Patents by Inventor Ralph A. Gifford

Ralph A. Gifford 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: 11250184
    Abstract: A computer-aided design system provides tolerance analysis of model assemblies. Constraints are applied to a model assembly based on user-selected surfaces. Overlay surfaces are defined at the assembly, where each of the overlay surfaces corresponds to a user-selected surface. One or more stacks are defined based on a user input, where the stacks are a measurement dimension encompassing two or more parts of the assembly. The system simulates 1) variation of the overlay surfaces across a range of variation values within a respective tolerance zone based on the tolerance specifications, and 2) alteration of the stack as a result of the variation. Based on the variation of the overlay surfaces, the system identifies a subset of the user-selected surfaces that, when varied within the respective tolerance zone, alter the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ENVENTIVE ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: James Hurt, Ralph A. Gifford, A. Vincent Huffaker, Kurt Andersen
  • Patent number: 11250181
    Abstract: A functional relationship management (FRM) system manages design, implementation and manufacture of products. The FRM system may organize and manages diverse sets of design inputs from diverse sources, computing functional conditions for each set of design inputs. Published design inputs and resulting functional conditions can be shared among several users. Each user may implement a distinct set of working design inputs, and the system can provide the resulting set of working functional conditions. When used with a variational modeling system, the FRM system can be automatically populated to identify all design inputs that affect a functional condition in a given variational model. The system also supports the ability for users to manually add models, design inputs, functional conditions, and functional relationships between the design inputs and functional conditions. The system further supports the addition of FMEA data such as failure modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ENVENTIVE ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Don Luhring, Ralph Gifford, Vincent Huffaker
  • Publication number: 20190121925
    Abstract: A computer-aided design system provides tolerance analysis of model assemblies. Constraints are applied to a model assembly based on user-selected surfaces. Overlay surfaces are defined at the assembly, where each of the overlay surfaces corresponds to a user-selected surface. One or more stacks are defined based on a user input, where the stacks are a measurement dimension encompassing two or more parts of the assembly. The system simulates 1) variation of the overlay surfaces across a range of variation values within a respective tolerance zone based on the tolerance specifications, and 2) alteration of the stack as a result of the variation. Based on the variation of the overlay surfaces, the system identifies a subset of the user-selected surfaces that, when varied within the respective tolerance zone, alter the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: James Hurt, Ralph A. Gifford, A. Vincent Huffaker, Kurt Andersen
  • Publication number: 20190102508
    Abstract: A functional relationship management (FRM) system manages design, implementation and manufacture of products. The FRM system may organize and manages diverse sets of design inputs from diverse sources, computing functional conditions for each set of design inputs. Published design inputs and resulting functional conditions can be shared among several users. Each user may implement a distinct set of working design inputs, and the system can provide the resulting set of working functional conditions. When used with a variational modeling system, the FRM system can be automatically populated to identify all design inputs that affect a functional condition in a given variational model. The system also supports the ability for users to manually add models, design inputs, functional conditions, and functional relationships between the design inputs and functional conditions. The system further supports the addition of FMEA data such as failure modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Don Luhring, Ralph Gifford, Vincent Huffaker
  • Patent number: 9384591
    Abstract: A computer-aided design (CAD) system provides for designing, modeling and simulating objects in 3D. Both 2D and 3D objects can be provided in a 3D space and associated to one another by one or more constraints. Modification to the objects is calculated to satisfy the constraints as well as the geometric and functional properties of the objects. The objects can then be updated according to the calculated modification, thereby satisfying various requirements of the design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Enventive Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James Hurt, Don Luhring, Vincent Huffaker, Kurt Andersen, Ralph Gifford
  • Publication number: 20120069011
    Abstract: A computer-aided design (CAD) system provides for designing, modeling and simulating objects in 3D. Both 2D and 3D objects can be provided in a 3D space and associated to one another by one or more constraints. Modification to the objects is calculated to satisfy the constraints as well as the geometric and functional properties of the objects. The objects can then be updated according to the calculated modification, thereby satisfying various requirements of the design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: Enventive Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James Hurt, Don Luhring, Vincent Huffaker, Kurt Andersen, Ralph Gifford
  • Patent number: 7623139
    Abstract: A computer added design system enables layout of a dependent component based on master components having a set of geometric and functional properties. Based on the state of the dependent component imposed by the assembly, as well as user-entered parameters, modification to the set of properties can be calculated. Based on the calculated modification, the master component and dependent component are updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Enventive Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Gifford, Vincent Huffaker, James Hurt, Kurt Andersen
  • Patent number: 6546833
    Abstract: A die cutting press (10) having a base platen (12), a bolster (16) shiftably and rotatably mounted on the base platen, and a die unit (22) mounted on the bolster for movement therewith is provided for precision cutting of individual part-defining areas (30, 230) from longitudinal and laterally-arranged rows of part areas of a relatively thin substrate (32, 232) that is susceptible to deformation and warpage during its manufacture and wherein registration indicia (236, 238) is provided in association with each of the part-defining areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Preco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Gifford, Hongli Du, James T. Gramling