Patents by Inventor Ray H. Morales

Ray H. Morales 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: 7543779
    Abstract: An androgynous mating system for mating two exoatmospheric space modules comprising a first mating assembly capable of mating with a second mating assembly; a second mating assembly structurally identical to said first mating assembly, said first mating assembly comprising; a load ring; a plurality of load cell subassemblies; a plurality of actuators; a base ring; a tunnel; a closed loop control system; one or more electromagnets; and one or more striker plates, wherein said one or more electomagnets on said second mating assembly are capable of mating with said one or more striker plates on said first mating assembly, and wherein said one or more striker plates is comprised of a plate of predetermined shape and a 5-DOF mechanism capable of maintaining predetermined contact requirements during said mating of said one or more electromagnets and said one or more striker plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: James L. Lewis, Monty B. Carroll, Thang D. Le, Ray H. Morales, Brandan R. Robertson
  • Patent number: 6354540
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fully androgynous, reconfigurable closed loop feedback controlled low impact docking system with load sensing electromagnetic capture ring. The docking system of the present invention preferably comprises two docking assemblies, each docking assembly comprising a load sensing ring having an outer face, one of more electromagnets, one or more load cells coupled to said load sensing ring. The docking assembly further comprises a plurality of actuator arms coupled to said load sensing ring and capable of dynamically adjusting the orientation of said load sensing ring and a reconfigurable closed loop control system capable of analyzing signals originating from said plurality of load cells and of outputting real time control for each of the actuators. The docking assembly of the present invention incorporates an active load sensing system to automatically dynamically adjust the load sensing ring during capture instead of requiring significant force to push and realign the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: James L. Lewis, Monty B. Carroll, Ray H. Morales, Thang D. Le