1 Noestheden
2 Noestheden is U.S. Patent 6,511,550 B1 issued on 28 January 2003.
3 Noestheden is prior art vis-à-vis applicants under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).
4 According to Noestheden, in the manufacture of automobile engines,
5 it is necessary, between various manufacturing steps and prior to assembly
6 of the engine, to both clean and dry many other parts which form the engine.
7 Col. 1, lines 11-15.
8 The parts may contain grease, machine shavings, core sand residue
9 and the like which must be removed prior to assembly. Col. 1, lines 15-18.
10 Failure to remove debris from the parts oftentimes results in damage
11 to the engine after assembly. Col. 1, lines 18-20.
12 Prior to the Noestheden invention, in order to clean debris from the
13 part, the part was subjected to high pressure liquid sprayers which directed a
14 cleaning solution toward the part. After the part was cleaned, it was placed
15 in a dunnage container and allowed to dry. Col. 1, lines 24-29.
16 A disadvantage of the process prior to Noestheden is said to have been
17 that oftentimes water or other cleaning solution used to clean the part would
18 pool in areas of the part. Col. 1, lines 30-33.
19 The part, however, needs to be dry before it is used in assembling an
20 engine. Col. 1, lines 37-42.
21 Noestheden claims to have solved the then existing problem by first
22 washing the part with a cleaning solution and thereafter spinning the part to
23 remove water. Col. 1, lines 49-61.
24 The Noestheden steps can readily be understood by reference to its
25 Fig. 1.
26 At step 10, the part is washed in a cleaning solution which is
27 preferably water based. Col. 2, lines 11-12.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007