Patents by Inventor Erik E. Swanson

Erik E. Swanson 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: 9222509
    Abstract: A wing foil bearing may include one or more wing or tab foil layers. A tab foil layer may comprise a thin material with a two-dimensional array of tab shapes. A tab shape may be defined by a boundary of material separated from the thin material and having an integral edge and a free edge. Tab shapes may include one or more free-state bends relative to the thin material, forming a two-dimensional array of cantilever wings or tabs. Tab arrays may be one or more of various types or two-dimensional arrays, and a tab foil layer may include additional tab arrays and tabs. One or more tab foil layers may be engaged with a mounting surface layer and a counter-surface layer to form a wing foil bearing. Tab foil layers may be stacked and or nested, including partial nesting and complete nesting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Xdot Engineering and Analysis PLLC
    Inventors: Erik E. Swanson, Patrick Shawn O'Meara
  • Publication number: 20140376844
    Abstract: A wing foil bearing may include one or more wing or tab foil layers. A tab foil layer may comprise a thin material with a two-dimensional array of tab shapes. A tab shape may be defined by a boundary of material separated from the thin material and having an integral edge and a free edge. Tab shapes may include one or more free-state bends relative to the thin material, forming a two-dimensional array of cantilever wings or tabs. Tab arrays may be one or more of various types or two-dimensional arrays, and a tab foil layer may include additional tab arrays and tabs. One or more tab foil layers may be engaged with a mounting surface layer and a counter-surface layer to form a wing foil bearing. Tab foil layers may be stacked and or nested, including partial nesting and complete nesting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Erik E. Swanson, Patrick Shawn O'Meara
  • Patent number: 6770993
    Abstract: A hybrid foil-magnetic bearing wherein the foil and magnetic bearing parts share the load at predetermined speeds or operating conditions. Force, flux, strain, temperature, or acceleration sensors provide a measure proportional to actual load on at least one of the bearing parts, and this measure is inputted to a load sharing controller for dividing the load between the bearing parts. In order to provide control of a hybrid journal bearing which is substantially free of the effects of a bending mode node resulting from magnetic planes on opposite sides of the bearing and of sensor non-collocation, a pair of redundant sensors are provided on opposite sides respectively of the housing for regulating flux on the opposite sides respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Mohawk Innovative Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hooshang Heshmat, Erik E. Swanson, Dennis H. Locke, James F. Walton, II