Patents Examined by Bernard Rojas
  • Patent number: 11705289
    Abstract: A switching device includes: a first and a second fixed contact; a contact bridge; a first movable contact and a second movable contact that are arranged at the contact bridge; a first terminal contact on which the first fixed contact is mounted; and a second terminal contact on which the second fixed contact is mounted. The first fixed contact is in contact with the first movable contact and the second fixed contact is in contact with the second movable contact in a switched-on state of the switching device. The first fixed contact is free of contact with the first movable contact and the second fixed contact is free of contact with the second movable contact in a switched-off state of the switching device. A path of a load current flowing through the contact bridge between the first and second movable contacts in the switched-on state extends in a first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: Lutz Friedrichsen, Volker Lang, Johannes Meissner, Julia Otte, Madeline Philipsohn, Gerd Schmitz, Kai Schroeder, Ute Molitor
  • Patent number: 11697584
    Abstract: A platform includes first and second actuation layers. The first actuation layer includes first and second frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the first and second frames with respect to each other in a first direction. The second actuation layer includes third and fourth frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the third frame and the fourth frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the third frame and the fourth frame with respect to each other in a second direction, different from the first direction. Thereby, the fourth frame of the second actuation layer and the second frame of the first actuation layer are mechanically connected to each other, such that the second actuation layer experiences the movement in the first direction induced by the first actuation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Matthieu Gaudet, Bert Kaiser
  • Patent number: 11685036
    Abstract: A power tool includes a housing and an electric motor supported within the housing. The housing includes a main housing portion that defines a rear opening. The electric motor includes an output shaft supporting a rotor assembly for rotation about a motor axis. The electric motor also includes a stator assembly surrounding the rotor assembly, and a rear end cap. The rear end cap supports a rear motor bearing that rotatably supports the output shaft at a rear end. A portion of the rear end cap resides within the rear opening to close the rear opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Techtronic Cordless GP
    Inventor: Glenn L. Benzing
  • Patent number: 11682513
    Abstract: Electromagnetic actuators are provided, which generate bidirectional linear force output without magnetic bias from current or permanent magnets. Systems and methods based on the electromagnetic actuators are also provided. In particular, an electromagnetic actuator having a shaft, an axial bearing, coil assembly, top and bottom stationary flux returns, and top and bottom magnetic flux sensors to measure flux crossing the respective top and bottom axial air gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: John E. Miesner
  • Patent number: 11676786
    Abstract: A device includes an armature, a coil, and a circuit. The armature is configured to move between a close position that electrically couples the armature to a contact and an open position that is not electrically coupled to the contact. The coil is configured to release a voltage configured to de-magnetize the coil, thereby causing the armature to move from the close position to the open position. The circuit is configured to provide reverse driving current to the coil during a period of time when the armature moves from the close position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew E. Carlson, Kyle B. Adkins, David M. Messersmith
  • Patent number: 11677337
    Abstract: A comb drive for MEMS device includes a stator and a rotor displaceable relative to the stator in a first direction. The stator includes stator comb fingers and the rotor includes rotor comb fingers. The stator comb fingers are coupled to two high impedance nodes to form high impedance node domains arranged in the first direction. The rotor comb fingers are coupled to two oppositely biased electrodes to form oppositely biased domains. Pairs of capacitors with opposite acoustic polarity are respectively formed between the high impedance node domains and the oppositely biased domains. The comb drive of the present invention has increased electrostatic sensitivity for a given unit cell cross-sectional area whilst maintaining an acceptable capacitance and linearity of voltage signal vs displacement. Extra force shim unit cells may be used, which allows for the stiffness between the rotor and stator to be controlled and reduced to zero for a particular displacement range, without impacting sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: AAC Acoustic Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Anup Patel, Yannick Pierre Kervran, Euan James Boyd
  • Patent number: 11664144
    Abstract: Presented are a single coil apparatus and a method of forming. An exemplary apparatus includes solenoid assembly. The solenoid assembly includes a core tube extending along a longitudinal axis. The solenoid assembly further includes a first magnet and a second magnet located outside the core tube, the first magnet spaced along the longitudinal axis from the second magnet, and an excitation coil disposed radially outward of the first magnet and the second magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: G.W. Lisk Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffery Tyler
  • Patent number: 11664143
    Abstract: A Conductor on Molded Barrel (COMB) magnet assembly optimized for High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) materials. The magnet assembly comprises a magnetic coil(s) carried by a conductor support structure and configured in cosine-theta geometry. Created using additive manufacturing, the conductor support structure features a continuous cable channel that fittedly carries and positions elongated straight portion(s) of the magnetic coil(s) parallel to a magnetic axis. The conductor support structure may be cylindrically shaped and longitudinally bored, with the continuous cable channel comprising an outer channel portion (distal on the cylinder) and an inner channel portion (proximal on the cylinder). A transition hole that joins the outer channel portion and the inner channel portion allows a single magnetic coil to be wound along both the outer and inner surfaces of the conductor support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Fermi Research Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: Vadim V. Kashikhin
  • Patent number: 11657995
    Abstract: An electromagnetic relay includes a fixed terminal, a movable contact piece, and a support portion supporting the fixed terminal. The fixed terminal includes a fixed contact, a first terminal portion on which the fixed contact is disposed, a second terminal portion extending from one of both ends of the first terminal portion, a first protrusion disposed on the second terminal portion. The fixed terminal is bent between the first and second terminal portions. The first terminal portion has a first terminal surface opposite to the movable contact piece. The second terminal portion has a second terminal surface connected to the first terminal surface. The support portion has a contact surface contacting the first terminal surface of the first terminal portion, and a first side surface including a first groove where the first protrusion is fitted. The first protrusion is disposed on the second terminal surface of the second terminal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Nishida, Kazuki Furukawa, Naoki Kawaguchi, Takashi Tsukada
  • Patent number: 11657944
    Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board according to the present disclosures includes a base film having an insulating property, and a planar coil disposed on a surface of the base film, wherein a number of turns on an inside of a center point of a coil width of the planar coil in a plan view is greater than a number of turns on an outside of the center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC PRINTED CIRCUITS, INC.
    Inventors: Yukie Tsuda, Yuichi Nakamura, Masanao Yamashita, Koji Nitta, Kou Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11657943
    Abstract: An actuator for controlling the movement of an element between two stable positions with pulsed electrical control without a change in polarity comprises: a ferromagnetic mobile mass, at least one electrically controlled wire coil that is fixed with respect to the mobile mass, at least two ferromagnetic poles that are fixed with respect to the mobile mass and on either side of the mobile mass. The actuator comprises at least one permanent magnet that attracts the mobile mass in order to achieve the two stable positions. The mobile mass defines, with the ferromagnetic poles, at least two variable air gaps during the movement of the mobile apparatus. The magnetic flux of the permanent magnet opposes the magnetic flux generated by the at least one coil regardless of the position of the mobile mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Moving Magnet Technologies
    Inventors: Guillaume Loussert, Stéphane Biwersi
  • Patent number: 11658661
    Abstract: A push button switch assembly for a vehicle includes an elastic button that is moveable between a first unactuated position and a second actuated position. An actuator is disposed adjacent a plate and is pivotable between a first position and a second position. The actuator includes a magnetic element. When the elastic button is in the first unactuated position the magnetic element biases the actuator into the first position, and when the elastic button is moved to the second actuated position, a force applied to the elastic button is transmitted to the actuator such that the force overcomes the magnetic attraction and permits the actuator to pivot to the second position while providing a tactile haptic response. When the actuator is moved to the second position, a hall sensor senses a change in the magnetic field of the magnetic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ARENS CONTROLS COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Roy F. Vollkommer, Andrew A. Vogel
  • Patent number: 11646154
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite component including a metal component having a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially annular shape, and a ring-shaped bonded magnet disposed on the outer periphery of the metal component, the ring-shaped bonded magnet containing a thermoplastic resin, magnetic particles, and rubber particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rie Yoshida, Masahiro Abe, Michiya Kume, Kohei Ihara, Shuichi Tada
  • Patent number: 11636992
    Abstract: An electromagnetic relay includes a pair of fixed terminals, a movable contact piece, and a magnet portion. The pair of fixed terminals includes fixed contact. The movable contact piece that includes a movable contact disposed facing the fixed contact and that is movable in a first direction in which the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and in a second direction in which the movable contact separates from fixed contact. The magnet portion generating a magnetic field for extending an arc generated between the fixed contact and the movable contact. At least one of a corner portion in the first direction side of the fixed terminal located in an arc extension direction in which the arc is extended or a corner portion in the second direction side of the movable contact piece located in the arc extension direction has a chamfered shape in a range where the arc passes through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Otsuka, Ryota Minowa, Hiroyuki Iwasaka, Yasuo Hayashida, Shingo Mori, Naoki Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11631562
    Abstract: A closing spring assembly for an electrical switching device is provided. The closing spring assembly is configured to exert a closing force on a moving contact of the switching device. The closing force helps to maintain physical and electrical contact between the moving contact and an associated stationary contact, so that the moving and stationary contacts form a path for conducing electric current through the switching device. The closing spring assembly is configured so that the closing force remains constant or decreases as the moving contact is driven away from the stationary contact during switching of the current path away from the moving and stationary contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew L. Gottschalk, R. Michael Slepian, Xin Zhou, Santhosh Kumar Chamarajanagar Govinda Nayaka
  • Patent number: 11631561
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to an electrically controlled switch for high current switching operations and with different configurations of fixed terminal contacts that includes a switch body, a couple of moving contacts, a guide that drives the couple of moving contacts up to an abutting position, a housing groove running perimetric in the switch body, and at least one contact bar for connecting each of the moving contact to a respective fixed terminal contact of the switch, wherein the contact bar is hosted within the housing groove and has a free end projecting from the switch body to form the fixed terminal contact through a corresponding aperture of the switch body located on a same lateral side or on opposite lateral sides, or on the base support, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Inventors: Carlo Bossoni, Davide Faioni
  • Patent number: 11626224
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a superconducting coil device comprising: a coil winding with at least one turn of a superconducting strip conductor; wherein the strip conductor has a first main face and a second main face. The coil winding includes a turning region wherein the strip conductor is bent such that, in the turning region, the strip conductor has a distinct change of direction in a longitudinal direction and simultaneously changes the orientation of both the first main face and the second main face with respect to a central axis of the coil device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Tabea Arndt, Marijn Pieter Oomen
  • Patent number: 11621109
    Abstract: A magnetic plug and method of plugging unwanted knockout holes in electrical containment enclosures. The method requires only one hand and is performed without tools. Everything can be done from outside the electrical containment enclosure. The actual plugging step is completed in a few seconds. One of nine invented plugs is selected to best match the nine standardized hole diameters found in electrical containment enclosures. Selecting the correct plug size results in the best fit and feel since perception matters. Savings in time and money is expected to pay back the cost of a plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Victor Manuel Flores
  • Patent number: 11592868
    Abstract: A push switch includes an operating part configured to be pressed in a first direction, an elastic holding member configured to hold the operating part such that the operating part can vibrate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a frame member configured to hold the elastic holding member such that the elastic holding member can vibrate in the second direction, and a vibrator configured to generate a vibration in the second direction, the vibrator being provided in the elastic holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11594383
    Abstract: A circuit interrupter includes: a first fixed terminal including a first fixed contact; a movable contactor which is formed as a separate part from the first fixed terminal and includes a first movable contact; a holding unit configured to hold the movable contactor so that the first movable contact is connected to the first fixed contact; and a squib configured to generate gas by combustion. In the circuit interrupter, pressure of the gas generated by the squib causes movement of the movable contactor in a direction away from the first fixed terminal so that the first movable contact is separated from the first fixed contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Fukuda, Shinya Kimoto, Kenji Kanematsu, Kazuhisa Kinoshita, Masato Nakamura