Patents by Inventor KURTIS F. WEESS

KURTIS F. WEESS 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).

  • Heater and method of operating
    Patent number: 9640829
    Abstract: A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; an electric resistive heating element disposed within the heater housing and electrically connected to the fuel cell stack assembly; and a first thermal switch located between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element. The first thermal switch is closed to place the fuel cell stack assembly in electrical communication with the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is electrochemically active and is open to prevent electrical communication between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is not electrochemically active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Giulio A. Ricci-Ottati, Bernhard A. Fischer, Thomas W. Silvis, Kurtis F. Weess
  • HEATER AND METHOD OF OPERATING
    Publication number: 20150162637
    Abstract: A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; an electric resistive heating element disposed within the heater housing and electrically connected to the fuel cell stack assembly; and a first thermal switch located between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element. The first thermal switch is closed to place the fuel cell stack assembly in electrical communication with the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is electrochemically active and is open to prevent electrical communication between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is not electrochemically active.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: GIULIO A. RICCI-OTTATI, BERNHARD A. FISCHER, THOMAS W. SILVIS, KURTIS F. WEESS