Patents by Inventor John Matthew Nichols

John Matthew Nichols 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: 11939086
    Abstract: A fuel tank comprises an interior wall, a sump, and a baffle that comprises a center fitting, a full-length containment petal, a partial-length containment petal, a dump tube. The full-length containment petal comprises a full-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The partial-length containment petal comprises a partial-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The dump tube is connected to the sump. The full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal is longer than the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal. All of the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal is attached to a linear portion of the full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jonathan David Embler, Tin Anh Luu, Morgan Ashley Lewis, John Matthew Nichols, Keith Charles Kreutztrager, Chinh Manh Cao, Jonathan Edward Toomey, Martin Edward Lozano, Alfredo Lopez
  • Publication number: 20220258874
    Abstract: A fuel tank comprises an interior wall, a sump, and a baffle that comprises a center fitting, a full-length containment petal, a partial-length containment petal, a dump tube. The full-length containment petal comprises a full-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The partial-length containment petal comprises a partial-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The dump tube is connected to the sump. The full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal is longer than the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal. All of the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal is attached to a linear portion of the full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jonathan David Embler, Tin Anh Luu, Morgan Ashley Lewis, John Matthew Nichols, Keith Charles Kreutztrager, Chinh Manh Cao, Jonathan Edward Toomey, Martin Edward Lozano, Alfredo Lopez
  • Publication number: 20220258600
    Abstract: A composite tank for a reusable launch vehicle comprises a composite wall, having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The composite wall comprises a first end, a second end, a central axis, which passes through the first end and through the second end, and a cylindrical interior surface. The composite tank also comprises slosh baffles, formed from a second material, having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. Each of the slosh baffles is attached to the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall. Each of the slosh baffles is annular and is separated from the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall by a radial gap, selected, in part, based on a difference between the first coefficient of thermal expansion and the second coefficient of thermal expansion. The radial gap is configured to change responsive to changes in temperature of the composite tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jonathan David Embler, John Matthew Nichols, Glenn William Torres, Jacob Ryan Szczudlak, William Preston Keith, Tin Anh Luu, Morgan Ashley Lewis, Keith Charles Kreutztrager, Jonathan Edward Toomey, Juan Carlos Guzman