Patents by Inventor Thomas R. Chase
Thomas R. Chase 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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Publication number: 20250137555Abstract: A valve includes an orifice plate including at least one orifice surrounded by an orifice plate seal surface, a seal plate, and an actuator. The seal plate includes a seal boss having a seal boss surface that faces the orifice plate, and a pocket that overlays the at least one orifice. The pocket includes a recessed surface that is surrounded by the seal boss surface and is displaced from the seal boss surface along an axis. The actuator is configured to move the seal plate relative to the orifice plate along the axis to transition the valve between open and closed states. The seal boss surface engages the orifice plate seal surface, surrounds the at least one orifice, and blocks a flow of fluid through the at least one orifice when the valve is in the closed state.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2024Publication date: May 1, 2025Inventors: Nathan P. Hagstrom, Matthew L. Gallagher, Thomas R. Chase
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Patent number: 12228222Abstract: A valve includes an orifice plate including at least one orifice surrounded by an orifice plate seal surface, a seal plate, and an actuator. The seal plate includes a seal boss having a seal boss surface that faces the orifice plate, and a pocket that overlays the at least one orifice. The pocket includes a recessed surface that is surrounded by the seal boss surface and is displaced from the seal boss surface along an axis. The actuator is configured to move the seal plate relative to the orifice plate along the axis to transition the valve between open and closed states. The seal boss surface engages the orifice plate seal surface, surrounds the at least one orifice, and blocks a flow of fluid through the at least one orifice when the valve is in the closed state.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2023Date of Patent: February 18, 2025Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAInventors: Nathan P. Hagstrom, Matthew L. Gallagher, Thomas R. Chase
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Publication number: 20230323980Abstract: A valve includes an orifice plate including at least one orifice surrounded by an orifice plate seal surface, a seal plate, and an actuator. The seal plate includes a seal boss having a seal boss surface that faces the orifice plate, and a pocket that overlays the at least one orifice. The pocket includes a recessed surface that is surrounded by the seal boss surface and is displaced from the seal boss surface along an axis. The actuator is configured to move the seal plate relative to the orifice plate along the axis to transition the valve between open and closed states. The seal boss surface engages the orifice plate seal surface, surrounds the at least one orifice, and blocks a flow of fluid through the at least one orifice when the valve is in the closed state.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2023Publication date: October 12, 2023Inventors: Nathan P. Hagstrom, Matthew L. Gallagher, Thomas R. Chase
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Patent number: 11761357Abstract: A hydraulic pump-motor includes a cylinder block including a plurality of fluid chambers, a piston in each of the fluid chambers, a cam, a fixed valve area profile, and a timing adjustment actuator. The cam includes a cam surface that engages the pistons and drives movement of the pistons relative to the fluid chambers in response to relative rotation between the cam and the fluid chambers. The fixed valve area profile is configured to control fluid flows between the fluid chambers and first and second ports. The timing adjustment actuator is configured to adjust an angular orientation of the fixed valve area profile relative to an angular orientation of the cam based on a pressure differential between a pressure at the first port and a pressure at the second port.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAInventors: Grey C. Boyce-Erickson, James D. Van de Ven, Thomas R. Chase
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Publication number: 20220074324Abstract: A hydraulic pump-motor includes a cylinder block including a plurality of fluid chambers, a piston in each of the fluid chambers, a cam, a fixed valve area profile, and a timing adjustment actuator. The cam includes a cam surface that engages the pistons and drives movement of the pistons relative to the fluid chambers in response to relative rotation between the cam and the fluid chambers. The fixed valve area profile is configured to control fluid flows between the fluid chambers and first and second ports. The timing adjustment actuator is configured to adjust an angular orientation of the fixed valve area profile relative to an angular orientation of the cam based on a pressure differential between a pressure at the first port and a pressure at the second port.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Grey C. Boyce-Erickson, James D. Van de Ven, Thomas R. Chase
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Patent number: 10330212Abstract: A fluidic control valve includes a piezostack actuator, a seal plate, and an orifice plate including a plurality of orifices. The piezostack actuator is configured to move the seal plate along a longitudinal axis between a closed position, in which the seal plate seals the orifices of the orifice plate and closes the valve, and an open position, in which the seal plate is displaced from the orifice plate to open the valve.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Thomas R. Chase, Nebiyu Fikru, Alexander M. Hargus
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Publication number: 20170211716Abstract: A fluidic control valve includes a piezostack actuator, a seal plate, and an orifice plate including a plurality of orifices. The piezostack actuator is configured to move the seal plate along a longitudinal axis between a closed position, in which the seal plate seals the orifices of the orifice plate and closes the valve, and an open position, in which the seal plate is displaced from the orifice plate to open the valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2017Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: Thomas R. Chase, Nebiyu Fikru, Alexander M. Hargus
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Patent number: 8286939Abstract: A pulse width modulated fluidic valve 3005 includes a cylinder (352) having an elongate bore, a length, and first (344) and second (346) ports which extend from outside the cylinder (352) into the bore. A rotatable spool (302) is carried in the bore and movable in a direction of the length of cylinder (352). The spool (302) has a variable blocking feature (306) which blocks passage of fluid' between the first (344) and second (346) ports as a function of angular position relative to the first (344) and second (346) ports and as a function of linear position along the length of the cylinder (352).Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2007Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Perry Y. Li, Thomas R. Chase
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Publication number: 20100212743Abstract: A pulse width modulated fluidic valve 3005 includes a cylinder (352) having an elongate bore, a length, and first (344) and second (346) ports which extend from outside the cylinder (352) into the bore. A rotatable spool (302) is carried in the bore and movable in a direction of the length of cylinder (352). The spool (302) has a variable blocking feature (306) which blocks passage of fluid between the first (344) and second (346) ports as a function of angular position relative to the first (344) and second (346) ports and as a function of linear position along the length of the cylinder (352).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2007Publication date: August 26, 2010Inventors: Perry Y. Li, Thomas R. Chase
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Publication number: 20080083894Abstract: A pulse width modulated fluidic valve includes a cylinder having an elongate bore, a length and first and second ports which extend from outside the cylinder into the bore. A rotatable spool is carried in the bore and movable in a direction of the length of cylinder. The spool has a variable blocking feature which blocks passage of fluid between the first and second ports as a function of angular position relative to the first and second ports and as a function of linear position along the length of the cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2006Publication date: April 10, 2008Inventors: Perry Y. Li, Thomas R. Chase