The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 29, 2000
Oludele Olusegun Popoola, Novi, MI (US);
Ray Jahn, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Robert Corbly McCune, Southfield, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of fabricating a foamed metal structure using a powder supply of metal particles, comprising: (a) introducing the powder supply along with foaming agent particles into a propellant gas to form a gas/particle mixture stream; (b) projecting the mixture stream at a critical velocity of at least sonic velocity onto a metallic substrate to create a deposit of pressure-welded metal particles containing the admixed foaming agent; and (c) subjecting at least the coating of the substrate to a thermal excursion effective to activate expansion of the foaming agent while softening the metal particles for plastic deformation under the influence of the expanding gases.