Patents Assigned to Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc
  • Patent number: 8167285
    Abstract: A spring latching connector includes a housing having a bore therethrough, a piston slidably received in said bore, circular groove formed in one of said bore and piston and a circular coil spring disposed in said groove for latching said piston and housing together. The groove is sized and shaped for controlling, in combination with a spring configuration, disconnect and connect forces of the spring latching connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7838787
    Abstract: A latching and electrical switch mechanism includes an insulated housing having a cavity therein with an opening thereto along with an electrically conductive ball disposed therein. The ball includes a stem with a smaller diameter than the ball and extends therefrom with a ball being sized for rotational and translational movement within the housing cavity. At least one groove is provided in the housing cavity and a coil spring is disposed in a groove for making electrical contact with the ball and retaining the ball for rotation within the cavity with the stem at selected conical angles with respect to the housing centerline. At least one electrical contact is disposed in the cavity at a spaced apart relationship with the coil spring for providing electrical connection with the ball upon translational movement of the ball within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Balsells, Majid Ghasiri
  • Patent number: 7769459
    Abstract: Spring contact apparatus for an implantable medical device includes a plurality of nonconductive housing with each housing having a bore therethrough alignable with adjacent housing bores and assembled in spaced apart pairs with adjacent radial accesses to adjacent housing chambers. A plurality of electrically conductive garter springs are provided with the pairs of garter springs being disposed in corresponding adjacent housing chambers and each spring having a pigtail lead extending through a corresponding axis. The pairs of adjacent pigtail leads extending from adjacent axes are of sufficient length for a combined attachment to a corresponding pulse generator lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7538289
    Abstract: A multiple positioning assembly with integral switch contact includes a cylindrical housing along with a ball assembly including a ball portion received by the cylindrical assembly. The ball portion includes an electrically conductive surface and a neck extending therefrom. A plurality of spaced apart spring retainers are disposed within the cylindrical housing with electrically conductive coil spring contacts therein. Adjacent spring contacts complete an electrical circuit through the ball portion surface when in simultaneous contact therewith. Spring contacts further enable positioning of the ball portion within the cylindrical housing for conical movement of the neck with the ball portion being axially moveable between the spring contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Tom Carroll
  • Patent number: 7464750
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a rotary fluid-sealing structure for a harsh environment which reduces the PV pressure (×velocity) that a sealing system may be exposed through the use of a rotary speed reducing planetary gear system. The system may have multiple stages with the amount of velocity reduction produced by the system being determined by the number of stages and the planetary gear ratios. Several alternatives are presented for the sealing under extreme conditions such as found in the interface between a wash-pipe and a rotary drilling string in a drilling rig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Schapel, John W. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7316593
    Abstract: A female electrical connector and method of using same includes a body having a bore therethrough for receiving electrical plug and a helical groove formed in the bore. A canted coil spring is disposed in the helical groove and protrudes therefrom for providing both electrical connection to the plug and retention of the plug within the bore and a connecting lug embedded into the body, surrounding the bore and interconnected with the spring includes a wire segment extending exterior to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7274964
    Abstract: A medically implantable electrical connector includes a housing having a bore with an internal groove therein along with a pin sized for insertion into the housing bore. A film removing spring is disposed in the housing groove dynamic loading of the spring in the groove by the pin causing scraping of film from the groove and pin surfaces to provide lowered electrical resistance therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7210398
    Abstract: Seal apparatus includes a cover seal having a body and an extending cylindrical sleeve with the sleeve including a radial internal groove. A piston is provided having a circumferential groove and a biasing element is disposed between the internal and circumferential groove. Surfaces, disposed in the internal and circumferential grooves, orient the biasing element in order to effect sealing between the housing and the sleeve and an axial force to provide latching or locking between the seal and the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7195523
    Abstract: An electrical conductive path for medical electronic device generally includes a plurality of stackable molded non-conductive housing with each housing having a bore therethrough alignable with adjacent housing bores. The adjacent housings and define any combination when stacked, spaced apart slots for receiving a plurality of electrically conductive spring rings. A plurality of electrically conducting garter springs are disposed within corresponding spring rings and a cable is provided including wires attached to corresponding spring rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Jacques Naviaux
  • Patent number: 7175441
    Abstract: A multiple positioning assembly includes a housing having a cavity therein with a circumferential groove disposed proximate a cavity opening. A ball assembly including a ball portion forms a spheroidal joint with the cavity which enables conical movement of the ball assembly. A plunger is slidably disposed within a bore through the ball portion of the ball assembly and electrical connections enable lateral movement of the plunger to control power to a light bulb attached to the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jacques Naviaux, Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7070455
    Abstract: A stackable electrical connector assembly includes a plurality of contact housings with each housings having a bore therethrough alignable with adjacent housing bores. The adjacent housings define, in combination, spaced apart radial spring grooves. A plurality of electrically conducting garter springs are disposed in corresponding spring grooves with each spring including a lead extending to an exterior of adjacent housings. A cable having a plurality of wires is provided with each wire attached to a corresponding lead. The housings are modular enabling the contacts to provide a different number of terminal connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 7055812
    Abstract: A coil spring includes a plurality of primary wire coils and a plurality of secondary wire coils, the primary and secondary coils being contiguous and differentiated from one another by a dimensional size in order to provide variable force and variable deflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 6835084
    Abstract: A medically implantable electrical connector includes a housing having a bore with an internal V-groove or a flat bottom groove therein along with radial garter spring disposed in the V-groove or an axial garter spring disposed in the flat bottom groove. A pin is provided and sized for insertion in the housing bore. The housing, spring and pin are formed from a combination of medically implantable materials in order to control electrical resistivity between the housing, the garter spring and the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Poon, Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 6749358
    Abstract: A tooless electrical connector includes a housing having a bore with a groove disposed on an inside surface of the bore with the groove establishing a shoulder between a groove bottom and a bore inside surface. A flat spring is provided and disposed in the groove for defining a spring cavity between the flat spring and the shoulder and a circular canted coil spring is disposed in the spring cavity. A pin having a circumferential groove is provided for receiving the coil spring upon insertion of the pin into the bore and a plurality of primary radial fingers formed in the flat spring retain the coil spring in the cavity before insertion of the pin. A plurality of secondary radial fingers formed in the flat spring prevent axial movement between the housing and the pin with the coil spring within the pin groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 6264205
    Abstract: A rotary cartridge seal includes a cold flowable plastic ring having a body for sealably engaging a housing bore and a lip for sealably engaging a shaft rotating within the housing bore. A spring is provided and disposed between the body and the lip for biasing the lip against the shaft and a separable metal retainer is provided for fixing the plastic ring within the housing bore and around the shaft. The separable metal retainer includes a surface of revolution with a rear portion having a radius suitable for press fitting into the housing bore and a front portion of lesser radius ending the ring. An internal groove is provided in the body of the plastic ring for engaging the ring in order to latch the plastic ring and metal retainer together. A spring portion connecting the retainer rear portion and the ring is provided for controlling residual stress in a radial direction within the plastic ring and preventing shrinkage of the plastic ring toward the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Co., Inc
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells
  • Patent number: 6161838
    Abstract: A cartridge seal stack utilizes a plurality of rotary cartridge seals each including a cold flowable plastic ring having a body for sealably engaging a housing bore and a lip for sealably engaging a shaft rotating within the housing bore. A spring is provided and disposed between the body and the lip for biasing the lip against the shaft and a separable metal retainer is provided for fixing the plastic ring within the housing bore and around the shaft. The separable metal retainer includes a surface of revolution with a rear portion having a radius suitable for press fitting into the housing bore and a front portion of lesser radius ending the ring. An internal groove is provided in the body of the plastic ring for engaging the ring in order to latch the plastic ring and metal retainer together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering, Co, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Balsells