Patents by Inventor Thomas Adam Collins
Thomas Adam Collins 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: 12245339Abstract: An electrical heater assembly and an exhaust treatment assembly. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including an array of intersecting walls that form a plurality of channels extending in an axial direction. The intersecting walls and channels together define a honeycomb pattern of cells. A plurality of slots extend from an outer periphery of the heater body and terminate within the heater body. Each of the plurality of slots disconnects some of the cells of the heater body from each other to define a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body. Each slot comprises a receptacle portion located between opposing portions of the slot. A plurality of slot separators located respectively in the receptacle portions. Each slot separator has dimensions greater than the opposing portions of the slot to provide support to the heater body in all directions perpendicular to the axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2024Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATEDInventor: Thomas Adam Collins
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Publication number: 20240414814Abstract: An electrical heater assembly and an exhaust treatment assembly. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including an array of intersecting walls that form a plurality of channels extending in an axial direction. The intersecting walls and channels together define a honeycomb pattern of cells. A plurality of slots extend from an outer periphery of the heater body and terminate within the heater body. Each of the plurality of slots disconnects some of the cells of the heater body from each other to define a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body. Each slot comprises a receptacle portion located between opposing portions of the slot. A plurality of slot separators located respectively in the receptacle portions. Each slot separator has dimensions greater than the opposing portions of the slot to provide support to the heater body in all directions perpendicular to the axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2024Publication date: December 12, 2024Inventor: Thomas Adam Collins
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Patent number: 12082312Abstract: An electrical heater assembly, an exhaust treatment assembly, and method of manufacture. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including a plurality of slots disconnecting portions of the heater body from each other. Each slot includes a first end portion that extends to a second end portion, and a receptacle portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion. Portions of the heater body not disconnected by the plurality of slots form a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body. The first end portion of each slot has a first width, the second end portion of each slot has a second width, and the receptacle portion of each slot has a third width, and the third width is larger than both the first width and the second width.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2022Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventor: Thomas Adam Collins
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Publication number: 20240209761Abstract: A heater body including an outer periphery. A plurality of slots extend from the outer periphery and terminate within the heater body. A plurality of core segments are defined between pairs of adjacent slots. A plurality of bend regions are arranged around respective terminal ends of the slots. Each pair of adjacent core segments is connected by a corresponding one of the bend regions. An auxiliary conductive feature is located within each of the bend regions. The plurality of slots electrically disconnect each pair of adjacent core segments from each other to create a serpentine current-carrying path that extends across the heater body through the electrically conductive material of the core segments and the bend regions. Each of the auxiliary conductive features locally reduces an electrical resistance of the heater body in the bend regions in comparison to the electrically conductive material alone.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: June 27, 2024Inventors: Thomas Adam Collins, David Robert Heine, Avinash Tukaram Shinde
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Publication number: 20240200826Abstract: An electrical heater assembly, fluid treatment assembly, and method of manufacturing same are disclosed. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including a resistive portion and a plurality of slits in the resistive portion. The slits electrically disconnect sections of the resistive portion from each other to define a serpentine current-carrying path through the resistive portion. An electrode attachment portion us connected at an end of the serpentine current-carrying path. An electrode is included that includes a first end that is electrically connected to the heater body at the electrode attachment portion. The first end extends in a transverse direction from the heater body.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventor: Thomas Adam Collins
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Publication number: 20240206019Abstract: An electrical heater assembly, an exhaust treatment assembly, and method of manufacture. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including a plurality of slots disconnecting portions of the heater body from each other. Each slot includes a first end portion that extends to a second end portion, and a receptacle portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion. Portions of the heater body not disconnected by the plurality of slots form a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body. The first end portion of each slot has a first width, the second end portion of each slot has a second width, and the receptacle portion of each slot has a third width, and the third width is larger than both the first width and the second width.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventor: Thomas Adam Collins
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Publication number: 20240200479Abstract: An electrical heater, an exhaust treatment assembly, and method of manufacture. The heater includes a resistive portion configured to generate heat when electrical current is passed therethrough. A plurality of slots extend into the resistive portion from an outer periphery of the resistive portion and define a serpentine current-carrying path extending through the resistive portion between a pair of electrode attachment portions. Each of the electrode attachment portions is connected to a respective end segment that is bounded between an outer periphery of the resistive portion and a respective first slot of the plurality of slots. At least one auxiliary slot in each of the end segments that extends from the outer periphery toward the first slot in a direction transverse to the first slot to bias current flow through a concentrated region adjacent to and extending along the first slot in each end segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventors: Thomas Adam Collins, David Robert Heine, Avinash Tukaram Shinde, Danhong Zhong
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Publication number: 20230392528Abstract: A heater assembly including a heater body having a monolithic honeycomb structure comprising a plurality of intersecting walls. The walls have a thickness and extend in an axial direction to form a plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure that extend axially from a first end face to a second end face. A first electrode is coupled to the heater body. A second electrode is coupled to the heater body. A current-carrying path is defined over the walls between the first electrode and the second electrode. A plurality of openings extend through the thickness of at least some of the walls. A fluid treatment system, method of treating a fluid, and method of manufacturing a heater assembly are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2021Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Thomas Adam Collins, David Robert Heine, Avinash Tukaram Shinde
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Patent number: 11215096Abstract: An electrical heater and method for heating a catalyst. The heater includes a honeycomb body having intersecting walls forming channels extending along a longitudinal axis. A plurality of electrically resistive paths are included, each including at least a portion of the plurality of intersecting walls and extending a length across the honeycomb body transverse to the longitudinal axis. A positive electrode and a negative electrode are in electrical communication with each other via the resistive paths. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are operatively positioned to generate a respective flow of current through each resistive path. The lengths of at least two of the resistive paths differ from each other. The resistive paths are configured with respect to the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode such that the current in each of the resistive paths is substantially equal.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Thomas Adam Collins, Tushar Gulati, David Robert Heine
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Publication number: 20210054771Abstract: An electrical heater and method for heating a catalyst. The heater includes a honeycomb body having intersecting walls forming channels extending along a longitudinal axis. A plurality of electrically resistive paths are included, each including at least a portion of the plurality of intersecting walls and extending a length across the honeycomb body transverse to the longitudinal axis. A positive electrode and a negative electrode are in electrical communication with each other via the resistive paths. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are operatively positioned to generate a respective flow of current through each resistive path. The lengths of at least two of the resistive paths differ from each other. The resistive paths are configured with respect to the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode such that the current in each of the resistive paths is substantially equal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: February 25, 2021Inventors: Thomas Adam Collins, Tushar Gulati, David Robert Heine
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Patent number: 7841170Abstract: Porous ceramic diesel particulate filters are regenerated to combust accumulated carbon particulates trapped therein through a controlled regeneration process wherein heat is input to the filter at a ramped or staged heating rate below that rate at which the particulate combustion process would proceed so rapidly and extensively that filter temperatures would be raised to filter-damaging levels.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2006Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Thomas Adam Collins, Achim Karl-Erich Heibel, Robert John Locker
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Publication number: 20090241513Abstract: Porous ceramic diesel particulate filters are regenerated to combust accumulated carbon particulates trapped therein through a controlled regeneration process wherein heat is input to the filter at a ramped or staged heating rate below that rate at which the particulate combustion process would proceed so rapidly and extensively that filter temperatures would be raised to filter-damaging levels.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2006Publication date: October 1, 2009Applicant: CORNING INCORPORATEDInventors: Thomas Adam Collins, Achim Karl-Erich Heibel, Robert John Locker