Patents by Inventor Cassie Witherspoon

Cassie Witherspoon 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).

  • Polycrystalline foams exhibiting giant magnetic-field-induced deformation and methods of making and using same
    Patent number: 8586194
    Abstract: Magnetic materials and methods exhibit large magnetic-field-induced deformation/strain (MFIS) through the magnetic-field-induced motion of crystallographic interfaces. The preferred materials are porous, polycrystalline composite structures of nodes connected by struts wherein the struts may be monocrystalline or polycrystalline. The materials are preferably made from magnetic shape memory alloy, including polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga, formed into an open-pore foam, for example, by space-holder technique. Removal of constraints that interfere with MFIS has been accomplished by introducing pores with sizes similar to grains, resulting in MFIS values of 0.12% in polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga foams, close to the best commercial magnetostrictive materials. Further removal of constraints has been accomplished by introducing pores smaller than the grain size, dramatically increasing MFIS to 2.0-8.7%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignees: Boise State University, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Peter Mullner, Markus Chmielus, Cassie Witherspoon, David C. Dunand, Xuexi Zhang, Yuttanant Boonyongmaneerat
  • POLYCRYSTALLINE FOAMS EXHIBITING GIANT MAGNETIC-FIELD-INDUCED DEFORMATION AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME
    Publication number: 20110064965
    Abstract: Magnetic materials and methods exhibit large magnetic-field-induced deformation/strain (MFIS) through the magnetic-field-induced motion of crystallographic interfaces. The preferred materials are porous, polycrystalline composite structures of nodes connected by struts wherein the struts may be monocrystalline or polycrystalline. The materials are preferably made from magnetic shape memory alloy, including polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga, formed into an open-pore foam, for example, by space-holder technique. Removal of constraints that interfere with MFIS has been accomplished by introducing pores with sizes similar to grains, resulting in MFIS values of 0.12% in polycrystalline Ni—Mn—Ga foams, close to the best commercial magnetostrictive materials. Further removal of constraints has been accomplished by introducing pores smaller than the grain size, dramatically increasing MFIS to 2.0-8.7%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter Mullner, Markus Chmielus, Cassie Witherspoon, David C. Dunand, Xuexi Zhang, Yuttanant Boonyongmaneerat