Patents by Inventor Christopher A. Meyers

Christopher A. Meyers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11666968
    Abstract: Examples for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing are described herein. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object by heating a metallic material to a molten state such that the metallic material includes a solid-liquid interface. The example can further involve applying an electromagnetic field or vibrations to the metallic material of the first layer. In some instances, the electromagnetic fields or vibrations perturb the first layer of metallic material causing nucleation sites to form at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. The example also includes generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object. Generating the second layer increases a number of nucleation sites at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. Each nucleation site can grows a crystal at a spatially-random orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Publication number: 20220134427
    Abstract: Examples for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing are described herein. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object by heating a metallic material to a molten state such that the metallic material includes a solid-liquid interface. The example can further involve applying an electromagnetic field or vibrations to the metallic material of the first layer. In some instances, the electromagnetic fields or vibrations perturb the first layer of metallic material causing nucleation sites to form at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. The example also includes generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object. Generating the second layer increases a number of nucleation sites at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. Each nucleation site can grows a crystal at a spatially-random orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Patent number: 11278963
    Abstract: Examples for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing are described herein. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object by heating a metallic material to a molten state such that the metallic material includes a solid-liquid interface. The example can further involve applying an electromagnetic field or vibrations to the metallic material of the first layer. In some instances, the electromagnetic fields or vibrations perturb the first layer of metallic material causing nucleation sites to form at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. The example also includes generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object. Generating the second layer increases a number of nucleation sites at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. Each nucleation site can grows a crystal at a spatially-random orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Patent number: 10682725
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to techniques for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object using a material with grains structured in a first arrangement. After a threshold duration occurs since generating the first layer, the example can involve applying an external force to the first layer to cause deformations in the first arrangement of grains. The example can further involve generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object to form a portion of the integral object. Generating the second layer of the integral object causes the material of the first layer to recrystallize new grains to replace grains proximate the deformations. The grains that result from recrystallization are structured in new arrangement that improves the physical and mechanical properties of the layer and subsequent layers collective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Publication number: 20190160540
    Abstract: Examples for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing are described herein. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object by heating a metallic material to a molten state such that the metallic material includes a solid-liquid interface. The example can further involve applying an electromagnetic field or vibrations to the metallic material of the first layer. In some instances, the electromagnetic fields or vibrations perturb the first layer of metallic material causing nucleation sites to form at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. The example also includes generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object. Generating the second layer increases a number of nucleation sites at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. Each nucleation site can grows a crystal at a spatially-random orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Publication number: 20190160589
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to techniques for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object using a material with grains structured in a first arrangement. After a threshold duration occurs since generating the first layer, the example can involve applying an external force to the first layer to cause deformations in the first arrangement of grains. The example can further involve generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object to form a portion of the integral object. Generating the second layer of the integral object causes the material of the first layer to recrystallize new grains to replace grains proximate the deformations. The grains that result from recrystallization are structured in new arrangement that improves the physical and mechanical properties of the layer and subsequent layers collective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Arash Ghabchi, Christopher A. Meyer, James D. Cotton, Matthew J. Crill
  • Patent number: 8244740
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that facilitate providing suggested sites in accordance with target sites are provided. Web-browsed data is locally stored on a user device and uploaded to a suggestion engine. Additional web-browsed data is communicated to the suggestion engine via a suggested site request that provides a request for suggested sites related to a target site. In embodiments, the web-browsed data contained in the suggested site request includes data not previously uploaded to the suggestion engine. The suggestion engine utilizes the web-browsed data uploaded to the suggestion engine and the web-browsed data communicated via the suggested site request to provide suggested sites in association with the target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Gruenhagen, Andrew P. Oakley, Maxim V. Stepin, Christopher A. Meyers, Srinath R. Aaleti, Jason A. Bolla, Nikolay A. Glushnev
  • Patent number: 6079595
    Abstract: A liquid dispenser 10 includes a container 20 mounted on a wire rack 40 which is mounted to a wall 60 or the like. An aspirator 80 is mounted on the wire rack and the container covers/conceals the aspirator from view and acts as both a container and cover or shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Ecolab Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Meyer, Dennis R. Breining, Tammy A. Bailey, Todd W. Heeringa, James R. Johnson
  • Patent number: D438119
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Ecolab Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Meyer, Dennis R. Breining, Tammy A. Bailey, Todd W. Heeringa, James R. Johnson