11203079
    Abstract: An end assembly for use with a welding device having a chamber between the diffuser sleeve and the insert which allows for cooling the insert and for controlling the flow of gas through the end assembly. Some of the components of the end assembly such as the contact tip, insert and gooseneck are constructed of a conductive material which are securely held together in contact by a diffuser sleeve constructed of a dissimilar material. The end assembly provides better conductivity of the current through the end assembly for use of less energy during welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ELCo Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L Cooper, Steven J Hayes
  • Patent number: 11199330
    Abstract: A cooktop assembly includes a countertop defining a cutout portion, and a countertop contact area is disposed proximate a perimeter of the cutout portion on a lower surface of the countertop. A cooktop defines a work portion, and a cooktop contact area is disposed proximate a perimeter of the work portion on an upper surface of the cooktop. An attachment assembly includes a first attachment member positionable on a first side of the cutout portion of the countertop. A second attachment member is positionable on a second side of the cutout portion of the countertop. The first and second sides are opposing sides, and the first and second attachment members are securable to the countertop and the cooktop to engage the countertop contact area with the cooktop contact area thereby securing the cooktop to the countertop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Hendrickson, Sean M. Howley, Martin Lach, Timothy A. Mayberry
  • Patent number: 11198189
    Abstract: A welding system includes a power source configured to generate power and deliver the power to a welding torch. The power is provided in accordance with an electrode negative pulse welding regime that includes a cyclic peak, followed by a stabilization phase, then a return to a background level. The stabilization phase has a generally parabolic current shape, and is performed in a current-closed loop manner until a transition point. Resulting weld performance is improved, with a globular-like transfer mode, reduced shorts and enhanced arc stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Dustin Marschke, Amanda Jean D'Arcy, Nathan Gerald Leiteritz
  • Patent number: 11187594
    Abstract: An assembly, for example an electrostatic chuck assembly, includes a first member, a second member disposed proximate the first member, a bond layer disposed between the first member and the second member, and at least one optical sensor disposed proximate the bond layer to detect a temperature of the bond layer in a field of view of the at least one optical sensor. The bond layer includes a phosphorescent material and provides a dual function of bonding the second member to the first member and emitting phosphorescent radiation towards the at least one optical sensor. In one form, the first member is an electrostatic chuck member and the second member is a heating plate. The assembly may further include a cooling plate and an additional bond layer disposed between the heating plate and the cooling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: John Patrick Bergen, Daryl G. James
  • Patent number: 11185942
    Abstract: Aspects of a welding-type cable and torch are provided. The welding-type cable includes a power conductor to conduct welding-type power and a weld torch interface on a distal end of the welding-type cable to attach a weld torch to the power conductor. The welding-type torch includes a power connector to transfer welding-type power between the welding-type torch and a power conductor of a welding-type cable that is detachably coupled to the power connector. An electrode to perform a welding-type operation using the welding-type power is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Richard Schmitz, Chris J. Roehl, Scott Ryan Rozmarynowski, Zachary William MacMullen, Lauren Goulet
  • Patent number: 11189506
    Abstract: Halogen lamps arranged in two, upper and lower, tiers to intersect each other in a lattice pattern are provided under a chamber for receiving a semiconductor wafer therein. In a location where the halogen lamps in the upper and lower tiers overlap each other, a reflector is provided such that an outer wall surface of a glass tube of each halogen lamp is open on upper and lower sides. In the location where the halogen lamps in the upper and lower tiers overlap each other, light emitted upwardly from a halogen lamp in the lower tier is transmitted through the open upper and lower portions of the outer wall surface of the glass tube of a halogen lamp in the upper tier, and is directed further upwardly. Thus, the light is prevented from entering the glass tube of the halogen lamp in the lower tier again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshio Ito
  • Patent number: 11179801
    Abstract: A laser processing system that can effectively blow out a material of a workpiece that is melted by a laser beam by effectively utilizing an assist gas emitted from a nozzle. The laser processing system includes a nozzle having an emission opening that emits a jet of the assist gas along an optical axis of the laser beam, the nozzle forming a maximum point of velocity of the jet at a position away from the emission opening and is configured such that during processing of the workpiece by the laser beam, a nozzle is disposed with respect to a process portion of the workpiece W, at a target position determined based on a position of the maximum point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Izumi
  • Patent number: 11175049
    Abstract: A cooking hob retention system includes a support element having a major surface and a pocket disposed therealong and defining a strip having a first opening and a second opening on vertically opposite sides thereof. The system also includes a fastening element including an engagement end and a free end resiliently compressible toward the engagement end about a central fold disposed therebetween. The engagement end is coupled with the support element by a deformable portion opposite the central fold received within the first opening and a protruding element extending toward the deformable portion and received within the second opening. The free end includes a body defining an acute angle with respect to the engagement end. A tab extends from the body generally parallel to the engagement end, and a first countering element extends from the body beyond the tab to an end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Elio Cabrelle, Luca Miraglia
  • Patent number: 11174883
    Abstract: A laser welded joint improving the tensile shear strength without causing an increase in the welding time and without using an expensive remote laser head, that is, a laser welded joint obtained by arranging metal sheets overlaid and welding them by a laser beam from the overlaid direction, wherein when a total thickness of the metal sheets welded overlaid is “t” (mm), the width of the weld metal at the joined interface is 0.6t1/3+0.14 (mm) or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatoshi Tokunaga, Hiroki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 11177144
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal process chamber that includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate alters temperature profile. The shape of the beam spot produced by the spot heating module can be modified without making changes to the optics of the spot heating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Lau, Zhiyuan Ye, Zuoming Zhu, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Nakagawa, Nyi O. Myo, Schubert S. Chu
  • Patent number: 11160414
    Abstract: A heating appliance includes a translucent cooktop and a burner in communication with the cooktop. The burner is operable between deactive and active states. The upper surface of the cooktop defines a cooldown state after the burner is moved from the active to the deactive state. A light module includes a light source and is in an illuminated state when the burner is in the active state and when the cooktop is in the cooldown state. A light guide extends from the light module and around a portion of the burner. The light guide is positioned such that the light source directs light through the light guide. The outer surface of the light guide includes a formed surface that directs light upward and through the cooktop, wherein the light guide is visible through the cooktop when the light module is in the illuminated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick Millett
  • Patent number: 11160370
    Abstract: A glass-ceramic cooktop is provided that is made of glass-ceramic material with a flat upper side and an underside. The glass-ceramic material has transmittance values of greater than 0.1% in the visible light range in the total wavelength region greater than 420 nm, a light transmittance in the visible range of 0.8-2.5%, and a transmittance of 0-85% in the infrared at 1600 nm, and wherein the glass-ceramic material has high quartz mixed crystals as the prevalent crystal phase. The underside is flat, unstructured, and coplanar with the upper side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Birgit Doerk, Evelin Weiss, Thomas Zenker, Ulf Hoffmann, Silke Knoche, Martin Taplan, Friedrich Siebers, Thomas Kraus, Lutz Klippe, Wolfgang Schmidbauer
  • Patent number: 11161200
    Abstract: A method of preparing an apparatus for material processing by generating optical breakthroughs in an object. The apparatus includes a variable focus adjustment device. A contact element is mounted to the apparatus, the contact element has a curved contact surface having a previously known shape. The position of the contact surface is determined prior to processing the object, by focusing measurement laser radiation near or on the surface by the variable focus adjustment device, and the focus position is adjusted in a measurement surface intersecting the expected position of the contact surface. Radiation from the focus of the measurement laser radiation is confocally detected. The position of points of intersection between the measurement surface and the contact surface is determined from the confocally detected radiation to determine the position of the contact surface from the position of the points of intersection and the previously known shape of the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
    Inventors: Mark Bischoff, Gregor Stobrawa
  • Patent number: 11154162
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a housing, a cooking area or volume on or in the housing and a heater assembly for heating the cooking area or volume. The heater assembly includes a heater plate body with a surface having at least one groove therein. The groove includes both a deformable metal sheet element and a resistive heater element therein. The deformable metal sheet element is pressed between an outer surface portion of the resistive heater element and a surface portion of the groove to provide a thermal transfer path from the resistive heating element and to the heater plate body through the deformable metal sheet element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Frock, Timothy L. Cupp
  • Patent number: 11154949
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for micro welding, wherein insulated object, such as a wire, that includes a metallic conductor that is at least partially covered by one or more layers of insulation, is positioned across a termination point. A laser beam may be applied to an area of the insulated object overlapping the termination point, wherein the applied laser beam is configured to substantially simultaneously (i) ablate the one or more layers of insulation in a first region of the area, (ii) weld the metallic conductor to the termination point in a second region of the area, and (iii) detach a portion of the object from the termination point in a third region of the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: JABIL INC.
    Inventors: William Douglas Sterling, Chao Su, Gongen Gu
  • Patent number: 11156365
    Abstract: A heating device for a hob has a flat rectangular carrier with an outer edge, two heating elements which each have a heating conductor and which together form a heating area and which are fastened on the carrier, wherein each heating element defines a partial heating area, and the partial heating areas are situated inside the rectangular shape of the carrier. The heating elements and their partial heating areas can be operated independently of one another. The partial heating areas of the heating elements do not intersect. A first partial heating area is rectangular and extends, by way of at least one of its outer sides, to the outer edge of the carrier and runs parallel in relation to the outer edge. A second partial heating area covers the portion of the rest of the carrier which is left free by the first partial heating area. Various configurations of heated areas can be achieved owing to the independent operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Rickert, Volker Block, Marcus Frank, Gabriel Rupp, Tilo Fucik