The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1996
Applicant:
Inventors:
John R Beattie, Westlake Village, CA (US);
John D Williams, Agoura Hills, CA (US);
Jesse N Matossian, Canoga Park, CA (US);
Assignee:
Hughes Electronics Corporation, El Segundo, CA (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
F03H / ; H05H / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
60202 ; 3133601 ;
Abstract
Ion erosion of grids is reduced in an ion thruster with a multiple-grid ion-optics system. The thruster has an array of aperture sets in which aperture areas change in a perimeter region of the array. In one ion-optics system embodiment, a screen aperture area is reduced and a decelerator aperture area is increased in aperture sets that are proximate to the perimeter of the array. Prototype tests of this embodiment have illustrated significant reduction of ion erosion.