Patents by Inventor Jeffrey D. Kiernan

Jeffrey D. Kiernan 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).

  • Patent number: 11737176
    Abstract: A novel low profile heater apparatus and method of manufacture is disclosed, which provides a lower assembly including a first sheet, a heating sheet including at least one heating element, a dielectric sheet, an intermediate sheet and one or more electrical leads configured to supply electrical power to the heating element, the electrical leads extending through a lead sleeve of an upper assembly. The upper assembly includes a top sheet with one or more split sleeves securely attached thereto, thereby forming one or more strain relief assemblies configured to prevent damage to the electrical leads. One or more stitches or coupling features securely attach the upper assembly to the lower assembly. One or more retention device are be used to securely retain the low profile heater apparatus to one or more pipes, tubes or conduits of a plumbing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Kiernan
  • Publication number: 20200314967
    Abstract: A novel low profile heater apparatus and method of manufacture is disclosed, which provides a lower assembly including a first sheet, a heating sheet including at least one heating element, a dielectric sheet, an intermediate sheet and one or more electrical leads configured to supply electrical power to the heating element, the electrical leads extending through a lead sleeve of an upper assembly. The upper assembly includes a top sheet with one or more split sleeves securely attached thereto, thereby forming one or more strain relief assemblies configured to prevent damage to the electrical leads. One or more stitches or coupling features securely attach the upper assembly to the lower assembly. One or more retention device are be used to securely retain the low profile heater apparatus to one or more pipes, tubes or conduits of a plumbing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Kiernan
  • Patent number: 10021739
    Abstract: A trimmable heater mat has a plurality of heater mat segments that together comprise a length of the heater mat. Each of the heater mat segments has a segment heater element connected to a power bus for generating heat. One or more of the heater mat segments can be severed from the others and removed from the heater mat to trim the length of the heater mat to a desired length. Heater mat segment boundary indicia on the heater mat indicate locations where one of the heater mat segments can be severed from the other remaining heater mat segments of the heater mat without interfering with the segment heater elements of the remaining heater mat segments or with the connections of the remaining segment heater elements to the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Karl Hausmann, Paul Dozoretz
  • Patent number: 9686821
    Abstract: Heater modules are configured for streamlined daisy chain connectivity that includes front end and intermediate daisy chain power injection, water resistant heater assemblies, and shielding. A power injection device is configured with connectivity for insertion of power into heater modules that are in front and intermediate daisy chain positions while enabling data communications between heater modules positioned on opposite sides of the power injection locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Karl Hausmann, Paul Dozoretz
  • Publication number: 20170013678
    Abstract: A trimmable heater mat has a plurality of heater mat segments that together comprise a length of the heater mat. Each of the heater mat segments has a segment heater element connected to a power bus for generating heat. One or more of the heater mat segments can be severed from the others and removed from the heater mat to trim the length of the heater mat to a desired length. Heater mat segment boundary indicia on the heater mat indicate locations where one of the heater mat segments can be severed from the other remaining heater mat segments of the heater mat without interfering with the segment heater elements of the remaining heater mat segments or with the connections of the remaining segment heater elements to the power bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: MKS INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Karl Hausmann, Paul Dozoretz
  • Publication number: 20150312963
    Abstract: Heater modules are configured for streamlined daisy chain connectivity that includes front end and intermediate daisy chain power injection, water resistant heater assemblies, and shielding. A power injection device is configured with connectivity for insertion of power into heater modules that are in front and intermediate daisy chain positions while enabling data communications between heater modules positioned on opposite sides of the power injection locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: MKS INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Karl Hausmann, Paul Dozoretz
  • Patent number: 8541716
    Abstract: A multiple heater control system includes cables, connectors, and junction boxes for user-friendly daisy chain connections of heater controllers and heaters in various configurations or combinations of individually controlled heater series and/or master and slave heater series. The heater controllers include process control of AC power to the heaters and upper-limit safety shutoff that is substantially independent from the process control. The heater controllers also have variable levels of control, adjustment, display, and communications functionality in a base module that is expandable to various levels with expansion modules that are attachable to and detachable from the base module. Connector, cable, and junction configurations, adapters, and latch features enhance user friendliness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: MKS Instruments, Inc, Watlow Electronic Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Youfan Gu, Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Charles C. Lawhead, William C. Bohlinger, Eric E. Ellis, Curtis A. Foster, James P. Hentges, Mark Louis-Gilmer Hoven, James H. Kreisel, Shawn Leininger, Robert O. Moran, Kurt W. Peterson, Jason R. Powell, Dale T. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8241596
    Abstract: A hot trap for removing a reactive constituent gas from a gas stream via chemical reaction and/or thermal disassociation includes a trap chamber with a heater assembly and a trap medium in its core inner portion and annular pre-heating and counterflow heating ducts in its outer and intermediate portions surrounding the core inner portion for heating an inflowing gas stream and conservation of heat energy in the trap as well as to maintain lower temperatures on external surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Matthew C. Grout, Kevin Grout
  • Publication number: 20120171092
    Abstract: A hot trap for removing a reactive constituent gas from a gas stream via chemical reaction and/or thermal disassociation includes a trap chamber with a heater assembly and a trap medium in its core inner portion and annular pre-heating and counterflow heating ducts in its outer and intermediate portions surrounding the core inner portion for heating an inflowing gas stream and conservation of heat energy in the trap as well as to maintain lower temperatures on external surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Matthew C. Grout, Kevin Grout
  • Patent number: 8196893
    Abstract: An isolation valve includes a shield that surrounds and protects the valve closure actuator components from exposure to corrosive fluids that flow through the valve when the valve is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Grout, Jeffrey D. Kiernan, David Neumeister, Matthew C. Grout
  • Publication number: 20120061369
    Abstract: A multiple heater control system includes cables, connectors, and junction boxes for user-friendly daisy chain connections of heater controllers and heaters in various configurations or combinations of individually controlled heater series and/or master and slave heater series. The heater controllers include process control of AC power to the heaters and upper-limit safety shutoff that is substantially independent from the process control. The heater controllers also have variable levels of control, adjustment, display, and communications functionality in a base module that is expandable to various levels with expansion modules that are attachable to and detachable from the base module. Connector, cable, and junction configurations, adapters, and latch features enhance user friendliness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicants: WATLOW ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, MKS INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Youfan Gu, Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Charles C. Lawhead, William C. Bohlinger, Eric E. Ellis, Curtis A. Foster, James P. Hentges, Mark Loius-Gilmer Hoven, James H. Kreisel, Shawn Leininger, Robert O. Moran, Kurt W. Peterson, Jason R. Powell, Dale T. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 7932480
    Abstract: A multiple heater control system includes cables, connectors, and junction boxes for user-friendly daisy chain connections of heater controllers and heaters in various configurations or combinations of individually controlled heater series and/or master and slave heater series. The heater controllers include process control of AC power to the heaters and upper-limit safety shutoff that is substantially independent from the process control. The heater controllers also have variable levels of control, adjustment, display, and communications functionality in a base module that is expandable to various levels with expansion modules that are attachable to and detachable from the base module. Connector, cable, and junction configurations, adapters, and latch features enhance user friendliness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignees: MKS Instruments, Inc., Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Youfan Gu, Jeffrey D. Kiernan, Charles C. Lawhead, William C. Bohlinger, Eric E. Ellis, Curtis A. Foster, James P. Hentges, Mark Louis-Gilmer Hoven, James H. Kreisel, Shawn Leininger, Robert O. Moran, Kurt W. Peterson, Jason R. Powell, Dale T. Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20090255591
    Abstract: An isolation valve includes a shield that surrounds and protects the valve closure actuator components from exposure to corrosive fluids that flow through the valve when the valve is open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Kevin Grout, Jeffrey D. Kiernan, David Neumeister, Matthew C. Grout