Patents Examined by Stephen Kitt
  • Patent number: 9868136
    Abstract: A device for producing a coated steel sheet includes: a blowing-off unit which sprays a gas onto and remove an excessive coating that accumulates along a side edge of a steel sheet that threads along one direction; and a coating-collection unit which collects the excessive coating removed by the blowing-off unit. The blowing-off unit includes a spray nozzle and a gas supply member. The coating-collection unit includes a duct and a coating container. In a case where the duct is seen in a plan view, an outlet thereof is disposed to fit in and overlap an inside of an opening of the coating container, and in a case where the duct is seen in a side view, a gap is provided between the outlet and the opening of the coating container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhide Soya, Masayoshi Nagatomi, Fumio Shibao, Hiroyasu Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9869734
    Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to magnetic resonance imaging systems and, more specifically, to the manufacturing of a gradient coil assembly for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. For example, in one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a gradient coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging system includes depositing a first layer comprising a base material onto a surface to form a substrate and depositing a second layer onto the first layer. The second layer may enable bonding between a conductor material and the substrate. The method also includes depositing a third layer onto the second layer using a consolidation process. The consolidation process uses the conductor material to form at least a portion of a gradient coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Mathieu, Saban Kurucay, Thomas Kwok-Fah Foo, Yanzhe Yang
  • Patent number: 9855579
    Abstract: A spin dispenser module and methods for using the same is disclosed. The spin dispenser module includes a cup having a basin with sidewalls and an exhaust, a rotatable platform situated inside the cup adapted for holding and rotating a substrate, a liquid dispenser disposed over the rotatable platform for dispensing a liquid coating material on top of the substrate, one or more ejector inlets disposed over the rotatable platform, the one or more ejectors connected to a negative pressure source, and a motor coupled to the rotatable platform to rate the rotatable platform at different rotational speeds. The one or more ejector inlets may be translatable and/or rotatable with optionally adjustable suction pressure. The ejector inlets operate after a liquid coating material is dispensed to avoid deposition of suspended organic compounds after a coating is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ching-Hai Yang, Yao-Hwan Kao, Shang-Sheng Li, Kuo-Pin Chen, Hsiang-Kai Tseng, Chuan-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 9844792
    Abstract: The invention concerns a handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device, comprising at least one nozzle means for an expelling of a spattering material onto a target surface and a nozzle control mechanism to control characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle means. Furthermore, it comprises a spattering material supply, a storage with desired spattering data, which is predefined and comprised in a digital image or CAD-model memorized on the storage, a spatial referencing unit, to reference the spattering device relative to the target surface and a computation means to automatically control the expelling by the nozzle control mechanism according to information gained by the spatial referencing unit and according to the desired spattering data is evaluated and adjusted by changing the characteristics of expelling of the nozzle means in such a way that the target surface is spattered according to the desired spattering data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Bo Pettersson, Klaus Schneider, Benedikt Zebhauser, Knut Siercks
  • Patent number: 9828252
    Abstract: A particle production apparatus 1 includes a processing section 3 in which a processing liquid is allowed to adhere to a surface of each of inorganic particles contained in a powder material, a chamber 4 connected to the processing section 3 at a downstream side thereof in which the powder material is separated from gas carrying the powder material, a powder material supply device 50 having a supply portion 5 and a supply unit 6 for supplying the powder material and the like into the processing section 3, and a processing liquid spraying device 70 having a nozzle 7, a pump 8, a supply unit 9 for supplying the processing liquid, a high-pressure gas (air) generating unit 11 and the like. The processing liquid spraying device 70 is configured to spray the processing liquid as droplets onto the powder material just after the powder material being supplied into the processing section 3. Preferably, a volume of the processing section 3 is smaller than a volume of the chamber 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO BAKELITE COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Takafumi Sumiyoshi, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 9770727
    Abstract: A rotary atomizing head (4) is mounted on a fore end side of a motor (3). A shaping air ring (9) having a plurality of air outlet holes (10) at fixed intervals is provided on a rear side of the rotary atomizing head (4). Outer surfaces of the air motor (3) and outer surfaces of the shaping air ring (9) are enshrouded over the entire circumference by a cover member (7) formed of an electrically insulating material. An external electrode assembly (13) is provided radially outwardly of the cover member (7). An annular projecting portion (16) which projects forward is provided on the shaping air ring (9) over the entire circumference. The air outlet holes (10) are open in a fore distal end of this annular projecting portion (16). As a result, a corona discharge can be generated by allowing an electric field to be concentrated at the fore distal end of the annular protecting portion (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Yukio Yamada
  • Patent number: 9764349
    Abstract: The device has a gas flow levelling pipe (3), which defines a continuous curved development surface (Z), at comprising a collector (4) to which a nozzle (10) is fixed, a delivery manifold (1), in order to introduce pressurized gas into the pre-chamber (2) through the holes (12), a first holed partition (5) and a second holed partition (6) within the levelling pipe (3), arranged perpendicular to the curved development surface (Z) of the pipe (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A.
    Inventors: Fabio Vecchiet, Alessandro Cona, Gianluca Caporal
  • Patent number: 9760000
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus performs processing including dispensing of a resin onto an imprint region on a substrate and molding of the dispensed resin using a mold. The imprint apparatus includes a dispenser including a discharge section having an array of ports for discharging the resin, and configured to dispense the resin onto the imprint region; and a controller configured to control the dispenser, during a processing for a plurality of imprint regions of which nominal sizes are the same, such that switching is performed from one subset of the array of ports used for dispensing the resin onto one imprint region to another subset of the array of ports for dispensing the resin onto another imprint region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Ina
  • Patent number: 9757762
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) for applying product to the skin of a person in a booth (10), comprising: an applicator (57) configured to apply the product to the person; a first guide (40) configured to guide movement of an applicator in a first dimension, in order to enable the applicator to apply the product to the person at a plurality of different heights; and a second guide (20) configured to guide movement of the applicator in a second dimension, in order to enable the applicator to apply the product across the width of the person. The apparatus may comprise control circuitry for controlling the applicator in dependence upon the weight of the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: CRYSTALS LTD
    Inventor: Christopher Stafford-Nelson
  • Patent number: 9744551
    Abstract: Disclosed is a coating apparatus capable of enhancing the film thickness uniformity. The coating apparatus includes a nozzle and a moving mechanism. The nozzle includes a storage chamber that stores a coating liquid and a slit-like flow path that is in communication with the storage chamber, and discharges the coating liquid through a discharge port formed at a front end of the flow path. The moving mechanism moves the nozzle and the substrate relatively to each other along a surface of the substrate. Also, in the flow path provided in the nozzle, flow resistance at the central portion in the longitudinal direction is larger than that at both end portions in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki Ishii, Takahiro Sakamoto, Takahiro Kitano, Shoichi Terada
  • Patent number: 9708702
    Abstract: A wiping device which blows a wiping gas toward a steel sheet from a pair of wiping nozzles disposed on both sides of the steel sheet so as to face sheet surfaces of the steel sheet, wherein the steel sheet is interposed between the pair of wiping nozzles and is pulled from a hot dip coating bath, the device includes a suctioning tube, wherein: the suctioning tube is disposed on both sides in a width direction of a section of the steel sheet, the section being positioned between the pair of wiping nozzles, so that the suctioning tube is in parallel to the steel sheet; the suctioning tube has a suctioning port that suctions an air; the suctioning port is disposed to face a side end surface of the steel sheet; a cross-sectional shape of the suctioning tube has the largest dimension thereof along a pulling direction of the steel sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION, NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN COATED SHEET CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Imai, Takeshi Tamura, Seiji Sugiyama, Kazuhiro Miyamoto, Mitsuo Nishimata, Yasushi Yamane
  • Patent number: 9687865
    Abstract: A rotary atomizing head (4) is mounted on a fore end side of a motor (3). A shaping air ring (9) having a plurality of air outlet holes (10) at fixed intervals is provided on a rear side of the rotary atomizing head (4). Outer surfaces of the air motor (3) and outer surfaces of the shaping air ring (9) are enshrouded over the entire circumference by a cover member (7) formed of an electrically insulating material. An external electrode assembly (13) is provided radially outwardly of the cover member (7). An annular projecting portion (16) which projects forward is provided on the shaping air ring (9) over the entire circumference. The air outlet holes (10) are open in a fore distal end of this annular projecting portion (16). As a result, a corona discharge can be generated by allowing an electric field to be concentrated at the fore distal end of the annular protecting portion (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Yukio Yamada
  • Patent number: 9687869
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pipe-shape structure coating device. A pipe-shape structure coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a rack unit on which a pipe-shape structure is placed, and a work vehicle which carries out a coating process on an inner surface of the pipe-shape structure by driving inside the pipe-shape structure placed on the rack unit along a longitudinal direction of the pipe-shape structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG HEAVY IND. CO., LTD
    Inventors: Sangwhee Kim, Eunjung Kim, Young-il Shin, Seong Ho Cho, Jinhyung Park
  • Patent number: 9683594
    Abstract: A coating machine for applying a coating to screws is described. The coating machine has an operating space along which the screws to be coated are fed. A fixed surface is defined, which is fixed relative to the frame of the machine and is designed for abutment and positioning of the screws in the section upstream from said operating space and in said operating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: TECNOLOGIC 3 S.R.L.
    Inventor: Antonio Calasso
  • Patent number: 9662669
    Abstract: A current detection resistor is connected between an output terminal of a high voltage generator and an air motor. A coater current detector detects a coater current supplied to a coater based on a potential difference taking place on both terminals of the current detection resistor. The high-voltage control device serves to discriminate based on the coater current detected by the coater current detector whether the coater is caused to be close to a coating object. When it is discriminated that the coater is caused to be close to the coating object, the high-voltage control device outputs a shut-off signal for shutting off supply of the power supply voltage to the power supply voltage control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Yukio Yamada
  • Patent number: 9653340
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a carrier rotatable about an axis of rotation where the carrier has a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer and a surface characterization tool which is operative to move over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier and/or the wafer transverse to the axis of rotation. The surface characterization tool is operative to move over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier and/or the wafer transverse to the axis of rotation and is further adapted to produce characterization signals over the plurality of positions on at least a portion of the carrier and/or on at least a portion of said major surface of the wafer as the carrier rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Boguslavskiy, Joshua Mangum, Matthew King, Earl Marcelo, Eric A. Armour, Alexander I. Gurary, William E. Quinn, Guray Tas
  • Patent number: 9637820
    Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to an in-line scalable system that may be used in the combustion deposition depositing of thin films. The systems of certain example embodiments may comprise one or more modules, with each such module including at least one burner and at least one high volume cooling section. In certain example implementations, multiple burners and multiple cooling sections are provided to a single module in alternating order. The systems of certain example embodiments may, in addition or in the alternative, comprise a combined flame guard and exhaust system. The combined flame guard and exhaust system of certain example embodiments advantageously may provide a means to reduce the amount of interference of the deposition process by ambient conditions, improve flame uniformity in the deposition zone, contain and exhaust combustion products while reducing restrictions to the stable operating space of the combustion deposition process, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Guardian Industries Corp.
    Inventors: David D. McLean, Ryan L. Dear
  • Patent number: 9620394
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cleaning member has an annular part and an opening positioned radially inside the annular part, and can be moved up and down between a first position and a second position relative to a cleaning nozzle. For cleaning of the back surface of the wafer, the cleaning member is placed at its first position that allows a cleaning liquid to reach the back surface of the substrate through the opening of the cleaning member. For cleaning of the cup structure, the cleaning member placed at its second position higher than the first position is being rotated, and a cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle collides with an annular part of the cleaning member and is guided to the inner surface of a cup structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naofumi Kishita, Yuji Sakai
  • Patent number: 9613836
    Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus includes: a substrate holding unit to horizontally hold a substrate; a rotating mechanism to rotate the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a coating liquid supplying mechanism to supply coating liquid to form a coating film on the substrate; an annular member to rectify a gas stream above a periphery of the substrate when liquid film of the coating liquid is dried by rotation of the substrate, the annular member being provided above the periphery of the substrate and along a circumferential direction of the substrate so as to cover the periphery of the substrate; and a protrusion provided on an inner periphery of the annular member along circumferential direction of the annular member so as to protrude upward to reduce component of the gas stream flowing directly downward near an inner peripheral edge of the annular member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Katsunori Ichino, Kousuke Yoshihara, Yuichi Terashita
  • Patent number: 9610604
    Abstract: A system for applying a two-part adhesive to a substrate includes a prime mover for providing an output torque, a first pump connected to the prime mover for receiving the output torque, the first pump having an inlet and an outlet, a second pump connected to the prime mover for receiving the output torque, the second pump having an inlet and an outlet, a first compound in communication with the inlet of the first pump, a second compound in communication with the inlet of the second pump, a first accumulator in communication with the outlet of the first pump, a second accumulator in communication with the outlet of the second pump, a first manifold in communication with the outlet of the first pump, and a second manifold in communication with the outlet of the second pump. A plurality of applicators is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: ADCO Products, LLC
    Inventors: James Galvin, David L. Kunkle, James D. Haaser, Paul E. Snowwhite