Patents by Inventor Kurt R. Thomas
Kurt R. Thomas 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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Patent number: 9791053Abstract: A ball valve with offset straight through flow is provided. The ball valve has a housing having an inlet and an outlet and an internal cavity. A non-spherical ball valve member is positioned within the internal cavity. The valve member is mechanically coupled to a valve stem extending from the internal cavity to an exterior of the housing such that rotation of the valve stem results in a like rotation of the valve member. The ball valve has a fully closed position wherein fluid flow therethrough is prevented. The ball valve member also has a fully opened position where fluid flow therethrough is allowed. The ball valve can transition from the fully closed position to the frilly opened position and vice versa with a rotation of the valve member of less than or equal to about forty-five degrees.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2011Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Patent number: 9625040Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2016Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Publication number: 20160208935Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2016Publication date: July 21, 2016Applicant: Schneider Electric Buildings, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Patent number: 9377120Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Schneider Electric Builders, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Publication number: 20130175465Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2013Publication date: July 11, 2013Applicant: Schneider Electric Buildings, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Patent number: 8413684Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2009Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Publication number: 20130001455Abstract: A ball valve with offset straight through flow is provided. The ball valve has a housing having an inlet and an outlet and an internal cavity. A non-spherical ball valve member is positioned within the internal cavity. The valve member is mechanically coupled to a valve stem extending from the internal cavity to an exterior of the housing such that rotation of the valve stem results in a like rotation of the valve member. The ball valve has a fully closed position wherein fluid flow therethrough is prevented. The ball valve member also has a fully opened position where fluid flow therethrough is allowed. The ball valve can transition from the fully closed position to the frilly opened position and vice versa with a rotation of the valve member of less than or equal to about forty-five degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2011Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC BUILDINGS, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Publication number: 20110062366Abstract: A ball valve having an anti-rotational pressure plate that allows for a balanced pressure load on a valve member is provided. Additionally, the pressure plate can also fix the rotation of an adjacent flow disk, allowing for angular-orientation specific flow characterizing features to be used with the flow disk. By fixing the rotation of the flow disk, the ball valve can characterize flows using a greater variety of flow disk geometries, including angular-orientation dependent and angular-orientation independent flow disks. Further, the pressure plate could also be directly in the form of a flow disk that has anti-rotation features.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2009Publication date: March 17, 2011Applicant: TAC, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Patent number: 7712724Abstract: A ball valve having improved sealing between the valve member and the valve body is presented. Improved sealing is realized by providing a sealing member that is allowed to float on the outer surface of the valve member in the closed position. By being able to float on the outer surface, the sealing member can compensate for any variations in the valve member as a result of machining tolerances or variations in position of the valve member due to changes in pressure within the valve, thereby providing dynamic sealing The dynamic sealing is also provided by configuring the valve member such that it causes the sealing member to be exposed to a higher biasing force in the closed position than in the open position.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: TAC, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Patent number: 7559531Abstract: A ball valve having reduced torque requirements for rotation is presented. Torque reduction is realized by providing a shaped sealing back member to provide a back force behind essentially the entire sealing surface of the downstream seal. Torque reduction is also realized by providing a dynamic sealing configuration that varies the sealing force over the valve's operating pressure conditions. An initial bias sealing force is applied by a spring member which also provides a low uniform as-assembled valve torque. As fluid pressure increases, the sealing pressure also increases as an o-ring is forced along a ramped surface of the seal. As inlet pressure decreases, the o-ring is allowed to back down the ramped surface to reduce the sealing force against the valve member. This sealing configuration allows for reverse flow or improper installation of the ball valve, and bottoms out to maintain a sealing force at higher back pressure conditions.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2006Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: TAC, LLCInventors: Kurt R. Thomas, Eugene R. Jornod
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Publication number: 20080315144Abstract: A ball valve having improved sealing between the valve member and the valve body is presented. Improved sealing is realized by providing a sealing member that is allowed to float on the outer surface of the valve member in the closed position. By being able to float on the outer surface, the sealing member can compensate for any variations in the valve member as a result of machining tolerances or variations in position of the valve member due to changes in pressure within the valve, thereby providing dynamic sealing The dynamic sealing is also provided by configuring the valve member such that it causes the sealing member to be exposed to a higher biasing force in the closed position than in the open position.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2007Publication date: December 25, 2008Applicant: TAC, LLCInventor: Kurt R. Thomas
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Publication number: 20080128648Abstract: A ball valve having reduced torque requirements for rotation is presented. Torque reduction is realized by providing a shaped sealing back member to provide a back force behind essentially the entire sealing surface of the downstream seal. Torque reduction is also realized by providing a dynamic sealing configuration that varies the sealing force over the valve's operating pressure conditions. An initial bias sealing force is applied by a spring member which also provides a low uniform as-assembled valve torque. As fluid pressure increases, the sealing pressure also increases as an o-ring is forced along a ramped surface of the seal. As inlet pressure decreases, the o-ring is allowed to back down the ramped surface to reduce the sealing force against the valve member. This sealing configuration allows for reverse flow or improper installation of the ball valve, and bottoms out to maintain a sealing force at higher back pressure conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2006Publication date: June 5, 2008Applicant: INVENSYS BUILDING SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Kurt R. Thomas, Eugene R. Jornod
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Publication number: 20040068840Abstract: An adjustable hinge may include a mounting plate, a door wing and a hinge arm. The hinge arm, which connects the door wing to the mounting plate, may include a slider portion and an alignment portion and a cam. The slider portion and the alignment portion, may be adapted to traverse relative to each other by the rotational movement of the cam. The alignment portion may include a one-piece alignment mechanism, having a base and a pair of walls, and may be adapted to align the slider portion to the alignment portion. The pair of walls may have upper portions, wherein the upper portions of the walls are angled toward each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2002Publication date: April 15, 2004Inventors: Kurt R. Thomas, David R. Cress
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Patent number: 6376936Abstract: A switching apparatus is disclosed for switching on a TV as a reward when a user is achieving a predetermined performance level on an exercise apparatus. The switching apparatus includes a pulse generator for generating pulses commensurate with the amount of work expended by the user on the exercise apparatus and a transmitter for transmitting the pulses.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Inventor: Kurt R. Thomas