Gregory Price

US Patent:

57890455, Aug 4, 1998

Filed:

May 10, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/649861

Inventors:

Phillip G. Wapner - Palmdale CA
Wesley P. Hoffman - Palmdale CA
Gregory Price - Lancaster CA

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air
Force - Washington DC

International Classification:

B32B 3108
F16K 1500
F16K 1700
F16K 2100
F15B 2100

US Classification:

428 344

Abstract:

In the present invention, various sizes of non-wetting droplets are inserted into microtube devices of various shapes having therein a gas or wetting fluid which causes the droplets to movement in response to fluid pressure. The droplets may translate within a void of the microtube device which is filled with the gas or wetting fluid or rotate in a fixed position. The nonwetting fluid may also be formed into rings within ring shaped channels. The microtube devices may operate to stop fluid flow, act as a check-valve, act as a flow restrictor, act as a flow regulator, act as a support for a turning axle, and act as a logic device, for example.

US Patent:

60590017, May 9, 2000

Filed:

Jun 7, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/472574

Inventors:

Phillip G. Wapner - Palmdale CA
Wesley P. Hoffman - Palmdale CA
Gregory J. Price - San Diego CA

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air
Force - Washington DC

International Classification:

B65H 8100

US Classification:

156425

Abstract:

The present invention is a technique for manufacturing microtube devices which have circumferential geometries repeated either uniformly or nonuniformly along the tube or device axis with sub-micron precision. The preferred manufacturing process involves forming a complex mandrel and giving it a metallic and/or nonmetallic coating or coatings by any of a variety of techniques. The mandrel can then be removed by appropriate chemical or physical means, leaving a microtube structure having an axial profile consisting of repeat units duplicating those on the mandrel. One technique for forming the complex mandrel consists of drawing a single core fiber (or bundle of core fibers) through a confining orifice. The fiber is held with minimal constraint (typically by friction), so that no breakage takes place as it is drawn through the orifice. However, enough constraint exists so that torque applied tangentially by another overwrapping fiber (or fibers) as it is being wound around the core fiber does not cause the core fiber to slip in the direction of applied torque.