DR. JEFFREY BROWN, MD
Osteopathic Medicine at Wood Rd, Los Gatos, CA

2014006, Mar 13, 2014

Apr 15, 2013

13/862685

CAROL A. TERRY - FOWLERVILLE MI, US
ROLAND J. MENASSA - MACOMB MI, US
JAN H. AASE - OAKLAND TOWNSHIP MI, US
JEFFREY W. BROWN - LOS GATOS CA, US
WAYNE BROWN - COSTA MESA CA, US
ARAGORN ZOLNO - WHITTIER CA, US
CHRISTOPHER M. BARCLAY - OXFORD MI, US

G01K 5/70

116221, 116216

Malfunction or failure of mechanical, electrical and electro-mechanical equipment, for example equipment used in manufacturing operations, is often preceded by an increase in the operating temperature of at least some portion of the equipment. Some pre-determined temperature, greater than the highest normal operating temperature of the equipment, is presumed or known to be indicative of impending equipment failure if no remedial action is taken. A resettable, temperature-sensitive device, containing a shape memory alloy actuator, pre-selected to operate at the pre-determined temperature, is disclosed. The device is placed in thermal contact with the equipment. If the equipment achieves the pre-determined temperature, the shape memory alloy actuator causes the device to display a flag or provide some other passive visual indication. Alternatively, or additionally, the actuator may trigger an electrically-powered alert including visual or audible alerts or a wireless communication.

2012021, Aug 30, 2012

Dec 30, 2011

13/340897

Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
Nilesh D. Mankame - Ann Arbor MI, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
John Andrew Shaw - Dexter MI, US
Christopher Burton Churchill - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew C. Keefe - Encino CA, US
Guillermo A. Herrera - Winnetka CA, US
Jeffrey W. Brown - Los Gatos CA, US
Richard J. Skurkis - Lake Orion MI, US

F03G 7/06

60528

A shape memory alloy (SMA) heat engine includes a first rotatable pulley, a second rotatable pulley, and an SMA material disposed about the first and second rotatable pulleys and between a hot region and a cold region. A method of starting and operating the SMA heat engine includes detecting a thermal energy gradient between the hot region and the cold region using a controller, decoupling an electrical generator from one of the first and second rotatable pulleys, monitoring a speed of the SMA material about the first and second rotatable pulleys, and re-engaging the driven component if the monitored speed of the SMA material exceeds a threshold. The SMA material may selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite and austenite and between the hot region and the cold region to convert the thermal gradient into mechanical energy.

7992795, Aug 9, 2011

Nov 30, 2007

11/947889

Gary A. Minor - Coppell TX, US
Jeffrey W. Brown - Los Gatos CA, US

Air System Components, Inc. - Richardson TX

G05D 23/02

236103, 236101 R

A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator for engaging and actuating a device. The actuator includes an engagement mechanism, a bias element, and a SMA object(s). The SMA actuator may automatically and passively transfer to a backup or redundant feature that resets or extends the actuator's operational life. In one embodiment, the SMA actuator includes an additional SMA object(s) that replaces the primary SMA object(s) in the event the primary SMA object(s) breaks. The SMA actuator may also be configured to apply a dynamic stress to the SMA object during transition of the object to modify the transition temperatures of the object. The SMA actuator may be part of a fluid distribution system, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and used to control the flow of fluid, such as air, from the distribution system.

2012021, Aug 30, 2012

Dec 30, 2011

13/340892

Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
Nilesh D. Mankame - Ann Arbor MI, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
John Andrew Shaw - Dexter MI, US
Christopher Burton Churchill - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew C. Keefe - Encino CA, US
Geoffrey P. Mc Knight - Los Angeles CA, US
Guillermo A. Herrera - Winnetka CA, US
Jeffrey W. Brown - Los Gatos CA, US
Peter Maxwell Sarosi - Royal Oak MI, US
Richard J. Skurkis - Lake Orion MI, US

F03G 7/06

60527

An energy harvesting system for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a heat engine that operates using a shape memory alloy active material. The shape memory alloy member may be in thermal communication with a hot region at a first temperature and a cold region at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The shape memory alloy material may be configured to selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite to austenite and thereby one of contract and expand in response to the first and second temperatures. A driven component, such as an electric generator, may be selectively coupled with the heat engine through a coupling device, which may be controlled via a controller.

2012021, Aug 30, 2012

Dec 30, 2011

13/340964

Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
John Andrew Shaw - Dexter MI, US
Chirstopher Burton Churchill - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew C. Keffe - Encino CA, US
Geoffrey P. Mc Knight - Los Angeles CA, US
Guillermo A. Herrera - Winnetka CA, US
Jeffrey W. Brown - Los Gatos CA, US
James Ryan Yates - Mission Viejo CA, US

F03G 7/06

60529

A heat engine includes a first rotatable pulley and a second rotatable pulley spaced from the first rotatable pulley. A shape memory alloy (SMA) element is disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at an SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element includes a first wire, a second wire, and a matrix joining the first wire and the second wire. The first wire and the second wire are in contact with the pulleys, but the matrix is not in contact with the pulleys. A timing cable is disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at a timing pulley ratio, which is different than the SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element converts a thermal energy gradient between the hot region and the cold region into mechanical energy.