Patents by Inventor Robert Charles TUFFORD

Robert Charles TUFFORD 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: 11026347
    Abstract: A configurable electronics cabinet cooling system includes a cabinet having multiple walls including at least one universal cabinet wall. The universal cabinet wall has a planar outward facing surface and multiple apertures. A heat transfer component is releasably connected to the universal cabinet wall. The heat transfer component is selected from either a conductive cooling member or a convective cooling member each adapted to be interchangeably and releasably connected to the universal cabinet wall using fasteners extending through same ones of the apertures. Each of the conductive cooling member and the convective cooling member includes a planar surface, the planar surface adapted to directly contact the outward facing surface of the universal cabinet wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SMART Embedded Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye Wong, Martin Peter John Cornes, Robert Charles Tufford
  • Patent number: 11006548
    Abstract: An electrical equipment cabinet cooling device includes an electrical equipment cabinet having a cabinet outer frame defining an inner perimeter wall. A planar outer cabinet wall is positioned within the inner perimeter wall. A two-phase thermal device includes spaced and opposed first and second transfer walls. An outer perimeter wall connects the first and second transfer walls and defines an interior sealed cavity between the first and second transfer walls. The outer perimeter wall is sized for slidable receipt within the inner perimeter wall. A liquid/vapor retained in the interior sealed cavity acts as a heat transfer medium between the first and second transfer walls. A convective cooling block has a planar end face in direct contact with the second transfer wall. Heat transfers to atmosphere in a path including the outer cabinet wall, the first transfer wall, the liquid/vapor, the second transfer wall, and the cooling block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SMART Embedded Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye Wong, Martin Peter John Cornes, Robert Charles Tufford
  • Patent number: 10039210
    Abstract: A cooling system having integrated cold plate extending member and cold plate for an electronics enclosure includes a chassis having multiple heat producing boards positioned in side-by-side parallel configuration having successive ones of the boards separated by a cavity thereby defining multiple ones of the cavities. A cold plate assembly includes a base unit of a thermally conductive material. The cold plate assembly also includes multiple cold plate extending members connected to the base unit. Successive ones of the cold plate extending members are spaced to be slidably received in one of the cavities such that the cold plate extending member received between any two successive boards is in direct contact with both of the successive ones of the boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Artesyn Embedded Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye Wong, Martin Peter John Cornes, Robert Charles Tufford
  • Patent number: 9791901
    Abstract: A dual redundant computer safety relay box system includes first and second fail-safe computing systems (FSCs) individually mounted to first and second printed circuit boards. Each FSC includes two computing modules (CPUs) designated as a first CPU and a second CPU. The first and second FSC's are both connected to a safety relay box. The printed circuit boards are isolable from each other permitting maintenance on one of the printed circuit boards while operation of the FSC of the other printed circuit board is maintained. In each FSC a health signal generated from the first and second printed circuit boards of the first and second CPUs defines a multi-level dynamic pulse signal. Presence of the dynamic pulse signal produces an output identified as each of a first and a second healthy indication signal from each of the CPUs of one of the first or second FSCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Artesyn Embedded Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Charles Tufford, Liu Jiang, Pasi Jukka Petteri Vaananen, Martin Peter John Cornes
  • Publication number: 20170273219
    Abstract: A cooling system having integrated cold plate extending member and cold plate for an electronics enclosure includes a chassis having multiple heat producing boards positioned in side-by-side parallel configuration having successive ones of the boards separated by a cavity thereby defining multiple ones of the cavities. A cold plate assembly includes a base unit of a thermally conductive material. The cold plate assembly also includes multiple cold plate extending members connected to the base unit. Successive ones of the cold plate extending members are spaced to be slidably received in one of the cavities such that the cold plate extending member received between any two successive boards is in direct contact with both of the successive ones of the boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye WONG, Martin Peter John CORNES, Robert Charles TUFFORD
  • Patent number: 9713287
    Abstract: A cooling system having integrated cold plate extending member and cold plate for an electronics enclosure includes a chassis having multiple heat producing boards positioned in side-by-side parallel configuration having successive ones of the boards separated by a cavity thereby defining multiple ones of the cavities. A cold plate assembly includes a base unit of a thermally conductive material. The cold plate assembly also includes multiple cold plate extending members connected to the base unit. Successive ones of the cold plate extending members are spaced to be slideably received in one of the cavities such that the cold plate extending member received between any two successive boards is in direct contact with both of the successive ones of the boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Artesyn Embedded Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye Wong, Martin Peter John Cornes, Robert Charles Tufford
  • Publication number: 20150168993
    Abstract: A dual redundant computer safety relay box system includes first and second fail-safe computing systems (FSCs) individually mounted to first and second printed circuit boards. Each FSC includes two computing modules (CPUs) designated as a first CPU and a second CPU. The first and second FSC's are both connected to a safety relay box. The printed circuit boards are isolable from each other permitting maintenance on one of the printed circuit boards while operation of the FSC of the other printed circuit board is maintained. In each FSC a health signal generated from the first and second printed circuit boards of the first and second CPUs defines a multi-level dynamic pulse signal. Presence of the dynamic pulse signal produces an output identified as each of a first and a second healthy indication signal from each of the CPUs of one of the first or second FSCs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: EMERSON NETWORK POWER - EMBEDDED COMPUTING, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Charles TUFFORD, Liu JIANG, Pasi Jukka VAANANEN, Martin Peter John CORNES
  • Publication number: 20140198457
    Abstract: A cooling system having integrated cold plate extending member and cold plate for an electronics enclosure includes a chassis having multiple heat producing boards positioned in side-by-side parallel configuration having successive ones of the boards separated by a cavity thereby defining multiple ones of the cavities. A cold plate assembly includes a base unit of a thermally conductive material. The cold plate assembly also includes multiple cold plate extending members connected to the base unit. Successive ones of the cold plate extending members are spaced to be slideably received in one of the cavities such that the cold plate extending member received between any two successive boards is in direct contact with both of the successive ones of the boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: EMERSON NETWORK POWER - EMBEDDED COMPUTING, INC.
    Inventors: Suzanne Marye WONG, Martin Peter John CORNES, Robert Charles TUFFORD