Patents Represented by Attorney John A. Haug
  • Patent number: 4990830
    Abstract: A three pole relay is shown which operates in response to the flow of normal operating current across fluorescent lamps to energizes a coil which actuates a relay to open switches disposed in all of the filament lines associated with the lamp to shut off filament current while maintaining current flow across the lamps themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen P. Geishecker
  • Patent number: 4982351
    Abstract: A universal sensor has a selectively scaled condition responsive element such as a capacitive pressure transducer mounted on a common support with signal conditioning means embodied in an integrated circuit to provide a control signal precisely corresponding to a sensed condition. Electrically actuatable means on the support are incorporated in the circuit for low cost, mass producible calibration of the circuit and condition-responsive element relative to each other after assembly on the common support. Preferably, a capacitive pressure transducer, and a reference capacitor are arranged in a charge-locked loop relation with a common node while an array of switches cycles the voltage across the transducer and reference capacitors with opposite transitions with a predetermined frequency so change in transducer capacitance results in a differential voltage at the common node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith W. Kawate, Anthony J. Sabetti
  • Patent number: 4981450
    Abstract: A high reliability low cost connector has flat retainers blanked from an electrically conductive sheet metal and inserted into an opening in an electrically insulating body. Each retainer has a post at one end extending from an opening at one side of the body and has a pair of integral wings spaced from each other in a plane at its opposite end disposed in the opening at an opposite side of the body. Spring clips are blanked and formed from an electrically conductive sheet metal spring material and are inserted into the body openings so loop portions of the clips fit between the pairs of retainer wings in each opening and are biased into resilient electrical engagement with the retainer wings. Each clip preferably has two pairs of juxtaposed spring leaves integral with the loop spaced at 90.degree. relative to each other around a common axis to grip a terminal inserted between the spring leaves. The loops are also formed with interruptions in each loop in a common location between two adjacent spring leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Amedeo Salvatore
  • Patent number: 4976617
    Abstract: A screw driver system particularly adapted for use in placement and removal of dental implant screws is shown to comprise a forceps holder having distal pincer portions adapted to firmly engage the head of a screw driver at an optimal angle to permit improved visibility of the work area and access thereto when the system is placed in the mouth of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Inventor: Joseph E. Carchidi
  • Patent number: 4972717
    Abstract: A pressure responsive variable capacitive transducer is shown in which a flat flexible diaphragm having a capacitor plate disposed thereon is mounted overlying a recess in a substrate having a capacitor plate disposed on the surface of the recess so that the plates are spaced apart a selected distance determined by the depth of the recess. In one embodiment a glass seal is located between the diaphragm and the substrate inwardly of the outer perimeter of the diaphragm while in a second embodiment a glass seal is located outwardly from the outer perimeter of the diaphragm. The substrate is formed with bores adapted to receive electrical connection pins. Electrically conductive traces extend from electrically conductive layers to wells formed in the substrate contiguous with the bores to provide a gradual transition for the traces and an electrically conductive epoxy is infilled to electrically connect the pins to the traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Southworth, James L. Tomlinson, James P. McAndrews
  • Patent number: 4967706
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine of the injection type comprises a cylinder (1) which is provided with an inlet channel (4) with inlet valve (5). An inlet tube (2) with fuel injector (3) is fixed on this inlet channel. A heating element with a heat sink (11, 12), electrical resistance means (16) and current supply means (14, 17, 18, 20) projects into the inlet channel of the cylinder. In order to avoid cold spot problems, the heating element (11 to 16) is not fitted in a thermally insulated manner, and is integrated in a plate (6) which is clamped between the inlet tube (2) and the head of the cylinder (1). The electrical resistance means (16) are provided in a chamber (11) whose top face forms part of the heat sink. A cylindrically curved wall (12) preferably connects to the chamber (11) and is connected to this plate by means of material bridges (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gustaaf L. Van Wechem, Arie Van Der Ploeg, Gerrit J. Beunk, Juergen Henke, Erwin Spinner, Peter Frueh
  • Patent number: 4967042
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a printed wiring board system including a printed wiring board having an electrical conductor on one surface thereof, a pair of apertures extending through the printed wiring board, an electrically conductive jumper extending through the apertures and beyond the surfaces of the printed wiring board surrounding the apertures, the portions of the jumpers extending beyond the electrical conductor carrying surface being positioned along the surface of the board and substantially parallel thereto, solder being disposed over each of the portions of the jumpers extending beyond the conductor carrying surface, the solder extending over the entire region between the portions. The additional solder build up between and around the jumpers substantially increase the current carrying capacity of the jumper and metal trace combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Glen C. Shepherd, Dirk Warriner, Charles F. Starks
  • Patent number: 4963716
    Abstract: An air heater mounted in an elongated ventilation slot located beneath a window of a land, sea or air vehicle has a plurality of self-regulating ceramic heater tablets having a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) positioned between two metal strips and fastened thereto in thermally and electrically conductive relation.Heat exchangers comprising sheet metal fins with baffles are secured in electrically and thermally conductive relation to the opposite sides of the strips so that the baffles introduce turbulence into the air flowing over the strips. Other metal strips having electrical terminals are thermally and electrically connected to the fins opposite the first named strips for energizing the heater tablets. The PTC tablets are spaced to define flow passages therebetween so that the air flowing through the ventilation slot passes over the heat exchangers, plates and tablets for rapidly withdrawing heat from the tablets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Fredrik M. N. Van Den Elst, Hendrikus Velten
  • Patent number: 4951025
    Abstract: An electrical outlet receptacle is shown having a thermally responsive switch disposed within the receptacle thermally coupled to components of the receptacle and adapted to interrupt power thereto upon the occurrence of overload or overtemperature conditions in the environs of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Francis Finnegan, Anthony Azzara
  • Patent number: 4950972
    Abstract: An automatic alternator is coupled to both a step up and a step down transformer. The outputs from the transformer are rectified and connected respectively to a windshield heater and to a circuit comprising the normal 14 volt car loads and the battery. A switch is coupled to the output of the step up transformer to control the energization of the windshield heater. Output leads from the alternator also bypass the transformer and are rectified with its DC output connected through switched to a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity heater and to the normal car load circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Peter G. Berg
  • Patent number: 4951236
    Abstract: A universal sensor has a selectively scaled condition responsive element such as a capacitive pressure transducer mounted on a common support with signal conditioning means embodied in an integrated circuit to provide a control signal precisely corresponding to a sensed condition. Electrically actuatable means on the support are incorporated in the circuit for low cost, mass producible calibration of the circuit and condition-responsive element relative to each other after assembly on the common support. Preferably, a capacitive pressure transducer and a reference capacitor are arranged in a charge-locked loop relation with a common node while an array of switches cycles the voltage across the transducer and reference capacitors with opposite transitions with a predetermined frequency so change in transducer capacitance results in a differential voltage at the common node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith W. Kawate, Anthony J. Sabetti
  • Patent number: 4939495
    Abstract: A circuit breaker is shown having movable contacts carried by an operating member which moves between a circuit breaker contacts closed position and a circuit breaker contacts open position. An auxiliary switch has electrically conductive, flexible contact members adapted to engage an electrically conductive bridging shaft element carried by the operating member when the operating member is in one of its two positions to provide means for indicating the status of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert W. Peterson, Jacques Chammas
  • Patent number: 4936010
    Abstract: The bond of a layer of glass dielectric material applied to metal substrates of the type which are capable of forming solid solutions with copper is enhanced by first coating the substrate with a layer of thick film copper, curing the thick film at a temperature which results in the formation of the solid solution at the interface between the substrate and the thick film copper and then applying the dielectric layer to the thick film copper and curing the dielectric layer. Circuit patterns and components can then be built on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Allan J. Siuzdak
  • Patent number: 4921165
    Abstract: A fluid level control valve has a base with an aperture formed therein. A cover is slidingly disposed over the aperture and is biased by a thermostatic element in a direction tending to close the aperture. In one embodiment the thermostatic element is an elongated strip having one end captured by tabs projecting from the base, and an opposite end is captured by a bracket formed on the base. The thermostatic element is formed with a V-shaped formed imparing portion which is aligned with the cover and the position of the bracket is adjustable to place a selected force on the cover through the thermostatic element. The calibrated valve is then fixedly attached to a housing with the aperture aligned with an aperture in the housing. In another embodiment a U-shaped thermostatic strip has one end mounted on the base with its opposite end biased against the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Narendra R. Zaveri, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 4920624
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for fabricating a double helix coil comprising the steps of and apparatus for coiling a wire into a first helix, removably securing one end portion of the first helix to an arbor, coiling the first helix about the arbor to form a coil having a second helix, detaching the one end portion of the coil from the arbor and removing the double helix coil from the arbor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, John Baptista, George DeAmaral
  • Patent number: 4917414
    Abstract: A door interlock arrangement for an appliance such as a self-cleaning electric oven has an operating lever manually movable in a limited arc to move a door bolt into and out of door latching position and provide further motion to close the door very securely, and has a lock arranged in a novel cooperative relationship with an electrical interlock unit to permit certain appliance operations only when the door is latched and to permit opening of the door after the end of those appliance operations only when a selected appliance zone has cooled to a safe temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Henry J. Boulanger
  • Patent number: 4902235
    Abstract: A socket for mounting an integrated circuit unit on a printed circuit board comprises a plurality of inserts of a platable electrically insulating material each having an opening and an exterior surface portion. The inserts are mounted in rows in a support body so the openings are accessible from one side of the body and the exterior surface portions are exposed at an opposite side of the body. Electrically conductive layers are provided on the inner surfaces of the insert openings, preferably by electroless plating techniques using the body as a plating mask, to extend to the exterior surface portions of the inserts to be soldered to circuit paths on the printed circuit board at prescribed circuit locations. Contacts are disposed in the insert openings in electrical engagement with the electrically conductive layers therein for resiliently and detachably electrically engaging terminals of integrated circuit units or the like inserted into the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Takashi Tonooka
  • Patent number: 4903164
    Abstract: A pressure transducer having a pressure sensing surface spaced from an interior surface of the transducer housing by a relatively rigid back-up ring which contacts each of the pressure sensing surface, the interior surface of the housing and an interior side wall of the housing. A relatively less rigid O-ring is disposed between the pressure sensing surface and the interior surface of the housing and contacts the back-up ring, the back-up ring and the O-ring providing sealing of the pressure cavity. The O-ring communicates with the fluid entering the housing via an inlet in the housing. Because the output of the pressure sensing element is affected by the loading of the O-ring and back-up ring, and because this loading changes over time, mainly due to cold flow, compression set, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert P. Bishop, Herman Purut
  • Patent number: 4898142
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combustion engine with fuel injection system, having at least one cylinder with an air inlet passage, into which passage opens a fuel spray valve which is connected to a fuel pipe with pump. Disposed in the fuel pipe or on the spray valve is a fuel heating element with which the infed fuel can come into direct contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Guus Van Wechem, Gerrit Beunk, Frits Van Den Elst, Arie Van Der Ploeg
  • Patent number: 4894643
    Abstract: An aural or visual alarm is arranged to be actuated upon leaving a door to an appliance open longer than a preselected period of time. An automatically resettable disarming device may be included to permit leaving the door open intentionally for an extended time to permit appliance cleaning or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Herbert A. Thompson, Glenn J. Doell