Patents by Inventor Carol Z. Howard
Carol Z. Howard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6098943Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a unit incorporating a lighting control motion switch therein to either a wall or to a ceiling. Disclosed is the mounting of a unit housing the lighting control motion switch to either a wall or ceiling through the intermediary of a novel clip-on mounting bracket, subsequent to securing the clip-on bracket to the wall or ceiling. In order to provide the novel mounting arrangement for readily mounting the entire unit to either a ceiling or to a wall, there is provided the clip-on bracket structure which includes an inverted U-shaped element adapted to be inserted through a recess formed in the back of the back housing portion and to pass upwardly through an aperture in the upper end of the recess into contact with the inner surface of the rear wall thereof.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 1998Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Carol Z. Howard, Ward E. Strang
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Patent number: 5813868Abstract: An arrangement for accurately positioning a spring arm of a contact element on a mating component, such as a printed circuit board. More particularly, disclosed is an electrical contact spring arm which incorporates structure for accurately positioning the electrical contact element spring arm structure in slots formed in a printed circuit board or suitable support in a rapid and highly accurately positioned automatic manner.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1997Date of Patent: September 29, 1998Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard, Thomas M. McDonald
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Patent number: 5744754Abstract: A strain relief arrangement for electrical wires or cables and, more particularly, an electrical receptacle or housing incorporating an integral strain relief arrangement for electrical transmission cables or wires. The electrical receptacle has a rear wall structure including holes or apertures for the passage therethrough of electrical wires or cables, and in which each of the holes possesses a configuration adapted to incorporate a strain relief arrangement for the electrical wires or cables.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1997Date of Patent: April 28, 1998Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard
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Patent number: 5661623Abstract: A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) line cord plug utilizes an electronically latched relay, rather than a circuit breaker or other type of mechanical latching device, to interrupt the AC load power when a ground fault condition occurs. In order to reduce the size of the relay and minimize the cost and complexity of the GFCI plug, the fixed and movable relay contact structures are mounted directly to the circuit board which carries the remaining components of the GFCI circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the fixed relay contact structures are integral with the plug blades of the GFCI plug. The movable relay contact structures preferably comprise deflectable spring arms which are preloaded when the relay contacts are in the open position in order to control the contact gap, and which are deflected past the point of contact closure when the relay contacts are in the closed position in order to increase the closing force.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1995Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Hubbell CorporationInventors: Thomas M. McDonald, Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard
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Patent number: 5572406Abstract: An electrical receptacle assembly with an enhanced heat dissipation arrangement includes a housing having a front side with plug contact receiving openings and a rear side spaced from the front side, a circuitboard mounted in the housing between the front and rear sides thereof and spaced from the rear side, a plurality of varistors mounted to the circuitboard and disposed between the circuitboard and the rear side of the housing, and a mounting bridge fitted over the exteriors of the rear side and top and bottom ends of the housing for mounting the housing to an outlet box and providing a heat sink for dissipating from the housing heat generated by the varistors. The varistors are mounted to the circuitboard in the housing on the front side thereof opposite to the rear side where the electrical components are mounted to the circuitboard.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 1995Date of Patent: November 5, 1996Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard, Thomas M. McDonald
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Patent number: 5484309Abstract: An electrical receptacle assembly, such as for employment in a surge suppression unit, includes a generally rectangular two-piece housing having a front cover and a back cover separate from and mateable with the front cover, a generally U-shaped mounting bridge fitted over opposite top and bottom portions of the mated front and back covers, and a plurality of pairs of securement elements respectively defined on opposite top and bottom portions of the front and back covers and on opposite portions of the mounting bridge being disposed adjacent to the opposite top and bottom portions of the front and back covers. Selected ones of the pairs of securement elements on the front and back covers are interference fittable and latchable with selected ones of the pairs of securement elements on the mounting bridge for releasably securing the mated front and back covers to the mounting bridge.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1994Date of Patent: January 16, 1996Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Carol Z. Howard, Ward E. Strang
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Patent number: 5442151Abstract: A compression seal assembly includes an elongated annular wall defining a passageway in a housing of a device, a push button disposed in the passageway, and an annular flange flexibly attached to the push button and compressed by the annular wall against a stationary wall to define a hermetic seal surrounding the push button. The annular wall has an outer end connected to an annular portion on the housing which defines an opening which is axially aligned with the passageway of the annular wall. The annular wall has an inner end which is spaced through a predetermined distance from a surface in the interior cavity of the housing. The push button has a body portion extending through the passageway of the annular wall and being movable relative thereto. The body portion of the push button has an upper end disposed adjacent to the housing opening and a lower end disposed adjacent to and spaced from the surface in the interior cavity of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1994Date of Patent: August 15, 1995Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard
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Patent number: 5367293Abstract: A mechanically actuatable assembly for disabling an alarm device includes a guide housing positioned stationarily relative to the alarm device to be disabled and defining an interior guide passageway axially aligned with an active portion of the alarm device which functions in response to a predetermined interaction to disable the alarm device, an internal thread structure in the housing protruding into the interior guide passageway, and an elongated actuatable member having an external thread structure complementary to the internal thread structure and rotatably interfitted therewith such that the actuatable member is axially and rotatably movable relative to the housing and in opposite directions along the guide passageway between a reset position wherein the actuatable member is displaced from the active portion of the alarm device and an actuate position wherein the actuatable member interacts with the active portion of the alarm device to cause disabling of the same.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 1993Date of Patent: November 22, 1994Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Carol Z. Howard, Thomas J. Batko
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Patent number: D358368Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1993Date of Patent: May 16, 1995Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: Carol Z. Howard, Ward E. Strang