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:
Mar. 29, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2006
Nabeel Mark Jadeed, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Charles Frank Benjey, Hamilton, OH (US);
Donald F. Heaney, Philipsburg, PA (US);
Nabeel Mark Jadeed, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Charles Frank Benjey, Hamilton, OH (US);
Donald F. Heaney, Philipsburg, PA (US);
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
Structures and methods for hindering molded part deformation during densification are discussed. Such devices and techniques can help alleviate stresses that tend to result in part deformation during firing, sintering, or other densification processes, and thus reduce the need for secondary straightening operations post-densification. In some instances, a support structure is utilized to orient a molded greenbody in a preferred direction to reduce deformation during firing (e.g., orienting a thin tail section is a plane parallel to the direction of gravity). The support structure can also be part of, or the entirety of, a thermal mass to help alleviate stresses that lead to part deformation. Though such structures and methods can be used for any molded piece, it can be particularly used to create a portion, or an entirety of, a medical device such as a jaw of an surgical instrument.