Ball Corporation

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Bintech Lllp

Vincent A Hirsch

Jason M Kaanta

Michael D Richardson

Dean A Paschen

Gary Emerson

Alvaro Medina

Paul Hendershott

Guy Fromme

Timothy O'Connor

John T Mehr

Thomas M Crawford

Michael J Fithian

Edward D Freymiller

Edward C Johnson

David A Gutow

Kenneth R Zurawski

Paul I Kolesnikoff, Ii

Charles Bradford

Leon C Webb

Thomas S Watson

Bradley M McCarthy

The present invention describes an apparatus used in conjunction with a metallic container adapted for processing, storing and heating foodstuffs in a microwave oven, and more specifically, a substantially metallic stackable container with a microwavable transparent portion, metallic reinforcing member, and a selectively removable lid, wherein the same container can be used to store, ship, heat, and serve a foodstuff to a consumer.

Microwavable metallic container

The present invention relates to a method for processing, storing and heating foodstuffs in a partially metal microwavable bowl, and more specifically, a substantially metallic stackable container with a microwavable transparent portion and a selectively removable lid, wherein the same container can be used to store, ship, heat, and serve a foodstuff to a consumer.

Embedded surface wave antenna elements incorporating different dielectric materials or other features are provided. The different dielectric materials can arranged adjacent a feed, to absorb energy that can cause undesirable reflections in the antenna element. In addition or alternatively, different dielectric materials can be arranged to alter the velocity of energy through the antenna element, and to control or attenuate the formation of nulls in the far field at angles of interest. The control or attenuation of nulls in the far field at angles of interest can further be controlled through contouring an antenna element ground plane in a lens region of the antenna element. A buried feed arrangement is also described.

Embedded surface wave antenna with improved frequency bandwidth and radiation performance

A container for food and beverage products, and more specifically, a substantially metallic container with a microwavable transparent portion and a selectively removable metallic lid, wherein the container can be used in a conventional microwave oven.

Bulk material measurement packages are described including the preferred embodiment of an automated instrument package (AIP) suited to mount on the inside ceiling of a large silo. The gimbaled AIP vertical mounting bracket rotates in an approximate 360&#xb0; azimuth. An instrument housing is mounted to the vertical mounting bracket, and it rotates approximately 190&#xb0; in a vertical plane. The instrument housing has at least one range finding sensor such as a scanning laser to measure the top surface contours of the bulk material. The instrument housing can also contains other sensors such as air and quality instruments including temperature, humidity, spectral recognition sensor to detect grain/material type and/or flow rate, gas detectors for sniffing off-odors/spoilage/or safety problems, and live video. Optionally grain penetrating radar (GPR), time domain reflectometry (TDR), ultrasonics, and portable sensors are taught as well as alternate packaging.

Bulk materials management apparatus and method

Apparatus and method are provided for making rf contact between the ground plane surface of a microwave-monolithic-integrated-circuit chip and a test fixture. The test fixture includes a chip support with a planar surface, a chip stop with a wedging surface, a clamp-release lever with a wedging surface, and a spring. The conductive ground plane surface of a MMIC chip is pressed against a planar surface with a contacting force that is a function of a clamping force that is applied to one of the wedging surfaces, and that is a function of angles of the wedging surfaces. Heat applied to the MMIC chip cooperates with the contacting force to provide a suitable rf connection between the ground plane surface of the chip and the planar surface of the test fixture.

Test fixture for integrated circuit chips

A three-element active device is physically and electrically integrated (e.g., by soldering) onto shaped conductive areas in a thin conformable microstrip structure which includes a microstrip antenna radiator. Two of the elements of the active device are connected to microstrip reactance structures which form a series-resonant partial oscillator circuit. The third (output) element of the active device is connected directly to the microstrip antenna radiator via a microstrip transmission line which, together, directly provide the r.f. load impedance for the thus completed oscillator circuit. Quarter wavelength r.f. microstrip segments are also provided to facilitate the feeding of d.c. bias to the active device without disturbing the r.f. circuitry. The oscillator load impedance to be provided by the microstrip radiator is predetermined in accordance with conventional device-line or loadpull impedance measurements so as to maximize the power output of the active device.

Integrated oscillator and microstrip antenna system

A phased array antenna system includes a plurality of active radiating antenna elements each of which is driven by and each of which drives a transceiver module located closely adjacent thereto. Each transceiver module includes a high-power pulse signal-transmitting amplifier powered by a high-capacitance, low current dc rectifier system to minimize charging currents and provide very high pulse currents, and a low-noise amplifier for amplifying the received signal. The modules further include a transmit/receive switch, phase adjusting circuits in the input to the high-power signal-transmitting amplifier and in the output to the low-noise signal-receiving amplifier for normalizing the signal phase, and amplitude limiting means in the input of the low-noise signal receiving amplifier for protecting the low-noise amplifier during the transmit mode. The transceiver module utilizes microstrip line technology to provide tuned circuit elements, is compact in size and low in cost, and permits an improvement in noise, gain, and radiated power characteristics to be realized in phased array radar systems.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Vincent A Hirsch