Patents by Inventor Michael L. Hoopes

Michael L. Hoopes 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).

  • Patent number: 8035947
    Abstract: A surge protection device employing a controlled convection thermal disconnector in which a surge protective component, such as a metal oxide varistor, and a thermally responsive device, such as a thermal cut-off, are placed in separate, cross-ventilated chambers. An internal vent is positioned such that it prevents line-of-sight between the surge protective component and a mechanized portion of the thermally responsive device, in order to protect the thermally responsive device from hot surge protective component emissions from the surge protective component. An output vent is formed between the thermally responsive device and the exterior atmosphere to promote forced convective heat transfer from the surge protective component to the thermally responsive device during a thermal runaway condition, with the expanding gases in the surge protective component chamber providing the transfer impetus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Panamax Corporation
    Inventor: Michael L. Hoopes
  • Publication number: 20090323244
    Abstract: A surge protection device employing a controlled convection thermal disconnector in which a surge protective component, such as a metal oxide varistor, and a thermally responsive device, such as a thermal cut-off, are placed in separate, cross-ventilated chambers. An internal vent is positioned such that it prevents line-of-sight between the surge protective component and a mechanized portion of the thermally responsive device, in order to protect the thermally responsive device from hot surge protective component emissions from the surge protective component. An output vent is formed between the thermally responsive device and the exterior atmosphere to promote forced convective heat transfer from the surge protective component to the thermally responsive device during a thermal runaway condition, with the expanding gases in the surge protective component chamber providing the transfer impetus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: PANAMAX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael L. HOOPES
  • Patent number: 7245470
    Abstract: A circuit and device protects connected equipment from a broad range of unsafe conditions of over-voltage and under-voltage by disconnecting the line voltage before surge protection components, generally MOVs, are damaged from sustained surges. However, nuisance tripping of the protective circuit is avoiding by discriminating surges that are properly handled by the MOVs and components in the load or protective device. Further, the devise are protected from sustained high voltage line conditions, which would ordinarily result in repeated cycling between the on and off states as the line voltages fluctuates slightly at or about the trip threshold, as the circuit has a deliberate hysteresis such that the turn on voltage is about 10 to 20 V lower than the shut off threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Panamax
    Inventor: Michael L. Hoopes
  • Patent number: 6816352
    Abstract: A surge protector utilizing MOVs has a capacitor connecting line input to neutral input that causes thermal fuses to sequentially disconnect the line conductor from the output of the protector under limited current abnormal overvoltages either line to ground or neutral to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Panamax
    Inventor: Michael L. Hoopes
  • Patent number: 6816350
    Abstract: An over-voltage protection circuit for protecting against excessive voltages on the power line, neutral line and ground line. A voltage detection circuit is coupled and monitors the interterminal voltages between the power, neutral and ground lines. A switch circuit, coupled between the power line and load, provides an electrical current path between the power line and load when the voltage detection circuit detects that all of the interterminal voltages are less than a predetermined maximum voltage and the interterminal voltage between the power and neutral line terminals is greater than a predetermined minimum voltage. The switch circuit interrupts this electrical current path when the voltage detection circuit detects that any of the to interterminal voltages is greater than the predetermined maximum voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Hoopes
  • Publication number: 20020126433
    Abstract: A surge protector utilizing MOVs has a capacitor connecting line input to neutral input that causes thermal fuses to sequentially disconnect the line conductor from the output of the protector under limited current abnormal overvoltages either line to ground or neutral to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: PANAMAX
    Inventor: Michael L. Hoopes