Patents by Inventor Hardy Butler

Hardy Butler 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).

  • Method and apparatus for controlling an electric field intensity within a waveguide
    Patent number: 6753516
    Abstract: A device for heating a material utilizes a rectangular waveguide with an elongated opening for passing a planar material through the rectangular waveguide. A source creates an electric field between a top surface and a bottom surface of the rectangular waveguide. The electric field is controlled to compensate for attenuation of the electric field. The electric field can be controlled by, for example, using a dielectric slab along the top surface of the rectangular waveguide or a tapered dielectric slab along the top surface of the rectangular waveguide. The electric field can also be controlled by, for example, making the waveguide appear electrically wider at one end. The waveguide can be made to appear electrically wider at one end by, for example, inserting one or more tapered fins. The tapered fins can be adjusted or removed to account for the lossiness of the planar material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Industrial Microwave Systems, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Hardy Butler, Ben Adu, J. Michael Drozd, William T. Joines, Esther Drozd