Patents by Inventor Bernard K. Vancil

Bernard K. Vancil 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: 10794371
    Abstract: Plasma cathodes for micro Hall and ion thrusters of unprecedented power efficiency, low cost, compactness, are provided. The cathodes employ, for example, a very small planar scandate cathode as electron source, delivering over 350 ma of discharge from an emitter area as small as only 0.012 cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: E BEAM INC.
    Inventors: Bernard K Vancil, Joseph Kowalski, Jereme Shaver
  • Publication number: 20200240398
    Abstract: Plasma cathodes for micro Hall and ion thrusters of unprecedented power efficiency, low cost, compactness, are provided. The cathodes employ, for example, a very small planar scandate cathode as electron source, delivering over 350 ma of discharge from an emitter area as small as only 0.012 cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: E BEAM INC.
    Inventors: Bernard K. Vancil, Joseph Kowalski, Jereme Shaver
  • Patent number: 8957573
    Abstract: Wire-suspended thermionic cathodes provide lower power, further reduction in size, better stability and accuracy, and higher loading then conventional art. The cathodes are too small for use with conventional heaters and so are heated from behind by an electron beam or an intense light beam, such as laser light transmitted via optical fiber to the back of the cathode. The cathodes are electrically isolated from the focus electrode, thus allowing beam cutoff and modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventor: Bernard K Vancil
  • Patent number: 8853944
    Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Vu1 Corporation
    Inventors: Richard N. Herring, Charles E. Hunt, Thomas Skupien, Tomas Hasilik, Viktor Jelinek, Bernard K. Vancil
  • Patent number: 8294367
    Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Vu1 Corporation
    Inventors: Richard N. Herring, Charles E. Hunt, Thomas Skupien, Tomas Hasilik, Viktor Jelinek, Bernard K. Vancil
  • Publication number: 20110284261
    Abstract: Wire-suspended thermionic cathodes provide lower power, further reduction in size, better stability and accuracy, and higher loading then conventional art. The cathodes are too small for use with conventional heaters and so are heated from behind by an electron beam or an intense light beam, such as laser light transmitted via optical fiber to the back of the cathode. The cathodes are electrically isolated from the focus electrode, thus allowing beam cutoff and modulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil
  • Patent number: 8058789
    Abstract: A light emitting device has a cathode-ray tube and power supply. The cathode-ray tube in an embodiment is optimized for emitting a broad electron beam, in one variation a dome-shaped diffusing grid is used to spread the beam. In another embodiment, the device has a base adapted for attachment to a standard lighting fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Vu1 Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Hunt, Bernard K. Vancil, Richard N. Herring, Richard Gale Sellers
  • Publication number: 20100097004
    Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: VU1 CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard N. Herring, Charles E. Hunt, Thomas Skupien, Tomas Hasilik, Viktor Jelinek, Bernard K. Vancil
  • Patent number: 7116051
    Abstract: A multibeam, electrostatically focused klystron includes a plurality of conductive members, ones of which are recessed to provide input and output sections of microwave cavities, wherein focusing voltage is applied between those sections. The conductive members are either spaced along the path of multiple beams, or stacked in insulated relation, in either case being supported by glass rods within a glass envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Inventors: Bernard K. Vancil, Edwin G. Wintucky
  • Patent number: 6747412
    Abstract: A traveling wave tube includes a glass or other insulating envelope having a plurality of substantially parallel glass rods supported therewithin which in turn support an electron gun, a collector and an intermediate slow wave structure. The slow wave structure itself provides electrostatic focussing of a central electron beam thereby eliminating the need for focussing magnetics and materially decreasing the cost of construction as well as enabling miniaturization. The slow wave structure advantageously includes cavities along the electron beam through which the r.f. energy is propagated, or a double, interleaved ring loop structure supported by dielectric fins within a ground plane cylinder disposed coaxially within the glass envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil
  • Publication number: 20030025435
    Abstract: A reservoir dispenser cathode includes a cup for receiving a material adapted to decompose when heated which passes to the upper surface of a porous plug at the top of the cup and coats this surface, thus producing a low work function surface. The plug may include a circumferential band while the cup has a radial flange resting on a cylindrical heater body and extending therebeyond. The flange is employed as a welding material for providing a continuous circumferential weld. To produce the weld, a laser is directed to the seam between the flange and the heater body while the assembly of the cup, flange and heater body is rotated around a common axis. The weld provides a hermetic seal between cup and plug and is accomplished without impairment of the emissive material or the plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil
  • Publication number: 20020167276
    Abstract: A traveling wave tube includes a glass or other insulating envelope having a plurality of substantially parallel glass rods supported therewithin which in turn support an electron gun, a collector and an intermediate slow wave structure. The slow wave structure itself provides electrostatic focussing of a central electron beam thereby eliminating the need for focussing magnetics and materially decreasing the cost of construction as well as enabling miniaturization. The slow wave structure advantageously includes cavities along the electron beam through which the r.f. energy is propagated, or a double, interleaved ring loop structure supported by dielectric fins within a ground plane cylinder disposed coaxially within the glass envelope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil
  • Patent number: 5198730
    Abstract: A color cathode ray tube employs a shadowmask having substantially vertical slots positioned between a single electron gun and substantially vertical color phosphor stripes on the faceplate of the tube. Piezoelectric bimorph actuators translate the shadowmask back and forth in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of the slots and stripes in synchronization with field sequential color information to excite the phosphor stripes. In an alternative embodiment, the phosphor screen is moved relative to a fixed shadowmask. During the relative movement between the shadowmask and screen in a first direction, video information is provided from a memory in a first sequential manner, while for relative movement in a second direction, the video information is read out of memory in a reverse direction for executing a reverse raster starting from the bottom of the screen. The slots and phosphor stripes are skewed slightly with respect to one another to maintain proper color registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil
  • Patent number: 4954745
    Abstract: A dispenser cathode body includes a heat capturing portion extending rearwardly from the dispenser cathode, said heat capturing portion having greater mass and thickness than an exterior support skirt. A slip-in heater is received within the heat capturing portion. Substantially greater electron emission density is secured without requiring injuriously high temperatures from the slip-in heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard K. Vancil