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Class 361/233 - Use of forces of electric charge or field


Subclass of Class 361 - Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Definition: Subject matter relating to the utilization of the forces
No. of patents: 256
Last issue date: 04/17/2012


1              
NumberTitleIssue Date
8159809Reconfigurable system that exchanges substrates using coulomb forces to optimize a parameter
A reconfigurable system is described that can optimize the performance of the system. Substrates can be detached, levitated, moved, dropped and reattached as desired by the use of Coulomb forces generate between Coulomb islands. Thus, a system using a first set of s...
04/17/2012
8125755Selectively rigidizable and actively steerable articulatable device
A selectively rigidizable and actively steerable device is described. In one aspect, an articulatable device is described that includes a flexible inner tube having a first lumen, a flexible outer tube that receives the inner tube, and a multiplicity of overlapping,...
02/28/2012
8000080Particle trap
An apparatus and method for trapping particles in a housing is disclosed. A high voltage terminal/structure is situated within a housing. A conductive material, having a plurality of holes, such as a mesh, is disposed a distance away from an interior surface of the ...
08/16/2011
7751171Nanoscale grasping device, method for fabricating the same, and method for operating the same
A nanoscale grasping device comprising at least three electrostatically actuated grasping elements, wherein the nanoscale grasping device may be used to more accurately grasp an object, more easily hold an object in a defined location or orientation and more readily...
07/06/2010
7532451Electrostatic fluid acclerator for and a method of controlling fluid flow
An electrostatic fluid acceleration and method of operation thereof includes at least two synchronously powered stages with final or rear-most electrodes of one stage maintained at substantially the same instantaneous voltage as the immediately adjacent initial or f...
05/12/2009
7529075Systems and methods involving electric-field cages
A representative system for providing an electric field comprises an electrically insulated frame, guard members and endplates. The frame incorporates a top, a bottom, opposing sides and opposing ends, with the sides extending between the top and the bottom. Each of...
05/05/2009
7438747Negative ion generator
A negative ion generator includes: a flat dielectric layer having a planar surface; a plurality of conductive lines that are attached to the planar surface of the dielectric layer, and that define a plurality of ion-discharging points, respectively; and a high volta...
10/21/2008
7430104Electrostatic chuck for wafer metrology and inspection equipment
An electrostatic chuck is configured for electrostatically securing a wafer while limiting charge on the wafer and physical contact between the electrostatic chuck and the wafer. The electrostatic chuck has a pair of electrodes and at least one support pin electrica...
09/30/2008
7411772Casimir effect conversion
Techniques in which a 1st force, field, or effect caused by a Casimir effect is converted into a 2nd force, field, or effect. The 1st force, field, or effect might be distinct from the 2nd force, field, or effect only in t...
08/12/2008
7379286Quantum vacuum energy extraction
A system is disclosed for converting energy from the electromagnetic quantum vacuum available at any point in the universe to usable energy in the form of heat, electricity, mechanical energy or other forms of power. By suppressing electromagnetic quantum vacuum ene...
05/27/2008
7375947Method of feedback control of ESC voltage using wafer voltage measurement at the bias supply output
In a plasma reactor having an electrostatic chuck, wafer voltage is determined from RF measurements at the bias input using previously determined constants based upon transmission line properties of the bias input, and this wafer voltage is used to accurately contro...
05/20/2008
7369393Electrostatic chucks having barrier layer
An electrostatic chuck for supporting a semiconductor wafer, including: a chuck body having a dielectric region and an insulating region, the insulating region having a higher electrical resistivity than the dielectric region, an electrode embedded in the chuck body...
05/06/2008
7355258Method and apparatus for bending electrostatic switch
An electronic circuit is formed by closely spacing metallic gate and drain interconnects to a flexible portion of a source interconnect. A gate voltage results in electrostatic attraction and lateral mechanical movement of the flexible source interconnect portion an...
04/08/2008
7354787Electrode design and positioning for controlled movement of a moveable electrode and associated support structure
A MEMS system including a fixed electrode and a suspended moveable electrode that is controllable over a wide range of motion. In traditional systems where an fixed electrode is positioned under the moveable electrode, the range of motion is limited because the supp...
04/08/2008
7352554Method for fabricating a Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic wafer clamp
The present invention is directed to a J-R electrostatic clamp (ESC) and method for forming same. The ESC comprises a ceramic layer for clamping a wafer thereto, and a plurality of electrodes arranged across the ceramic layer in an interior region and a peripheral r...
04/01/2008
7346981Method for fabricating microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices
A process for fabricating a MEMS device comprises the steps of depositing and patterning on one side of a wafer a layer of material having a preselected electrical resistivity; bonding a substrate to the one side of the wafer using an adhesive bonding agent, the sub...
03/25/2008
7339714Variable blazed grating based signal processing
A light processing system includes an array of optical signal processing devices. The array of processing devices are operable to receive at least some of a first signal part and to modulate the first signal part based at least in part on a control signal received f...
03/04/2008
7324772Point-of-load design for high voltage AC power supplies
An electrophotographic document production device having a transformerless high voltage power supply located distal to its load and a transformer at the point of load. ...
01/29/2008
7309056Dual pedestal shut-off valve
Integrated micro-valve is formed to control fluid flow and pressure. The valve converts supplied energy to mechanical energy through a means for energy conversion resident above a flexible wall or membrane. In one embodiment a sealed cavity contains a fluid that exp...
12/18/2007
7304556Buckling actuator
A buckling actuator has a connecting section of a supporting beam that is provided with a rotatable supporter for allowing a movable member to be stably maintained at one of two switch positions. A substrate, stationary members, rotatable supporters, and supporting ...
12/04/2007
7291058Method and apparatus for improving media flow
The flow of media in shot peening, blast cleaning, and similar equipment is improved by applying a time varying magnetic field to the media to thereby degauss the media, allowing the media to flow through equipment without clogging and clumping due to magnetic attra...
11/06/2007
7291271Meso-frequency traveling wave electro-kinetic continuous adsorption system
The invention provides a non-cyclic, meso-frequency traveling wave electro-kinetic system capable of use in purification/separation and/or refrigeration/heat pump processes. In particular, the invention provides an adsorption system that can be used for fine or bulk...
11/06/2007
7289310Adjustable static current discharging bracelet
An adjustable static current discharging bracelet includes a main body of inverse U-shaped section, a medium static current collector under the top of the main body and riveted to a protruding rod, a positioning device under the medium static current collector, a lo...
10/30/2007
7286764Reconfigurable modulator-based optical add-and-drop multiplexer
An optical add and drop multiplexer system comprising a first module for providing a first signal; a second module for providing a second signal; and a modulator for receiving a channel of the first signal at a first location, the first location configured to actuat...
10/23/2007
7283023Electrostatic micro-switch for components with low operating voltages
The invention relates to an electrostatic micro-switch intended to connect two conductor paths (4, 5) placed on a support, the connection between the two conductor paths being created by means of a contact stud (6) fitted to the distortion means (3
10/16/2007
7283346Electrostatic chuck and its manufacturing method
An electrode pattern of an electrostatic chuck includes linear portions in a radial direction and a plurality of concentric C-shaped portions branching out from the linear portions. The linear portions are disposed opposite to each other in a diametrical direction a...
10/16/2007
7280015Metal contact RF MEMS single pole double throw latching switch
Apparatus for a micro-electro-mechanical switch that provides single pole, double throw switching action. The switch has two input lines and two output lines. The switch has a seesaw cantilever arm with contacts at each end that electrically connect the input lines ...
10/09/2007
7259955Electrostatic holding device and electrostatic tweezers using the same
An electrostatic holding device (100) in which an electrode group (103) having a plurality of electrodes covered with an insulating material (102) is used as a holding surface applies predetermined voltage to the electrode group (103) to ...
08/21/2007
7242273RF-MEMS switch and its fabrication method
The MEMS switch comprises a first anchor formed over a substrate, a first spring connected to the first anchor, an upper electrode which is connected to the first spring and makes a motion above the substrate, elastically deforming the first spring, a lower electrod...
07/10/2007
7238902Slider
The present invention provides a slider which is less likely to cause a drastic change in a contact state such as instantaneous disconnection. The slider according to the present invention has teeth 13 of a comb shaped like a narrow sheet being rectangular in...
07/03/2007
7236344Ionic flow generator for thermal management
The apparatus for generating ionic flow of media includes a DC voltage supply having a positive terminal and a negative terminal with a collector connected to the negative terminal of the direct current voltage supply. The collector has a substantially tubular confi...
06/26/2007
7227284Alignment apparatus and exposure apparatus using the same
An alignment apparatus which generates a driving force between a plate-like movable element and a stator facing the movable element to control alignment of the movable element. The apparatus includes movable element magnets which are arrayed in a plate-like plane of...
06/05/2007
7221553Substrate support having heat transfer system
A support for a substrate processing chamber has upper and lower walls that are joined by a peripheral sidewall to define a reservoir. A fluid inlet supplies a heat transfer fluid to the reservoir. In one version, a plurality of protrusions extends into the reservoi...
05/22/2007
7215527MEMS digital-to-acoustic transducer with error cancellation
An acoustic transducer comprising a substrate; and a diaphragm formed by depositing a micromachined membrane onto the substrate. The diaphragm is formed as a single silicon chip using a CMOS MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) semiconductor fabrication process. Th...
05/08/2007
7214324Technique for manufacturing micro-electro mechanical structures
A technique for manufacturing a micro-electro mechanical structure includes a number of steps. Initially, a cavity is formed into a first side of a handling wafer, with a sidewall of the cavity forming a first angle greater than about 54.7 degrees with respect to a ...
05/08/2007
7211923Rotational motion based, electrostatic power source and methods thereof
A power system includes a member with two or more sections and at least one pair of electrodes. Each of the two or more sections has a stored static charge. Each of the pair of electrodes is spaced from and on substantially opposing sides of the member from the othe...
05/01/2007
7199508Coaxial flexible piezoelectric cable polarizer, polarizing method, defect detector, and defect detecting method
The invention provides a defect inspecting apparatus and a defect detecting method for specifying a position of a defect before polarization when the defect is included in a coaxial flexible piezoelectric member. Further, when a piezoelectric tube is moved in polari...
04/03/2007
7199994Method and system for flattening a reticle within a lithography system
For clamping a reticle within a lithography system, a first area in the center of the reticle is clamped to a chuck of the lithography system at a first time point. In addition, a second area toward an outer perimeter of the reticle is clamped to the chuck at a seco...
04/03/2007
7190245Multi-stable micro electromechanical switches and methods of fabricating same
A micro electromechanical (MEMS) switch suitable for use in medical devices is provided, along with methods of producing and using MEMS switches. In one aspect, a micro electromechanical switch including a moveable member configured to electrically cooperate with a ...
03/13/2007
7183637Microelectronic mechanical system and methods
The current invention provides for encapsulated release structures, intermediates thereof and methods for their fabrication. The multi-layer structure has a capping layer, that preferably comprises silicon oxide and/or silicon nitride, and which is formed over an et...
02/27/2007
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