Patents by Inventor Charlotte Gerhart

Charlotte Gerhart 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: 6227288
    Abstract: A Multifunctional Capillary System is located within and between a single compensation chamber (CC) and the evaporator of a loop heat pipe. It provides: vapor-liquid interface control for all gravity states from the micro-gravity condition of space (near 0-g) through the earth's gravitational condition (1-g), with liquid supply to the evaporator via wicking from the CC in micro-gravity, and for all orientations (tilts) of the CC-evaporator assembly in earth gravity. As a single compensation chamber is used, dual compensation chamber penalties of weight and wide-temperature-variation are avoided. The system has combined, parallel wicking structure, paths, and joints for micro-gravity and 1-g liquid acquisition. The wick system is comprised of an axial-groove, evaporator-core secondary wick—concentric, contiguous, and in intimate contact with the primary evaporator wick. This secondary wick mates to a porous vane assembly in the CC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Donald F. Gluck, Charlotte Gerhart