Patents by Inventor Jimmy Dean Thorton

Jimmy Dean Thorton 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).

  • Active combustion flow modulation valve
    Patent number: 8540209
    Abstract: A flow modulation valve has a slidably translating hollow armature with at least one energizable coil wound around and fixably attached to the hollow armature. The energizable coil or coils are influenced by at least one permanent magnet surrounding the hollow armature and supported by an outer casing. Lorentz forces on the energizable coils which are translated to the hollow armature, increase or decrease the flow area to provide flow throttling action. The extent of hollow armature translation depends on the value of current supplied and the direction of translation depends on the direction of current flow. The compact nature of the flow modulation valve combined with the high forces afforded by the actuator design provide a flow modulation valve which is highly responsive to high-rate input control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: John Peter Hensel, Nathaniel Black, Jimmy Dean Thorton, Jeffrey Stuart Vipperman, David N. Lambeth, William W. Clark
  • Active Combustion Flow Modulation Valve
    Publication number: 20120061596
    Abstract: A flow modulation valve has a slidably translating hollow armature with at least one energizable coil wound around and fixably attached to the hollow armature. The energizable coil or coils are influenced by at least one permanent magnet surrounding the hollow armature and supported by an outer casing. Lorentz forces on the energizable coils which are translated to the hollow armature, increase or decrease the flow area to provide flow throttling action. The extent of hollow armature translation depends on the value of current supplied and the direction of translation depends on the direction of current flow. The compact nature of the flow modulation valve combined with the high forces afforded by the actuator design provide a flow modulation valve which is highly responsive to high-rate input control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventors: John Peter Hensel, Nathaniel Black, Jimmy Dean Thorton, Jeffrey Stuart Vipperman, David N. Lambeth, William W. Clark