Patents by Inventor Ricardo Santos Roque

Ricardo Santos Roque 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).

  • Mechanically acuated heat switch
    Patent number: 9349558
    Abstract: A heat switch has a first contact, a plug of thermally conductive material, and a mechanical actuator attached to the plug of thermally conductive material, the mechanical actuator arranged to move the plug into contact with the first contact in a first position and to move the plug out of contact with the first contact in a second position responsive to an input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Eric Schwartz, Sean Roark Garner, Dirk De Bruyker, Ricardo Santos Roque
  • Thermal switch using moving droplets
    Patent number: 9010409
    Abstract: A thermal switch has a first substrate, a thermally conductive region on the first substrate, a thermally insulative region on the first substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region, a second substrate arranged adjacent the first substrate, a droplet of thermally conductive liquid between the first and second substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region, and an actuator arranged on one of the first or second substrates to cause the droplet to move between the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region on the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Dirk De Bruyker, David Eric Schwartz, Ricardo Santos Roque, Sean Roark Garner, Matthew D. Eisaman, Joseph Robert Johnson
  • MECHANICAL HEAT SWITCH
    Publication number: 20130141207
    Abstract: A heat switch has a first contact, a plug of thermally conductive material, and a mechanical actuator attached to the plug of thermally conductive material, the mechanical actuator arranged to move the plug into contact with the first contact in a first position and to move the plug out of contact with the first contact in a second position responsive to a signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Eric Schwartz, Sean Roark Garner, Dirk De Bruyker, Ricardo Santos Roque
  • THERMAL SWITCH USING MOVING DROPLETS
    Publication number: 20130126003
    Abstract: A thermal switch has a first substrate, a thermally conductive region on the first substrate, a thermally insulative region on the first substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region, a second substrate arranged adjacent the first substrate, a droplet of thermally conductive liquid between the first and second substrate adjacent the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region, and an actuator arranged on one of the first or second substrates to cause the droplet to move between the thermally conductive region and the thermally insulative region on the first substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Dirk De Bruyker, David Eric Schwartz, Ricardo Santos Roque, Sean Roark Garner, Matthew D. Eisaman, Joseph Robert Johnson