Patents by Inventor Ian David Stones
Ian David Stones 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).
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Publication number: 20230296183Abstract: A vacuum system non-return valve includes a baffle for extending across a flow path in the vacuum system and a valve member. The baffle has an aperture, a perimeter of the aperture has a valve seat. The valve member has a curved sealing surface configured to mate with the valve seat. The valve member and aperture are configured such that the valve member obscures the aperture and seals with the valve seat to impede a flow of fluid in a closed position and is displaceable in use to move away from the valve seat and allow a fluid flow in an open position; at least a portion of the surface of the baffle surrounding the aperture slopes towards the inlet end of the valve such that the aperture is smaller at the inlet end than it is at the outlet end.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2021Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Cainan Long, Ian David Stones, Phillip North, Clifford George Burt, Robin Hockley, Konstantinos Karoulas
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Patent number: 11719244Abstract: A pump and method for pumping a gas are disclosed. The pump comprises a rotor and a stator. At least one of the rotor or stator comprises at least one liquid opening configured for fluid communication with a liquid source. The liquid opening is configured such that in response to a driving force exerted on liquid from the liquid source a stream of liquid is output from the opening, the stream of liquid forming a liquid blade between the rotor and the stator, gas confined by said stator, said rotor and said liquid blade being driven through said pump from a gas inlet towards a gas outlet.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2018Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Nigel Paul Schofield, Ian Andrew Norton
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Publication number: 20220290767Abstract: A vacuum system non-return valve has a baffle for extending across a flow path The baffle has an aperture, a perimeter of the aperture having a valve seat. The valve also has a valve member having a protrusion extending from a surface configured to mate with the valve seat, the protrusion extending through the aperture; wherein the protrusion includes a retaining portion extending outwardly from the protrusion and configured such that the retaining portion cannot pass through the aperture. The valve member and aperture are configured such that the valve member obscures the aperture and seals with the valve seat to impede a flow of fluid from an outlet end to an inlet end in a closed position and is displaceable in use to move away from the valve seat and allow a fluid flow from the inlet end to the outlet end in an open position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2020Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: David Alan Turrell, Phillip North, Neil Turner, Michael Henry North, Clifford George Burt, Sivabalan Kailasam, Cainan Long, Ian David Stones
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Publication number: 20220234056Abstract: An inlet assembly for an abatement apparatus includes an inlet nozzle defining a non-circular inlet aperture coupleable with an inlet conduit providing an effluent gas stream for treatment by the abatement apparatus, at least one outlet aperture and a nozzle bore extending along a longitudinal axis between the non-circular inlet aperture and the outlet aperture for conveying the effluent gas stream from the non-circular inlet aperture to the outlet aperture for delivery to a treatment chamber of the abatement apparatus, the nozzle bore defining an inlet portion extending from the non-circular inlet aperture, a flow-dividing structure positioned downstream of the inlet portion and configured to separate the effluent gas stream into at least a pair of effluent gas streams and an outlet portion extending to the outlet aperture and configured to convey the pair of effluent gas streams to the treatment chamber of the abatement apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2020Publication date: July 28, 2022Inventors: Andrew James Seeley, Ian David Stones, Duncan Michael Price
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Publication number: 20220235779Abstract: A vacuum pump, vacuum pump arrangement and method are disclosed. The vacuum pump includes at least one rotor; and a stator, an inlet for receiving gas during operation; and an exhaust for exhausting the gas. The vacuum pump includes a shaft extending through a centre of said pump and comprising a plate mounted on an end of the shaft towards the inlet. The vacuum pump includes control circuitry configured to control an axial position of the plate, a change in axial position of the plate providing a change in inlet conductance of gas to the vacuum pump. The plate is mounted such that it extends beyond the inlet in at least some axial positions of the rotor such that the plate is not on the same side of the inlet as the stator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Inventors: Ian David Stones, Christopher Mark Bailey
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Publication number: 20220213892Abstract: A pump includes a pump housing element and a further element; one of the pump housing and the further element comprising a helical protrusion extending towards the other element, the other element comprising at least one liquid opening. The helical protrusion, pump housing and further element form a path from a gas inlet to a gas outlet. The helical protrusion has an axial cross section that is wider at its attached end than it is at its free end. The pump housing and further element are mounted rotatably with respect to each other; and the at least one liquid opening is configured such that liquid output from the at least one liquid opening forms a liquid blade, the liquid blade being operable to drive gas along the path from the gas inlet to the gas outlet on rotation of one of the elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2020Publication date: July 7, 2022Inventor: Ian David Stones
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Patent number: 11280340Abstract: A vacuum pump, vacuum pump arrangement and method are disclosed. The vacuum pump includes at least one rotor; and a stator, an inlet for receiving gas during operation; and an exhaust for exhausting the gas. The vacuum pump includes a shaft extending through a centre of said pump and comprising a plate mounted on an end of the shaft towards the inlet. The vacuum pump includes control circuitry configured to control an axial position of the plate, a change in axial position of the plate providing a change in inlet conductance of gas to the vacuum pump. The plate is mounted such that it extends beyond the inlet in at least some axial positions of the rotor such that the plate is not on the same side of the inlet as the stator.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2019Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Christopher Mark Bailey
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Publication number: 20210172440Abstract: A pump and method for pumping a gas are disclosed. The pump comprises a rotor and a stator. At least one of the rotor or stator comprises at least one liquid opening configured for fluid communication with a liquid source. The liquid opening is configured such that in response to a driving force exerted on liquid from the liquid source a stream of liquid is output from the opening, the stream of liquid forming a liquid blade between the rotor and the stator, gas confined by said stator, said rotor and said liquid blade being driven through said pump from a gas inlet towards a gas outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2018Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Ian David Stones, Nigel Paul Schofield, Ian Andrew Norton
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Patent number: 10982662Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Publication number: 20200011335Abstract: A vacuum pump, vacuum pump arrangement and method are disclosed. The vacuum pump comprises: at least one rotor; and a stator, an inlet for receiving gas during operation; and an exhaust for exhausting the gas. The vacuum pump comprises a shaft extending through a centre of said pump and comprising a plate mounted on an end of the shaft towards the inlet. The vacuum pump comprises control circuitry configured to control an axial position of the plate, a change in axial position of the plate providing a change in inlet conductance of gas to the vacuum pump. The plate is mounted such that it extends beyond the inlet in at least some axial positions of the rotor such that the plate is not on the same side of the inlet as the stator.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Ian David Stones, Christopher Mark Bailey
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Patent number: 10337517Abstract: An improved vacuum pump mechanism is described in which an intersecting solid or perforated element is arranged to intersect a channel member. Relative movement of the intersecting solid or perforated element and channel member causes gas molecules to be urged from inlet to an outlet of the pump. Gas molecules are constrained within the channel member and interaction of the gas molecules with the flat and smooth surfaces of the intersecting solid or perforated member influence momentum of the gas molecules so that they are directed towards the outlet. In one embodiment, the channel member is formed as a helix and the intersecting solid or perforated elements are disk-shaped. An alternative embodiment is provided having the channel member configured as a spiral and the perforated elements as cylindrical skirts. The pump provides significant improvements in pump capacity, reduced power consumption and size of pump.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2013Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Nigel Paul Schofield, Ian David Stones, Stephen Dowdeswell
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Publication number: 20180372081Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Patent number: 10082134Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2014Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Patent number: 9353748Abstract: The present invention relates to a scroll pump (10) comprising two scrolls (20, 22) which are co-operable for pumping fluid from an inlet (24) to an outlet (26) on relative orbiting motion of the scrolls. Each scroll comprises a scroll base (30, 36) from which a spiral scroll wall (28, 34) extends generally axially towards the base of the opposing scroll. The pump comprises a tip seal arrangement comprising an axial end portion of one or both of the scroll walls which locates a tip seal (508) for resisting the passage of pumped fluid across the or both scroll walls between the or both scroll walls and the scroll base of the opposing scroll. The tip seal arrangement limits axial movement of the tip seal towards the scroll base of the opposing scroll along a first spiral region (507) of the or both scrolls between the inlet and the outlet.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Miles Geoffery Hockliffe, Ian David Stones, Alan Ernest Kinnaird Holbrook
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Patent number: 9353746Abstract: A scroll compressor may include a scroll pumping mechanism which includes an orbiting scroll having an orbiting scroll wall extending axially from an orbiting scroll plate towards a fixed scroll and a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending axially from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll. An axial end portion of one of the scroll walls includes a first sealing arrangement and a second sealing arrangement arranged in series along the scroll wall from the inlet to the outlet for sealing between the axial end portion of the scroll wall and the scroll plate of the opposing scroll. The first sealing arrangement may have first sealing characteristics which are selected according to the sealing requirements local to the first sealing arrangement and the second sealing arrangement may have second, different sealing characteristics which are selected according to sealing requirements local to the second sealing arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Miles Geoffery Hockliffe, Ian David Stones, Alan Ernest Kinnaird Holbrook
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Patent number: 9334863Abstract: A pump includes a plurality of pumping stages comprising a respective plurality of pumping mechanisms driven by one or more drive shafts for pumping fluid through the pumping stages from a pump inlet at a high vacuum stage to a pump outlet at a low vacuum stage; a lubrication chamber housing a bearing assembly for supporting the drive shaft for rotational movement, the drive shaft extending from the high vacuum stage to the lubrication chamber through an opening of a head plate of the lubrication chamber; an inter-stage purge port through which gas can enter the pump at an inter-stage location downstream of the high vacuum; a lubrication chamber purge port located in the lubrication chamber through which purge gas can flow from a source of purge gas; wherein the inter-stage port is connected to the lubrication chamber for controlling the pressure of purge gas in the lubrication chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Philip John Stephens, Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Paul David Neller
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Patent number: 9297382Abstract: A scroll compressor (10) comprising a scroll pumping mechanism having two co-operating scrolls (14,16) mounted within a pump housing (18) so that on relative orbital movement of the scrolls fluid is pumped from a pump inlet (20) in the pump housing to a pump outlet (22) in the pump housing. The scroll compressor (10) further comprises a filter (24) located within the pump housing (18) along a fluid flow path (26) between the pump inlet (20) and the scroll pumping mechanism (12) for resisting the passage of particulates (28) upstream of the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2011Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventor: Ian David Stones
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Patent number: 9297384Abstract: The present invention relates to a scroll pump with two scrolls that are co-operable for pumping fluid from an inlet to an outlet on relative orbiting motion of the scrolls. Each scroll comprises a scroll base from which a scroll wall extends generally axially towards the base of the opposing scroll. A gas conduit having an inlet at a first location of the pumping channel and an outlet at a second location of the pumping channel allows over-compression at the first location of the pumping channel to be exhausted to the second location of the pumping channel. A one-way valve located in the gas conduit allows the passage of gas through the conduit from the conduit inlet to the conduit outlet when a predetermined pressure differential between the first and second locations of the pumping channel is generated during roughing when the scroll inlet is at or close to atmosphere.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Miles Geoffery Hockliffe, Alan Ernest Kinnaird Holbrook
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Patent number: 9249805Abstract: A vacuum pump comprises a molecular drag pumping mechanism and a regenerative pumping mechanism. A rotor element of the molecular drag pumping mechanism surrounds rotor elements of the regenerative pumping mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Nigel Paul Schofield, Martin Nicholas Stuart
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Publication number: 20150377226Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2014Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port