Patents by Inventor Peter Hilfiker

Peter Hilfiker 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: 6372989
    Abstract: An equipment carrier for electric installation equipment which is connectable, such as by bus bars, with a mounting support for the equipment carrier that includes an adapter lower portion that is connectable with the mounting support and an adapter upper portion, that serves for the reception of at least one installation equipment whereby the adapter lower and upper portions are formed as separate, connectable components as well as an adapter lower portion of a defined construction size being connectable with adapter upper portions of differing sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation AG
    Inventors: Karl Rischard, Peter Hilfiker, Jorg Mathiowetz, Emil Fuchs, Markus Muller
  • Patent number: 6034584
    Abstract: The arrangement for mechanically coupling an overload relay (1) to a contactor (2, 15) is suitable for use with a contactor (2) having connection terminals (11) with wire cages (17) as well as with a contactor (15) having connection terminals (16) with pressure plate claws (12). In order to allow mechanical coupling for both types of connection terminals (11, 16), the coupling cutout in the base of the contactor (2, 15) contains a central cutout (7) and two slots (8, 9) on both sides of the central cutout (7), which are aligned in the pick-up direction of the connection terminals (11, 16). The central cutout (7) is provided to accept the entire end section of the hook (3), and both the slots (8, 9) accept only the flat end section (4) that lies behind the latch element (5) of the hook (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, LLC
    Inventor: Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 5933064
    Abstract: A contactor includes an upper housing (1) for contact parts and a lower bobbin (5) that bears a coil and can be placed therein in an initial position or in a position displaced by 180 degrees. The coil terminals (6, 7) lie next to each other on one side of the bobbin (5). Before the assembly of the bobbin (5) in the housing (1, 4), at least two male parts (2, 3) comprising terminal pins, and at least one female part (8, 9) comprising a hole that is intended to receive one of the male parts (2 or 3), are molded on at the areas that will subsequently border each other. In order to arrange the coil terminals (6, 7) on one side of the contactor, the male part (2 or 3) that does not act in conjunction with a female part (8, 9) in this position must be broken off prior to assembly. In order to arrange the coil terminals (6, 7) on the other side of the contactor that is turned away by 180 degrees, the other male part (2 or 3) must be broken off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, LLC
    Inventor: Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 4843196
    Abstract: A mode switching or conversion device for selectively altering the operating mode of an electrical switch or other piece of equipment comprises an actuator or locking member rotatable about an axis of rotation which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the housing wall of the electrical switch. The actuator is positionally retained in an opening of this housing wall by means of a bayonet catch or joint. This actuator or locking member is provided with an axially elastic spring or resilient bracket provided with latching cams or lugs which can latch in different positions thereof into latching recesses or pockets of a latching base member of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Sprecher & Schuh AG
    Inventors: Josef Bissig, Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 4816798
    Abstract: An electrical protection switch, or circuit breaker, includes a movable contact part rotatably seated on a bolt which is secured to a leg of a mount. The other leg of the mount lies against a flange of a coil member which forms a portion of a magnetic release means. Two retaining elements extending parallel to one another and mutually spaced apart project from this flange. The retaining elements accept one leg of the mount therebetween and are provided with resilient tongues which press against the leg of the mount lying against the flange and, thus, press the leg against the flange. Fastening of the mount having the movable contact part to the magnetic release means, or coil member, is performed simply by slipping the mount onto the coil member by a snap-in connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Sprecher and Schuh AG
    Inventors: Peter Hilfiker, Willy Feller, Hans Luethy
  • Patent number: 4745389
    Abstract: A protection switch, or a circuit breaker, includes a bimetallic element provided with a heating winding to form a portion of a structural unit insertable into an upper housing part, said structural unit further including a carrier connected to the bimetallic unit and having a connecting terminal extending from the carrier. The structural unit also including a terminal element connected to the heating winding and having an arc runner continuation, as well as carrying a contact piece of the switch contact. Continuations are provided for positioning the structural unit in a housing, the continuations engaging into guide grooves rigidly provided in the housing. The terminal element, in the region of the contact piece, is pressed against the housing stop and the carrier includes a fork-like free end embracing a catch rib of the housing. The bimetallic element is correctly positioned upon insertion of the structural unit into the housing so that readjustment is not necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Sprecher + Schuh AG
    Inventors: Willy Feller, Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 4686599
    Abstract: The motor protection switch comprises a movable contact piece being manually movable by way of an actuator, which includes actuator buttons. The contact piece can be brought in and out of contact with a resting contact piece. The motor protection switch can also be released by overload current or short circuit current. A retracting or pullback mechanism with two settings settable from outside are provided for the actuator. In the first setting the pullback mechanism will hold the actuator in a trip position between the "on" and the "off" position after overload tripping or short circuit tripping has occurred. In the second setting the pullback mechanism will allow direct movement of the actuator from said "on" position into said "off" position after overload tripping or short circuit tripping has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Sprecher & Schuh AG
    Inventor: Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 4580117
    Abstract: A rocking beam is movable into an "on" and an "off" position by actuating means which actuate linkage means and work against the force of a spring urging the beam into an intermediate trip-position. Through a guide surface the beam actuates a toggle assembly composed of two toggle levers linked by a toggle joint and having distal joints linked with a contact actuating lever and a pawl lever, respectively. When the pawl lever is restrained by the ratchet, the movement of the toggle joint caused by moving the actuating means into the "on" or "off" position results only in the opening and closing of contacts through a movement of their actuating lever. A readiness for switching on can be obtained by resetting the actuating means from the trip-position into the "off" position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: Sprecher & Schuh AG
    Inventors: Peter Hilfiker, Ladislav Mirocha