Patents by Inventor Anthony G. Liepert

Anthony G. Liepert 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).

  • Patent number: 6884047
    Abstract: A compact scroll pump includes a scroll set having an inlet and an outlet, and a drive mechanism. The scroll set includes a stationary scroll blade extending from a stationary plate and an orbiting scroll blade extending from an orbiting plate. The stationary and orbiting scroll blades are intermeshed together to define one or more interblade pockets. The orbiting scroll blade is located on a first side of the orbiting plate, and the drive mechanism is operatively coupled to a second side of the orbiting plate for producing orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll blade relative to the stationary scroll blade. The drive mechanism includes a motor and a crankshaft having an axis of rotation, and an orbiting bearing coupled between the crankshaft and the orbiting plate. The scroll set is configured such that an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation passes through the orbiting bearing and at least a portion of the orbiting scroll blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Varian, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Liepert, Jeffrey C. Warren, Robert M. Curry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6764288
    Abstract: Vacuum pumping apparatus includes a scroll set having an inlet and an outlet. The scroll set includes a first stationary scroll blade and a second stationary scroll blade extending from a stationary plate and separated by a gap, and an orbiting scroll extending from an orbiting plate, wherein the first and second stationary scroll blades are intermeshed with the orbiting scroll blade to define one or more interblade pockets. The vacuum pumping apparatus further includes a relief port in the gap between the first and second stationary scroll blades and coupled through a relief passage to an exhaust, a relief valve in the relief passage, and a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the orbiting scroll element for producing orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll blade relative to the first and second stationary scroll blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Varian, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Liepert, Jeffrey C. Warren, Robert M. Curry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6068459
    Abstract: A tip seal for use in a scroll-type vacuum pump includes a seal element and an energizer element affixed to the seal element. The scroll-type vacuum pump includes first and second scroll blades that are nested together to define one or more interblade pockets, and an eccentric drive that produces orbiting movement of the first scroll blade relative to the second scroll blade. At least one of the first and second scroll blades has a seal groove along an edge thereof. The tip seal is positioned in the seal groove between the first and second scroll blades. The energizer element is formed of a resilient material having multiple compressible voids, so that the energizer element having compressible voids is more compressible than the resilient material alone, when confined by the seal groove. In one embodiment, the energizer element is a foam such as a low porosity urethane foam. In another embodiment, the energizer element is an elastomer material having a predetermined pattern of voids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Varian, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans T. Clarke, Anthony G. Liepert
  • Patent number: 5855473
    Abstract: A fluid handling apparatus, particularly a vacuum pump, has as a first stage a high volumetric displacement rate scroll pump of multiple nested interacting pairs of fixed and movable spiral-shaped blades supported in a housing between an inlet and an outlet. Each adjacent blade pair closes one inter-blade pocket in each cycle of operation. For very low base pressure vacuum applications, the adjacent blades extend about two revolutions to produce plural pockets in series. A second scroll pump mounted in the housing has its inlet fed directly from the first scroll outlet. The second scroll has a single pair of co-acting fixed and movable blades with multiple revolutions. A central drive shaft rotating in main bearings has an eccentric portion coupled to a plate that carries the movable blades of both scroll pumps. Synchronization cranks constrain the plate to orbit, not rotate. A purge gas flows over the crank bearings to sweep away and/or dilute corrosive fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Varian Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony G. Liepert
  • Patent number: 5345769
    Abstract: A system for providing a cold environment which has a number of cooling stages with variable displacement volumes into which input fluid from a compressor flows in an input channel to and from the displacement volumes and output fluid flows in an output channel to the compressor. Volume changers vary the volumes of the displacement volumes and input fluid flowing to a first set of displacement volumes is pre-cooled by regenerative heat exchange and counterflow heat exchange and input fluid flowing to the final displacement volume is pre-cooled primarily by counterflow heat exchange. The volume changer at at least one of the stages is thermally decoupled from the input and output channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Boreas, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Liepert, James A. Crunkleton, Gregory R. Gallagher, Joseph L. Smith, Jr., Frederick J. Cogswell