Patents Assigned to The Technology Partnership PLC
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Patent number: 8941043Abstract: A light tracking device comprising first and second support members and at least one light receiving element supported on each support member by one or more resilient flexible beams which deform upon relative translational displacement of the first and second support members. The first and second support members are arranged such that relative translational displacement of the members generates rotational displacement of the element. One or more resilient flexible beams may comprise spiral arms extending from the first to the second support members.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2013Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: The Technology Partnership PlcInventors: Andy Tomlinson, John-Paul Szczepanik
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Patent number: 8935110Abstract: A system for analyzing an interior energy system including: at least one detachable sensor arranged to monitor a portion of the interior energy system; and an apparatus including a processor configured to receive data of a first parameter of the interior energy system from the at least one detachable sensor and determine a second parameter of the interior energy which is inferred on the basis of the received data of the first parameter; and determine a characteristic of the interior energy system from the determined second parameter. The system may provide analysis of the interior energy system and recommend improvements.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2009Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLCInventors: Mark Chang-Ming Hsieh, David Russell Anderson
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Patent number: 8921690Abstract: The light concentrator having a primary optical element which has an optical axis and a core comprising a rigid body which is co-linear with the optical axis and configured to support the primary optical element.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2010Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLCInventors: Andy Tomlinson, John-Paul Szczepanik
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Publication number: 20140339914Abstract: A wireless power transmission system is designed to transmit power through a permeable conductive barrier layer. The system comprises a power transmitting circuit including a first inductive coil. A power receiving circuit includes a second inductive coil located on the opposite side of the barrier layer to the first inductive coil. A biasing magnet or electromagnet is provided and characterised by its ability to substantially saturate the magnetisation of the barrier layer in a region adjacent to the first and second inductive coils.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2012Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: THE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PLCInventor: David Pooley
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Patent number: 8840039Abstract: A fluid spray dispenser (2) having a fluid reservoir (20) for holding a fluid to be dispensed, a spray head (23) for dispensing the fluid and a porous medium (24) through which the fluid passes from the reservoir (20) to the spray head (23). The porous medium (24) has an effective pore size and/or permeability that decreases towards the spray head (23). Means and methods of creating the pore size and/or permeability gradients are discussed.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2009Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PlcInventors: Daniel Crichton, Richard Wilhelm Janse Van Rensberg
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Patent number: 8840040Abstract: A fluid spray dispenser (2) having a fluid reservoir (20) for holding a fluid to be dispensed, a spray head (23) for dispensing the fluid and a porous medium (24) through which the fluid passes from the reservoir (20) to the spray head (23). The porous medium (24) has a pathway (25) or pathways located substantially adjacent the spray head (23) for the removal of air ingested into the porous medium (24) during spraying.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2009Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PlcInventor: Daniel Crichton
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Patent number: 8821134Abstract: A pump having a substantially cylindrical shape and defining a cavity formed by a side wall closed at both ends by end walls wherein the cavity contains a fluid is disclosed. The pump further comprises an actuator operatively associated with at least one of the end walls to cause an oscillatory motion of the driven end wall to generate displacement oscillations of the driven end wall within the cavity. The pump further comprises an isolator operatively associated with a peripheral portion of the driven end wall to reduce dampening of the displacement oscillations.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2009Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PlcInventor: Richard Janse Van Rensburg
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Publication number: 20140217197Abstract: A unit dose container for holding a single dose of a given liquid, the container comprising: a chamber (8) in which, in use, the given liquid is stored, the chamber having a wall through which, in use, the liquid is to be supplied; a release mechanism (7), at least part of which is internal to, or forms part of the wall of the chamber, the release mechanism being movable relative to the chamber between first and second positions; and means for allowing the release mechanism (7) to move from the first to the second positions, thereby opening a passage through the wall so that the liquid can exit the chamber (8), the means including at least one flexible wall portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2012Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: The Technology Partnership Plc.Inventors: Robert Gordon Maurice Selby, Neil Pollock, Daniel Crichton, Douglas Robert Saunders Bradshaw
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Publication number: 20140204472Abstract: An optical device (20) that comprises at least two refractive optical elements (1, 2) arranged along an optical axis (OA) of the device, each refractive optical element having a surface profile. The device has an optical aperture common to the at least two refractive optical elements and wherein at least one refractive optical element is arranged to rotate relative to another refractive optical element around a rotation axis which intersects the aperture of the device. The device has a plurality of configurations, each configuration having a predetermined optical property, such as the focal length, over at least a first region of the aperture; the configurations being selected by rotating the at least one refractive optical element arranged to rotate. The total area of the first regions divided by the total area of the aperture is a function of the surface profiles of the at least two refractive optical elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2012Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: THE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PLCInventor: Jos Dingjan
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Patent number: 8763633Abstract: A valve for controlling the flow of fluid having first (16) and second (14) plates with offsetting apertures and a sidewall (12) disposed between the plates around the perimeter of the plates to form a cavity (15) in fluid communication with the apertures is disclosed. The valve further comprises a flap (17) disposed and moveable between the first and second plates and having apertures (22) substantially offset from the apertures (20) of one plate (16) and substantially aligned with the apertures (18) of the other plate (14). The flap is motivated between the two plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of fluid across the valve.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2009Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLCInventors: Justin Rorke Buckland, James Edward McCrone, Stuart Andrew Hatfield
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Patent number: 8734131Abstract: A fluid pump comprising a chamber which, in use, contains a fluid to be pumped, the chamber including a main cavity having a substantially cylindrical shape bounded by first and second end walls and a side wall and a secondary cavity extending radially outwards of the main cavity, one or more actuators which, in use, cause oscillatory motion of the first end wall in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first end wall, and whereby, in use, the axial oscillations of the end walls drive radial oscillations of the fluid pressure in the main cavity, and wherein the secondary cavity spaces the side wall from the first end wall such that the first end wall can move relative to the side wall when the actuator is activated.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2009Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: The Technology Partnership PlcInventors: James Edward McCrone, Justin Rorke Buckland, David Mark Blakey
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Publication number: 20140050604Abstract: A pump comprising a side wall closed at each end by an end wall forming a cavity for, in use, containing a fluid, one or more actuators each operatively associated with one or more of the end walls to cause an oscillatory motion of the associated end wall(s) whereby, in use, these axial oscillations of the end wall(s) drive substantially radial oscillations of the fluid pressure in the cavity, two or more apertures in the cavity, a valve disposed in at least one of the apertures, wherein the actuator(s) is arranged to be non-axisymmetric in use such that, in use, a pressure oscillation with at least one nodal diameter is generated within the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2012Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: The Technology Partnership Plc.Inventors: Andrew Robert Campbell, Justin Rorke Buckland
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Publication number: 20140014825Abstract: A light tracking device comprising first and second support members and at least one light receiving element supported on each support member by one or more resilient flexible beams which deform upon relative translational displacement of the first and second support members. The first and second support members are arranged such that relative translational displacement of the members generates rotational displacement of the element. One or more resilient flexible beams may comprise spiral arms extending from the first to the second support members.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: The Technology Partnership plcInventors: Andy Tomlinson, John-Paul Szczepanik
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Publication number: 20130300194Abstract: A system for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprises at least one battery for storing energy. The system also comprises a controller for determining when to switch between a first mode wherein electricity is supplied to the load from a mains electricity circuit; and a discharging mode wherein electricity is supplied from the battery to the load via the mains electricity circuit. The determining is based on information associated with the electricity supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2011Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: The Technology Partnership PLCInventors: Mathew R. Palmer, Antony W. Rix, David R. Anderson, David S. Smith, Matthew C.B. Lumb
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Publication number: 20130277446Abstract: An electronic spray device comprising a spray generator and a spray controller for providing a drive signal to the spray generator, wherein the spray generator includes a perforate membrane which vibrates ultrasonically in response to the drive signal, said vibration causing liquid droplets to be ejected from one side of the perforate membrane, wherein the spray controller is adapted to modulate the drive signal sent to the spray generator, wherein such modulation of the drive signal is arranged to set the mean power level supplied to the spray generator to a target level.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: The Technology Partnership Plc.Inventors: Robert Gordon Maurice Selby, Daniel Crichton
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Patent number: 8558155Abstract: A light tracking device comprising first and second support members and at least one light receiving element supported on each support member by one or more resilient flexible beams which deform upon relative translational displacement of the first and second support members. The first and second support members are arranged such that relative translational displacement of the members generates rotational displacement of the element. One or more resilient flexible beams may comprise spiral arms extending from the first to the second support members.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2008Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLCInventors: Andy Tomlinson, John-Paul Szczepanik
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Publication number: 20130200169Abstract: A method of producing droplets from a nozzle provided on a material layer, the method comprising the steps of supplying liquid to an inner end of an array of nozzles, the nozzles being split into M groups of one or more nozzles, generating one or more firing signals, each firing signal causing sufficient movement of a group of nozzles relative to the liquid such that liquid is projected as droplets from the outer face of the respective nozzles, generating one or more sub-firing signals associated with each group of nozzles, the one or more sub-firing signals causing movement of the group of nozzles which is insufficient to project liquid from the nozzles, the sub-firing signals of adjacent groups having a non-zero phase relationship, wherein the sub-firing signal(s) of at least one group of nozzles is independent of the firing signal(s) associated with that group.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2011Publication date: August 8, 2013Applicant: The Technology Partnership PlcInventors: Mark Paul Galluzzo, David Peter Henry Smith
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Publication number: 20130201543Abstract: A light modulation device comprising an optical element and at least one addressable mask disposed adjacent to the optical element. The optical element comprises at least two sub-elements, each of the at least two sub-elements having at least one optical characteristic wherein at least one optical characteristic of one sub-element is discrete from at least one optical characteristic of another sub-element. The mask comprises at least two regions corresponding to the at least two sub-elements, each of the at least two regions being individually addressable to enable its corresponding sub-element to be light transmitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2011Publication date: August 8, 2013Applicant: THE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PLCInventor: Roger Clarke
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Publication number: 20130107366Abstract: An optical device comprising an optical grating structure embedded between media of substantially the same optical refractive index, the structure having an optical coating at the interface between the two media, wherein the structure comprises grating facets inclined relative to the interface plane such that, in use, anomalous optical effects due to coating are substantially reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2011Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: THE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PLCInventor: Roger Clarke
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Patent number: 8317299Abstract: A device for projecting liquid as jets or droplets from multiple nozzles, the device comprising: a plurality of transducers oriented substantially parallel to one another and each having an inner face and an outer face opposite said inner face, the transducers being arranged in a substantially planar array; a plurality of nozzles to project liquid therefrom; liquid supply means for supplying a liquid to the nozzles; each nozzle is associated with an adjacent respective transducer which is excitable to cause movement of the adjacent associated nozzle in a direction substantially aligned with the nozzle axis, to project liquid therefrom; the liquid supply means supplies liquid to an inner end of said nozzle; means for selectively exciting transducers as required, thereby to project liquid as jets or droplets from the respective outer face by movement of the liquid through the nozzle in response to the movement of the nozzle; wherein the transducers are formed as beams in a material layer, separated by slotsType: GrantFiled: October 12, 2007Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLcInventor: Andrew Benjamin David Brown