Patents by Inventor Taylor H. Ware
Taylor H. Ware 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: 11780154Abstract: A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to form an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2021Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Assignees: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, Board of Regents, The University of Texas SystemInventors: Taylor H. Ware, Cedric P. Ambulo, Mohand O. Saed, Jennifer M. Boothby, Julia J. Henricks, Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram
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Publication number: 20220355540Abstract: A four-dimensional (“4D”)-printing or 4D-additive manufacturing method for producing anisotropic macroscopic structures and/or anisotropic macroscopic materials having a plurality of voxels, comprising: providing or forming a first layer of a photocurable first liquid crystalline (LC) monomer; wherein the first layer of the first LC monomer has been provided or formed at a temperature falling within a nematic phase range of the first LC monomer; applying a magnetic field, having a first three-dimensional (“3D”) magnetic field vector with respect to an origin point of a 3D coordinate system, to the first layer of first LC monomer or one or more of the plurality of voxels within the first layer of first LC monomer for a first dwell time, to produce in alignment with the first 3D magnetic field vector a first molecular director and/or first nematic alignment vector within the first layer of first LC monomer or within each of the one or more of the plurality of voxels within the first layer of first LC monomer; eType: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2020Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram, Mohsen Tabrizi, Taylor H Ware
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Publication number: 20210331374Abstract: A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to form an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Inventors: Taylor H. Ware, Cedric P. Ambulo, Mohand O. Saed, Jennifer M. Boothby, Julia J. Henricks, Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram
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Patent number: 11014285Abstract: A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to faun an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2018Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, University of PittsburghInventors: Taylor H. Ware, Cedric P. Ambulo, Mohand O. Saed, Jennifer M. Boothby, Julia J. Henricks, Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram
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Patent number: 10731077Abstract: A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Jeong Jae Wie, Suk-Kyun Ahn
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Patent number: 10626329Abstract: A method of making a shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer. The method includes preparing an alignment cell having a surface programmed with a plurality of domains. A cavity of the alignment cell is filled with a monomer solution. The monomers of the monomer solution are configured to align to the surface of the alignment cell. The aligned monomers are polymerized by Michael Addition. The polymerized monomers are then cross-linked to form a cross-linked liquid crystal elastomer. The cross-linking traps monomer alignment into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2016Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Vincent P. Tondiglia, Benjamin A. Kowalski
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Publication number: 20190077071Abstract: A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to faun an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Taylor H. Ware, Cedric P. Ambulo, Mohand O. Saed, Jennifer M. Boothby, Julia J. Henricks, Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram
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Publication number: 20180208847Abstract: A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2018Publication date: July 26, 2018Applicant: Government of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Jeong Jae Wie, Suk-Kyun Ahn
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Patent number: 9902906Abstract: A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2016Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Jeong Jae Wie, Suk-Kyun Ahn
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Publication number: 20160313607Abstract: A method of making a shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer. The method includes preparing an alignment cell having a surface programmed with a plurality of domains. A cavity of the alignment cell is filled with a monomer solution. The monomers of the monomer solution are configured to align to the surface of the alignment cell. The aligned monomers are polymerized by Michael Addition. The polymerized monomers are then cross-linked to form a cross-linked liquid crystal elastomer. The cross-linking traps monomer alignment into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Applicant: Government of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Vincent P. Tondiglia, Benjamin A. Kowalski
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Publication number: 20160312120Abstract: A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Applicant: Government of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: Timothy J. White, Taylor H. Ware, Michael E. McConney, Jeong Jae Wie, Suk-Kyun Ahn