Patents by Inventor Chau Vo

Chau Vo 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: 20230221283
    Abstract: A magnetic inspection system and method for detecting and mapping magnetic anomalies in a section of pipe. The inspection system includes a probe with first and second arrays of magnetic field sensors arranged in first and second layers such that the first and second arrays are spaced from the section of pipe under inspection by different radial distances. Data from the probe is used to create a graphical representation of the inspected area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: Speir Hunter Ltd
    Inventors: Chau VO, Yongze GAN, David TWEDDLE, Hamed HABIBI
  • Publication number: 20210212483
    Abstract: A pillow supports alternate regions of a user's head depending upon the recumbent position of the user. When a user is in a supine position, the user's head rests on a central neck roll region which supports the occipital region of the user's head, maintaining it centered around a saddle point in the upper surface of the central neck roll region. When a user rolls into a lateral decubitus position, the user's head rolls onto a lateral cranial support region such that the center of gravity of the user's head is positioned approximately at the point on the upper surface of the lateral cranial support region that provides maximal support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventor: Chau Vo
  • Publication number: 20200398204
    Abstract: A filter assembly for a fume extraction system including a plurality of filters spaced apart from one another, a plurality of pipe sections serially interconnecting the filters such that each of the filters extends between first and second corresponding ones of the pipe sections, each of the filters having a first wall and a second wall opposite the first wall, the first and second walls each having a respective opening defined therethrough, the opening of the first wall fluidly connected to the first corresponding pipe section, the opening of the second wall fluidly connected to the second corresponding pipe section. For each of the filters, first and second respective locking mechanisms releasably engage the filter to the corresponding pipe sections such that each of the filters is independently removable from the filter assembly through release of the respective locking mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Chau VO, Anthony KAZAZIAN, Wayne BAIRD
  • Patent number: 10472482
    Abstract: An extruded polymer foam has a polymer matrix with styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer and infrared attenuator and cell having an average size in the foam vertical direction of 150 micrometers or less, a ratio of vertical cell size to extrusion direction cell size that is greater than one and a cell anisotropic ratio that is greater than 1.1; the foam having a P-Ratio of 0.7 or less, less than 0.2 moles of hydrocarbon blowing agent in the cells per kilogram of foam; a density of 20-48 kilograms per cubic meter and a 25-year thermal conductivity that is 0.030 Waters per meter-Kelvin or less when free of fluorinated blowing agents and less than 0.029 Watts per meter-Kelvin when containing fluorinated blowing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, David J. Frankowski, Anson Wong, Stéphane Costeux
  • Publication number: 20180223063
    Abstract: Polymer foam contains a continuous matrix of styrenic polymer that has metal oxide particulates selected from a group consisting of alumina boehmite and magnesium oxide and brominate styrene/butadiene copolymer dispersed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Inken Beulich
  • Publication number: 20180215890
    Abstract: An extruded polymer foam has a polymer matrix with styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer and infrared attenuator and cell having an average size in the foam vertical direction of 150 micrometers or less, a ratio of vertical cell E size to extrusion direction cell size that is greater than one and a cell anisotropic ratio that is greater than 1.1; the foam having a P-Ratio of 0.7 or less, less than 0.2 moles of hydrocarbon blowing agent in the cells per kilogram of foam; a density of 20-48 kilograms per cubic meter and a 25-year thermal conductivity that is 0.030 Waters per meter-Kelvin or less when free of fluorinated blowing agents and less than 0.029 Watts per meter-Kelvin when containing fluorinated blowing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, David J. Frankowski, Anson Wong, Stéphane Costeux
  • Publication number: 20180188207
    Abstract: The invention concerns structural integrity assessment apparatus for determining stress concentration zones in a structure, such as a pipeline. The apparatus allows particularly to detect defects in buried pipelines using magnetometric surveying where anomalies in the magnetic field around the pipelines are detected. The appar-atus has a plurality of triaxial magnetic field sensors, each sensor being arranged to measure magnetic field components in a plurality of directions. A support is provided to maintain said sensors in a predetermined relative spacing and orientation. The support is moveable relative to a structure under assessment in use and may be portable. Three or more magnetic field sensors are provided which may be arranged in a linear, two-dimensional or three-dimensional array. The ap-paratus may include position determining means, such as a global positioning system (GPS), so that stress concentration zones can be located on the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: SPEIR HUNTER LTD
    Inventors: Steven Freear, Ben Varcoe, David Matthew Joseph Cowell, Stephen George Henry Staples, Chau Vo
  • Patent number: 9921185
    Abstract: The invention concerns structural integrity assessment apparatus for determining stress concentration zones in a structure, such as a pipeline. The apparatus allows particularly to detect defects in buried pipelines using magnetometric surveying where anomalies in the magnetic field around the pipelines are detected. The apparatus has a plurality of triaxial magnetic field sensors, each sensor being arranged to measure magnetic field components in a plurality of directions. A support is provided to maintain said sensors in a predetermined relative spacing and orientation. The support is moveable relative to a structure under assessment in use and may be portable. Three or more magnetic field sensors are provided which may be arranged in a linear, two-dimensional or three-dimensional array. The apparatus may include position determining means, such as a global positioning system (GPS), so that stress concentration zones can be located on the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SPEIR HUNTER LTD
    Inventors: Steven Freear, Ben Varcoe, David Matthew Joseph Cowell, Stephen George Henry Staples, Chau Vo
  • Patent number: 9513258
    Abstract: The invention concerns a structural integrity assessment system and method for determining stress concentration zones in a structure, such as a pipeline. The invention comprises a magnetic field sensor array arranged to be moved relative to the structure in a known direction. A controller is provided for recording one or more magnetic field readings taken by the magnetic field sensor array at different locations in the direction of movement thereof. A processor is arranged to identify one or more feature within said values, said feature being indicative of a region of reduced structural integrity in the structure. The processor also receives a data input for a further parameter corresponding to the location of the sensor array and compares the feature with the further parameter in order to verify that said feature corresponds to a region of reduced structural integrity for the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Speir Hunter Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Freear, Ben Varcoe, David Matthew Joseph Cowell, Stephen George Henry Staples, Chau Vo
  • Patent number: 9228070
    Abstract: Prepare extruded thermoplastic polymer foam by preparing a foamable polymer mixture containing thermoplastic polymer and blowing agent at a mixing pressure, cooling the foamable polymer mixture and extruding it through a foaming die at a die pressure at least 90 bars lower than the mixing pressure and out through a die opening having cross sectional dimensions of 2.5 millimeter or more and a cross sectional area of at least 700 square millimeters at a flow rate greater than 500 kilograms per hour and allow it to expand into a polymer foam between shaping elements while restraining the extrusion rate with a restraining device so as to form polymer foam having 96 volume percent or less void volume, anisotropic cell size, a thickness of 50 millimeter or greater, compressive and tensile moduli in the thickness dimension greater than 35 mega pascals and an average shear modulus greater than 16 mega pascals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Alain Sagnard, John Gordon-Duffy
  • Publication number: 20150061659
    Abstract: The invention concerns a structural integrity assessment system and method for determining stress concentration zones in a structure, such as a pipeline. The invention comprises a magnetic field sensor array arranged to be moved relative to the structure in a known direction. A controller is provided for recording one or more magnetic field readings taken by the magnetic field sensor array at different locations in the direction of movement thereof. A processor is arranged to identify one or more feature within said values, said feature being indicative of a region of reduced structural integrity in the structure. The processor also receives a data input for a further parameter corresponding to the location of the sensor array and compares the feature with the further parameter in order to verify that said feature corresponds to a region of reduced structural integrity for the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: SPEIR HUNTER LTD.
    Inventors: Steven Freear, Ben Varcoe, David Matthew Joseph Cowell, Stephen George Henry Staples, Chau Vo
  • Publication number: 20150042323
    Abstract: The invention concerns structural integrity assessment apparatus for determining stress concentration zones in a structure, such as a pipeline. The apparatus allows particularly to detect defects in buried pipelines using magnetometric surveying where anomalies in the magnetic field around the pipelines are detected. The apparatus has a plurality of triaxial magnetic field sensors, each sensor being arranged to measure magnetic field components in a plurality of directions. A support is provided to maintain said sensors in a predetermined relative spacing and orientation. The support is moveable relative to a structure under assessment in use and may be portable. Three or more magnetic field sensors are provided which may be arranged in a linear, two-dimensional or three-dimensional array. The apparatus may include position determining means, such as a global positioning system (GPS), so that stress concentration zones can be located on the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: SPEIR HUNTER LTD
    Inventors: Steven Freear, Ben Varcoe, David Matthew Joseph Cowell, Stephen George Henry Staples, Chau Vo
  • Patent number: 8785510
    Abstract: Prepare a closed-cell alkenyl aromatic polymer foam by an extrusion process using a blowing agent composition that contains at least 30 weight-percent of the chlorine-free hydrofluorocarbon blowing agent such that the foam has a density of 48 kilograms per cubic meter or less, contains more than 50 weight-percent styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer based on total polymer weight and at least eight weight-percent of a chlorine-free hydrofluorocarbon blowing agent that has a lower solubility in polystyrene than 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Richard T. Fox, Warren H. Griffin, John Gordon-Duffy, Lawrence S. Hood, Roy E. Smith
  • Publication number: 20130266766
    Abstract: Prepare extruded thermoplastic polymer foam by preparing a foamable polymer mixture containing thermoplastic polymer and blowing agent at a mixing pressure, cooling the foamable polymer mixture and extruding it through a foaming die at a die pressure at least 90 bars lower than the mixing pressure and out through a die opening having cross sectional dimensions of 2.5 millimeter or more and a cross sectional area of at least 700 square millimeters at a flow rate greater than 500 kilograms per hour and allow it to expand into a polymer foam between shaping elements while restraining the extrusion rate with a restraining device so as to form polymer foam having 96 volume percent or less void volume, anisotropic cell size, a thickness of 50 millimeter or greater, compressive and tensile moduli in the thickness dimension greater than 35 mega pascals and an average shear modulus greater than 16 mega pascals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Alain Sagnard, John Gordon-Duffy
  • Patent number: 8476327
    Abstract: Prepare an extruded polymeric foam by extruding a foamable polymer composition through a foaming die and allowing the foamable polymer composition to expand into a polymer foam as it travels through and is constrained in its thickness dimension by at least two constraining sections, the first having opposing essentially parallel forming plates and the second constraining section having forming plates spaced further apart than the first constraining section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Bertrand Wurtz, Van-Chau Vo
  • Patent number: 8313818
    Abstract: Prepare an article by providing an extruded thermoplastic polymer foam having a cavity defined therein and placing a vacuum insulation panel entirely within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Myron J. Maurer, Friedhelm Bunge, Holger H. Merkel
  • Patent number: 8198340
    Abstract: Alkenyl aromatic polymer foam comprising a polymer matrix containing one or more polymer and defining a plurality of cells having an average cell size wherein: (a) the alkenyl aromatic polymer foam has: —(i) an average cell size that is in a range of 0.02 and 5 millimeters; —(ii) a density of 64 kilograms per cubic meter or less; —(iii) an open cell content less than 30 percent; and —(iv) a cell size variation of 30% or less; and wherein the foam further comprises one or more fluorinated alkene blowing agent at a concentration of 0.03 moles or more and 0.3 moles or less per 100 grams of polymer foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Richard T. Fox, Warren H. Griffin
  • Publication number: 20120112117
    Abstract: Prepare an article of manufacture having an extruded thermoplastic polymer foam defining at least one cavity, the cavity containing aerogel material by providing a polymer foam defining a cavity and placing the aerogel material into the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Myron I. Maurer, Friedhelm Bunge, Holger H. Merkel
  • Publication number: 20120114895
    Abstract: Prepare an article by providing an extruded thermoplastic polymer foam having a cavity defined therein and placing a vacuum insulation panel entirely within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Van-Chau Vo, Myron J. Maurer, Friedhelm Bunge, Holger H. Merkel
  • Publication number: 20120025126
    Abstract: Prepare a polymeric foam by expanding a foamable polymer composition comprising alumina boehmite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventor: Van-Chau Vo