Patents by Inventor Steven Lynn Bichsel

Steven Lynn Bichsel 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).

  • Direct manufacturing systems and methods utilizing active guides and passive molds
    Patent number: 10220468
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a deposition system that comprises an energy source, a material feed, and an active guide. The system further includes a base platform and a control system communicatively coupled to the deposition system. The control system is configured to provide instructions to the deposition system to deposit one or more layers of material from the material feed onto a baseplate coupled to the base platform, thereby creating a structure. The control system is further configured to provide instructions to the deposition system to weld the material as it is deposited from the material feed using an energy beam from the energy source and to deploy the active guide to shape the material, thereby forming at least one shaped surface of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Lynn Bichsel
  • Direct Manufacturing Systems and Methods Utilizing Active Guides and Passive Molds
    Publication number: 20170106468
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a deposition system that comprises an energy source, a material feed, and an active guide. The system further includes a base platform and a control system communicatively coupled to the deposition system. The control system is configured to provide instructions to the deposition system to deposit one or more layers of material from the material feed onto a baseplate coupled to the base platform, thereby creating a structure. The control system is further configured to provide instructions to the deposition system to weld the material as it is deposited from the material feed using an energy beam from the energy source and to deploy the active guide to shape the material, thereby forming at least one shaped surface of the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventor: Steven Lynn Bichsel