Patents by Inventor Geoffrey E. Dick

Geoffrey E. Dick 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: 6943555
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the resistance of a squib, including an input for receiving a power supply and a circuit connected to the input for limiting the power supplied to the squib. The circuit includes a voltage limiter which limits voltage output of the circuit to a level insufficient to ignite the squib, and a current limiter for limiting the current output of the circuit, the current limiter being responsive to a current supplied upon activation of the voltage limiter to limit the total energy supplied by the circuit to a predetermined level following activation of the voltage limiter. The voltage limiter can be a parallel arrangement of diodes connecting first and second conductive leads. The current limiter can include fuses which open when diodes conduct current through the conductive leads. This apparatus prevents squib activation even if an overcurrent or overvoltage occurs in the ac power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey E. Dick, Darrell L. Perkins
  • Publication number: 20030218462
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the resistance of a squib, including an input for receiving a power supply and a circuit connected to the input for limiting the power supplied to the squib. The circuit includes a voltage limiter which limits voltage output of the circuit to a level insufficient to ignite the squib, and a current limiter for limiting the current output of the circuit, the current limiter being responsive to a current supplied upon activation of the voltage limiter to limit the total energy supplied by the circuit to a predetermined level following activation of the voltage limiter. The voltage limiter can be a parallel arrangement of diodes connecting first and second conductive leads. The current limiter can include fuses which open when diodes conduct current through the conductive leads. This apparatus prevents squib activation even if an overcurrent or overvoltage occurs in the ac power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Geoffrey E. Dick, Darrell L. Perkins