Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Karpathy

Christopher J. Karpathy 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: 7597501
    Abstract: An energy absorbing terminal is described that is made up of a plurality of cells partially defined by cambered panels made of thermoplastic or another suitable material. The panels are supported upon rectangular frames. The cambered portion of the panels provides a predetermined point of flexure for each panel and, thus, allows for energy dissipation during a collision. The stiffness of the crash cushion may be varied by altering material thicknesses and diaphragm spacing. In operation, a vehicle colliding in an end-on manner with the upstream end of the energy absorbing terminal will cause each of the cambered panels to bend angularly at its point of flexure and, thus, cause the cells to collapse axially. The use of thermoplastic, such as polyethylene results in a reversible, self-restoring collapse for the terminal, meaning that the terminal is reusable after most collisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Dean C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Jr., Christopher J. Karpathy, John F. Carney, III
  • Patent number: 7246791
    Abstract: An energy absorbing terminal is described that is made up of a plurality of cells partially defined by cambered panels made of thermoplastic or another suitable material. The panels are supported upon rectangular frames. The cambered portion of the panels provides a predetermined point of flexure for each panel and, thus, allows for energy dissipation during a collision. The stiffness of the crash cushion may be varied by altering material thicknesses and diaphragm spacing. In operation, a vehicle colliding in an end-on manner with the upstream end of the energy absorbing terminal will cause each of the cambered panels to bend angularly at its point of flexure and, thus, cause the cells to collapse axially. The use of thermoplastic, such as polyethylene results in a reversible, self-restoring collapse for the terminal, meaning that the terminal is reusable after most collisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Dean C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Jr., Christopher J. Karpathy, John F. Carney, III
  • Patent number: 7112004
    Abstract: An energy absorbing terminal is described that is made up of a plurality of cells partially defined by cambered panels made of thermoplastic or another suitable material. The panels are supported upon rectangular frames. The cambered portion of the panels provides a predetermined point of flexure for each panel and, thus, allows for energy dissipation during a collision. The stiffness of the crash cushion may be varied by altering material thicknesses and diaphragm spacing. In operation, a vehicle colliding in an end-on manner with the upstream end of the energy absorbing terminal will cause each of the cambered panels to bend angularly at its point of flexure and, thus, cause the cells to collapse axially. The use of thermoplastic, such as polyethylene results in a reversible, self-restoring collapse for the terminal, meaning that the terminal is reusable after most collisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Dean C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Jr., Christopher J. Karpathy, John F. Carney, III
  • Publication number: 20030168650
    Abstract: An energy absorbing terminal is described that is made up of a plurality of cells partially defined by cambered panels made of thermoplastic or another suitable material. The panels are supported upon rectangular frames. The cambered portion of the panels provides a predetermined point of flexure for each panel and, thus, allows for energy dissipation during a collision. The stiffness of the crash cushion may be varied by altering material thicknesses and diaphragm spacing. In operation, a vehicle colliding in an end-on manner with the upstream end of the energy absorbing terminal will cause each of the cambered panels to bend angularly at its point of flexure and, thus, cause the cells to collapse axially. The use of thermoplastic, such as polyethylene results in a reversible, self-restoring collapse for the terminal, meaning that the terminal is reusable after most collisions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: Dean C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Christopher J. Karpathy, John F. Carney
  • Patent number: 6398456
    Abstract: A deck drain apparatus is provided that allows builders to inexpensively configure deck drainage systems from standard AASHTO M180 highway guardrail. The apparatus includes a number of deck drain sections, butted together to form a drain channel. Each of the drain sections consists of a pan section and an inverted W-beam section. The pan section has a longitudinally elongated and flat conducting surface and two perforated sides. The two perforated sides project upwardly along opposite lateral edges of the conducting surface. The inverted W-beam section has a first perforated wall, a first upper surface, a lower surface, a second upper surface, and a second perforated wall. The perforated walls are longitudinally elongated and formed along opposite lateral edges of the inverted W-beam section. The first upper surface is formed between the first perforated wall and the lower surface. The second upper surface is formed between the lower surface and the second perforated wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventors: John P. Williams, Dean C. Alberson, D. Lance Bullard, Jr., Christopher J. Karpathy