Patents by Inventor René Jos Houben

René Jos Houben 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: 11014288
    Abstract: A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises: (i) a first and a second building platform for carrying a tangible product; (ii) a deposition head for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms; (iii) a conveyor for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly; and (iv) height adjustment means to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit for picking a product from the building platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 10987868
    Abstract: A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line includes: first and second movable carriers, each carrier comprising a transporter for transporting the carrier, and a building platform for supporting a tangible product, one or more deposition heads for depositing construction material in a deposition direction onto the building platforms, and a conveyor for conveying the first and second building platform towards the deposition head and away from the deposition head repeatedly. The first and the second transporter are movable at variable speeds relative to each other along a trajectory of the conveyor. Optionally, the height of the building platforms can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Augustinus Gerardus Maria Biemans, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Publication number: 20190322052
    Abstract: The invention relates to a production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line includes: first and second carriers comprising first and second building platforms for supporting first and second tangible products, a deposition head for depositing construction material onto the building platforms, a material remover for removing a surplus of the deposited construction material from the building platforms, a solidification device for solidifying at least a part of the deposited construction material, and a platform conveyor for conveying the carriers towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly. The layers are deposited on top of each other and solidified in a pattern that corresponds to a cross section of the product. The surplus material is removed by a remover, preferably before the layer is solidified. This allows the quantity of material to be adapted to the specific product on each building platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Augustinus Gerardus Maria Biemans, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 10421265
    Abstract: The invention relates to a production line and a method for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises a deposition head for depositing construction material layerwise on a building platform. The building platforms can move with a different speed along a conveyor. Optionally, the height of the building platforms can be adjusted. The method is characterized in that at least two building platforms are moving with different speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Augustinus Gerardus Maria Biemans, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 10384436
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a production line (10) for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. Layers of a uniform thickness are deposited on top of each other and solidified in a pattern that corresponds to a cross section of the product. The method and production line are in particular suited for making mutually different products out of powders of construction material. The construction material is deposited on the different building platforms (11,12) individually by a deposition head (13). A surplus of material is removed by a remover (14), preferably before the layer is solidified (15). This allows that the quantity of material can be adapted to the specific product on each building platform. The production line further comprises a platform conveyor (16) for conveying the towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELUK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers
  • Publication number: 20190224919
    Abstract: A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line includes: first and second movable carriers, each carrier comprising a transporter for transporting the carrier, and a building platform for supporting a tangible product, one or more deposition heads for depositing construction material in a deposition direction onto the building platforms, and a conveyor for conveying the first and second building platform towards the deposition head and away from the deposition head repeatedly. The first and the second transporter are movable at variable speeds relative to each other along a trajectory of the conveyor. Optionally, the height of the building platforms can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Augustinus Gerardus Maria Biemans, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Publication number: 20190210280
    Abstract: A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises: (i) a first and a second building platform for carrying a tangible product; (ii) a deposition head for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms; (iii) a conveyor for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly; and (iv) height adjustment means to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit for picking a product from the building platforms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 10226894
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises (i) a first and a second building platform (102, 112) for carrying a tangible product, (ii) a deposition head (101) for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms, (iii) a conveyor (103) for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly, (iv) height adjustment means (107) to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction (104) perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit (106) for picking a product from the building platforms. The method allows making different tangible products in a continuous process by layerwise manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 10160207
    Abstract: The invention is directed at a print head for printing a suspension fluid. The print head comprises a nozzle having one or more nozzle outlets for allowing the suspension fluid to be ejected from the nozzle, a flow path including a supply channel for supplying the suspension fluid to the one or more nozzle outlets, and a supply pump for establishing a flow within the flow path. The nozzle further comprises an actuator for imparting pressure fluctuations on the suspension fluid at the one or more nozzle outlets for generating a stream of droplets therefrom. The flow path further comprises a shear section for locally increasing the shear rate at least at a location in the flow path upstream of the one or more nozzle outlets. The flow path further includes a return channel for allowing excess fluid not ejected from the nozzle to flow away from the one or more nozzle outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Andries Rijfers, René Jos Houben, Robin Bernardus Johannes Koldeweij
  • Publication number: 20170334201
    Abstract: The invention is directed at a print head for printing a suspension fluid. The print head comprises a nozzle having one or more nozzle outlets for allowing the suspension fluid to be ejected from the nozzle, a flow path including a supply channel for supplying the suspension fluid to the one or more nozzle outlets, and a supply pump for establishing a flow within the flow path. The nozzle further comprises an actuator for imparting pressure fluctuations on the suspension fluid at the one or more nozzle outlets for generating a stream of droplets therefrom. The flow path further comprises a shear section for locally increasing the shear rate at least at a location in the flow path upstream of the one or more nozzle outlets. The flow path further includes a return channel for allowing excess fluid not ejected from the nozzle to flow away from the one or more nozzle outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Andries Rijfers, René Jos Houben, Robin Bernardus Johannes Koldeweij
  • Publication number: 20170050386
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a production line (10) for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. Layers of a uniform thickness are deposited on top of each other and solidified in a pattern that corresponds to a cross section of the product. The method and production line are in particular suited for making mutually different products out of powders of construction material. The construction material is deposited on the different building platforms (11,12) individually by a deposition head (13). A surplus of material is removed by a remover (14), preferably before the layer is solidified (15). This allows that the quantity of material can be adapted to the specific product on each building platform. The production line further comprises a platform conveyor (16) for conveying the towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers
  • Publication number: 20170050379
    Abstract: The invention relates to a production line and a method for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises a deposition head for depositing construction material layerwise on a building platform. The building platforms can move with a different speed along a conveyor. Optionally, the height of the building platforms can be adjusted. The method is characterised in that at least two building platforms are moving with different speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Augustinus Gerardus Maria Biemans, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 9573104
    Abstract: Method of spray-drying a high-viscosity fluid, e.g. comprising a food product. The method comprises providing a nozzle plate wherein at least one nozzle is provided, said nozzle plate having an inner main surface and an outer main surface. The method comprises providing the high-viscosity fluid in a reservoir that is in fluidum connection with the at least one nozzle. The method comprises pressurizing the high-viscosity fluid in the reservoir, wherein the fluid flows, as a result of said pressurizing, towards the nozzle plate, thus creating a pressure difference over the at least one nozzle so that the fluid flows out of the at least one nozzle, thereby passing the outer main surface after passing the inner main surface. A cross-sectional area of the at least one nozzle in the inner main surface exceeds a cross-sectional area of the at least one nozzle in the outer main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Andries Rijfers, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, René Jos Houben, Robin Bernardus Johannes Koldeweij
  • Patent number: 9211567
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for applying a material onto a substrate using a droplet printing technique wherein a gas stream is released into the direction of a substrate, which gas stream comprises a carrier gas and droplets of a suspension of the material or droplets of a solution of a precursor of the material or droplets of a precursor of the material as such, whereby the droplets in the gas stream are first maintained in a steady flow and subsequently in a converging flow before the droplets are contacted with the substrate. The invention further provides an apparatus for carrying out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Gerrit Oosterhuis
  • Publication number: 20150290878
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises (i) a first and a second building platform (102, 112) for carrying a tangible product, (ii) a deposition head (101) for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms, (iii) a conveyor (103) for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly, (iv) height adjustment means (107) to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction (104) perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit (106) for picking a product from the building platforms. The method allows making different tangible products in a continuous process by layerwise manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
  • Patent number: 9138987
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are for printing a fluid material by a continuous jet printing technique. The apparatus includes a flow restricting structure arranged near an outflow opening for restricting a flow of the material between a reservoir and the outflow opening by a restricted passage through the flow restricting structure. Furthermore, the flow restricting structure, an actuating surface, and a nozzle are arranged to bind a micro volume directly adjacent an inside of the outflow opening for the purpose of guiding or reflecting pressure variations generated by the pressure regulating mechanism towards the outflow opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers, Robin Bernardus Johannes Koldeweij
  • Patent number: 9138986
    Abstract: A high pressure printing system comprising: a high pressure printing head, constructed and arranged for printing a printing fluid with a printing pressure in at least a part of a channel upstream of the printing head in an interval of 15-3000 bars; a pressure system comprising a printing fluid inlet and a plurality of pressure cylinders constructed and arranged for providing a constant flow of said printing fluid, the pressure cylinders being interconnected by at least a pressure valve; and a damper, connected between an outlet of the pressure system and said high pressure printing head, provided for damping the valve action of the pressure valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventor: Rene Jos Houben
  • Patent number: 9056453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a droplet break up device (1) comprising: a chamber (2) for containing a pressurized printing liquid (3) comprising a bottom plate; at least one outlet channel (4, 4?) having a central axis, provided in said chamber for ejecting the printing liquid; and an actuator for breaking up, a fluid jetted out of the outlet channel. The actuator comprises a revolving, member (5) comprising a surface deformation (7, 7?) shaped to provide a pressure pulse near the outlet channel. Accordingly, a simple mechanism is provided for providing multiple printing nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: Rene Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Andries Rijfers
  • Patent number: 9044725
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides a system and method for spray drying a fluid. The system comprises a fluid reservoir (2), a spraying device (3) that comprises at least one outflow opening (4) for projecting droplets of fluid (5) from the reservoir (2) out of the at least one outflow opening (4) and at least one energy source (6) for at least partially drying the droplets. The spraying device (3) is arranged to project the droplets into a determinable droplet trajectory and the at least one energy source (6) is arranged for providing energy focused substantially on the droplet trajectory. It is an object of the invention to provide a system and method for reducing the amount of energy required for spray drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers, Gerrit Oosterhuis, Frits Verhoeven, Gerben Pieterse
  • Patent number: 8974041
    Abstract: A method and droplet selection device are provided for a continuous printer for selectively deflecting a droplet from a predetermined printing trajectory. In particular, a droplet selection device is provided for a continuous printer, comprising a droplet ejection system arranged to generate a continuous stream of droplets from a first fluid jetted out of an outlet channel; and a jet system arranged to generate a second jet for colliding the jet into the stream of droplets. The jet system comprises a deflector to selectively deflect the second jet into the continuous stream of droplets, so as to selectively deflect the droplets from a predefined printing trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Ronaldus Jacobus Johannes Boot, René Jos Houben, Gerrit Oosterhuis, Antonius Paulus Aulbers