Patents by Inventor Heather Marie Schaefer

Heather Marie Schaefer 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: 11738315
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond table includes a plurality of bonded diamond grains and a plurality of interstitial regions defined by the plurality of bonded diamond grains. The polycrystalline diamond table may be at least partially leached such that at least a portion of at least one interstitial constituent has been removed from at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions by exposure to a leaching agent. The leaching agent may include a mixture having a ratio of weight % hydrofluoric acid to weight % nitric acid of about 1.0 to about 2.4, and water in a concentration of about 50 weight % to about 85 weight %. Various other materials, articles, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Chengkun Xu, Jason K. Wiggins, Matthew Brown, Cody Frisby
  • Publication number: 20230150091
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), methods of fabricating PDCs, and applications for such PDCs. In an embodiment, a method includes providing an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body. A residual amount of acid may remain in and/or on the at least partially leached PCD body. The method further includes removing and/or neutralizing at least some of the residual amount of acid from the at least partially leached PCD body and/or a substrate to which the at least partially leached PCD body is attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Jason K. Wiggins, Cody Frisby
  • Patent number: 11554462
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), methods of fabricating PDCs, and applications for such PDCs. In an embodiment, a method includes providing an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body. A residual amount of acid may remain in and/or on the at least partially leached PCD body. The method further includes removing and/or neutralizing at least some of the residual amount of acid from the at least partially leached PCD body and/or a substrate to which the at least partially leached PCD body is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Jason K. Wiggins, Cody Frisby
  • Publication number: 20220001348
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond table includes a plurality of bonded diamond grains and a plurality of interstitial regions defined by the plurality of bonded diamond grains. The polycrystalline diamond table may be at least partially leached such that at least a portion of at least one interstitial constituent has been removed from at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions by exposure to a leaching agent. The leaching agent may include a mixture having a ratio of weight % hydrofluoric acid to weight % nitric acid of about 1.0 to about 2.4, and water in a concentration of about 50 weight % to about 85 weight %. Various other materials, articles, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Chengkun Xu, Jason K. Wiggins, Matthew Brown, Cody Frisby
  • Patent number: 11135560
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond table includes a plurality of bonded diamond grains and a plurality of interstitial regions defined by the plurality of bonded diamond grains. The polycrystalline diamond table may be at least partially leached such that at least a portion of at least one interstitial constituent has been removed from at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions by exposure to a leaching agent. The leaching agent may include a mixture having a ratio of weight % hydrofluoric acid to weight % nitric acid of about 1.0 to about 2.4, and water in a concentration of about 50 weight % to about 85 weight %. Various other materials, articles, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: US Synthetic Corporation
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Chengkun Xu, Jason K. Wiggins, Matthew Brown, Cody Frisby
  • Patent number: 10549402
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), methods of fabricating PDCs, and applications for such PDCs. In an embodiment, a method includes providing an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body. A residual amount of acid may remain in and/or on the at least partially leached PCD body. The method further includes removing and/or neutralizing at least some of the residual amount of acid from the at least partially leached PCD body and/or a substrate to which the at least partially leached PCD body is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Jason K. Wiggins, Cody Frisby
  • Patent number: 10173899
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a leached polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body is disclosed. The PCD body includes bonded diamond grains defining interstitial regions at least a portion of which include at least one interstitial constituent disposed therein. The method includes leaching the PCD body with a leaching agent to remove at least a portion of the at least one interstitial constituent therefrom. The leaching agent includes a mixture having hydrofluoric acid in a first concentration of about 10 weight % to about 50 weight %, nitric acid in a second concentration of about 5 weight % to about 25 weight %, and water in a third concentration of about 25 weight % to about 85 weight %. Further embodiments relate to different leaching methods and different leaching agent compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Julie Ann Kidd, Heather Marie Schaefer, Chengkun Xu, Jason K. Wiggins, Matthew Brown, Cody Frisby
  • Patent number: 9908215
    Abstract: A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond material includes exposing at least a portion of a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing agent for processing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond material. The method further includes applying a body force to the volume of processing agent while at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material is exposed to the processing agent, and heating at least one of the processing agent and at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material exposed to the processing agent during application of the body force to the processing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael A. Vail, Heather Marie Schaefer, Adam M. Ziegenfelder
  • Patent number: 9789587
    Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond element leaching assembly includes a polycrystalline diamond element, a protective leaching cup surrounding at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element, and a protective layer positioned between the polycrystalline diamond element and the protective leaching cup. A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element includes covering a selected portion of a polycrystalline diamond element with a curable resin layer, curing the curable resin layer to form a protective layer, and exposing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element to a leaching agent. Another method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element includes depositing a curable resin within a protective leaching cup and positioning a polycrystalline diamond element within the protective leaching cup such that the curable resin is displaced so as to surround at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Call Mortensen, Trevor Allen Olsen, Heather Marie Schaefer, Daniel Preston Wilding