Patents Examined by Xue Liu
  • Patent number: 9456891
    Abstract: A tubular conduit is disclosed. The tubular conduit comprises a tubular portion made from a flexible material and an axially extending external helical formation located around the outside of the tubular portion. The external helical formation is for supporting the tubular portion. Optionally the tubular portion also comprises an axially extending internal helical protrusion, which imparts a helical flow to a fluid passing through the tubular portion. It is preferred that the tubular conduit is a vascular graft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Vascular Flow Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Robert Gordon Hood, Craig McLeod Duff
  • Patent number: 9457532
    Abstract: The invention provides a mold for injection-molding a golf ball, which mold has a cavity inner wall with a vertical diameter connecting both poles in a vertical direction thereof that is longer than a horizontal diameter connecting both poles in a horizontal direction thereof. A method of manufacturing golf balls using such a mold is also provided. The use of this mold eliminates molding problems that arise when molding the outermost cover layer of a golf ball, enabling the cover to be stably molded and also making it possible to easily and reliably obtain golf balls of high symmetry in which a cover of uniform thickness has been formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuki Kasashima, Yoshio Motegi
  • Patent number: 9452563
    Abstract: A transfer system 1 comprising: a conveying/positioning device 3 configured to convey and position a flat sheet-shaped mold MA in a predetermined direction, on which a fine transfer pattern M1 is formed; a transfer device 5 configured to transfer the fine transfer pattern M1 to a molding target W, the transfer device 5 being provided on an upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped mold MA; and a peeling device 7 configured to peel off the sheet-shaped mold MA and the molding target from those mutually clinging to each other, after the transfer by the transfer device 5 is performed and the conveyance by the conveying/positioning device 3 is performed, the peeling device 7 being provided on a downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped mold MA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Itani, Hiromi Nishihara, Takato Baba, Takaharu Tashiro, Takafumi Ookawa, Hidetoshi Kitahara
  • Patent number: 9446262
    Abstract: This invention discloses methods and apparatus for providing an ophthalmic lens with light source capable of providing specific bandwidths of light to an eye of a wearer. In some embodiments, an ophthalmic lens is cast molded from a silicone hydrogel and an energy source and light source encapsulated within the ophthalmic lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall B. Pugh, William Chester Neeley, Robertson Towart, Mario Jozef Joanna Peeters, Wilhelmus Drinkenburg, Aleksandar Miletic
  • Patent number: 9446546
    Abstract: A corner trim material that is made of a material that will bond with current industry mastics such as all purpose joint compounds, resists impact, resists abrasion, and readily accepts common coatings such as drywall mud, texture and paints. The surface of this material generally does not need to be covered by any secondary fiber based material such as paper to improve bonding or coating on the inside or outside. The material generally consists of a polymer mixed with a fibrous material like pulp or glass fiber. A corner trim piece can be directly extruded from the mix. The corner trim piece can have a center hinge, can be bullnose, and the flanges can optionally have holes or optionally be coated with adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: CERTAINTEED GYPSUM AND CEILING MANUFACTURING, INC
    Inventor: Douglas Wambaugh
  • Patent number: 9439364
    Abstract: An apparatus enables forming extruded plastic material into a strip that may be formed into an irrigation pipe. The apparatus includes a pair of juxtaposed rollers which when rotated, the linear velocity of a contact surface of one of the rollers of the pair is different from the linear velocity of a contact surface of the other roller of the pair. Thus, extruded material that passes between the rollers is concurrently stretched and flattened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: YIFLACH, Erez
    Inventor: Erez Yiflach
  • Patent number: 9427766
    Abstract: An apparatus for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material is provided that includes an un-heated hopper having an inlet for receiving particles of a thermoplastic material and an outlet for discharging the particles and a heated manifold including at least one cavity formed therein and having an inlet and an outlet the inlet communicating with the outlet of the hopper for receipt of the particles from the hopper. The hopper is disposed external of the heated manifold. The heated manifold is effective for melting the particles into molten thermoplastic material therein. The apparatus further includes a pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the cavity. An outlet of the pump is in fluid communication with an inlet of a dispenser and an outlet of the dispenser is effective for dispensing the molten thermoplastic material therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: NORDSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Leslie J. Varga
  • Patent number: 9421702
    Abstract: A material heating mechanism for melting the material into a molten state, an upper plate to which the upper mold is attached and a lower plate to which the lower mold is attached, at least three position sensors for detecting a distance between the upper mold and the lower mold or the upper plate and the lower plate, and at least three compression hydraulic cylinders installed to any one of the upper plate and the lower plate and individually controlled according to information of the position sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA MEIKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Takeshi Kawachi, Mikio Nagata
  • Patent number: 9409328
    Abstract: A method of curing a composite material. A tool is heated using microwaves. At least a part of the composite material is shielded by reflecting microwaves away from the composite material with a shield. Heat is transferred from the tool through the shield to the composite material. The tool comprises a material which is sensitive to microwaves so that, when microwaves are incident upon the tool, some of the microwaves are absorbed by the microwave-sensitive material, thereby heating the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Timothy Sanderson
  • Patent number: 9412933
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an actuator unit comprising a piezoactuator (1), a sleeve (9) having a first end face (14) and a second end face (13), and a potting compound (11). The method comprises: inserting the piezoactuator (1) into the sleeve (9), wherein the piezoactuator is inserted into the sleeve (9) from the side of the sleeve (9) having the first end face (14); arranging a filling opening of a filling element (15) in an axial position near the axial position of the second end face (13) of the sleeve (9); filling a hollow space between the inner side of the sleeve (9) and the piezoactuator (1) with the potting compound (11) via the filling opening of the filling element (15), such that the potting compound (11) extends maximally to a first end face (14?) of the piezoactuator (1). The invention further relates to a sleeve (9) for receiving a piezoactuator (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Johann Kreiter, Siegfried Fellner, Georg Kügerl
  • Patent number: 9410656
    Abstract: A method includes providing a die having a cylindrical body terminating in a rounded end, wrapping a fibrous material around the die while the fibrous material is tensioned, wherein the fibrous material is placed to extend in a continuous manner across the width of the rounded end of the body and to opposite sides of the cylindrical body, applying a curable resin on the die, curing the resin, and removing a reinforced cured resin plug from the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: PACCAR Inc
    Inventors: Adrian Murias, Richard Tran
  • Patent number: 9403301
    Abstract: A method of processing a porous article includes distributing a blended material that includes an electrically conductive material and a binder into a cavity of a mold that is at a temperature below a curing temperature of the binder. The electrically conductive material is formed from particles of the electrically conductive material that have a size distribution such that 10 vol % of the particles are less than 12 micrometers in diameter, 50 vol % of the particles are less than 27 micrometers in diameter, and 90 vol % of the particles are less than 53 micrometers. The blended material is compressed within the cavity under a molding pressure, and the mold is heated to a curing temperature of the binder to form a molded article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Michael L. Perry, Paravastu Badrinarayanan, Glenn Michael Allen, Steven W. Gronda
  • Patent number: 9399319
    Abstract: Provided are a blow molded article with a surface skin, which allows the formation of a blow molded article having a desired expansion ratio and retains a required expansion ratio from the time of extruding and is free from the generation of a sink mark or a warp in a portion where the surface wall and the back wall thereof has been welded and allows the production of a blow molded article with a lightweight and highly rigid surface skin; and a method for producing the blow molded article. A panel (1) with a surface skin, which is a blow molded article with a surface skin, has a body (5) in the form of a plate having a surface wall (2) and a back wall (3), both comprising a thermoplastic plastic, and a surface skin material (6) which is integrally pasted on the surface wall (2). The body (5) in the form of a plate is in an expanded state and comprises cells having an average particle diameter of 300 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Kyoraku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruo Tamada, Masaaki Onodera
  • Patent number: 9401277
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for processing the surface of substrates that scan a laser beam at one or more selected orientation angles. The orientation angle or angles may be selected to reduce substrate warpage. When the substrates are semiconductor wafers having microelectronic devices, the orientation angles may be selected to produce controlled strain and to improve electronic performance of the devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Yun Wang, Shaoyin Chen
  • Patent number: 9393134
    Abstract: The present invention involves laser machining polymer substrates to form a stent with laser parameters that minimize damage to the substrate in a surface region adjacent to the machined edge surface. The wavelength and pulse width are selected for this unique application and they can be controlled to minimize the surface modifications (such as voids, cracks which are induced by the laser-material interaction) which contribute to the variation in mechanical properties with distance from the edge surface, bulk mechanical properties, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Joel Harrington, Ryan Vaughan, Kevin Jow, William Pippey, Yung-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 9387630
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of forming foam composites. The method includes providing a plurality of microspheres in contact with a fiber pre-form having a plurality of fibers, inserting at least one penetrating element into the fiber pre-form, and repeatedly moving the at least one penetrating element within the fiber pre-form so as to encourage the plurality of microspheres to disperse within the fiber pre-form. The fiber pre-form with the microspheres dispersed therein is then heated, causing the microspheres to expand and fuse together to form the foam composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Barrday Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Rayner, Nirmala Singh
  • Patent number: 9387637
    Abstract: A method for molding a non-pneumatic tire includes placing a hub into a lower mold portion, and associating at least one temperature sensor with the lower mold portion. The method further includes placing an upper mold portion onto the lower mold portion and the hub, heating the mold assembly, heating a molding material, and transferring the heated molding material into the interior of the mold assembly. The method further includes heating the mold assembly and molding material until the at least one temperature sensor indicates that the molding material has reached a first temperature, and maintaining the temperature of the molding material at the first temperature for a first predetermined period of time. The method further includes reducing the temperature of the molding material to a second temperature after the first predetermined period of time, and separating the upper mold portion and molded tire from the lower mold portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin L. Martin, Aaron K. Amstutz, David J. Colantoni, Stephen J. Pierz, Kevin D. Kempa
  • Patent number: 9387619
    Abstract: A method for additive delivery during a plastics processing is disclosed. The method includes establishing a network of components in a control loop that uses a feedback method to drive at least one pump, thus enabling continuous, robust proportioning of additive in a difficult to control environment. The feedback method includes sending at least one signal from at least one sensor associated with a plastics melting machine to a controller, sending one or more signals from the controller to the at least one pump, monitoring the pressure in the at least one pump and sensing the position of an injection nozzle valve, and sending one or more signals to the injection nozzle valve instructing the valve to open or close.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: COLORMATRIX HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Michael D. See
  • Patent number: 9392087
    Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a terminal main body having a display module to display visual information, a window disposed above the display module and having a pattern layer to recognize a user's touch input, a key region formed on one surface of the window near one side thereof, and a light emitting module configured to illuminate the key region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Insu Song, Younghwan Moon, Youngmin Lee, Hyosung Park
  • Patent number: 9382451
    Abstract: This invention provides a product comprised of a substrate with a rubber composition attached to the substrate by at least one interlayer of a polysilsesquioxane composition having phosphate cross-linkages. The at least one polysilsesquioxane layer having phosphate cross-linkages is produced from a mixture of a silane coupling agent and a phosphatizing reagent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Richard E. Dewald, Suky Singh