Patents by Inventor Christopher M. Waits

Christopher M. Waits 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).

  • Publication number: 20230008708
    Abstract: A recirculating micro-combustor device and a method of formation includes an array of reactors contacting each other. Each reactor includes a front wall; an end wall oppositely positioned to the front wall; a pair of edge walls connecting the front wall to the end wall; an inlet port positioned in the front wall; a pair of outlet ports positioned in the front wall; and a combustion chamber connected to the inlet port and positioned between the front wall and the end wall. The combustion chamber includes a pair of inner walls defining a first area to accommodate a chemical combustion therein, and a pair of second areas to accommodate an exhaust of a reaction of the chemical combustion. The pair of second areas connect to the pair of outlet ports. Adjacent edge walls of adjacent reactors directly contact each other to form the array of reactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Sunny V. Karnani, Christopher M. Waits
  • Patent number: 9096426
    Abstract: A physical structure and a method for forming a electronic devices on a substrate comprising: providing a substrate; forming a plurality of layers on the substrate, the layers comprising at least two layers of conducting material and a layer of insulating material therebetween; depositing photoresist material onto predetermined regions of the plurality of layers, the photoresist material varying in thickness; utilizing gray scale illumination on the photoresist material; removing a portion of the layers using physical etching to expose predetermined portions of the conducting layers. Optionally, the photoresist may be utilized on a plurality of discrete electronic devices concurrently, such that the gray scale illumination is conducted on a plurality of discrete electronic devices concurrently. Similarly, the physical etching may be conducted on the discrete electronic devices concurrently; removing different thicknesses of material concurrently. Also claimed is a product made by the claimed method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Gabriel I. Smith, Brendan Hanrahan, Christopher M Waits, Ronald G Polcawich, Luz Sanchez, Sarah Salah Bedair
  • Patent number: 9083208
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming an electromechanical device are disclosed. In some embodiments, an electromechanical device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a rotor movably disposed in the first and second substrates and having a plurality of first turbine blades disposed on a first side of the rotor and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on a second side of the rotor, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are arranged about a central axis of the rotor, wherein adjacent permanent magnets have opposing magnetic poles; a channel disposed between the first and second substrates and a peripheral edge of the rotor; a plurality of microballs disposed in the channel to provide a bearing for the rotor; a third substrate disposed proximate the second side of the rotor and having a plurality of coils disposed therein such that rotation of the rotor induces current the plurality of coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Mustafa I. Beyaz, Reza Ghodssi, Christopher M. Waits
  • Publication number: 20140299967
    Abstract: A physical structure and a method for forming a electronic devices on a substrate comprising: providing a substrate; forming a plurality of layers on the substrate, the layers comprising at least two layers of conducting material and a layer of insulating material therebetween; depositing photoresist material onto predetermined regions of the plurality of layers, the photoresist material varying in thickness; utilizing gray scale illumination on the photoresist material; removing a portion of the layers using physical etching to expose predetermined portions of the conducting layers. Optionally, the photoresist may be utilized on a plurality of discrete electronic devices concurrently, such that the gray scale illumination is conducted on a plurality of discrete electronic devices concurrently. Similarly, the physical etching may be conducted on the discrete electronic devices concurrently; removing different thicknesses of material concurrently. Also claimed is a product made by the claimed method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN: RDRL-LOC-I
    Inventors: GABRIEL l. Smith, BRENDAN HANRAHAN, CHRISTOPHER M. WAITS, RONALD G. POLCAWICH, LUZ SANCHEZ, SARAH SALAH BEDAIR
  • Publication number: 20140062087
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming an electromechanical device are disclosed. In some embodiments, an electromechanical device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a rotor movably disposed in the first and second substrates and having a plurality of first turbine blades disposed on a first side of the rotor and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on a second side of the rotor, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are arranged about a central axis of the rotor, wherein adjacent permanent magnets have opposing magnetic poles; a channel disposed between the first and second substrates and a peripheral edge of the rotor; a plurality of microballs disposed in the channel to provide a bearing for the rotor; a third substrate disposed proximate the second side of the rotor and having a plurality of coils disposed therein such that rotation of the rotor induces current the plurality of coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Mustafa I. Beyaz, Reza Ghodssi, Christopher M. Waits
  • Patent number: 8562700
    Abstract: A compact multi-functional fuel converter and a process for converting liquid fuel to a product, which includes providing a supply of oxygen gas, providing a supply of liquid fuel, electrically atomizing the fuel, evaporating the fuel and catalytically reacting the liquid fuel and oxygen in the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Ivan C. Lee, Christopher M. Waits
  • Publication number: 20120052002
    Abstract: A compact multi-functional fuel converter and a process for converting liquid fuel to a product, which includes providing a supply of oxygen gas, providing a supply of liquid fuel, electrically atomizing the fuel, evaporating the fuel and catalytically reacting the liquid fuel and oxygen in the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: U.S. Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: IVAN C. LEE, CHRISTOPHER M. WAITS
  • Patent number: 6874496
    Abstract: A new and improved combination smoker and barbecue pit having a housing with an open top, a grill resting on said housing, and a hood. A firebox is placed within said housing and is used for holding fuel which, when burned, creates heat and smoke. During the smoking process, the firebox is positioned below a shield which deflects and directs smoke into a pair of chambers within the housing which in turn channel smoke into elongated collection members evenly spaced below the grill. When smoke fills the collection members, is spills out the open-ended bottom of the collection members and drifts toward the grill in an even distribution. The firebox can also rest on the collection members where it is directly beneath the grill for barbecuing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Inventors: Gregory A. Waits, Christopher M. Waits
  • Publication number: 20040255926
    Abstract: A new and improved combination smoker and barbecue pit having a housing with an open top, a grill resting on said housing, and a hood. A firebox is placed within said housing and is used for holding fuel which, when burned, creates heat and smoke. During the smoking process, the firebox is positioned below a shield which deflects and directs smoke into a pair of chambers within the housing which in turn channel smoke into elongated collection members evenly spaced below the grill. When smoke fills the collection members, is spills out the open-ended bottom of the collection members and drifts toward the grill in an even distribution. The firebox can also rest on the collection members where it is directly beneath the grill for barbecuing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Gregory A. Waits, Christopher M. Waits