An overvoltage/overcurrent electrostatic discharge protection single circuit structure for Integrated Circuits protects on all paths and... Show moreAn overvoltage/overcurrent electrostatic discharge protection single circuit structure for Integrated Circuits protects on all paths and polarities between In/Out, Supply, and Ground pins. The structure is built on the chip substrate with an N well with three P Diffusions therein each containing N+ and P+ diffusions therein to form 6 transistors and 8 parasitic resistors to yield 5 thyristors. The structure provides very fast, symmetrical, full protection while using minimal chip area. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
An x-ray source for producing a uniformly intense area x-ray beam. The x-ray source includes a vacuum chamber. An area electron emitter is... Show moreAn x-ray source for producing a uniformly intense area x-ray beam. The x-ray source includes a vacuum chamber. An area electron emitter is disposed at a first end of the vacuum chamber. A target material is disposed at a second end of the vacuum chamber and spaced apart from the area electron emitter. The area electron emitter and the target material are correspondingly shaped and/or correspondingly curved. The x-ray source also includes at least one high voltage power source. The area electron emitter is electrically connected to a negative pole of one of the at least one high voltage power source and the target electrically connected to a positive pole of one of the at least one high voltage power source. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
An apparatus for solid state shear extrusion pulverization of a polymeric material comprising an elongated hollow barrel having a feed zone, a... Show moreAn apparatus for solid state shear extrusion pulverization of a polymeric material comprising an elongated hollow barrel having a feed zone, a heating zone adjacent to the feed zone, a powder formation zone adjacent to the heating zone, and a powder discharge zone adjacent to the powder formation zone. At least one screw is housed within the elongated hollow barrel. A hopper is provided for feeding the polymeric material into the feed zone of the elongated hollow barrel. Barrel heaters and coolers are provided for heating the polymeric material to a temperature less than its decomposition temperature in the heating zone and for maintaining the polymeric material below its melting point in the powder formation zone. The screw comprises a high shear screw section for applying normal and shear forces within the powder formation zone to form a powder of the solid state polymeric material. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
Retroreflective glass or plastic beads have fluorescent properties when irradiated with ultraviolet light and are emplaced in signs in... Show moreRetroreflective glass or plastic beads have fluorescent properties when irradiated with ultraviolet light and are emplaced in signs in patterns indicative of alphanumeric characters, or embedded in a hot melt comprising road stripes or embedded in the road asphalt or aggregate during construction of the road, to provide effectively bright and clear indications of signs or the extent and direction of the road. The glass beads comprise spherodized soda lime, borosilicate, phosphosilicate or aluminosilicate glasses with low levels of rare-earth dopants mixed therein, such as compounds containing one of the rare earths, or lanthanides. The plastic beads may have fluorescent materials mixed therein, typically organic pigments or dyes based on coumarin and rhodamine or the like. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A method for producing crystals and for screening crystallization conditions of chemical materials on distinct metallic islands with specific... Show moreA method for producing crystals and for screening crystallization conditions of chemical materials on distinct metallic islands with specific functional groups by using multi-functional substrates comprising a plurality of self-assembled monolayers having at least two different functionalities, for preparing and screening conditions necessary to promote specific polymorphs of a crystal, and a means for testing and screening the more precise conditions suitable for achieving desired sizes or forms of a crystal. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A monitoring system for chemical shipments having an apparatus for detection of a leak from a shipment vessel having a shroud. A first... Show moreA monitoring system for chemical shipments having an apparatus for detection of a leak from a shipment vessel having a shroud. A first chemical sensor is in communication with a chamber of the shroud for detecting the presence of a substance leaking from the vessel. A second sensor is in communication with the ambient environment surrounding the shroud. A monitoring circuit in communication with the first chemical sensor and the second chemical sensor monitors a first chemical sensor output and a second chemical sensor output and signals an information unit dependant on the increase of at least one of the first and second chemical sensors. The information unit emits a signal to an alarm or output device in response to an increase of the magnitude and/or rate of increase of at least one of the first chemical sensor output and the second chemical sensor output. A physical sensor can be in combination with the monitoring circuit. The information unit can be a remote information unit to which the monitoring circuit signals by wireless communication means. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
An electro-mechanical drive train for a hybrid electric vehicle. The electro-mechanical drive train includes a housing and a pinion shaft... Show moreAn electro-mechanical drive train for a hybrid electric vehicle. The electro-mechanical drive train includes a housing and a pinion shaft having a first end disposed within the housing and a second end in communication with a combustion engine. A differential is disposed within the housing and in combination with the end of the pinion shaft. An electric motor is also disposed within the housing and in actuating combination with the pinion shaft. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A system and method for the controlled in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations involves the application of... Show moreA system and method for the controlled in situ heat processing of hydrocarbonaceous earth formations involves the application of electromagnetic energy at a selected frequency or at selected frequencies to a waveguide structure formed by electrodes bounding a particular volume of hydrocarbonaceous material. Terminating one end of the structure with different impedances at different times produces electric field standing waves of different respective phase at that end at a selected frequency. Two standing waves substantially 90.degree. out of phase in formations having relatively uniform dielectric properties result in substantially uniform application of heating power if the product of the amplitude-squared of the electric field standing wave and dwell time is substantially the same in each of the two modes. Feeding the line at both ends provides partial offset for attenuation. Various desired controlled heating patterns other than uniform may be effected by utilizing different dwell times or applied fields. Different frequencies provide further flexibility, particularly where the line is terminated differently at the respective frequencies. Energy at the different frequencies may be applied simultaneously. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less