Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Hrl Laboratories, LLC

The Boeing Company

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Raytheon Company

Thomas B Stanford

William B Barvosa-Carter

Leslie Momoda

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Bob Ross Powell

Frederick G Yamagishi

Camille I Van Ast

John C Ulicny

Mark A Golden

Tina T Salguero

Willis H Smith, Jr

Jennifer J Zinck

James A Wurzbach

John D Margerum

Harold C Gilbert

Lawrence A Schatzmann

Doris E Cattran

Anthony P Graffeo

Robert A McLean

Gregory E Smith

A coating including a silica-based material having pendent functional groups.

Coating including silica based material with pendent functional groups

A hybrid active deformable material structure is presented. The hybrid active deformable material structure comprises a deformation unit. Each deformation unit includes a selectively deformable material structure and an actively deformable material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure. The selectively deformable structure may be caused to deform in response to a deformation of the actively deformable material structure and, when deformed, to retain a shape into which it was deformed. A plurality of deformation activation elements may be positioned about the structure to provide for multi-directional bending-type deformation, stretching-type deformation, and twisting-type deformation. The hybrid active deformable material structure may further comprise a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure. The passive material structure may provide mechanical support for at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure and may enclose the selectively deformable material structure.

Hybrid active deformable material structure

A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion generally includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements extending from one side thereof, wherein the plurality of hook elements comprises or incorporates a shape memory polymer. When the hook portion and loop portion are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces. Introducing a thermal activation signal to the plurality of hook elements causes a change in shape orientation and/or flexural modulus that effectively reduces the shear and/or pull off forces in the releasable engagement. In this manner, disengagement of the releasable fastener system provides separation of the hook portion from the loop portion under controlled conditions. Also disclosed herein are processes for operating the releasable fastener system.

Releasable fastener systems and processes

A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion generally includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements extending from one side thereof, wherein the plurality of hook elements comprises or incorporates a shape memory alloy fiber. When the hook portion and loop portion are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces. Introducing a thermal activation signal to the plurality of hook elements causes a change in shape orientation, flexural modulus property, or a combination thereof that effectively reduces the shear and/or pull off forces in the releasable engagement. In this manner, disengagement of the releasable fastener system provides separation of the hook portion from the loop portion under controlled conditions. Also disclosed herein are processes for operating the releasable fastener system.

Releasable fastener system

A releasable fastening system for retaining two surfaces at each other or disengaging the two surfaces from each other comprises a first electrode disposed at a first surface, a second electrode disposed at a second surface, and a polymer film disposed between the first and second electrode, and an electrolyte disposed in electrical communication with the first electrode, the polymer film, and the second electrode. A volume of the polymer film is controllably variable to cause the retention of the first surface at the second surface. A method of releasably fastening adjacently-positioned surfaces comprises disposing a first electrode at a first surface, disposing a second electrode at a second surface, and increasing the volume of an electrolyte disposed in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode to cause the retention of the first surface at the second surface.

Electroactive polymer releasable fastening system and method of use

A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion generally includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements extending from one side thereof. A selected one of the hook elements or the loop material is formed from a thermally and/or electrically conductive material. The other one is formed of a material adapted to melt, flow or volatize at a defined temperature. When the hook portion and loop portion are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces. Introducing an activation signal to the thermally and/or electrically conductive hook elements or loop material, causes the opposing material to melt, flow, soften, or volatize upon contact therewith. Also disclosed herein are processes for operating the releasable fastener system.

A sensor and method for detecting biological and chemical agents comprising metal interdigitized electrodes coated with hybrid polymer-based conducting film and an instrument for applying electrical voltage to the electrodes and registering the change in electrical current. The hybrid film also comprises indicator biomolecules encapsulated within the film or attached to it. The bioindicator molecules preferably comprise enzyme acetylcholinesterase. When these indicator biomolecules come in a contact with a pathogen, chemical and/or morphological changes occur in the film and electrical current flowing through the electrodes is modulated. The pathogen comprise inhibitors of enzymes, preferably organophosphates, thiophosphates or phosphonates. The change in current indicates the presence of a biological and chemical agent and is registered.

Sensors with variable response behavior

A releasable fastening system comprises a knob portion comprising a knob element, a cavity portion comprising a cavity configured to receive the knob element, and an ionic polymer metal composite actuator disposed at the knob element. The ionic polymer metal composite actuator is operable to mechanically interlock the knob element with the cavity. A method of operating a releasable fastening system comprises contacting a knob portion with a cavity portion to form a releasable engagement, wherein the knob portion comprises a knob element disposed on a first support, and wherein the cavity portion comprises a cavity disposed at a second support; maintaining constant shear forces and constant pull-off forces between the knob portion and the cavity portion; and activating an ionic polymer metal composite actuator at the knob portion to facilitate the interlocking of the knob portion and the cavity portion.

Releasable fastening system based on ionic polymer metal composites and method of use

Processes for providing rapid release of a hook and loop type releasable fastener system comprise preconditioning the releasable fastener system to effect rapid release. In this manner, minimal energy and time is required for disengagement of the releasable fastener system.

Process for attachment and/or disengagement of components

A releasable fastener system comprises a male portion and a female portion. The male portion comprises a support and at least one protrusion element fixedly attached to the support. The female portion comprises a support and at least two parallel actuator strips projecting from a surface of the support. The at least two parallel actuator strips are spaced apart to form an opening equal to or less than a lateral dimension of the protrusion element. Each one of the at least two parallel actuator strips comprise a flexible strip and a piezoelectric material disposed on portions of the actuator strip. An activation device is coupled to the at least two actuator strips, the activation device being operable to selectively provide an activation signal to the piezoelectric material. In this manner, the shape of the actuator strips can be changed to provide a mechanical engagement of a frictional engagement of the male and female portions.

A sensor and method for detecting biological and chemical agents comprising metal interdigitized electrodes coated with hybrid polymer-based conducting film and an instrument for applying electrical voltage to the electrodes and registering the change in voltage. The hybrid film also comprises indicator biomolecules encapsulated within the film or attached to it. When these indicator biomolecules come in a contact with a biological and chemical agent, morphological changes occur in the film and electrical current flowing through the electrodes is modulated. The change in current indicates the presence of a biological and chemical agent and is registered.

Sensor for chemical and biological materials

An apparatus for measuring volatile organic compounds in a gas includes a sensor chamber having a housing with a gas inlet, a gas outlet, and a gas flow path from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, a set of baffles within the housing and positioned in the gas flow path, and a set of sensors within the housing and positioned in the gas flow path. Each sensor has an electrically conductive polymer whose electrical properties are dependent upon the presence of specific volatile organic compounds in the gas flow. Desirably, the set of baffles and the set of sensors are cooperatively positioned such that the time for gas to flow from the gas inlet to each of the sensors is substantially the same. The apparatus further includes a pump that removes the gas from the gas outlet of the housing, and an electronic circuit that measures the electrical properties of each of the sensors.

Sensor apparatus for measuring volatile organic compounds

A method for making batteries wherein the extraction step includes extracting plasticizer using phase shifting of supercritical carbon dioxide. In addition, contacting the extracting cells with pressurized carbon dioxide throughout the fabrication process encourages the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase layer.

Battery fabrication method using supercritical carbon dioxide

Disclosed is a liquid chromatography process for the quantitative determination of nitro-amines and nitro-aromatics in liquid samples, which comprises directly injecting a liquid sample containing these compounds onto a liquid chromatography column, separating the compounds on the column by elution, and then monitoring the ultra-violet absorbance of the resulting eluant. The instant process finds particular application in the quantitative detection of munitions, such as HMX, RDX, TNT, and their degradation products, in aqueous effluent streams.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Thomas B Stanford