Patents by Inventor Frank Tønnessen

Frank Tønnessen 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: 20240142172
    Abstract: A freeze dryer that includes a product chamber configured to accommodate products to be freeze-dried; a condenser connected to the product chamber and configured to trap water during a freeze-drying process; a product chamber cooling circuit configured to cool the product chamber, the product chamber cooling circuit having a first heat transfer fluid; a condenser cooling circuit configured to cool the condenser, the condenser cooling circuit having a second heat transfer fluid and being separate from the product chamber cooling circuit; a first additional cooling circuit having carbon dioxide or ammonia or liquid nitrogen as refrigerant; and a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the condenser cooling circuit and the first additional cooling circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Heinrich Ludwig Beutler, Maximilian Toennessen, Frank Krüger, Olaf Plassmann
  • Publication number: 20230192457
    Abstract: A hoisting system for hoisting a load includes: i) a main winch system having a main rope with an end connector mounted to an end of the main rope, ii) an auxiliary winch system having an auxiliary rope having at least one rope connector of which at least one is a splitable rope connector, the auxiliary rope comprising a first section and a second section connected to the first section via the splitable rope connector, wherein the splitable rope connector comprises at least two connector parts that are releasably connected with each other for allowing quick disconnection and reconnection between the second section and the first section, wherein the connector parts (are configured for releasably connecting with the end connector of the main rope, and iii) a hang-off point placed and configured for at least temporarily holding a respective rope connector of the auxiliary rope for transferring the load to the hang-off point. The system may include two auxiliary winch systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: National Oilwell Varco Norway AS
    Inventor: Frank Tønnessen
  • Patent number: 11312452
    Abstract: A hoisting system is for hoisting a vertically-suspended object. The hoisting system has a winch having a winch drum with a hoisting rope. A first part of the hoisting rope has a first diameter and a second part has a second diameter being larger than the first diameter. The first part is connected with a first end of the second part. The first part is an inner part on the winch drum when the winch drum is completely wound. The second part has a further end that is connectable to the object for hoisting the object. A ratio between the first diameter and the second diameter is such that the minimum breakable load of the first part differs less than a factor of four from the minimum breakable load of the second part, and preferably less than a factor of three. A corresponding method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco Norway AS
    Inventors: Thor Strand, Frank Tønnessen
  • Publication number: 20210221659
    Abstract: A hoisting system is for hoisting a vertically-suspended object. The hoisting system has a winch having a winch drum with a hoisting rope. A first part of the hoisting rope has a first diameter and a second part has a second diameter being larger than the first diameter. The first part is connected with a first end of the second part. The first part is an inner part on the winch drum when the winch drum is completely wound. The second part has a further end that is connectable to the object for hoisting the object. A ratio between the first diameter and the second diameter is such that the minimum breakable load of the first part differs less than a factor of four from the minimum breakable load of the second part, and preferably less than a factor of three. A corresponding method is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: National Oilwell Varco Norway AS
    Inventors: Thor Strand, Frank Tønnessen