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:
Nov. 14, 2000
Filed:
May. 22, 1998
Nicholas M Nardacci, Bristol, RI (US);
Jeffrey L Cipolla, Newport, RI (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A fluid pump and expandable energy storage device includes a substantially igid circular band, a substantially rigid central hub, a membrane fixed to the band and to the hub, the membrane being enlargeable by a fluid introduced into the device, and a plurality of rods interconnecting the band and the hub. The enlargeable membrane is adjacent the rods, such that enlargement of the membrane causes movement of the hub and portions of the rods away from a plane of the band. The movement causes twisting and bending of the rods, biasing the rods to return to their original positions upon release of the fluid. Upon such release, the membrane and the rods immediately return to their non-enlarged states, forcing the fluid out of the device at a high velocity.