Patents by Inventor Kirk P. Henderson

Kirk P. Henderson 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: 10975851
    Abstract: An actuator system includes a shaft hub having a shaft and one or more rotation arms coupled to the shaft, one or more shape memory alloy springs coupled to the one or more rotation arms, and as a voltage source configured to apply a voltage to the one or more shape memory alloy springs. The voltage causes the one or more shape memory alloy springs to change in size or shape, thereby applying a force to the one or more rotation arms and causing the shaft hub to rotate. The actuator system also includes a processing circuit configured to receive an indication of a desired incremental rotation for the shaft hub and apply a voltage corresponding to the desired incremental rotation to the one or more shape memory alloy springs, causing the shaft and the shaft hub to rotate about a central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk P. Henderson, John T. Pierson, Julie Ahl, Kevin A. Weiss
  • Publication number: 20200406079
    Abstract: A sprinkler for a fire suppression system includes a body defining an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to one another, a frame assembly including a frame member coupled to the body and extending away from the outlet, a deflector coupled to the frame member and offset from the outlet, a seal assembly configured to sealingly engage the body to prevent flow through the outlet, and a trigger assembly. The trigger assembly includes a shape memory alloy element configured to deform from an unactuated configuration to an actuated configuration in response to reaching an activation temperature. In the unactuated configuration, the trigger assembly directly engages both the frame assembly and the seal assembly and holds the seal assembly in sealed engagement with the body. In the actuated configuration, the trigger assembly permits the seal assembly to disengage from the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Jeremy T. Cogswell, Manuel R. Silva, Jr., Timothy C. Gamroth, Kirk P. Henderson
  • Publication number: 20200309102
    Abstract: An actuator system includes a shaft hub having a shaft and one or more rotation arms coupled to the shaft, one or more shape memory alloy springs coupled to the one or more rotation arms, and as a voltage source configured to apply a voltage to the one or more shape memory alloy springs. The voltage causes the one or more shape memory alloy springs to change in size or shape, thereby applying a force to the one or more rotation arms and causing the shaft hub to rotate. The actuator system also includes a processing circuit configured to receive an indication of a desired incremental rotation for the shaft hub and apply a voltage corresponding to the desired incremental rotation to the one or more shape memory alloy springs, causing the shaft and the shaft hub to rotate about a central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Kirk P. Henderson, John T. Pierson, Julie Ahl, Kevin A. Weiss
  • Publication number: 20190226756
    Abstract: A refrigeration control unit configured to modify an operating condition of a refrigeration unit is provided. The refrigeration control unit includes a first device housing component and a second device housing component defining a main refrigeration control device. The refrigeration control unit further includes a user interface component. The user interface component includes multiple controls configured to permit selection of multiple refrigeration unit operating parameters and a display. The user interface component is configured to be detachably coupled to the main refrigeration control device such that the user interface component is operational both when mounted in the main refrigeration control device and when mounted at a location remote to the main refrigeration control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Dave P. DeBoer, Tai P. Luc, Timothy J. Riesch, Kirk P. Henderson, Tim Butler, Krishna Danturti
  • Publication number: 20180318617
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes one or more dampers configured to regulate air flow through the damper assembly and an actuator system configured to move the one or more dampers between an open position and a closed position. The actuator system includes a contraction component coupled to the one or more dampers and comprising a shape memory alloy material. The actuator system further includes a first connector attached to a first end of the contraction component and a second connector attached to a second end of the contraction component. The first connector and the second connector are electrically isolated from the one or more dampers. The contraction component is configured to contract in response to an electric current being applied to at least one of the first connector and the second connector, thereby moving the one or more dampers to the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk P. Henderson, John T. Pierson
  • Patent number: 5337605
    Abstract: An enclosure for a film-type humidity sensing element includes identical enclosure members which snap together to form an enclosure with the humidity sensing element sandwiched between the members, each of the members including a lead mounting area on its inner surface for mounting the mounting ends of electrical leads, the leads being connected to contact portions of the humidity sensing element interiorly of the enclosure by a metal-filled conductive adhesive which is introduced into the enclosure through access openings after the enclosure members have been assembled together. The enclosure is adapted for mounting on a circuit board in both horizontal and vertical orientations and independently of the lead structure of the sensor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Johnson Service Company
    Inventors: Bruce R. Schultz, Kirk P. Henderson, Arthur Barootian
  • Patent number: D346978
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Johnson Service Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Bruce E. Kierstead, Thomas O. Kautz, Robin D. Shaffer, Kirk P. Henderson, Bruce R. Schultz
  • Patent number: D347266
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Johnson Service Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Giese, Bruce E. Kierstead, Thomas O. Kautz, Robin D. Shaffer, Kirk P. Henderson, Bruce R. Schultz
  • Patent number: D895444
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Dave P. DeBoer, Tai P. Luc, Kirk P. Henderson, Tushar Baviskar, Ramesh Varma Shiva Satya Bhupathiraju, Vinod Tijare, Krishna Danturti, Satish Kumar Jatashanker Singh, Swapnil Subhash Chavan