Patents Examined by Lydia M. De Jesús
  • Patent number: 6524001
    Abstract: A system for sensing optical fiber temperature includes a laser that produces a first electromagnetic spectrum. A first optical filter receives the laser output and reflects it. The first optical filter transmits electromagnetic radiation having greater and lesser wavelengths than the laser output. The transmitted light reaches a second optical filter which reflects the light of lesser wavelength, but transmits the light of greater wavelength. A first detector is placed to received the reflected, lower-wavelength light and a second detector is place to receive the transmitted, higher-wavelength light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Systems and Processes Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Leif Fredin, Brendan Krenek
  • Patent number: 6519867
    Abstract: A micrometer comprising a thimble made, at least in part, of a translucent material, a vernier scale on an inner circumference of the thimble along the circumferential direction and a vernier numeral on an outer circumference of the thimble along the circumferential direction, whereby reading error during measurement can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Akitomo Saeki
  • Patent number: 6513969
    Abstract: A calorimeter that includes a sample cell, a reference cell, a pressure system that applies a variable pressure to the sample cell, and a pressure controller that controls the pressure applied by the pressure system to the sample sell. By applying identical pressure perturbations to both the sample and reference cells over a range of temperature, the calorimeter can be used to accurately calculate both the thermal coefficient of expansion of various substances, and the volume change of molecules undergoing a structural transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Microcal, LLC
    Inventors: Valerian V. Plotnikov, John F. Brandts, J. Michael Brandts
  • Patent number: 6508012
    Abstract: A digital fastener size indicator having a housing. A fixed jaw extends from an end of the housing, while a movable jaw extends from the end of the housing adjacent to and parallel with the fixed jaw. A digital electrical length measuring circuit within the housing is connected to the movable jaw. When the movable jaw and the fixed jaw encompass a fastener and the digital electrical length measuring circuit is activated a digital readout will be presented in the housing of a single discrete number to an operator to indicate the size of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Inventor: Earnest G. Wells, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6497509
    Abstract: A method of measuring the absolute value of thermal conductivity of low thermal conducting solid materials is disclosed. Thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the sample are determined simultaneously in a single measurement with the prerequisite that these values are frequency independent. This method is realized on power-compensated differential scanning calorimeters without any modification in the measuring system. DSC is calibrated in a standard way for temperature and heat flow. The method uses temperature-time profiles consisting of one fast temperature jump of 0.5 to 2 K and an isotherm. The measuring time for each temperature is less than 1 min. As input parameters only sample thickness and contact area with the DSC furnace (or sample diameter if the sample is disk shaped) are needed together with sample mass. In addition to the sample thermal conductivity and heat capacity the effective thermal contact between sample and DSC furnace is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Instruments LLC
    Inventors: Mikhail Merzliakov, Christoph Schick
  • Patent number: 6488407
    Abstract: The present invention intends to improve the accuracy of temperature measurement when measuring the temperature of a semiconductor wafer by a radiation thermometer on the basis of the idea of virtual blackbody simulated by multiple reflection of light. A system includes a wafer (W), a circular reflector 1 of a radius R disposed opposite to the wafer (W), and a probe (2) disposed in a through hole formed in the reflector (1). The probe (2) is a through hole. The radiation intensity of radiation passed the through hole is determined by image data provided by a CCD camera disposed behind the back surface of the reflector (1). An error in measured radiation intensity of radiation falling the probe (2) due to light that enters a space between the wafer (W) and the reflector (1) and a space between the reflector (1) and the probe (2) and light leaks from the same spaces is corrected, the emissivity of the wafer (W) is calculated and the temperature of the wafer (W) is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masayuki Kitamura, Eisuke Morisaki, Nobuaki Takahashi, Takashi Shigeoka
  • Patent number: 6485173
    Abstract: A method of determining a thermal coefficient of expansion of a substance, the method including providing a first liquid holder containing a solution including the substance, and a second liquid holder containing a liquid in which the substance is not present; applying a pressure perturbation to the solution in the first liquid holder and to the liquid in the second liquid holder at a known temperature; determining a differential heat effect between the first and second liquid holders in response to the pressure perturbation; calculating, from the differential heat effect, the heat effect of the substance in response to the pressure perturbation; and determining, from the calculated heat effect, the thermal coefficient of expansion of the substance at the known temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: MicroCal, Inc.
    Inventors: Valerian V. Plotnikov, John F. Brandts, J. Michael Brandts
  • Patent number: 6471395
    Abstract: A heat transfer monitoring and/or measuring device, especially a flow indicator for media flowing through a pipe (1), tank or fitting, with a sensor housing (2) and with two sensor elements (3, 4), the sensor elements (3, 4) each having a metallic sensor surface (5) which comes into contact with the flowing medium. In the flow indicator, the problem “deposition or formation” of disruptive layers on the sensor surfaces (5) of the sensor elements (3, 4) is solved by the element (3) which is made as a heating element having an electrically conductive protective lead (6) and by the protective lead (6) forming a closed protective circuit which includes the pipe (1), tank, or the fitting, the flowing medium and the sensor element (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: ifm electronic GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Buhl, Walter Reichart
  • Patent number: 6470582
    Abstract: A measure to use to draw a line perpendicular to a reference line. The measure comprises a top surface with opposite first and second ends and opposite first and second edges that extend between the first and second ends. The top surface has a first set of indicia that represent a first scale and a second set of indicia that represent a second scale. The first and second scales are distance scales and have a common zero point. The second scale is a multiple of the first scale. The first and second scales are used to construct the two sides and the hypotenuse of a right triangle with one of the two sides being on the reference line so that a line perpendicular to the reference line can be constructed with little or no calculations required by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Rencon
    Inventor: Mark L. Renko
  • Patent number: 6467954
    Abstract: The resistance of an air-fuel-ratio sensor element is determined from current detected before changing an applied voltage to the sensor and current detected when a predetermined period elapses after changing the applied voltage to the sensor. A resistence detector includes operational amplifiers, resistors and transistors. The applied voltage is changed by switching the transistors to more accurately detect a resistance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Honda, Yoshio Onuma
  • Patent number: 6464392
    Abstract: Chemical agent warfare materials and their simulant liquids are identified on terrestrial surfaces at a distance by recognizing the contaminant's infrared fingerprint spectrum brought out in thermal luminescence (TL). Suspect surfaces are irradiated with microwave light that is absorbed into the surface and, subsequently, TL is released by the surface. An optics receiver collects the released TL radiant light, and a data acquisition system searches this TL radiant flux for the contaminant's fingerprint infrared spectrum. A decision on the presence or absence of any-of-N contaminants is done by a neural network system that acts as a filter through real-time pattern recognition of the contaminant's unique infrared absorption or emission spectra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Arthur H. Carrieri, Irving F. Barditch, David J. Owens, Erik S. Roese, Pascal I. Lim, Michael V. Talbard
  • Patent number: 6447160
    Abstract: A blackbody cavity having two types of wall surfaces wherein a first type has high emissivity and a second type has low emissivity. The low emissivity wall surface has an aperture from where the infrared radiation escapes the cavity, and is preferably shaped to minimize the escape through the aperture of radiation emanated directly from the low emissivity wall itself. The combination of high and low emissivity wall surfaces allows the blackbody to reduce the influence of the environmental temperature while maintaining emissivity approaching unity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Monitors Corp.
    Inventor: Jacob Fraden
  • Patent number: 6438861
    Abstract: A radial clearance measurement device includes a pair of opposed drive heads, connected by an adjustable strut. Each drive head is fitted with a radial distance measurement device including a plate adapted to slide within a dovetail groove in a radial stator core slot, a spring-loaded plunger adapted to engage a surface of an armature bar located in the radial stator slot, and a linear voltage displacement transducer for measuring distance between the dovetail groove and the armature bar. The device is adapted to move through the bore of the stator, with the plungers engaged with armature bars in diametrically opposed radial stator core slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth John Hatley, Richard Michael Hatley, Michael John Bousquet, Alan Michael Iversen, William Gene Newman
  • Patent number: 6439763
    Abstract: A radiometer calibrating system utilizes an adjustable noise source for calibrating a radiometer. The noise source includes a transistor configured as a noise equivalent circuit having a gate port, drain port and source port. A source inductance providing series feedback for the noise source has one end coupled to the source port of the noise equivalent circuit and another end connected to the ground. A bias circuit controls the amount of DC bias applied to the noise equivalent circuit. In order to match the impedances in the noise source, an output impedance matching network is connected to the drain port and an input impedance matching network is connected to the gate port of the noise equivalent circuit. The output and input impedance networks have an output port and input port, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert S. Roeder, Matthew C. Smith, Lawrence P. Dunleavy, Steven M. Lardizabal
  • Patent number: 6434848
    Abstract: A template 10 can be used to mark or scribe either a single gang opening or a dual gang opening for mounting an electrical box in a wall. The template is especially adapted to mark openings for “old work” boxes mounted directly to drywall. The template 10 includes a vertical level 16 and a horizontal level 18 protruding from the front face of the template 10 so that the template can be squared in either a horizontal or a vertical orientation. The level are mounted in housings 20, 30 that protrude far enough to form finger grips. The openings are cut around the periphery of the template and vertical slots 38, 44 are provided intermediate the sides of the template to form an opening for a single gang box. A dual gang box opening can be marked primarily using the peripheral edges of the template 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Inventors: Kyle L. Gordon, James R Malton
  • Patent number: 6435710
    Abstract: A foam detector apparatus has a detector probe for detecting the presence of foam in a test sample, with the probe held above the test sample surface and indicating foaming when foam rises from the test sample surface and contacts the detector probe. The probe has a low thermal mass measuring surface for detecting contact with foam, with the measuring surface heated to a temperature above the tempering temperature of the test sample. When the liquid portion of the foam contacts the heated measuring surface, the temperature of the low thermal mass surface quickly drops to the tempering temperature of the sample, thereby indicating foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Fauske & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Hans K. Fauske
  • Patent number: 6431750
    Abstract: A lightweight elongate flexible temperature probe includes several temperature sensors embedded inside multiple layers of a thin film polyimide or polyester in which two of the layers are thin film copper etched to form conductors to the sensors. The conductors are in abutting electrical contact with the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Sierra Lobo, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Haberbusch, Marian Felder, Alan J. Chmiel
  • Patent number: 6427856
    Abstract: A self-centering device for assuring that two plates that are rotatable with respect to one another will automatically align in one of two-stable positions. The device includes an O-ring entrained about two spaced posts located on the upper face of a bottom one of the plates and a roller depending from the bottom face of the upper one of the plates into a circumscribed space defined by the O-ring. When an external rotatable force is applied to the upper plate, an elastic force is applied to the roller such that when the external force is removed, the roller will move into one of the two stable positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Trans World Marketing Corp.
    Inventor: Michael C. Allen
  • Patent number: 6425687
    Abstract: A system for measuring average temperature including a plurality of measurement thermocouples (10,12,14) connected in parallel to measurement apparatus (24) by two signal wires (22) of a material different to that of the measurement thermocouples (10,12,14). Compensation thermocouples (26,28,30) are located at the cold junctions (16,18,20) of the measurement thermocouples (10,12,14) and connected to the measurement apparatus (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Solartron Group Limited
    Inventor: Wojciech K. Kulczyk
  • Patent number: 6422745
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a combustion temperature sensor, and, more particularly, to a combustion temperature sensor that measures infrared radiation emitted at several preselected wavelengths from a flame and/or a flame's hot gas at a turbine inlet location and applies the energy signals. to a calculation model to yield temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Ametek, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Glasheen, Charles DeMilo, Helmar R. Steglich