Patents by Inventor Kari Pienimaki

Kari Pienimaki 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).

  • Publication number: 20240133629
    Abstract: A metallurgical furnace including a hearth, a sidewall structure, and a surrounding cooling element structure including cooling elements. Each cooling element have a planar back surface. A surrounding binding structure including binding sections surrounds partly the surrounding surface. Adjacent binding sections of the surrounding binding structure are connected by tension assemblies. At least one planar back surface of at least one cooling element is parallel with and is in a horizontal direction of the metallurgical furnace supported by at least one planar surface means of at least one binding section of the surrounding binding structure. Said at least one cooling element of the surrounding cooling element structure is located at least partly between the surrounding surface and said one binding section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kari PIENIMÄKI, Harri TALVENSAARI, Jouko KANGAS, Kaarle PELTONIEMI, Päivi SUIKKANEN
  • Patent number: 10190824
    Abstract: A taphole assembly (1) for arranging in a taphole assembly opening (2) extending through a shell (3) and a refractory lining (4) of a metallurgical furnace (5) such as a pyrometallurgical furnace and for leading melt from the inside of the metallurgical furnace (5) to the outside of the metallurgical furnace (5). The taphole assembly comprises: a frame section of metal (6) to be arranged in a taphole assembly opening (2) extending through a shell (3) and a refractory lining (4) of a of a metallurgical furnace (5), at least one refractory insert channel element (7) arranged in a seat (8) of the frame section of metal (6) and having a channel (9) for melt. The invention relates also to a method for manufacturing a taphole assembly and to a metallurgical furnace including a taphole assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Eero Hugg, Kari Pienimäki, Mika Ketola, Mikael Jåfs
  • Patent number: 9869515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft (1), an uptake shaft (2), and a lower furnace (3), as well as a concentrate burner (4) for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into the reaction shaft (1) of the suspension smelting furnace. The concentrate burner (4) comprises a fine solids discharge channel (5) that is radially limited by the wall (6) of the solids discharge channel, a fine solids dispersion device (7) in the fine solids discharge channel (5), an annular reaction gas channel (8) that surrounds the fine solids discharge channel (5) and is radially limited by the wall (9) of the annular reaction gas channel (8), and a cooling block (10) that surrounds the annular reaction gas channel (8). The cooling block (10) is a component that is manufactured by a continuous casting method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Mikael Jåfs, Tapio Ahokainen, Kari Pienimäki, Lauri P. Pesonen
  • Patent number: 9534846
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a melt launder to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The invention also relates to a melt launder to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The melt launder comprises a launder body of metal, a flow channel for molten phase, a refractory lining for lining the launder body of metal so that the refractory lining at least partly forms a flow surface for molten phase in the flow channel for molten phase, and a layer of steel between the launder body of metal and the refractory lining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oyj
    Inventors: Eero Hugg, Kari Pienimaki, Mika Ketola, Mikael Jafs
  • Publication number: 20160223187
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an arrangement for treating process gas flowing from a furnace space of a pyrometallurgical furnace into a waste heat boiler that is in fluid communication with the furnace space of the pyrometallurgical furnace at a connecting aperture. The method comprises providing the region of the connecting aperture between the furnace space of the pyrometallurgical furnace and the waste heat boiler with a gas blowing means for blowing gas into process gas flowing from the furnace space of the pyrometallurgical furnace into the waste heat boiler, and blowing gas with the gas blowing means into process gas flowing from the furnace space of the pyrometallurgical furnace into the waste heat boiler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Kari PIENIMAKI, Tapio AHOKAINEN, Eero HUGG, Elli MIETTINEN, Mikael JAFS
  • Publication number: 20150184940
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a melt launder (1) to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The invention also relates to a melt launder (1) to be used for transferring molten phase such as slag, matte, or metal formed in a process for the production of metals. The melt launder (1) comprises a launder body of metal (3), a flow channel (2) for molten phase, a refractory lining (4) for lining the launder body of metal (3) so that the refractory lining (4) at least partly forms a flow surface (5) for molten phase in the flow channel (2) for molten phase, and a layer of steel (6) between the launder body of metal (3) and the refractory lining (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Eero Hugg, Kari Pienimaki, Mika Ketola, Mikael Jafs
  • Publication number: 20150176903
    Abstract: The invention relates to a taphole assembly (1) for arranging in a taphole assembly opening (2) extending through a shell (3) and a refractory lining (4) of a metallurgical furnace (5) such as a pyrometallurgical furnace and for leading melt from the inside of the metallurgical furnace (5) to the outside of the metallurgical furnace (5). The taphole assembly comprises: a frame section of metal (6) to be arranged in a taphole assembly opening (2) extending through a shell (3) and a refractory lining (4) of a of a metallurgical furnace (5), at least one refractory insert channel element (7) arranged in a seat (8) of the frame section of metal (6) and having a channel (9) for melt. The invention relates also to a method for manufacturing a taphole assembly and to a metallurgical furnace including a taphole assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Eero Hugg, Kari Pienimäki, Mika Ketola, Mikael Jåfs
  • Publication number: 20130099431
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft (1), an uptake shaft (2), and a lower furnace (3), as well as a concentrate burner (4) for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into the reaction shaft (1) of the suspension smelting furnace. The concentrate burner (4) comprises a fine solids discharge channel (5) that is radially limited by the wall (6) of the solids discharge channel, a fine solids dispersion device (7) in the fine solids discharge channel (5), an annular reaction gas channel (8) that surrounds the fine solids discharge channel (5) and is radially limited by the wall (9) of the annular reaction gas channel (8), and a cooling block (10) that surrounds the annular reaction gas channel (8). The cooling block (10) is a component that is manufactured by a continuous casting method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: OUTOTEC OYJ
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Mikael Jåfs, Tapio Ahokainen, Kari Pienimäki, Lauri P. Pesonen