Patents Assigned to Design Technology and Innovation
  • Publication number: 20150158742
    Abstract: A material is dewatered by providing a material having a first water percentage content; and encapsulating the material in a plurality of non-porous hydrophilic membranes, said membranes being of a type in which water molecules are absorbed by and transported across the non-porous hydrophilic membrane, thereby producing packages with a second water percentage content that is lower than the first water percentage content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: DESIGN TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION LTD
    Inventor: Mark Christopher Tonkin
  • Patent number: 8753487
    Abstract: An evaporation device has an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube is made of a hydrophilic membrane, such as DutyionT. The outer tube is preferably made of a material that readily absorbs solar radiation and is a good heat conductor. There is a gap between the inner tube and the outer tube for the flow of air. The inner tube contains a flow of impure water. The hydrophilic membrane allows water to pass to the outside of the inner tube as vapor, but prevents impurities from passing through. Air flowing in the gap takes up the water vapor and humidified air exits the evaporation device. This humidified air is subsequently cooled to collect the vapor and provide purified water, e.g. at a condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Design Technology and Innovation Ltd
    Inventor: Mark Christopher Tonkin
  • Publication number: 20130205655
    Abstract: The present invention relates to irrigation systems for irrigating a growing medium. The irrigation systems of the invention comprise a helical tubular hydrophilic membrane or a corrugated tubular hydrophilic membrane. The invention also relates to methods of irrigating a growing medium, and helical tubular hydrophilic membranes for use in an irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: DESIGN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Mark TONKIN
  • Patent number: 8336253
    Abstract: The present invention relates to irrigation systems for irrigating a growing medium. The irrigation systems of the invention comprise a helical tubular hydrophilic membrane or a corrugated tubular hydrophilic membrane. The invention also relates to methods of irrigating a growing medium, and helical tubular hydrophilic membranes for use in an irrigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Design Technology and Innovation Limited
    Inventor: Mark Tonkin
  • Publication number: 20120169057
    Abstract: An apparatus (2) for placement on or in a body of flowing water (8) for generating hydroelectric power. The apparatus comprises a generally horizontal rotor (6) driven by the water flowing (14) past it to generate electrical power. A method of generating hydroelectric power. The method comprises placing an apparatus in or on a body of water and allowing water to flow past a generally horizontally disposed rotor to turn it and generate electrical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: DESIGN TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Mark Christopher Tonkin
  • Publication number: 20100043283
    Abstract: The present invention relates to irrigation systems for irrigating a growing medium. The irrigation systems of the invention comprise a helical tubular hydrophilic membrane or a corrugated tubular hydrophilic membrane. The invention also relates to methods of irrigating a growing medium, and helical tubular hydrophilic membranes for use in an irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Design Technology and Innovation Limited
    Inventor: Mark Tonkin
  • Patent number: 7611792
    Abstract: Water vapor is introduced into an inlet air stream (16) of an engine (12), for example, by a pervaporation process through a non-porous hydrophilic membrane (18). A water reservoir (20), which can contain contaminated water, provides a vapor pressure gradient across the hydrophilic membrane (18) into the inlet air stream (16), while the rate of delivery of the water vapor to a cylinder (38-40) is self-regulated by the rate of flow of air across the membrane. The hydrophilic membrane (18) therefore also filters the water from the water reservoir (20) to an extent that pure water vapor is provided to the air inlet stream (16). Delivery of water vapor can nevertheless be controlled using a hood (26) that slides over the hydrophilic membrane to limit its exposed surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Design Technology and Innovation Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Mark Elden Schuchardt
  • Patent number: 7494572
    Abstract: A mechanical water still (10) includes an impervious dome-like upper surface (12) and a membrane base (14) that is coupled (26) to the impervious dome-like structure (12) to form, when inflated, a chamber (20). The membrane base (14) supports a water pervaporation process therethrough. A water collection well (16) has an opening into which water droplets condensed from the water pervaporation process collect. The water collection well (16) is sited within the membrane base (14) and generally extends outwardly and downwardly from the membrane base (14), as shown in FIG. 1. In use, a contaminated water source (24) is brought into, ideally, complete contact with the membrane base (14), with the water collection well (16) arranged both to act as a heat sink into the water source (24) and to provide stability to the water still (10) when floating and immersed in the water source (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Design Technology and Innovation Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Neil David Eckert
  • Patent number: 7166224
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a hydrophilic membrane to provide by the process of pervaporation through the membrane water suitable for agricultural irrigation, industrial use, hydrating or rehydrating of food or agricultural or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention also relates to a water purification apparatus which includes the hydrophilic membrane, comprising one or more layers of hydrophilic polymers, to purify water which may contain suspended or dissolved impurities and solids, including but not limited to seawater, brackish water and other kinds of polluted water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Design Technology and Innovation Limited
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner
  • Patent number: 6885294
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for indicating the state of motion of a subject vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle, by means of an array of lamps (2, 10-21) on the subject vehicle. The apparatus is adapted to indicate the presence of the array of lamps on the subject vehicle when the lamps are not actively indicating the state of motion of the subject vehicle, with the presence of the array realized by, preferably, secondary warning lamps adjacently located with the array and arranged to differentiate the array in terms of its functionality and operational capabilities from existing arrays, as exemplified in FIG. 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Design Technology & Innovation (Safety) 1994 Limited
    Inventor: Mark Christopher Tonkin
  • Patent number: 6793824
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a hydrophilic membrane to provide by the process of pervaporation through the membrane water suitable for agricultural irrigation, industrial use, hydrating or rehydrating of food or agricultural or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention also relates to a water purification apparatus which includes the hydrophilic membrane, comprising one or more layers of hydrophilic polymers, to purify water which may contain suspended or dissolved impurities and solids, including but not limited to seawater, brackish water and other kinds of polluted water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignees: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology and Innovation
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner
  • Patent number: 6615537
    Abstract: A method of modifying the growth of plant roots is provided in which the roots are grown in proximity to a membrane from which water is released during the growth of the roots, wherein the membrane is a hydrophobic porous membrane or a hydrophilic non-porous membrane. The method may also be used to collect materials exuded from plant roots by growing the plant roots in a growing medium that is surrounded by a membrane such that moisture is released into the growing medium from the membrane whilst materials exuded from the plant roots are retained within the growing medium by the membrane, wherein the membrane is a hydrophobic porous membrane or a hydrophilic non-porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignees: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology and Innovation
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner
  • Patent number: 6511052
    Abstract: Water vapor is introduced into an inlet air stream (16) of an engine (12), for example, by a pervaporation process through a non-porous hydrophilic membrane (18). A water reservoir (20), which can contain contaminated water, provides a vapor pressure gradient across the hydrophilic membrane (18) into the inlet air stream (16), while the rate of delivery of the water vapor to a cylinder (38-40) is self-regulated by the rate of flow of air across the membrane. The hydrophilic membrane (18) therefore also filters the water from the water reservoir (20) to an extent that pure water vapor is provided to the air inlet stream (16). Delivery of water vapor can nevertheless be controlled using a hood (26) that slides over the hydrophilic membrane to limit its exposed surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignees: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology & Innovation
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Mark Elden Schuchardt
  • Patent number: 6484439
    Abstract: An irrigation device is provided, the device comprising a container for water consisting of a plurality of surfaces, each surface substantially being either a hydrophilic membrane or impervious to water in all forms, and wherein at least one of the surfaces is substantially a hydrophilic membrane and at least one of the surfaces is substantially impervious to water in all forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignees: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology & Innovations LTD
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner, Charles William Cahill
  • Patent number: 6453610
    Abstract: A method of modifying the growth of plant roots is provided in which the roots are grown in proximity to a membrane from which water is released during the growth of the roots, wherein the membrane is a hydrophobic porous membrane or a hydrophilic non-porous membrane. The method may also be used to collect materials exuded from plant roots by growing the plant roots in a growing medium that is surrounded by a membrane so that moisture is released into the growing medium from the membrane while materials exuded from the plant roots are retained within the growing medium by the membrane, wherein the membrane is a hydrophobic porous membrane or a hydrophilic non-porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignees: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology & Innovation
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner, Charles William Cahill
  • Patent number: 5838259
    Abstract: A display system for motor vehicles provides an array of lamps at the rear of a subject vehicle to provide an indication of the state of motion of the subject vehicle to the driver of a following vehicle. In a first mode of operation, the display indicates a level of warning dependent upon the rate of deceleration of the subject vehicle, the level of warning being determined by deceleration thresholds which are variable in dependence upon the measured speed of the subject vehicle. In a second mode of operation, the lamps provide an indication of the subject vehicle being stationary or near stationary as determined by comparing the measured speed with a threshold speed. An animate display is created by illuminating the lamps and sequentially deactuating selected pairs of lamps to create a pattern cyclically moving semetrically outwardly from the center of the row. The display is discontinued when the speed of the subject vehicle exceeds a second threshold defined independently of the first threshold speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Design Technology & Innovation Ltd.
    Inventor: Mark Christopher Tonkin
  • Patent number: 5828319
    Abstract: A vehicle display system has a stationary detector and an indicator, which form a stationary vehicle detection apparatus being operative to produce an indicator signal which is indicative of the vehicle being stationary. The vehicle display system also has a vehicle deceleration detector and an indicator. The vehicle deceleration detector measures the magnitude of deceleration of a vehicle and generates a signal to drive the indicator and thereby generate a display indicative of the magnitude of vehicle deceleration. The vehicle deceleration detector is independent of the vehicle braking system. In one embodiment, the indicator is an array of lamps and the stationary vehicle indicator signal is an inanimate display. One embodiment has an additional ranging device that detects a trailing vehicle within a predetermined distance of the vehicle employing the ranging device. The ranging device may be used to initiate a change of the display generated by the vehicle display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Design Technology & Innovation Limited
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Tonkin, Simon Lewis Marshall Hall, Gareth Anthony Strong, Marco Cucinotta