David F Benson
Respiratory Therapy at Willow St, Denver, CO

5708735, Jan 13, 1998

Mar 29, 1996

8/624112

David K. Benson - Golden CO
Clemens S. Bechinger - Golden CO
C. Edwin Tracy - Golden CO

G01N 2101

385 12

A fiber-optic device for sensing the presence of a gas in an environment is provided. The device comprises a light source for directing a light beam to a layer system having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface is exposable to the light beam and the second surface is exposable to the environment. A first light portion encounters and reflects from the first surface at an angle of incidence free from optical wave guide resonance phenomenon and the second light portion encounters and reflects from the first surface at an angle of incidence enabling an optical wave guide resonance phenomenon. The layer system is selected to reversibly react with the gas to be detected. The reaction between the gas and the material changes the material's optical properties and the wavelength at which the optical wave guide resonance occurs. Furthermore, a mechanism for measuring the intensity of the reflected first light portion relative to the reflected second light portion is provided with the ratio of the first and second light portions indicating the concentration of the gas presence in the environment.

5477676, Dec 26, 1995

Jan 27, 1994

8/188394

David K. Benson - Golden CO
Thomas F. Potter - Denver CO

Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO

F01N 320

60274

A catalytic converter is surrounded by variable conductance insulation for maintaining the operating temperature of the catalytic converter at an optimum level, for inhibiting heat loss when raising catalytic converter temperature to light-off temperature, for storing excess heat to maintain or accelerate reaching light-off temperature, and for conducting excess heat away from the catalytic converter after reaching light-off temperature. The variable conductance insulation includes vacuum gas control and metal-to-metal thermal shunt mechanisms. Radial and axial shielding inhibits radiation and convection heat loss. Thermal storage media includes phase change material, and heat exchanger chambers and fluids carry heat to and from the catalytic converter.

7306951, Dec 11, 2007

Jun 8, 2000

09/937208

David K. Benson - Golden CO, US
Thomas R. Wildeman - Golden CO, US
R. Davis Smith - Wheat Ridge CO, US
David L. Olson - Golden CO, US

Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO

G01D 18/00, G01N 3/62, G01N 21/00, G01N 27/00, G01N 31/00, G01N 33/00, G01N 35/00, G01N 37/00, G01N 7/00, G01N 9/00, G01N 33/497, G01N 33/20, G01R 35/00, G01S 7/40, G01W 1/18, G12B 13/00, B32B 5/02

436144, 73 1907, 73 102, 73 106, 73 116, 73 1901, 73 232, 73 3105, 73 101, 436164, 422 83, 422 88

A measuring apparatus and method for use in measuring diffusible hydrogen concentrations in materials, structures, and other objects. In an embodiment of the invention for use in welding applications, the measuring apparatus () includes a sensor assembly () that, with an included sealing member (), defines a sample area () on a weld bead () from which hydrogen evolves into a sample volume () defined by the sealing member (), a sensor housing () and a sensor () of the sensor assembly (). The hydrogen reacts with a sensing layer () and a reflector layer () positioned on the end of an optical fiber (), all of which are included in the sensor assembly () and are sealably positioned within the sensor (). The sensing layer () comprises a chemochromic material that undergoes changes in physical properties, such as optical transmission properties, when it reacts with hydrogen and these changes are measured by the measuring apparatus () to determine the amount of hydrogen evolving from the sample area (). An optical fiber () is joined to the sensor optical fiber () to direct light () transmitted by a light source () in a hydrogen monitoring assembly () through the sensing layer () to strike the reflector layer () which reflects light () back through optical fiber () to a detector () in the hydrogen monitoring assembly ().

5489321, Feb 6, 1996

Jul 14, 1994

8/274788

C. Edwin Tracy - Golden CO
David K. Benson - Golden CO

Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO

C03B 23203

65 43

A method of welding and sealing the edges of two juxtaposed glass sheets together to seal a vacuum space between the sheets comprises the steps of positioning a radiation absorbant material, such as FeO, VO. sub. 2, or NiO, between the radiation transmissive glass sheets adjacent the edges and then irradiating the absorbant material, preferably with a laser beam, through at least one of the glass sheets. Heat produced by the absorbed radiation in the absorbant material melts glass in the portions of both glass sheets that are adjacent the absorbant material, and the melted glass from both sheets flows together to create the weld when the melted glass cools and hardens. The absorbant material can be dissolved and diffused into the melted glass to the extent that it no longer absorbs enough energy to keep the glass melted, thus, with appropriate proportioning of absorbant material to source energy power and welding heat needed, the process can be made self-stopping.

6908595, Jun 21, 2005

Jan 21, 2000

09/889646

David K. Benson - Golden CO, US
Steven D. Burch - Honeoye Falls NY, US
Matthew A. Keyser - Arrada CO, US
Lance Mews - Caledonia MI, US
Donald R. Rigsby - Jenison MI, US
C. Edwin Tracy - Golden CO, US

Benteler Automotive Corporation - Auburn Hills MI

B01D053/34, B01D053/92, F01N003/28, F01N007/14

422179, 422173, 422177, 422180

A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter (); for vehicles includes a core having an inner housing () and a catalytic material (′). A jacket includes an outer housing () enclosing the inner housing () but characteristically not contacting the inner housing (). The inner and outer housings () includes walls () forming a vacuum-drawn scaled insulation cavity () around the inner housing (). A temperature-activated variable insulator device is positioned within the outer housing () and includes a hydrogen source () and controls for controlling the variable insulator device. A vacuum-maintenance device is incorporated into the insulation cavity (), and includes a small container, getter material positioned in the container, a porous member allowing gas in the insulation cavity () to communicate with the getter material. A multi-layered radiation shield is position in the vacuum space and is loosely coupled to the inner housing (). A vacuum detector includes a visible indicator of the vacuum in the insulation cavity ().

4963012, Oct 16, 1990

Oct 19, 1988

7/259634

C. Edwin Tracy - Golden CO
David K. Benson - Golden CO

The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC

G02B 508, G02B 718

350641

A protective diffusion barrier for metalized mirror structures is provided by a layer or coating of silicon nitride which is a very dense, transparent, dielectric material that is impervious to water, alkali, and other impurities and corrosive substances that typically attack the metal layers of mirrors and cause degradation of the mirrors' reflectivity. The silicon nitride layer can be deposited on the substrate before metal deposition thereon to stabilize the metal/substrate interface, and it can be deposited over the metal to encapsulate it and protect the metal from corrosion or other degradation. Mirrors coated with silicon nitride according to this invention can also be used as front surface mirrors. Also, the silver or other reflective metal layer on mirrors comprising thin, lightweight, flexible substrates of metal or polymer sheets coated with glassy layers can be protected with silicon nitride according to this invention.

5500503, Mar 19, 1996

Aug 4, 1994

8/285700

John C. Pernicka - Fort Collins CO
David K. Benson - Golden CO
C. Edwin Tracy - Golden CO

Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO

B23K 2600, B23K 2602

21912164

A method of welding an ultra-thin foil to the edge of a thicker sheet to form a vacuum insulation panel comprising the steps of providing an ultra-thin foil having a thickness less than 0. 002, providing a top plate having an edge and a bottom plate having an edge, clamping the foil to the edge of the plate wherein the clamps act as heat sinks to distribute heat through the foil, providing a laser, moving the laser relative to the foil and the plate edges to form overlapping weld beads to weld the foil to the plate edges while simultaneously cutting the foil along the weld line formed by the overlapping beads.

8636883, Jan 28, 2014

Mar 12, 2007

11/685179

William Hoagland - Boulder CO, US
David K. Benson - Golden CO, US

Element One, Inc. - Boulder CO

G01N 27/26

204400, 204402, 204406, 204407, 422 8202

A remotely readable hydrogen detector is in the form of a tag or card that can be worn on clothing or mounted on a variety of surfaces and can be monitored from a distance for the presence of hydrogen gas. It includes a hydrogen sensor device, which changes in electrical resistivity in response to being exposed to hydrogen gas, that is incorporated into an electric detector circuit, which detects changes in resistivity of the sensor device, and, when such change in resistivity indicates the presence of some predetermined concentration of hydrogen gas, the electric circuit outputs a signal or state that indicates the presence of hydrogen to a transceiver circuit, which can transmit that information to a remote receiver or interrogator/reader via an antenna in the sensor device.

5175975, Jan 5, 1993

Mar 23, 1992

7/856840

David K. Benson - Golden CO
Thomas F. Potter - Denver CO

Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO

E04C 234

52791

An ultra-thin compact vacuum insulation panel is comprised of two hard, but bendable metal wall sheets closely spaced apart from each other and welded around the edges to enclose a vacuum chamber. Glass or ceramic spacers hold the wall sheets apart. The spacers can be discrete spherical beads or monolithic sheets of glass or ceramic webs with nodules protruding therefrom to form essentially "point" or "line" contacts with the metal wall sheets. In the case of monolithic spacers that form "line" contacts, two such spacers with the line contacts running perpendicular to each other form effectively "point" contacts at the intersections. Corrugations accommodate bending and expansion, tubular insulated pipes and conduits, and preferred applications are also included.