Patents by Inventor Annick Vanhulsel

Annick Vanhulsel 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).

  • Publication number: 20240038969
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for applying a protective layer on at least part of an exposed alkali metal or alkali metal alloy substrate. The method includes activating a gas using a plasma discharge to obtain an activated gas and contacting the exposed surface with the activated gas. A protective layer is formed on at least part of the exposed surface. The gas has a nitrogen-comprising compound such that the protective layer includes at least 60 mol % of a corresponding alkali metal nitrate. The present disclosure is further related to an article including a substrate having a surface including an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy and a protective layer arranged on at least part of the alkali metal or alkali metal alloy surface of the substrate. The protective layer is conductive to ions of the corresponding alkali metal and has at least 60 mol % of a corresponding alkali metal nitrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2021
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Vijay Shankar RANGASAMY, Annick VANHULSEL, Bert VERHEYDE, Dirk VANGENEUGDEN
  • Publication number: 20230088349
    Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method for applying a functional compound on sulfur particles by means of an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge including a gas or an activated gas flow resulting from the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The coating composition includes an inorganic electrically conductive compound, an electrically conductive carbon compound, an organic precursor compound of a conjugated polymer, a precursor of a hybrid organic-inorganic compound, or a mixture, and the functional compound provides the sulfur particles with an electrically conductive surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Danny HAVERMANS, Sébastien SALLARD, Ahmed SHAFIQUE, Dirk VANGENEUGDEN, Annick VANHULSEL, An HARDY
  • Publication number: 20220316064
    Abstract: A polymer substrate having deposited on its surface a reaction product of a precursor material obtained or obtainable by a method for preparation of polymer, and to the use of the polymer having improved antibacterial properties and/or antiviral properties or of the polymer having improved antibacterial properties and/or antiviral properties obtained or obtainable by the method for medical applications, antibiofouling applications, hygiene applications, food industry applications, industrial or computer related applications, consumer goods applications and appliances, public and public transport applications, underwater, water sanitation or seawater applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Raphael DABBOUS, Rupert KONRADI, Bert VERHEYDE, Annick VANHULSEL, Olof WALLQUIST
  • Publication number: 20220230854
    Abstract: Apparatus for plasma processing of a continuous fiber, comprising a first and a second plasma torch. Each plasma torch comprises oppositely arranged electrodes to define a plasma discharge chamber between the electrodes. The plasma discharge chamber comprises an inlet and an outlet for passing a plasma forming gas between the electrodes. The apparatus further comprises an afterglow chamber in fluid communication with the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers, which comprises a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet arranged at opposite sides of the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers. A transport system is configured to continuously transport the fiber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet through the afterglow chamber. The substrate inlet comprises an aperture having a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than a cross-sectional size of the afterglow chamber. The outlets of the plasma torches face each other and exhaust plasma activated species into the afterglow chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Annick Vanhulsel, Erwin Van Hoof, Jan Cools
  • Publication number: 20170125221
    Abstract: Apparatus for plasma processing of a continuous fiber, comprising a first and a second plasma torch. Each plasma torch comprises oppositely arranged electrodes to define a plasma discharge chamber between the electrodes. The plasma discharge chamber comprises an inlet and an outlet for passing a plasma forming gas between the electrodes. The apparatus further comprises an afterglow chamber in fluid communication with the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers, which comprises a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet arranged at opposite sides of the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers. A transport system is configured to continuously transport the fiber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet through the afterglow chamber. The substrate inlet comprises an aperture having a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than a cross-sectional size of the afterglow chamber. The outlets of the plasma torches face each other and exhaust plasma activated species into the afterglow chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: VITO NV
    Inventors: Annick VANHULSEL, Erwin VAN HOOF, Jan COOLS
  • Publication number: 20110223351
    Abstract: A method applies a coating (17) of a thermoplastic material on a substrate (11) made of a polymeric material, with the thermoplastic material and the polymeric material being incompatible. Firstly, the substrate and/or the powder are exposed to a plasma discharge (12) or the reactive gas stream resulting therefrom in order to obtain a plasma treated surface layer (14) introducing compatibility at the interface between substrate and coating. Secondly, laser cladding (15) the powder (16) on the substrate is conducted in order to form a coating on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Vlaamse Instelling VoorTechnologisch Onderzoek N.V. (VITO)
    Inventors: Bert Verheyde, Marleen Rombouts, Annick Vanhulsel, Robby Rego, Filip Motmans