Patents by Inventor Thomas Gary O'Keeffe

Thomas Gary O'Keeffe 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: 6980069
    Abstract: A method and magnetic trip unit for actuating a latching mechanism to trip a circuit breaker upon an overcurrent condition, the magnetic trip unit including: a first electrically conductive strap configured to conduct an electrical current; a first magnet yoke disposed proximate to the first electrically conductive strap; and a first armature pivotally disposed proximate to the first magnetic yoke in operable communication with the latching mechanism; the first armature providing a magnetic path having a reluctance to magnetic flux; and the reluctance is adjusted to prevent saturation of the magnetic flux when the current through the strap is a first number times a rated current of the circuit breaker and the reluctance is adjusted to promote saturation of magnetic flux when the current through the strap is a second number times the rated current of the circuit breaker, wherein the first number is a number smaller than the second number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Gary O'Keeffe, Christian Daehler, Biranchi Narayana Sahu, Varma Dantuluri
  • Patent number: 6794963
    Abstract: A magnetic trip unit for actuating a latching mechanism to trip a circuit breaker upon an overcurrent condition, the magnetic trip unit includes: a flux return component in electromagnetic communication with an electrically conductive strap; a tube disposed within the flux return component; a stator disposed at a first end of the tube and connected to the flux return component, the stator having a stator surface at one end; and a plunger slidably extending from a second end of the tube, the plunger comprises a plunger surface at one end facing the stator surface, the plunger further includes another end adapted to operably interact with the latching mechanism, the plunger is biased to a predetermined gap position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Gary O'Keeffe, Christian Daehler, Shridhar Champaknath Nath, Anitha Bochala
  • Publication number: 20030201857
    Abstract: A magnetic trip unit for actuating a latching mechanism to trip a circuit breaker upon an overcurrent condition, the magnetic trip unit includes: a flux return component in electromagnetic communication with an electrically conductive strap; a tube disposed within the flux return component; a stator disposed at a first end of the tube and connected to the flux return component, the stator having a stator surface at one end; and a plunger slidably extending from a second end of the tube, the plunger comprises a plunger surface at one end facing the stator surface, the plunger further includes another end adapted to operably interact with the latching mechanism, the plunger is biased to a predetermined gap position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas Gary O'Keeffe, Christian Daehler, Shridhar Champaknath Nath, Anitha Bochala
  • Publication number: 20030197581
    Abstract: A method and magnetic trip unit for actuating a latching mechanism to trip a circuit breaker upon an overcurrent condition, the magnetic trip unit including: a first electrically conductive strap configured to conduct an electrical current; a first magnet yoke disposed proximate to the first electrically conductive strap; and a first armature pivotally disposed proximate to the first magnetic yoke in operable communication with the latching mechanism; the first armature providing a magnetic path having a reluctance to magnetic flux; and the reluctance is adjusted to prevent saturation of the magnetic flux when the current through the strap is a first number times a rated current of the circuit breaker and the reluctance is adjusted to promote saturation of magnetic flux when the current through the strap is a second number times the rated current of the circuit breaker, wherein the first number is a number smaller than the second number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas Gary O'Keeffe, Christian Daehler, Biranchi Narayana Sahu, Varma Dantuluri
  • Patent number: 6446027
    Abstract: An intelligent analysis apparatus and method for fluid filled electrical equipment includes sensors for measuring various parameters of the electrical equipment. Analytical models calculate parameters based on measurements of other parameters. The measured and calculated parameters are compared and the result of the comparison is used as an indicator in a causal network. The probabilities of the causal network are recalculated by a belief network. The analytical models are adjusted over time to account for acceptable changes in behavior of the equipment over time. The output of the causal network can be used for diagnostic and prognostic indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Prolec-ge. S. de R.L. de C.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Gary O'Keeffe, Gregory Dennis Coulter, Steven Hector Azzaro, Vinay Bhaskar Jammu, Edward Brittain Stokes, John Charles Crouse, Alfonso M. Delgado Cruz, Enrique Betancourt