Patents Examined by Stephen J. Ralis
  • Patent number: 7781704
    Abstract: There is disclosed a control system for operating automotive vehicle components. The control system typically includes at least a control module programmed with instructions for controlling a heater, a ventilator or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG
    Inventors: Lucas Fernandez, Konstantin Majarov
  • Patent number: 7767933
    Abstract: Methods and systems for clearing short circuits during a MIG welding process are disclosed. A method may include detecting a short circuit and increasing output current of a power source at a first ramp rate to clear the short circuit. The method further includes increasing output current at a second ramp rate after the output current reaches a threshold. Power sources and systems implementing the method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Tim A. Matus, Bernard J. Vogel, Bruce Albrecht
  • Patent number: 7769278
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a carbon heater. The carbon heater comprises a carbon filament disposed in a tube for serving as a heating element. The carbon filament has support parts integrally formed at the carbon filament while being protruded from the carbon filament in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the carbon filament such that the support parts are supported inside the tube. Consequently, the carbon filament is more stably supported in the tube by the support parts, whereby the service life of the carbon heater is increased, and easy and convenient design and assembly of the carbon heater is accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Wan Soo Kim, Yang Kyeong Kim, Young Jun Lee
  • Patent number: 7767934
    Abstract: A torch and a welder having a torch constructed to pull a consumable weld wire thereto are disclosed. The torch includes a wire feeder assembly having a first feed roll and a second feed roll. Operation of the feed rolls pulls a consumable weld wire to the torch. A lever selectively separates the first and the second feed rolls and is securable to allow a hands-free separation of the feed rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Took Works Inc.
    Inventors: Mark R. Christopher, Jim Maynard, Jerry Piechowski
  • Patent number: 7755000
    Abstract: A spool gun having a quick connector connectable to an electrical power source and a gas source is disclosed. A connection line extends from the spool gun and is attached to a connector. The connector both fluidly connects the spool gun to a shielding gas source and electrically connects the spool gun to a power source constructed to generate a welding-type power. Such a spool gun is quickly and efficiently connectable to the gas and power systems required for performing welding processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stanzel
  • Patent number: 7755002
    Abstract: A panel gripping jig for gripping a panel, regardless of the size and shape of the panel, includes a welding unit for temporarily holding the panel. A separation unit releases the coupling state of the panel and the welding unit. A mounting arm has the welding unit mounted thereon, moves the welding unit in a longitudinal direction thereof, and has a connection part to connect the mounting arm to a working robot. A displacement unit adjusts the position of the welding unit on the mounting arm. A control board outputs control signals to operate the welding unit, the separation unit, and the displacement unit according to a user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jae-Ho Jeong
  • Patent number: 7754995
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprising at least a plasma processing chamber for plasma-processing an object; object-holding means for disposing the object in the plasma processing chamber; and plasma-generating means for generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber. The inner wall of the plasma processing chamber is at least partially covered with an oxide film based on a pre-treating plasma. A plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method effectively prevent the spluttering and the etching of the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber while suppressing contamination to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Masaru Sasaki, Masaji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7754993
    Abstract: Welding repairs are performed in an underwater environment adjacent the bottom head of the nuclear reactor vessel. To provide a dry welding environment, segments of a lower caisson are passed through the core plate holes and assembled along the interior surface of the bottom head. The assembled segments are held down by brackets and sealed to one another and to the bottom head by a water curable polymer. An upper caisson is passed through the core plate hole to sealingly engage the lower caisson. The caissons are pumped dry and welding equipment is passed through the caissons to effect weld repairs about the stub tube or along the bottom head cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Frank Ortega
  • Patent number: 7750265
    Abstract: A plasma apparatus is provided including a cathode module, an anode module, and at least one inter-electrode insert located between the cathode module and the anode module. The cathode module includes at least one cathode, and a pilot module may be provided adjacent to the cathode module. The pilot module may assist ignition of the plasma apparatus. The inter-electrode insert may have an upstream and a downstream transverse surface. Both the upstream transverse surface and the downstream transverse surface are angled in a downstream direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Vladimir Belashchenko
  • Patent number: 7745758
    Abstract: To provide an arc start method in a consumable electrode type arc welding method capable of firmly executing arc start and capable of executing high quality high speed welding by restraining a welding defect from being brought about therefor, at a portion of a wire projected from a welding tip, a temperature of a front end portion of the wire is made to be at a temperature higher than a temperature of a portion thereof near the welding tip. The front end portion of the wire is preheated to 300° C. or higher, preferably, 450° C. or higher. The front end portion of the wire is preheated by generating arc for preheating. The preheating arc is generated in a spot-like shape at a position near a terminal end portion of a predetermined welding line by constituting a current lower than a welding current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignees: Central Motor Wheel Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukimitsu Suzuki, Ichiro Arita, Satoru Yamasumi, Masaru Seto, Takahisa Iizuka, Kazuhiko Onoue, Kunio Uchikoshi
  • Patent number: 7741577
    Abstract: A device, method and system for generating a plasma is disclosed wherein an electrical arc is established and the movement of the electrical arc is selectively controlled. In one example, modular units are coupled to one another to collectively define a chamber. Each modular unit may include an electrode and a cathode spaced apart and configured to generate an arc therebetween. A device, such as a magnetic or electromagnetic device, may be used to selectively control the movement of the arc about a longitudinal axis of the chamber. The arcs of individual modules may be individually controlled so as to exhibit similar or dissimilar motions about the longitudinal axis of the chamber. In another embodiment, an inlet structure may be used to selectively define the flow path of matter introduced into the chamber such that it travels in a substantially circular or helical path within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Peter C. Kong, Jon D. Grandy, Brent A. Detering
  • Patent number: 7741580
    Abstract: A method for welding a pipe section and a connector, where each of the pipe and connector have inner and outer beveled surfaces forming only a single angular alignment land when mated. The pipe and connector are welded together with only a single interior welding pass and with more than one exterior welding pass to fill the weld joints at the outer beveled surface, so as to weld the connector to the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventor: Richard Lyell Holdren
  • Patent number: 7728251
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, electromagnetic waves are radiated from slots of waveguides into a processing chamber via dielectric windows that are supported on beams, thereby generating a plasma. A substrate, which is an object of processing, is processed by the generated plasma. Dielectric plates are attached to those surfaces of the beams, which are opposed to the processing chamber. The thickness of each dielectric plate is set at ½ or more of the intra-dielectric wavelength of the electromagnetic waves. Using the plasma processing apparatus, a large-area processing can uniformly be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ide, Atsushi Sasaki, Kazufumi Azuma, Yukihiko Nakata
  • Patent number: 7723644
    Abstract: A torch and a welding system having a pair of gas paths are disclosed. The torch includes a wire feed assembly and is connectable to a welding-type power source and a source of shielding gas. A power signal suitable for welding applications and a shielding gas are communicated through the torch. The shielding gas is communicated through the torch by a pair of gas passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Mark R. Christopher, Jim Maynard, Jerry Piechowski
  • Patent number: 7714252
    Abstract: A duty cycle controller having a processor configured to control a welding-type apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to control the welding-type apparatus according to a variable maximum duty cycle to substantially delay entry into a thermal shutdown mode of the welding-type apparatus based on at least one operating condition. Various additional devices and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Casner, Mark Ulrich
  • Patent number: 7705272
    Abstract: A bolt heater including a junction housing, a handle attached and secured to a wall of the housing solely from an exterior of the housing, such as by a threaded connection, a power cable including a fitting attached directly to the wall of the housing, and an electrical resistance heater rod attached to the wall of the housing. The wall may have a boss with a recess therein for receiving a portion of the handle. The housing may be a hollow cylinder with a circular top wall, a circular bottom wall, and a cylindrical side wall. The heater rod may be attached to the housing via a threaded connection and the housing may have a non-circular portion near the threaded connection point, the non-circular portion being engageable by a tool to assist in the threading attachment of the heater rod to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Power House Tool, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Kelly, Laura B. Patterson, Glenn F. Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 7705269
    Abstract: Warning and shutdown systems and methods are presented for providing advance warnings of pending fault conditions to an operator of an arc processing system. The warning system comprises an input, a logic system, and a signaling system, where the input receives a sensor signal indicative of an operational condition of the arc processing system, the logic system detects a pending fault condition based on the sensor signal, and the signaling system provides a warning signal to the operator, wherein the warning signal is indicative of the pending fault condition. Shutdown apparatus is provided which has a sensor input, a logic system to detect a fault condition, and a shutdown system that selectively shuts the arc processing system down a predetermined time period after fault detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph A. Daniel
  • Patent number: 7700893
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for controlling a wire feeder. The wire feeder includes a wire feeder motor configured to drive delivery of a welding wire at an actual wire feed speed (WFS) according to a welding-type process. The wire feeder also includes a processor configured to adjust motor calibration parameters such that actual WFS matches a desired WFS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Charles L. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 7700900
    Abstract: A panel arrangement for a domestic appliance, having a panel which can be fitted to the domestic appliance such that it is visible from the outside. Indicator and/or operator controls are provided which are mounted on the panel. A printed circuit board comprises control and possibly power electronics and can be arranged in the interior of the domestic appliance. The indicator and/or operator controls are connected to the printed circuit board. At least some of the indicator and/or operator controls are mounted on the panel substantially independently of the layout of the printed circuit board and are connected to the printed circuit board via at least one flexible supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Geiger, Ronald Hegewald, Michael Seikel
  • Patent number: 7684683
    Abstract: A welding apparatus is provided with a lamp unit having a light source such as a halogen lamp and a multiple reflection surface. The light source applies incoherent electromagnetic waves that belong to a visible region and a near-infrared region in which a wavelength is 500 nm (nanometer) or more. The multiple reflection surface reflects and collects the light from the light source in the shape of a desired dot or line. The housing and the transparent cover are superimposed, and the light from the light source is collected by the multiple-reflection surface on the portion where the housing is superimposed on the transparent cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamazaki, Haruo Otani, Fujihiko Sugiyama, Michihiko Suzuki