Patents by Inventor Kevin L. Nichols

Kevin L. Nichols 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: 11584812
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition (OPC) article comprising a body having a length, which is greater than any perpendicular dimension, comprised of an OPC having a softening temperature, the body having an outer surface extending the length of the body, having polymer strands aligned in the lengthwise direction of the body, wherein the length dimension stability is greater than 99% when tested by heating the article for 24 hours at temperatures at least up to and including 71 degrees Celsius after completion of the manufacture of the article and processes for forming said article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Publication number: 20200165365
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition (OPC) article comprising a body having a length, which is greater than any perpendicular dimension, comprised of an OPC having a softening temperature, the body having an outer surface extending the length of the body, having polymer strands aligned in the lengthwise direction of the body, wherein the length dimension stability is greater than 99% when tested by heating the article for 24 hours at temperatures at least up to and including 71 degrees Celsius after completion of the manufacture of the article and processes for forming said article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Patent number: 10577442
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition (OPC) article comprising a body having a length, which is greater than any perpendicular dimension, comprised of an OPC having a softening temperature, the body having an outer surface extending the length of the body, having polymer strands aligned in the lengthwise direction of the body, wherein the length dimension stability is greater than 99% when tested by heating the article for 24 hours at temperatures at least up to and including 71 degrees Celsius after completion of the manufacture of the article and processes for forming said article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Patent number: 9833937
    Abstract: Solid state draw a laminated polymer billet containing two or more polymer compositions laminated to one another to prepare an oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Hoang T. Pham, Kevin L. Nichols, Mark A. Barger, Brett M. Birchmeier, Andrew T. Graham
  • Publication number: 20160229106
    Abstract: Solid state draw a laminated polymer billet containing two or more polymer compositions laminated to one another to prepare an oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Hoang T. Pham, Kevin L. Nichols, Mark A. Barger, Brett M. Birchmeier, Andrew T. Graham
  • Patent number: 9393735
    Abstract: Solid state draw a laminated polymer billet containing two or more polymer compositions laminated to one another to prepare an oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Hoang T. Pham, Mark A. Barger, Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Andrew T. Graham
  • Patent number: 9359762
    Abstract: A building product and method for manufacturing a building product made from an oriented polymer composition which can be split to provide a surface of the building product with a plurality of visible fibrils to form an aesthetic representative of split wood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Claude Brown, Jr., Brett M. Birchmeier, Bruce A. Malone
  • Publication number: 20150360809
    Abstract: A pallet has a top deck coupled with a bottom deck through a plurality of spacer members. The bottom deck is provided as a sub-assembly comprising at least two lead bottom deck boards and at least one intermediate bottom deck board, each bottom deck board coupled with at least one other bottom deck board by a bottom deck joint, and wherein each board of the bottom deck sub-assembly is further coupled with at least one of the plurality of spacer members to couple the bottom deck sub-assembly with the top deck. At least one of the bottom deck lead boards are made from a fiber filled thermoplastic or oriented plastic composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Richard McBride, Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Andrew T. Graham
  • Publication number: 20150045469
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition (OPC) article comprising a body having a length, which is greater than any perpendicular dimension, comprised of an OPC having a softening temperature, the body having an outer surface extending the length of the body, having polymer strands aligned in the lengthwise direction of the body, wherein the length dimension stability is greater than 99% when tested by heating the article for 24 hours at temperatures at least up to and including 71 degrees Celsius after completion of the manufacture of the article and processes for forming said article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Patent number: 8871130
    Abstract: Draw a polymer composition by providing a polymer composition containing an orientable polymer having a softening temperature and a filler; conditioning the temperature of the polymer composition at or below its softening temperature; and drawing the polymer composition at a draw rate of at least 127 centimeters per minute in order to achieve an oriented filled polymer composition demonstrating a stable extent of cavitation with draw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Publication number: 20140272303
    Abstract: A building product and method for manufacturing a building product made from an oriented polymer composition which can be split to provide a surface of the building product with a plurality of visible fibrils to form an aesthetic representative of split wood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Claude Brown, JR., Brett M. Birchmeier, Bruce A. Malone
  • Publication number: 20140162046
    Abstract: An article of manufacture comprising a polymer composition, having 30 wt % or more and 95 wt % or less inert inorganic filler, that is oriented by the steps of conditioning the polymer composition to a drawing temperature of at least 15° C. and approximately 40° C. below a softening temperature of the polymer composition; and drawing the polymer composition though a drawing die at a drawing rate of at least 0.25 m/min and with a nominal draw ratio of 1.25 or more and 8 or less to produce the article of manufacture made of the oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Ian M. Ward, Philip D. Coates, Phil Caton-Rose, Glen P. Thompson, Vijay Wani, Rajen M. Patel
  • Patent number: 8658732
    Abstract: Solid state draw a polymer billet, wherein at least 50 percent of all polymers in the billet is a continuous phase of polyethylene polymer having a density of 0.941-0.959 grams per cubic centimeter and a weight-average molecular weight that is 110,000 grams per mole or greater, at a drawing rate of 1.2 meters per minute or faster using a tensile force to create an oriented and cavitated polymer composition whose cross section dimensions all exceed two millimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, William J. Michie, Jr., Mridula Kapur
  • Patent number: 8475700
    Abstract: Prepare an oriented polymer composition that is cavitated, has cross sectional dimensions all at least three millimeters and at least one de-oriented surface layer having a thickness of at least 80 microns and at least 50 microns less than half the thickness of the oriented polymer composition, the de-oriented surface layer having a lower degree of polymer orientation than a 100 micron thick portion of the oriented polymer composition adjacent to and below the de-oriented surface layer by sufficiently heat treating a surface of a cavitated oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: James J. O'Brien, Timothy O. Kirch, Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier
  • Patent number: 8383729
    Abstract: Including crosslinked rubber particles in an oriented polymer composition induces cavitation in the oriented polymer composition and can increases the scratch and mar resistance as well as fibrillation resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Kim L. Walton
  • Publication number: 20120277336
    Abstract: Including crosslinked rubber particles in an oriented polymer composition induces cavitation in the oriented polymer composition and can increases the scratch and mar resistance as well as fibrillation resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: EOVATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Kim L. Walton
  • Publication number: 20120121879
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition containing thirty to 95 weight-percent inert inorganic filler and a continuous phase of at least one orientable polymer contains void spaces due to cavitation and has a density of less than 0.8 grams per cubic centimeter, a flexural modulus of 1.4 gigapascals or more, cross section dimensions all greater than 1.5 millimeters, a delamination force value of 44.5 Newtons (ten pounds force) or more and little or no blowing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: Eovations, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Ian M. Ward, Philip D. Coates, Phil Caton-Rose, Glen P. Thompson, Vijay Wani, Rajen M. Patel
  • Publication number: 20120100355
    Abstract: Solid state draw a laminated polymer billet containing two or more polymer compositions laminated to one another to prepare an oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Hoang T. Pham, Mark A. Barger, Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Andrew T. Graham
  • Patent number: 8142697
    Abstract: An oriented polymer composition containing thirty to 95 weight-percent inert inorganic filler and a continuous phase of at least one orientable polymer contains void spaces due to cavitation and has a density of less than 0.8 grams per cubic centimeter, a flexural modulus of 1.4 gigapascals or more, cross section dimensions all greater than 1.5 millimeters, a delamination force value of 44.5 Newtons (ten pounds force) or more and little or no blowing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventors: Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier, Ian M. Ward, Philip D. Coates, Phil Caton-Rose, Glen P. Thompson, Vijay Wani, Rajen M. Patel
  • Publication number: 20110018162
    Abstract: Prepare an oriented polymer composition that is cavitated, has cross sectional dimensions all at least three millimeters and at least one de-oriented surface layer having a thickness of at least 8C microns and at least 50 microns less than half the thickness of the oriented polymer composition, the de-oriented surface layer having a lower degree of polymer orientation than a 100 micron thick portion of the oriented polymer composition adjacent to and below the de-oriented surface layer by sufficiently heat treating a surface of a cavitated oriented polymer composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: James J. O'Brien, Timothy O. Kirch, Kevin L. Nichols, Brett M. Birchmeier