Patents by Inventor Michael Thwaites

Michael Thwaites 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: 7578908
    Abstract: A sputter coating system comprises a vacuum chamber, means for generating a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, a gas feed system attached to the vacuum chamber, a gas plasma forming system attached to the vacuum chamber, a system for confining and guiding a gas plasma within the vacuum chamber, and a prism-shaped sputter target assembly, with the material to be sputtered forming at least the outer surface of the target assembly and positioned such that the outer surface is surrounded by the plasma within the vacuum chamber. A negative polarity voltage is applied to the surface of the material such that sputtering occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Plasma Quest Limited
    Inventors: Peter J. Hockley, Michael Thwaites
  • Publication number: 20060090999
    Abstract: A sputter coating system comprises a vacuum chamber, means for generating a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, a gas feed system attached to the vacuum chamber, a gas plasma forming system attached to the vacuum chamber, a system for confining and guiding a gas plasma within the vacuum chamber, and a prism-shaped sputter target assembly, with the material to be sputtered forming at least the outer surface of the target assembly and positioned such that the outer surface is surrounded by the plasma within the vacuum chamber. A negative polarity voltage is applied to the surface of the material such that sputtering occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Hockley, Michael Thwaites
  • Patent number: 6679447
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a housing and a spool in the housing. A toothed ratchet wheel is coupled to the spool. A locking assembly has a lock bar pivotally mounted to the housing and moveable by means of a camming arrangement from an initial position clear of the ratchet wheel to a position whereby the lock bar locks the ratchet wheel to the housing. An adjustment mechanism enables adjustment of the initial position of the lock bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Jallot, John Foster Bell, Michael Thwaites
  • Publication number: 20020179765
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a housing and a spool in the housing. A toothed ratchet wheel is coupled to the spool. A locking assembly has a lock bar pivotally mounted to the housing and moveable by means of a camming arrangement from an initial position clear of the ratchet wheel to a position whereby the lock bar locks the ratchet wheel to the housing. An adjustment mechanism enables adjustment of the initial position of the lock bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Frederic Jallot, John Foster Bell, Michael Thwaites
  • Patent number: 5631050
    Abstract: A process of depositing thin film coatings by evaporation in which a plasma is formed in an evacuated chamber and a source of material to be evaporated is provided which is evaporated to produce evaporated material. A substrate to be coated is located within the chamber and the evaporated material is caused to pass through the plasma and be to be deposited on the substrate. The plasma is generated by a helicon wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: The BOC Group plc
    Inventor: Michael Thwaites