Patents Represented by Attorney Raymond E. Fritz, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5187020
    Abstract: A contact pad including a compliant, electrically conductive polymer is provided in a substrate. The contact pad may include a metallic base, and a metallic upper surface wherein said polymer is intermediate said base and upper surfaces. The pad also may have a recessed upper surface, or have a metallic bump thereon depending upon the specific use intended. The contact pad may be incorporated into a substrate including a base substrate material having an upper surface, an interconnecting layer on the upper surface, a dielectric layer on the interconnecting layer, and at least one compliant, electrically conductive polymeric contact pad extending through the dielectric layer and in contact with the interconnecting layer. The substrate so formed may be a temporary substrate used, for example, in testing of integrated circuit chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Oh-Kyong Kwon, Satwinder Malhi, Masahi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 4975600
    Abstract: An output driver circuit for reducing output terminal ringing in integrated circuits has a plurality of pull-down transistors each having first, second and third terminals. A plurality of voltage setting devices each are connected in series to the second terminal of one of the pull-down transistors. An input is connected to the common third terminals of the plurality of pull-down transistors, and an output pull-up circuit is connected between the output of the circuit and the first terminals of the plurality of pull-down transistors. Multiple output driver circuits, each having an input delayed with respect to the others, can be connected together with a common output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Hiep V. Tran, Pak K. Fung
  • Patent number: 4961168
    Abstract: A bipolar-CMOS static random access memory device includes a plurality of static random access memory cells arranged in columns and rows, complementary pairs of bit lines coupled to the cells in each row, word lines coupled to the cells in each row of the cells and a plurality of sense amplifiers with a separate sense amplifier coupled to each pair of the complementary bit lines. The memory device further includes bipolar pull-up transistors for each of the bit lines, with the collectors of the pull-up transistors coupled to a power supply node and the emitters coupled to the bit lines. Circuitry is provided which biases the bases of the pull-up transistors so that the pull-up transistors are on during a read operation, and so that the pull-up transistor associated with the low side bit line during a write operation is turned off. In addition, the pull-up transistors for both bit lines are biased to the on-state in a write operation for those columns which are not selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Hiep V. Tran
  • Patent number: 4958120
    Abstract: A system (10) is disclosed which tunes a result (14) of a process (12) relative to a reference (16). The system (10) uses two control parameters (C.sub.1 and C.sub.2) which are controlled by a switch (20). The control parameters (C.sub.1 and C.sub.2) are controlled such that only one of the two is acting upon the process (12) to alter the result (14) at any one time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Venugopal Gopinathan, Khen-Sang Tan
  • Patent number: 4956815
    Abstract: A memory cell is disclosed which operates in two stable states and where an asymmetry in current through the cell is required to change the state of the cell. The cell includes a current compensating device that supplies current under ionizing radiation in a direction that is opposite to that required to write into the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Theodore W. Houston
  • Patent number: 4956814
    Abstract: The rate of single event upset in a memory cell due to energetic particle hits on a p-channel device is reduced by a pair of active devices in the cross-coupling between a pair of inverters. The active devices are controlled by voltages internal to the memory cell such that writing into the cell is not slowed significantly. Additionally, means such as a resistor or transistor are disclosed which reduce the rate of single event upset due to energetic particle hits on a n-channel device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Theodore W. Houston
  • Patent number: 4555588
    Abstract: The insulating housing of a high voltage splice or terminator for a high voltage electrical distribution system comprises a connector cavity defined by a hollow electrically conductive stress relief insert and at least one or more cable-receiving passages communicating with the connector cavity. A stripped electrical conductor at the end of a cable extends through the passage and is electrically and mechanically joined to a metal electrical connector in the cavity as by crimping. A hollow elastomeric electrically conductive and thermally conductive heat transfer device, split along one side to enable it to be slipped into the electrical connector, makes snug electrical and thermal engagement with the exterior of the connector and has integrally formed radially outwardly extending spaced apart resilient projections on its outer surface for making tight electrical and thermal engagement with the interior surface of the hollow stress relief insert of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: RTE Corporation
    Inventor: John P. DuPont
  • Patent number: 4521823
    Abstract: A primary power circuit breaker adapted to be immersed in the dielectric fluid for a transformer, the breaker including an arc interrupting assembly for extinguishing the arc produced on load break; a trip free mechanism responsive to primary, secondary or primary-secondary differential current signals and thermally responsive to fluid temperature, and an externally operable reset assembly for closing the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: RTE Corporation
    Inventor: Edwin A. Link
  • Patent number: 4506249
    Abstract: A current-limiting fuse comprises a hollow insulating housing; metallic end cap assemblies at opposite ends of the housing; a multi-ribbed dielectric spider assembly having metallic terminator plates connected at opposite ends disposed within the housing with each terminator plate electrically and mechanically connected to an associated end cap assembly; a plurality of fusible elements helically wound on the spider assembly with their ends electrically and mechanically secured to the terminate plate; a visual indicator pin mounted on one end of the spider assembly and movable by a biasing spring from a retracted position wherein it is secured by a fusible wire to a tripped (fuse-blown) position wherein it projects through aligned holes in an associated terminator plate and end cap assembly; and granular dielectric material filling the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Assignee: RTE Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Huber, Gordan T. Borck
  • Patent number: 4420735
    Abstract: An energy-limited fuse having a number of fuse elements spirally wrapped about a spider formed from a number of insulating plates, the fuse elements being supported in a parallel spaced relation at a distance sufficient for each element to operate independently and a striker pin assembly independently mounted in said fuse after said spider assembly has been mounted in said fuse, said striker pin assembly including a vaporizable wire for holding the striker pin in said striker pin assembly until the fuse elements are vaporized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: RTE Corporation
    Inventor: Frank J. Muench, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4345291
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to underground electric power distribution systems. In particular, it relates to underground loop feed circuits which include reclosers and transformers and a plurality of high frequency actuated normally closed isolator switches for automatically locating and sectionalizing portions of the loop circuit in which faults originate. The actuator switches between which a fault occurs are armed in response to a fault current and only those switches which are armed are opened thereby isolating the faulted section of cable. The remaining actuator switches remain closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1982
    Assignee: RTE Corporation
    Inventor: Richard E. Riebs
  • Patent number: 4174031
    Abstract: A series of conveyor idler roll shafts in end-to-end relation supported by bearings provides a pressurized chamber for the flow of grease or oil to the bearings from a reservoir, which is capable of pumping the lubricant into the axial bore of each shaft. Small, radially directed holes connect the shaft bores to the bearings by providing a restricted passage having across it a suitable pressure drop capable of allowing lubricant to flow in sufficient quantities to each bearing regardless of its distance from the reservoir pressure source. Adjacent shaft ends are connected with a resilient cylindrical tubular coupler to provide the requisite flow passage continuity. A labyrinth seal provides a continuous path for lubricant to flow through the bearings, the seal and ultimately to the exterior of the system, where its appearance is visible and indicative of adequate lubricant flow to each bearing along the shaft assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1979
    Assignee: Rexnord Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. MacLeod