Patents by Inventor Tim Horner

Tim Horner 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: 11353152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to couplers for transferring fluid between space assets, particularly in a vacuum microgravity environment with radiation exposure. In particular, the couplers provide for transfer of fluids, such as propellants, coolants, pressurant gases, or life-support fluids, preferably between assets in the space environment or in terrestrial environments such as Earth, the Moon, or Mars. The couplers provide self-alignment features which enable their use in blind-mate, telerobotic, fully autonomous robotic systems. The invention provides a common design architecture for different fluids accommodating a variety of flow rates and pressure drops depending upon the particular fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Douglas Hawk, Hans Raven, Matthew Ashmore, Hsiao Smith, Tim Horner