Patents by Inventor Ezra L. Merrill

Ezra L. Merrill 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: 7601206
    Abstract: Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorption enhances efficiency. Energy for the pre-heating may be obtained by recovering heat from the desiccant material prior to adsorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: MesoSystems Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Call, Robert C. Beckius, Ezra L. Merrill, Seung-Ho Hong, Mike Powell
  • Publication number: 20090223236
    Abstract: Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorption enhances efficiency. Energy for the pre-heating may be obtained by recovering heat from the desiccant material prior to adsorption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Charles J. Call, Robert C. Beckius, Ezra L. Merrill, Seung-Ho Hong, Mike Powell
  • Patent number: 6838146
    Abstract: A vacuum thermal insulation product is formed of aporous thermal insulation material encased in an evacuated enclosure, with least a portion of the evacuated enclosure including a layer of an electroplated metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventors: Ezra L. Merrill, Charles J. Call, Kevin Roderick, Douglas M. Smith, Michael R. Powell
  • Publication number: 20040060447
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sorbent device that includes a and sorbent assembly containing a plurality of layered sorbent plates. Each sorbent plate has opposing sorbent surfaces formed of a layer of a sorbent material affixed to each side of a planar support sheet. The sorbent plates are layered so that each of the opposing sorbent surfaces is adjacent to one of the opposing sorbent surfaces on another of the sorbent plates and spaced apart from one another to form a channel between each pair of adjacent opposing sorbent surfaces. An inlet valve provides fluid communication between the sorbent assembly and a gas source, while a two-way outlet valve fluid communication between the sorbent assembly and a processor or a vacuum pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: Michael Roy Powell, Charles J. Call, Douglas M. Smith, Vinayan C. Menon, Ezra L. Merrill
  • Publication number: 20040048049
    Abstract: A vacuum thermal insulation product is formed of aporous thermal insulation material encased in an evacuated enclosure, with least a portion of the evacuated enclosure including a layer of an electroplated metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Ezra L. Merrill, Charles J. Call, Kevin Roderick, Douglas M. Smith, Michael R. Powell
  • Patent number: 6591630
    Abstract: A sorption cooling device adapted to cool a gas or liquid flowing through a conduit. The cooling device has a high cooling density and a user can independently control the cooling rate. The cooling device can be incorporated in a number of apparatus and in one embodiment is incorporated in a personnel cooling apparatus, such as a closed-loop breathing apparatus or a body cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Nanopore, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Smith, Kevin H. Roderick, Ezra L. Merrill, Charles J. Call
  • Publication number: 20030033829
    Abstract: A sorption cooling device adapted to cool a gas or liquid flowing through a conduit. The cooling device has a high cooling density and a user can independently control the cooling rate. The cooling device can be incorporated in a number of apparatus and in one embodiment is incorporated in a personnel cooling apparatus, such as a closed-loop breathing apparatus or a body cooler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Douglas M. Smith, Kevin H. Roderick, Ezra L. Merrill, Charles J. Call