Other

University System of Maryland

Techno-sciences, Inc. (corporation)

Computer Sciences Corporation

Systems Planning & Analysis, Inc.

Peter C Chen

Norman Mark Wereley

Curt Steven Kothera

Benjamin K S Woods

James S Sirkis

Shiping Chen

Jayant Sirohi

Edward A Bubert

High quality flexible optical mirrors (in a single or multi-layer implementation) are fabricated from polymer matrix composite material(s) by replication, cast-spinning, and 3-D printing processes. These mirrors are suited as controllable mirrors for different applications including telescope mirrors. The mirrors made from 'smart' materials (carbon nanotubes in epoxy) attain controlled properties that may be changed by application of external stimuli, including stress, temperature, moisture, electric and magnetic fields, as well as electromagnetic fields. When formed with non-ferrous metal particles embedded in epoxy, the mirrors are suited for cryogenic operations. The mirrors formed with the ferromagnetic/epoxy material can be deformed and steered by magnetic or electromagnetic fields.

High quality telescope mirrors made from polymer matrix composite materials and method

An assembly for controlling a vehicle, including a fluid contact surface constructed and arranged to act against a fluid passing over the fluid contact surface; and a support structure coupled to the fluid contact surface. The support structure is constructed and arranged to expand or contract between a first position and a second position, such that a first dimension of the support structure changes during movement of the support structure between the first position and the second position, while a second dimension of the support structure remains substantially constant during the movement of the support structure between the first position and the second position.

Cellular support structures used for controlled actuation of fluid contact surfaces

A fluid contact surface actuation system for a vehicle, including a first fluid contact surface constructed and arranged to act against a first fluid passing over the first fluid contact surface; and a first fluid actuator coupled to the first fluid contact surface to move the first fluid contact surface between a first position and a second position to enable control of the vehicle in a predetermined manner, the first fluid actuator having a first resilient bladder that receives a second fluid such that pressure of the second fluid moves the first bladder between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration.

Fluid-driven artificial muscles as mechanisms for controlled actuation

Disclosed is a high-speed, high-force impulse load damper susceptible to adaptive control including a cylinder, a piston defining in the cylinder a volume, a coil, fixed relative to the cylinder, configured to generate a magnetic field, and a fluid channel, configured to be influenced by the magnetic field, for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the volume. Also disclosed is a damper including a cylinder, a piston defining in said cylinder a first volume and a second volume, a first fluid channel for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the first volume, first means for regulating flow through said first fluid channel, a second fluid channel for one or both of providing fluid to and evacuating fluid from the second volume, and second means for regulating flow through said second fluid channel, wherein said first fluid channel and said second fluid channel are in fluid communication. Further disclosed is a method of damping with a damper, having a cylinder and a piston defining in the cylinder a first volume and a second volume, including causing negative fluid pressure to resist a tendency of the piston from increasing the first volume, an d causing positive fluid pressure to resist a tendency of the piston from decreasing the second volume. Additionally disclosed is a gun system including a gun, a gun mount, and means for dissipating energy of a force exerted by the gun against the mount, wherein the means for dissipating is adjustable for dissipating different amounts of energy.

Magnetorheological damper and energy dissipation method

A fiber optic sensor flatpack capable of extremely sensitive strain measurements, without the complexity, high installation costs, and sensitivity to extraneous effects associated with conventional strain gage technologies, such as resistance foil strain gages. The &ldquo;flatpack&rdquo; strain sensor houses two individual sensors to allow for accurate temperature compensated strain measurements. The packaging method incorporates plastic materials and laminate manufacturing techniques, which results in a fully hermetic package that is resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Multiple flatpacks can be connected in series and interrogated along a single optical fiber cable when the flatpacks are constructed with fiber optic sensors that can be serially multiplexed, such as with Bragg grating sensors.

Fiber optic strain sensor

A child-proof safety device for eclipse lighter includes a deformable resistance member placed between a piezoelectric generator and a supporting bar providing an press resistance to the thumb-pusher, wherein the deformable resistance member has two grooves formed on two sides thereof corresponding to the end of a U-shaped metal-piece gas lever. The press resistance will resist a downwardly pressing force applied by an under age child on the thumb-pusher while an adult is capable of pressing the thumb-pusher easily.

Child-proof safety device for eclipse lighter

A glow in dark lighter includes a luminous casing having a receiving cavity for receiving a liquefied gas storage therein and at least a luminous area adapted to be visible in the dark, a gas emitting nozzle disposed in the luminous casing and communicating with the liquefied gas storage for control a flow of gas, and an ignition system comprising an ignition button for igniting the lighter. Therefore, the glow in dark lighter of the present invention is capable self-illuminating in the dark.

Glow in dark lighter

A piezoelectric lighter incorporates with a child resistance arrangement which includes a pair of protective walls each having an inner surface substantially extended from a ceiling of a casing to an outer wall thereof wherein a receiving chamber is defined between the two protective walls, and an ignition button slidably disposed in the receiving chamber and positioned between the inner surfaces of the protective walls in a radially movably manner, wherein the ignition button is positioned below top ceilings of the two protective walls at a predetermined depth, so as to form a physical barrier to prevent a thumb of a child from fully engaging the ignition button to ignite the piezoelectric lighter.

Child resistant piezoelectric lighter

A fiber optic measurement system capable of greatly improving the cost, complexity, and efficiency with which flexible body shape estimates are made. The fiber optic shape measurement system uses Bragg grating sensor technology and time, spatial, and wavelength division multiplexing, to produce a plurality of strain measurements along one fiber path. Using a plurality of fibers, shape determination of the body and the tow cable can be made with minimal ambiguity. Also disclosed is a method to resolve the body shape based on strain-to-shape structural analysis. Possible applications include, but are not limited to, sensing the shape and position of flexible bodies, aid in improving the efficiency of existing acoustic surveying processing techniques, and related applications in geophysical prospecting.

Method and apparatus for determining the shape of a flexible body

A piezoelectric lighter incorporates with a safety arrangement which includes an ignition cap slidably mounted on the ceiling of the casing in a radially movable manner, wherein the ignition cap is attached to a top end of the piezoelectric unit. A locker cavity is provided at a side portion of the ignition cap wherein an elongated guiding slot is provided on the ignition cap to communicate the locker cavity with outside. A locking member includes a locking latch slidably fitted in the locker cavity in a vertically movable manner and a operation button extended from the locking latch to outside through the guiding slot, and a resilient element disposed in the locker cavity and provided between the locking member and a ceiling of the locker cavity for urging and retaining the locking member in a lower position that a bottom end of the locking latch is extended into the casing for blocking up the ignition cap from being slid sidewardly from the casing so as to lock up the ignition cap from ignition. In order to ignite the lighter, a user's thumb must push the operation button upwardly for lifting up the locking latch out of the casing. Then, push the ignition cap sidewardly to depress the piezoelectric to ignite the lighter.

Safety arrangement for piezoelectric lighter

A safety device for a piezoelectric lighter, which can prevent under age children from the usage of cigarette lighter without adult supervision, includes a locking stopper fitted in a locker groove of a cap body of a pusher cap in an inwardly movable manner and a resilient unit mounted between the locking stopper and the pusher cap to normally urge and retain the locking stopper positioning between the pusher head and the locking flange of a piezoelectric unit casing of the piezoelectric lighter, so as to block any downwardly movement of the pusher cap and thus prevent the ignition operation of the piezoelectric unit. In other words, the piezoelectric lighter is locked from ignition normally. In order to ignite the piezoelectric lighter of the present invention, an adult user's thumb must intentionally push in the locking stopper until it is unblocked by the locking flange and push down the pusher cap at the same time.

Safety device for piezoelectric lighter

A safety disposable lighter includes an ignition means which includes a striker wheel has an axial polygonal driven hole provided therethrough, a wheel axle rotatably mounting between two supporting walls of a supporting frame and having an enlarged central engaging disc fittedly mounted at a center position of the driven hole of the striker wheel, and two driving wheels each having a polygonal driving disc integrally and coaxially protruded at an inner side thereof. Each of the driving wheels has an axial hole having a diameter larger than that of the wheel axle. Between the two supporting walls, the two driving wheels are rotatably mounted around two ends of the wheel axle respectively and the two driving discs are respectively inserted into two end portions of the driven hole, wherein each of the driving wheels has a diameter larger than a diameter of the striker wheel, and the polygonal driving disc of each driving wheel has a size smaller than the polygonal driven hole, so that the two driving wheels can normally free to rotate about the wheel axle unless a relatively strong depressing force is applied by an adult's finger to the two driving wheels to retain the two polygonal driving discs of the two driving wheels engaging with two end portions of the polygonal driven hole of the striker wheel.

Safety disposable lighter

Methods and devices incorporating wideband Faraday Rotation in which light having mixed wavelengths is dispensed according to wavelength and passed through a magnetic optical rotator along pathways of different lengths progressively and inversely with respect to wavelength so that shorter wavelengths travel proportionally longer pathways than longer wavelengths sufficiently that the angle of rotation is substantially equal for all wavelengths within the waveband.

Methods and devices incorporating wideband faraday rotation

A levitating support and positioning system (10) is provided for orienting an electromagnetic energy reflecting assembly (40). System (10) includes a reflective member (60) supported by an annular ring (50) having a plurality of superconductors (70) disposed thereon. Ring (50) is levitated above a base surface (20) by means of a plurality of electromagnetic assemblies (30), each of the electromagnetic assemblies (30) corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of superconductive elements (70), whereby the magnetic fields generated by the electromagnetic assemblies (30) are repelled by the respective superconductive elements. The orientation of the support ring (50), and the reflector therewith, is adjusted by changing the relative magnetic field strength between each of the electromagnetic assemblies (30), allowing the reflector to be directed in both elevation and azimuth.

Growing community of inventors

Clarksville, MD, United States of America

Peter C Chen