Patents Examined by Vanessa A Luk
  • Patent number: 9199307
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the tantalum powder and the process for preparing the same, and also relates to the electrolytic capacitor anode made of the tantalum powder. More particularly, the present invention relates to the tantalum powder having a BET surface area not more than 0.530 m2/g, Fisher mean particle size not less than 3.00 ?m. The present invention relates to the process for preparing the tantalum powder, wherein the tantalum powder is prepared through reducing tantalum compound with a reducing agent, wherein the tantalum powder as seed is added during reduction, and said tantalum powder as seed is the tantalum powder that has been milled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Guoqi Yang, Wenfeng Shi, Xifang Bao, Yong Li, Zhongxiang Li, Zhangong Dong, Xiaoyan Yang
  • Patent number: 9157137
    Abstract: An object is to provide a ferritic stainless steel having excellent oxidation resistance, while preventing a deterioration in formability, without adding expensive chemical elements such as Mo and W. Specifically, the ferritic stainless steel excellent in oxidation resistance having a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.015% or less, Si: 0.40% or more and 1.00% or less, Mn: 1.00% or less, P: 0.040% or less, S: 0.010% or less, Cr: 12.0% or more and 23.0% or less, N: 0.015% or less, Nb: 0.30% or more and 0.65% or less, Ti: 0.150% or less, Mo: 0.10% or less, W: 0.10% or less, Cu: less than 1.00%, Al: 0.20% or more and 1.00% or less, while the relationship Si?Al is satisfied, and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Nakamura, Hiroki Ota, Takumi Ujiro
  • Patent number: 9144632
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to shape memory alloys which have been subjected to a thermal and mechanical treatment to increase the austenite start temperature As?As? such that the shape memory alloy is martensitic at body temperature and when subsequently subjected to a controlled deformation, the shape memory alloy preferentially reverts to the parent phase. One application for this disclosure is a stent for use in a lumen in a human or animal body having a generally tubular body formed from a shape memory alloy which has been subjected to a thermal and mechanical treatment so it deforms as martensite until a critical expansion diameter is reached at which point the tubular body rapidly reverts to the parent phase with much higher mechanical properties. The shape memory alloy comprises Ni—Ti and a ternary element ranging from about 3 at. % to about 20 at. %. The ternary element is effectively insoluble in a Ni—Ti matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Inventor: Richard F. Gordon
  • Patent number: 9127329
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a coated part having very high mechanical properties using hot forming techniques. The method includes: —providing an annealed steel strip or blank or pre-shaped part that was coated with a metal or metal alloy before the annealing —if a strip is provided, cutting a blank from the strip before or after the annealing —optionally forming a pre-shaped part from the blank —heating the blank or preshaped part to a temperature of 500° C. at an average heating rate of 16° C./s or more —further heating the blank or pre-shaped part to a temperature between 700 and 1000° C. —hot forming the blank or preshaped part into a hot formed part —hardening the hot formed part. A method for manufacturing a coated steel strip, blank or pre-shaped part, and a coated steel strip, blank or part and a hot formed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TATA STEEL IJMUIDEN B.V.
    Inventors: Willem Cornelis Verloop, Marc Jacco van Genderen, Ronald Theodoor van Tol, Guido Cornelis Hensen, Jenny Loiseaux
  • Patent number: 9108242
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new type of grain refiners for steel, in the form of a particulate composite material, containing a high volume fraction of tailor-made dispersed particles, with the purpose of acting as potent heterogeneous nucleation sites for iron crystals during solidification and subsequent thermo-mechanical treatment of the steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: SINVENT AS
    Inventors: Oystein Grong, Casper Van Der Eijk, Gabriella Maria Tranell, Leiv Olav Kolbeinsen
  • Patent number: 9103000
    Abstract: In one example embodiment, a sputter target structure for depositing semiconducting chalcogenide films is described. The sputter target includes a target body having a target body composition that comprises Cu1-x(Se1-y-zSyTez)x, wherein the value of x is greater than or equal to approximately 0.5, the value of y is between approximately 0 and approximately 1, the value of z is between approximately 0 and approximately 1, and the total amount of Se, S, and Te phases in the target body composition comprise less than 50 volume percent of the target body composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: ZETTA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LLC—AQT SERIES
    Inventors: Mariana Munteanu, Brian Josef Bartholomeusz, Michael Bartholomeusz, Erol Girt
  • Patent number: 9054477
    Abstract: Frames for plug connectors capable of being a reduced size may include features to support contacts, house circuitry for coupling with the contacts, facilitate the flow of molten material during the molding of the frame, and allow for ease of insertion and removal of the plug connector to and from a corresponding receptacle connector. For example, a frame may include ledges, interlocks and rounded and tapered openings. Methods for manufacturing the frame are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Brickner, Wayne Cowan, Brett A. Rosenthal, Richard Heley, Mathias W. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9045817
    Abstract: A heat treated galvannealed steel material having excellent post-painting corrosion resistance and a high strength which is suitable for use as an automotive part and a method for its manufacture are provided. A galvannealed steel material having a galvannealed coating on at least one side thereof is heat treated by heating at least a portion thereof to a temperature range in which hardening is possible. The coating remaining on the surface of at least a part of the portion which underwent heat treatment has a coating weight of at least 20 g/m2 and at most 80 g/m2 per side and an Fe content of at least 15% and at most 35%, an ? phase is present in the coating, and the centerline average roughness Ra of the surface of the coating is at most 1.5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tamotsu Toki, Atsushi Tomizawa, Nobusato Kojima, Kazuya Ishii, Kazuhito Imai, Toyomitsu Nakamura, Naoaki Shimada
  • Patent number: 9028582
    Abstract: Seizure resistance and wear resistance of Cu—Bi—In copper-alloy sliding material are enhanced by forming a soft phase of as pure as possible Bi. Mixed powder of Cu—In cuprous alloy powder and Cu—Bi containing Cu-based alloy powder is used. A sintering condition is set such that Bi moves outside particles of said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder and forms a Bi grain-boundary phase free of In, and In diffuses from said Cu—In containing Cu-based powder to said Cu—Bi containing Cu-based powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Wada, Takashi Tomikawa, Daisuke Yoshitome, Hiromi Yokota
  • Patent number: 9017602
    Abstract: A method of forming a wrought material having a refined grain structure is provided. The method comprises providing a metal alloy material having a depressed solidus temperature and a low temperature eutectic phase transformation. The metal alloy material is molded and rapidly solidified to form a fine grain precursor that has fine grains surrounded by a eutectic phase with fine dendritic arm spacing. The fine grain precursor is plastic deformed at a high strain rate to cause recrystallization without substantial shear banding to form a fine grain structural wrought form. The wrought form is then thermally treated to precipitate the eutectic phase into nanometer sized dispersoids within the fine grains and grain boundaries and to define a thermally treated fine grain structure wrought form having grains finer than the fine grains and the fine dendritic arm spacing of the fine grain precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Thixomat, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond F. Decker, Jack Huang, Sanjay G. Kulkarni, Stephen E. Lebeau, Ralph E. Vining
  • Patent number: 9017601
    Abstract: An iron-based sintered alloy of the present invention is an iron-based sintered alloy, which is completed by sintering a powder compact made by press forming a raw material powder composed of Fe mainly, and is such that: when the entirety is taken as 100% by mass, carbon is 0.1-1.0% by mass; Mn is 0.01-1.5% by mass; the sum of the Mn and Si is 0.02-3.5% by mass; and the major balance is Fe. It was found out that, by means of an adequate amount of Mn and Si, iron-based sintered alloys are strengthened and additionally a good dimensional stability is demonstrated. As a result, it is possible to suppress or obsolete the employment of Cu or Ni, which has been believed to be essential virtually, the recyclability of iron-based sintered alloys can be enhanced, and further their cost reduction can be intended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Kondoh, Nobuhiko Matsumoto, Toshitake Miyake, Shigehide Takemoto, Hitoshi Tanino
  • Patent number: 9017446
    Abstract: A solder paste comprises an amount of a first solder alloy powder between about 60 wt % to about 92 wt %; an amount of a second solder alloy powder greater than 0 wt % and less than about 12 wt %; and a flux; wherein the first solder alloy powder comprises a first solder alloy that has a solidus temperature above about 260° C.; and wherein the second solder alloy powder comprises a second solder alloy that has a solidus temperature that is less than about 250° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Indium Corporation
    Inventors: Hongwen Zhang, Ning-Cheng Lee
  • Patent number: 9011572
    Abstract: A method of generating hydrogen gas from the reaction of stabilized aluminum nanoparticles with water is provided. The stabilized aluminum nanoparticles are synthesized from decomposition of an alane precursor in the presence of a catalyst and an organic passivation agent, and exhibit stability in air and solvents but are reactive with water. The reaction of the aluminum nanoparticles with water produces a hydrogen yield of at least 85%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: University of Dayton
    Inventors: Christopher E. Bunker, K. A. Shiral Fernando, Elena A. Guliants, Marcus J. Smith, Barbara A. Haruff
  • Patent number: 9005522
    Abstract: A platinum-free silver alloy may include about 0.1% to 0.9% Au, about 83% to 90% Ag, about 2% to 3% Pd, about 3% to 5% Zn, about 2% to 8% Cu, about 0.01% to 0.4% B, about 0.1% to 0.3% Ge, and about 0.01% to 0.03% Ir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Jostens, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Cleabert Bridgeman
  • Patent number: 8992703
    Abstract: The present invention disclosed a method of producing a three-dimensional porous tissue in-growth structure. The method includes the steps of depositing a first layer of metal powder and scanning the first layer of metal powder with a laser beam to form a portion of a plurality of predetermined unit cells. Depositing at least one additional layer of metal powder onto a previous layer and repeating the step of scanning a laser beam for at least one of the additional layers in order to continuing forming the predetermined unit cells. The method further includes continuing the depositing and scanning steps to form a medical implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Howmedica Osteonics Corp., The University of Liverpool
    Inventors: William O'Neill, Christopher J. Sutcliffe, Eric Jones, Robin Stamp
  • Patent number: 8992701
    Abstract: After a reducing agent is added to a water reaction system containing silver ions to deposit silver particles by reduction, the silver particles are dried to obtain a silver powder which is heat-treated at a temperature of higher than 100° C. and lower than 400° C. The silver powder thus heat-treated has a maximum coefficient of thermal expansion of not greater than 1.5% at a temperature of 50° C. to 800° C., and has no heating peak when the silver powder is heated from 50° C. to 800° C. The silver powder has an ignition loss of not greater than 1.0% when the silver powder is ignited until the weight of the silver powder is constant at 800° C. The silver powder has a tap density of not less than 2 g/cm3 and a BET specific surface area of not greater than 5 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatoshi Fujino, Kozo Ogi
  • Patent number: 8992660
    Abstract: The present application provides a method for fabricating hollow metal nano particles and hollow metal nano particles fabricated by the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Yeon Cho, Sang Hoon Kim, Gyo Hyun Hwang, Kwanghyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8992658
    Abstract: A sintered metal bearing is obtained by compression-molding of a raw-material powder containing at least a Cu powder, an SUS powder, and a pure Fe powder and thereafter sintering a compression-molded body at a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Fuyuki Ito, Kazuo Okamura, Kenji Hibi
  • Patent number: 8986605
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and gas atmosphere for a metal component in a continuous furnace. In one embodiment, the method and gas atmosphere comprises the use of an effective amount, or about 1 to about 10 percent volume of endo-gas, into an atmosphere comprising nitrogen and hydrogen. In another embodiment, there is provided a method sintering metal components in a furnace at a one or more operating temperatures comprising: providing a furnace comprising a belt comprising a wire mesh material wherein the metal components are supported thereupon; and sintering the components in the furnace in an atmosphere comprising nitrogen, hydrogen, and effective amount of endothermic gas at the one or more operating temperatures ranging from about 1800° F. to about 2200° F. wherein the amount of endothermic gas in the atmosphere is such that it is oxidizing to the wire mesh material and reducing to the metal components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald James Bowe, Anna K. Wehr-Aukland, John Lewis Green
  • Patent number: 8968641
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing porous metallic materials comprising the steps of: (a) miming metallic particles with a carbonate additive and a binder, wherein the quantity of carbonate additive in the mixture is in the range of 40 to 90 vol % and compressing the mixture beyond the yield strength of the metallic particles; (b) heating the mixture to a first temperature sufficient to evaporate the binder; (c) heating and maintaining the temperature of the mixture to a second temperature sufficient to sinter the metallic particles but insufficient to decompose or melt the carbonate additive; (d) removing the carbonate additive from the sintered porous metallic material; and optionally (e) heating and maintaining the temperature of the porous metallic material to a third temperature greater than the second temperature so as to enhance the sintering. The present invention also relates to metallic materials produced by such a process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: The University of Liverpool
    Inventor: Yuyuan Zhao