Patents Assigned to Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
  • Patent number: 6753035
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product. The method comprises incorporating an additive into a nanoparticle, applying the nanoparticle to wood or a wood particle and applying sufficient pressure to force the nanoparticle to penetrate the wood or wood particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Peter Laks, Patricia A. Heiden
  • Patent number: 6702969
    Abstract: A wood composite board or panel, such as particleboard, fiberboard, oriented strand board or waferboard and a method of producing the same. The composite board or panel comprises a plurality of wood pieces, thermoset resin to bind the wood pieces and a filler having a high thermal conductivity. Examples of such a filler include natural and synthetic graphites, metal, carbon, silicon carbide and other similar compounds and their mixtures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Laurent Malanda Matuana, Julia A. King
  • Publication number: 20040019933
    Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing a transgenic plant that exhibits altered characteristics resulting from over expression or under expression of a novel polypeptide PtM3 or its homolog PtM4. The altered characteristics resulting from over-expression include at least one of the ability to convert axillary meristem to floral meristem; to accelerate flowering i.e., early flowering; to increase fruit production; to increase nut production; to increase seed output; to increase branching; to increase flower production; to increase fruit yield; to increase flower yield and a combination thereof. The altered characteristics resulting from suppressed expression include at least one of complete sterility; partial sterility (sterility of only one sex of a bisexual plant); reduced pollen production; decreased flowering; increased biomass and combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Gopi Krishna Podila, Leland James Cseke, Banalata Sen, David F. Karnosky
  • Patent number: 6671983
    Abstract: A snow groomer includes a movable platform, a prime mover mounted to the platform and a grooming drum rotatably driven by the prime mover for rotation in a direction opposite the traveling direction of the snow groomer. The grooming drum includes axially spaced apart and radially protruding ribs that extend circumferentially around the drum. The ribs include circumferentially spaced apart apertures and the apertures of each rib are aligned with the apertures of the other ribs. Elongated cutting teeth extend through the apertures of the ribs and have a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the apertures such that the cutting teeth are free to vibrate within the apertures as the drum rotates, thereby enhancing the pulverization of chunks of snow and ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Philip J. Quenzi, Russell G. Alger
  • Publication number: 20030171457
    Abstract: A wood composite board or panel, such as particleboard, fiberboard, oriented strand board or waferboard and a method of producing the same. The composite board or panel comprises a plurality of wood pieces, thermoset resin to bind the wood pieces and a filler having a high thermal conductivity. Examples of such a filler include natural and synthetic graphites, metal, carbon, silicon carbide and other similar compounds and their mixtures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Laurent Malanda Matuana, Julia A. King
  • Publication number: 20030172395
    Abstract: The invention pertains to the genetically down regulating a lignin pathway p-coumarate Co-enzyme A ligase (CCL) in trees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Chung-Jui Tsai, Wen-Jing Hu
  • Publication number: 20030164371
    Abstract: A method of performing regional heating of a system having a substrate. The method may include applying a thin film to the system, and controllably energizing a coil positioned near the thin film. The energized coils thereby generate a magnetic flux. The method further includes inducing a current in the thin film with the magnetic flux thereby heating the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Paul L. Bergstrom, Melissa L. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20030134137
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product. The method comprises incorporating an additive into a nanoparticle, applying the nanoparticle to wood or a wood particle and applying sufficient pressure to force the nanoparticle to penetrate the wood or wood particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Peter Laks, Patricia A. Heiden
  • Patent number: 6589655
    Abstract: A veneer-based product is made of a plurality of veneer layers, a resin binding the layers, and a filler having a high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Laurent Malanda Matuana, Julia A. King
  • Publication number: 20030084598
    Abstract: A visual display including a container, liquidous fluid within the container, a source of gaseous fluid communicating with the liquidous fluid, and at least one binary bubble formed within the liquidous fluid in response to gaseous fluid entering the liquidous fluid. The liquidous fluid is preferably a polymer in water solution or a polymer in mineral oil or silicon oil solution. The binary bubble has two bulbous portions in fluid communication with each other through a neck. The binary bubbles may link together in a chain extending from the bottom of the container to the top of the liquidous fluid. In other constructions, the binary bubbles float up through the liquidous fluid and collapse into a large individual bubble. The display may also include a light emitting source and a filter for selectively changing the color of light emitted into the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Igor Kliakhandler, Robert W. Sheldon
  • Publication number: 20030070578
    Abstract: A method of inhibiting or preventing bonding between snow or ice and a substrate is provided. The method includes applying an adhesive to the substrate, broadcasting an aggregate onto the adhesive to form an aggregate-adhesive and applying an anti-icing chemical onto the aggregate-adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventor: Russell G. Alger
  • Patent number: 6521288
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product. The method comprises incorporating an additive into a nanoparticle, applying the nanoparticle to wood or a wood particle and applying sufficient pressure to force the nanoparticle to penetrate the wood or wood particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Peter Laks, Patricia A. Heiden
  • Publication number: 20020138870
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of concurrently introducing multiple genes into plants and trees is provided. The method includes simultaneous transformation of plants with multiple genes from the phenylpropanoid pathways including 4CL, CAld5H, AldOMT, SAD and CAD genes and combinations thereof to produce various lines of transgenic plants displaying altered agronomic traits. The agronomic traits of the plants are regulated by the orientation of the specific genes and the selected gene combinations, which are incorporated into the plant genome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Laigeng Li
  • Patent number: 6455762
    Abstract: The invention pertains to methods of altering growth, lignin content, coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol units in the lignin structure, disease resistance and cellulose content in plants by transformation with a lignin pathway p-coumarate Co-enzyme A ligase (4CL) nucleic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Chung-Jui Tsai, Wen-Jing Hu
  • Publication number: 20020124281
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of concurrently introducing multiple genes into plants and trees is provided. The method includes simultaneous transformation of plants with multiple genes from the phenylpropanoid pathways including 4CL, CAld5H, AldOMT, SAD and CAD genes and combinations thereof to produce various lines of transgenic plants displaying altered agronomic traits. The agronomic traits of the plants are regulated by the orientation of the specific genes and the selected gene combinations, which are incorporated into the plant genome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Laigeng Li
  • Publication number: 20020078474
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel DNA sequence, which encodes a previously unidentified lignin biosynthetic pathway enzyme, sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD) that regulates the biosynthesis of syringyl lignin in plants. Also provided are methods for incorporating this novel SAD gene sequence or substantially similar sequences into a plant genome for genetic engineering of syringyl-enriched lignin in plants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Laigeng Li
  • Publication number: 20020068161
    Abstract: A wood composite board or panel, such as particleboard, fiberboard, oriented strand board or waferboard and a method of producing the same. The composite board or panel comprises a plurality of wood pieces, thermoset resin to bind the wood pieces and a filler having a high thermal conductivity. Examples of such a filler include natural and synthetic graphites, metal, carbon, silicon carbide and other similar compounds and their mixtures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Laurent Malanda Matuana, Julia A. King
  • Publication number: 20020051892
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product. The method comprises incorporating an additive into a nanoparticle, applying the nanoparticle to wood or a wood particle and applying sufficient pressure to force the nanoparticle to penetrate the wood or wood particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Peter Laks, Patricia A. Heiden
  • Publication number: 20020039661
    Abstract: A veneer-based product is made of a plurality of veneer layers, a resin binding the layers, and a filler having a high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Laurent Malanda Matuana, Julia A. King
  • Publication number: 20020035797
    Abstract: A snow groomer includes a movable platform, a prime mover mounted to the platform and a grooming drum rotatably driven by the prime mover for rotation in a direction opposite the traveling direction of the snow groomer. The grooming drum includes axially spaced apart and radially protruding ribs that extend circumferentially around the drum. The ribs include circumferentially spaced apart apertures and the apertures of each rib are aligned with the apertures of the other ribs. Elongated cutting teeth extend through the apertures of the ribs and have a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the apertures such that the cutting teeth are free to vibrate within the apertures as the drum rotates, thereby enhancing the pulverization of chunks of snow and ice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Philip J. Quenzi, Russell G. Alger