Patents Examined by Timothy Kennedy
  • Patent number: 11731358
    Abstract: Examples of a print particle transfer device are described herein. Some examples of the print particle transfer device include a print particle vessel to contain print particles. In some examples, the print particle transfer device also includes a plunger with a fibrous seal element to engage an inside surface of the print particle vessel. The fibrous seal element seals an interface between the plunger and the inside surface of the print particle vessel to prevent escape of the print particles at the interface during movement of the plunger within the print particle vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew James Storey, Jefferson Blake West, Bennett Alexander Nadeau
  • Patent number: 11712851
    Abstract: In one example, a material dispensing apparatus comprises a plurality of material containers, wherein the plurality of material containers comprises a first set of material containers arranged to contain a first material and a second set of material containers arranged to contain a second, different, material, and each material container of the second set is located relative to a respective material container of the first set to form a pair of material containers. In use, the material dispensing apparatus is controllable to move across a build platform of an additive manufacturing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rhys Mansell, Mohammad Jowkar, Vicente Granados Asensio
  • Patent number: 11712848
    Abstract: A standard powder bed fusion additive manufacture apparatus is provided with a device to modify the building space, including the powder feed for the building space, yielding a reduction in the active build area, with a concomitant reduction in the adjacent powder supply. A retrofit kit or assembly which is quickly emplaced on the existing equipment with little modification of the regular building space is provided, and is therefore readily removable when the building space is to be returned to its original condition. One advantage is the relatively quick manner in which the building space can be modified. A reduced area build piston is slideably received in a shaft depending from a cover that is emplaceable on the unmodified build area. The build piston moves with the pre-existing build platform. A like arrangement is provided for the feed container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: EOS of North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ankit Saharan, Erling Richard LaSalle
  • Patent number: 11712830
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a printing cylinder. The method comprises providing a moulding apparatus comprising a cylindrical moulding vessel defining a moulding cavity (101). The vessel comprises at least one inlet for the ingress of moulding material. The method comprises performing an injection moulding operation comprising: injecting moulding material through the at least one inlet to substantially fill the moulding cavity with moulding material; and effecting hardening of the moulding material within the vessel (102). The method comprises removing the printing cylinder (103). At least part of the injection moulding operation is performed in the presence of an active pressure being applied to the moulding cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventors: Harrie Corbey, Mark Jones
  • Patent number: 11707885
    Abstract: In a three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing device, when a unit is moved in a forward direction, powder is supplied from a first supply portion, a powder layer is formed by a first layer forming portion, a liquid is discharged to a shaping region from a head, and a shaping table is moved in a direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid is ended and before a second layer forming portion faces the shaping region, and when the unit is moved in a backward direction, the powder is supplied from a second supply portion, the powder layer is formed by the second layer forming portion, the liquid is discharged to the shaping region from the head, and the shaping table is moved in the direction separating from the unit after discharging the liquid to the shaping region is ended and before the first layer forming portion faces the shaping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Okamoto, Akihiko Tsunoya
  • Patent number: 11701820
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing device includes a recoater configured to push powder onto a build platform. The recoater defines an advancing direction for pushing powder. A first baffle is mounted to a first end of a leading edge of the recoater and a second baffle mounted to a second end of the leading edge of the recoater opposite the first end. Each of the first and second baffles includes a base mounted to the recoater, a first wall that extends obliquely ahead of and laterally outward from the base relative to the advancing direction, and a second wall opposite the first wall. The second wall extends obliquely ahead of and laterally inward from the base relative to the advancing direction. A volume is defined between the first and second wall with capacity to collect powder as the recoater advances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Diana Giulietti, David W. Morganson
  • Patent number: 11697247
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a vertical support beam, a resin vessel assembly coupled to the vertical support beam and including a resin vessel, and a support tray positioning system. The support tray positioning system includes a support tray elevator, a lead screw nut, a motorized lead screw, an intermediate nut, and a linear bearing. The motorized lead screw engages the lead screw nut to raise and lower the support tray elevator. The linear bearing constrains motion of the support tray elevator to vertical motion. The support tray elevator, the intermediate nut, and the lead screw nut interlock to constrain rotational motion of the lead screw nut with respect to the support tray elevator while allowing for two dimensional lateral motion of the lead screw nut with respect to the support tray elevator to accommodate mechanical tolerances of the lead screw with respect to the linear bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: David Sabo
  • Patent number: 11697245
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the fabrication of solid three-dimensional objects from liquid polymerizable materials at high resolution. A material is coated on a film non-digitally, excess material is removed digitally, by laser, leaving an image of a layer to be printed, and the image is then engaged with existing portions of an object being fabricated and exposed to a non-digital UV curing light source. Since the only part of the process that is digital is the material removal, and this part is done by laser, the speed of printing and the robustness of the manufacturing process is improved significantly over conventional additive or 3D fabrication techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: IO Tech Group Ltd.
    Inventors: Ziv Gilan, Michael Zenou, Guy Nesher
  • Patent number: 11697231
    Abstract: Golf ball methods and molds for quickly and efficiently eliminating air/gas from within a mold while better centering a subassembly in the mold during golf ball manufacture and the improved golf balls resulting therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Ajay Vora, John M. Thornton, Kevin J. Rice, Donald A. Serino
  • Patent number: 11697159
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a discharge unit configured to discharge a shaping material; a weight measuring unit configured to measure a weight of the shaping material discharged from the discharge unit; and a control unit configured to control the discharge unit and the weight measuring unit to shape a three-dimensional shaped object by stacking layers of the shaping material in a shaping region of a stage, in which the control unit is configured to control the weight measuring unit to measure the weight of the shaping material discharged from the discharge unit, determine whether a predetermined amount of the shaping material is discharged from the discharge unit based on the weight measured by the weight measuring unit, and when it is determined that the predetermined amount of the shaping material is not discharged, control the discharge unit so that the predetermined amount of the shaping material is discharged from the discharge unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Kazuhide Nakamura, Koichi Saito
  • Patent number: 11697177
    Abstract: A laser processing method for laser processing of a workpiece made of a base material and a fiber reinforced composite material containing fibers having a thermal conductivity and a processing threshold higher than physical properties of glass fibers. The laser processing method includes a step of processing the workpiece by forming a plurality of through-holes extending through the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with pulsed laser light from a processing head while relatively moving the workpiece and the processing head in a predetermined cutting direction. The pulsed laser light has a pulse width smaller than 1 ms and an energy density capable of forming each of the through-holes by a single pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Funaoka, Masayuki Saiki, Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 11691462
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a non-stretchable tread (30) flanked by two shoulder regions (34), and two non-stretchable bead regions (36) for mounting the tire to a wheel, each bead region being connected via a sidewall to the corresponding bead region. Each sidewall has a first portion (38) extending inwardly relative to a width of the tire from one of the bead regions (36) to a deflection region (40), and a second portion (42) extending outwardly relative to the width of the tire from the deflection region (40) to a corresponding one of the shoulder regions (34). A non-stretchable girth-limiting configuration (44, 46, 56) and a radial reinforcing structure (48, 50, 52) are associated with the first portion (38) of each of the sidewalls, thereby limiting radial flexing of first portion (38) and maintaining an annular concavity between the bead region (36) and the shoulder region (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: GALILEO WHEEL LTD.
    Inventors: Avishay Novoplanski, Lucy Edery Azulay
  • Patent number: 11690989
    Abstract: Provided is an inexpensive microneedle array with little dimensional error that can control, with high precision, the amount of a predetermined component to be introduced to the inner part of the skin, and a production method for this microneedle array. A foundation that is insoluble or sparingly soluble in inner part of the skin is overlaid on a mold. A plurality of frustum-shaped protrusions, which are insoluble or sparingly soluble in the raw material liquid, provided on a first main surface of the foundation are fit into a plurality of cone-shaped recesses. The raw material liquid in the plurality of cone-shaped recesses dries and, as a result, a plurality of microneedles, which are dissolvable in the inner part of the skin, are fixed to tip surfaces of the plurality of frustum-shaped protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Nissha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagai, Kensaku Akita, Masateru Chiyama
  • Patent number: 11691332
    Abstract: Systems and methods in which a material or materials (e.g., a viscous material) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an intermediate substrate at a printing unit(s). The intermediate substrate having an image of material printed thereon is subsequently transferred to a sample building unit, and the image of material is transferred from the intermediate substrate to a sample at the sample building unit. Optionally, the printing unit(s) includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred from the donor substrate onto the intermediate substrate at the printing unit(s). Each of the printing units may employ a variety of printing or other transfer technologies. The system may also include material curing, heating, sintering, ablating, material filling, imaging and cleaning units to aid in the overall process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: IO Tech Group Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Zenou, Ziv Gilan, Guy Nesher
  • Patent number: 11685114
    Abstract: Some examples include an additive manufacturing system including a processor and a memory to store instructions. The instructions cause the processor to generate print data from received data related to a three-dimensional build object. The generated print data includes defined print data to dispensing a first agent at a build area of a build material layer, defined print data to selectively dispensing a second agent at a component receiving area within the build area of the build material layer, the second agent to locally reduce a viscosity of the build material at the component receiving area to a viscous state, and defined print data to position a component within the component receiving area at a time of the component receiving area being in a viscous state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kristopher Erickson, Jarrid Wittkopf, Lihua Zhao
  • Patent number: 11685192
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire, in particular a commercial-vehicle tire, having a one- or multi-ply carcass, a multi-ply belt or breaker and having a profiled tread with grooves formed to a profile depth, wherein the profiled tread is provided at the tire shoulders either with a respective block row (2) or with a respective profile rib (7), wherein the blocks (1) of the shoulder-side block rows (2), or the shoulder-side profile ribs (7) each have a peripheral edge (1a, 7a) laterally delimiting the ground contact patch of the tire, or a shoulder rounding with a radius of up to 30.0 mm, wherein shoulder flank surfaces that extend in a radial direction adjoin the peripheral edges or the shoulder roundings, and wherein, in the case of shoulder roundings, an imaginary section line is defined between an envelope of the tread that is continued beyond the shoulder rounding and the shoulder flank surface that is continued beyond the shoulder rounding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Lippert, Florian Kristen, Christian Meiners, Paul Naglatzki
  • Patent number: 11685092
    Abstract: Techniques are described for injection molding. When material inside a cavity of a tool is solidified into a molded part, the tool imparts a finished surface onto the part, including sidewalls with a zero or low-draft angle. To allow separation from the cavity without using sleeves or sliders, the cavity is widened, just prior to the part being ejected. The tool is made from metal with a high coefficient of thermal expansion, so the size of the cavity can be manipulated using temperature control. Heat applied to an outer portion of the metal surrounding the cavity pulls the metal away from the part creating an air gap within the cavity. Carefully applied cooling to an inner portion of the metal blocks the heat and keeps the surface temperature under control, which preserves the finished surface on the part. When the air gap allows, the part releases from the cavity with the finished surface intact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Babak Radi, Jason Evans Goulden
  • Patent number: 11678671
    Abstract: A stuffed food forming machine disclosed includes a framework (600), a rotation assembly (100). A sending and cutting station (20) and a filling station (30) are settled around the rotation assembly. An opening (106) for collecting wrapper residues is set on the rotation assembly. A distance between an internal side of a shaping mold (1001) and a center of the rotation assembly (100) is bigger than a distance between the edge of the opening (106) and the center of the rotation assembly (100). The opening (106) is able to collect the wrapper residues while takes advantage of the space below the rotation assembly, which requires no extra space and the whole machine remains the compact size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai Soontrue Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Song Huang
  • Patent number: 11679539
    Abstract: A mold system and method for forming a casting article for investment casting is disclosed. The mold system includes a mold for receiving therein a selected core chosen from a plurality of varied cores. The mold includes a plurality of separable mold portions that are coupleable together to create the mold and configured to form a sacrificial material from a sacrificial material fluid about the selected core. At least one selected separable mold portion of the plurality of separable mold portions includes a set of varied interchangeable versions of the at least one selected separable mold portion. Each varied interchangeable version of the selected separable mold portion is configured to accommodate a different core of the plurality of varied cores. A number of systems for controlling a temperature of the mold are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jose Troitino Lopez, Eric Lee Bell, Jeffrey Clarence Jones
  • Patent number: 11673692
    Abstract: Methods of forming a curvature into a composite stiffener and a forming tool are presented. The composite stiffener is positioned in a forming region created by a base assembly and an upper assembly. A first airflow is applied through the material of the base assembly. A second airflow is applied through the material of the upper assembly. A plurality of brackets of the upper assembly is moved relative to each other to change a curvature of the forming region along a length of the forming region to form the curvature into the composite stiffener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Y. Ahn, Davis Tran, Long Ly