Patents by Inventor Sylvie Poirier

Sylvie Poirier 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).

  • Continuous extraction of underground narrow-vein metal-bearing deposits by thermal rock fragmentation
    Patent number: 7669937
    Abstract: A method for extracting minerals from a narrow-vein deposit by thermal fragmentation is provided. The method includes locating the vein and determining the extent thereof to form the boundaries of a stope. Access to the stope is prepared by forming a panel having an upper drift and a lower drift. Equipment for thermal fragmentation, including a burner, is installed from the upper drift. The burner moves along the panel surface in a sweeping motion, while rock chips spalled from the rock panel surface are collected. Multiple panels for processing can be realised, with lower panels being processed before upper panels, by excavating a sub-level to separate the lower and upper panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignees: Hydro-Quebec, Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Fecteau, Sylvie Poirier, Marcel Laflamme, Gill Champoux
  • CONTINUOUS EXTRACTION OF UNDERGROUND NARROW-VEIN METAL-BEARING DEPOSITS BY THERMAL ROCK FRAGMENTATION
    Publication number: 20080224527
    Abstract: A method for extracting minerals from a narrow-vein deposit by thermal fragmentation is provided. The method includes locating the vein and determining the extent thereof to form the boundaries of a stope. Access to the stope is prepared by forming a panel having an upper drift and a lower drift. Equipment for thermal fragmentation, including a burner, is installed from the upper drift. The burner moves along the panel surface in a sweeping motion, while rock chips spalled from the rock panel surface are collected. Multiple panels for processing can be realised, with lower panels being processed before upper panels, by excavating a sub-level to separate the lower and upper panels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Fecteau, Sylvie Poirier, Marcel Laflamme, Gill Champoux
  • Continous extraction of underground narrow-vein metal-bearing deposits by thermal rock fragmentation
    Patent number: 7377593
    Abstract: A method for extracting minerals from a narrow-vein deposit by thermal fragmentation is provided. The method includes locating the vein and determining the extent thereof to form the boundaries of a stope. Access to the stope is prepared by forming a panel having an upper drift and a lower drift. Equipment for thermal fragmentation, including a burner, is installed from the upper drift. The burner moves along the panel surface in a sweeping motion, while rock chips spalled from the rock panel surface are collected. Multiple panels for processing can be realised, with lower panels being processed before upper panels, by excavating a sub-level to separate the lower and upper panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignees: Her Majesty the Queen in the right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, Hydro Quebec
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Fecteau, Sylvie Poirier, Marcel Laflamme, Gill Champoux
  • Continuous extraction of underground narrow-vein metal-bearing deposits by thermal rock fragmentation
    Publication number: 20050242654
    Abstract: A method for extracting minerals from a narrow-vein deposit by thermal fragmentation is provided. The method includes locating the vein and determining the extent thereof to form the boundaries of a stope. Access to the stope is prepared by forming a panel having an upper drift and a lower drift. Equipment for thermal fragmentation, including a burner, is installed from the upper drift. The burner moves along the panel surface in a sweeping motion, while rock chips spalled from the rock panel surface are collected. Multiple panels for processing can be realised, with lower panels being processed before upper panels, by excavating a sub-level to separate the lower and upper panels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Fecteau, Sylvie Poirier, Marcel Laflamme, Gill Champoux