Patents Assigned to Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
-
Patent number: 11905941Abstract: A wastewater sump assembly for receiving and disposing of undesired fluid and, in some cases, solid waste (collectively “wastewater”). A sump basin includes an upstanding wall a base and a top. A sensor in the form, e.g., of a float switch extends into the basin and is operable to actuate a pump to remove collective wastewater from the basin. The sensor depends from a sensor support that is supported distally within the basin in a vertical manner and is supported proximately within the basin in a horizontal manner, with securement of the sensor support not requiring traversal of the basin top and with the distal basin support not needing to be accessed vertically through a pump access aperture in the top.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: James J. Coffey, Petr Sramek, Steven C. Gray
-
Patent number: 11811273Abstract: A load protection system and a method of protecting a load. The load protection system includes a PLC transmitter module and a PLC receiver module, which are configured to communicate a plurality of bits of data, each bit transmitted near a zero-crossing of a voltage on the power lines supplying power to the load, in the form of a high frequency burst of pulses. The pulses are structured in two patterns. The first pattern serves to identify the start of the second pattern, and the second pattern includes the data. The first pattern is unique and not represented within the second pattern. The load may be a motor, and the data may include a parameter value representing a parameter of the motor.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Nicholas A. Cooper, Adrian Chavis, Thomas S. Wolf, Zachary K. Foster, Yaritza Brinker, Dalton H. Paull
-
Patent number: 11735363Abstract: A capacitor assembly and a method of making the capacitor assembly. The capacitor assembly includes: a power cable including first and second electrical conductors; a motor cable including first, second, and third electrical conductors, the first electrical conductor of the motor cable electrically connected to the first electrical conductor of the power cable, and the second electrical conductor of the motor cable electrically connected to the second electrical conductor of the power cable; a capacitor connected to the first electrical conductors and to the third electrical conductor; and a cover enclosing the capacitor, ends of the first conductors of the power cable and the motor cable connected to the capacitor, and an end of the third conductor connected to the capacitor, the first connection, and the second connection, and wherein after installation the capacitor assembly has an arcuate shape with a concave surface facing the pipe.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: Robert A. Roth, Russell J. Bookout, Donald Brown, Arron J. Foreman, Jeffrey D. Frank, Paul Luarde, Mark E. McClain
-
Patent number: 11473589Abstract: A double curvature blade for a portion of system. The system may include a pump, such as a submersible pump. The pump may include a multiple or single stage pump. The pump may be powered by a selected motor.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2019Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: James J. Volk, Jose Gabriel Davila Rangel, Baoning Zhang, Jeffrey Alan Roussel, Jess Adam Decker, Bruce Edward Schubert
-
Patent number: 11466691Abstract: A fault control protects a pump-motor assembly from monitored faults. The pump-motor assembly includes an electrical motor mechanically coupled to a pump. The fault control determines a speed of the motor. If the speed is determined to be less than a minimum speed, the fault control generates a fault signal to affect the operation of the motor. The fault control can also determine if a phase of the power provided to the motor is missing based on vibrations sensed by a vibration transducer. The fault control can also determine temperature faults based on signals from two thermocouples, including determination of loss of inlet or discharge flow.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Kevin Michael Fox, Amjad Masood, Benjamin W. Schafer, Russell Jonathan Bookout, Andrew Justin Buuck, Zachary Keith Foster
-
Patent number: 11424713Abstract: A motor drive including an inverter and control logic and a method implemented by the control logic to protect an inverter. The method includes determining a temperature value of a temperature associated with the inverter; preventing restarting of the inverter if the temperature value exceeds a first temperature threshold; and preventing restarting of the inverter if the temperature value exceeds a second temperature threshold that is smaller than the first temperature threshold and the inverter was shut down due to a high load condition.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2018Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: Douglas C. Lynn, Shengnan Li, Richard J. Halsey
-
Patent number: 11401938Abstract: A motor drive and method to control a motor in a fluid system. The method may comprise determining a pressure; determining a proportional error as a limited difference between the pressure and a pressure setpoint; determining an integral step as a limited proportional error; determining an integral error as a limited sum of the integral step and a preceding unbound integral error; determining an error as the product of the integral error, the proportional error, and a gain factor; and generating a control signal to cause the inverter to output a motor voltage to drive the motor and maintain the pressure about the pressure setpoint.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2017Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Adrian Russell Chavis, Steven W. Aikman, Robert L. Wetekamp, Douglas C. Lynn
-
Patent number: 11349419Abstract: A motor control system to drive an alternating-current (AC) motor, including a motor drive with a power circuit and a motor drive controller powered by the power circuit and configured to cause the power circuit to generate a motor voltage; a motor drive contactor having first contacts electrically connected between the power circuit and the AC motor; a bypass contactor having second contacts electrically connected between a line voltage source and the AC motor; and a bypass controller communicatively coupled with the motor drive contactor and the bypass contractor; wherein the motor drive controller is structured to generate a speed reference and to command the bypass controller to connect the AC motor to the line voltage source upon the motor drive controller determining that the speed reference is substantially equal to a line frequency of the line voltage source.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2020Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: Ryan A. Lauw, Scott E. Leonard, Dalton H. Paull, Andre P. Perra
-
Publication number: 20220112891Abstract: A wastewater sump assembly for receiving and disposing of undesired fluid and, in some cases, solid waste (collectively “wastewater”). A sump basin includes an upstanding wall a base and a top. A sensor in the form, e.g., of a float switch extends into the basin and is operable to actuate a pump to remove collective wastewater from the basin. The sensor depends from a sensor support that is supported distally within the basin in a vertical manner and is supported proximately within the basin in a horizontal manner, with securement of the sensor support not requiring traversal of the basin top and with the distal basin support not needing to be accessed vertically through a pump access aperture in the top.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Applicant: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: James J. COFFEY, Petr SRAMEK, Steven C. GRAY
-
Patent number: 11286917Abstract: A water pumping system, a motor drive, and a method of starting pumping by the motor drive. The method includes powering the electric motor with a motor drive; driving a progressive cavity pump with the electric motor; monitoring a speed difference between an electrical speed and an observed speed of a rotor of the electric motor; and performing a protective action as a function of the speed difference.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2017Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: Jason L. Coney, Jared E. Evans, Lyon van der Merwe
-
Patent number: 11208992Abstract: A wastewater sump assembly for receiving and disposing of undesired fluid and, in some cases, solid waste (collectively “wastewater”). A sump basin includes an upstanding wall a base and a top. A sensor in the form, e.g., of a float switch extends into the basin and is operable to actuate a pump to remove collective wastewater from the basin. The sensor depends from a sensor support that is supported distally within the basin in a vertical manner and is supported proximately within the basin in a horizontal manner, with securement of the sensor support not requiring traversal of the basin top and with the distal basin support not needing to be accessed vertically through a pump access aperture in the top.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2017Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: James J. Coffey, Petr Sramek, Steven C. Gray
-
Publication number: 20210396234Abstract: A motor drive and method to control a motor in a fluid system. The method may comprise determining a pressure; determining a proportional error as a limited difference between the pressure and a pressure setpoint; determining an integral step as a limited proportional error; determining an integral error as a limited sum of the integral step and a preceding unbound integral error; determining an error as the product of the integral error, the proportional error, and a gain factor; and generating a control signal to cause the inverter to output a motor voltage to drive the motor and maintain the pressure about the pressure setpoint.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2017Publication date: December 23, 2021Applicant: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Steven W. Aikman, Robert L. Wetekamp, Douglas C. Lynn, Adrian Russell Chavis
-
Patent number: 11105323Abstract: A water pumping system, a motor drive, and a method of starting pumping by the motor drive. The method includes performing repeated starting attempts to overcome stiction in a progressive cavity pump by attempting to supply power to an electrical motor at increasing power levels in each starting attempt and supplying the power at the increasing power levels if the power is available in from a power source; and after each starting attempt: reducing the power applied to the electrical motor to a reduced power level; determining a rotational speed of the electrical motor; determining if the rotational speed matches a speed corresponding to the reduced power level applied to the electrical motor; if the rotational speed does not match and a predetermined number of starting attempts has not been reached, performing a next starting attempt; and if the rotational speed does match, entering a normal mode of operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventors: Jason L. Coney, Jared E. Evans, Robert C. Smith
-
Patent number: 11018610Abstract: A motor drive and method of controlling a motor are provided. The motor drive includes a controller generating a motor reference voltage; a DC bus providing a DC voltage having a ripple; an inverter including power switches operable to convert the DC voltage into an AC motor voltage by modulating the power switches during a plurality of switching cycles, the AC motor voltage based on the motor reference voltage; a capacitor circuit coupled to the DC bus and having a maximum capacitance that is less than 10 microfarads per ampere of a rated current; and voltage prediction logic structured to: detect a voltage value corresponding of the ripple during each of the plurality of switching cycles; and modify the motor reference voltage during each of the plurality of switching cycles using the voltage value.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2018Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Vladimir A. Chedygov, Scott E. Leonard, Dalton H. Paull, Andre P. Perra, Thomas W. Trullinger
-
Patent number: 10947020Abstract: A one-piece part and a method of making the one-piece part. The one-piece part comprises an upper wall; a lower wall having an exterior portion and an interior portion, the interior portion overlapping the upper wall; lateral walls connecting the upper wall to the lower wall; an intermediate wall connecting the upper wall to the lower wall, the intermediate wall extending longitudinally between the lateral walls; a bottom wall connecting the lateral walls and the lower wall; and a top wall connecting the lateral walls and the upper wall, wherein the lateral walls, the top wall, the bottom wall, the exterior portion of the lower wall, the intermediate wall, and the upper wall have exterior surfaces and interior surfaces, the interior surfaces defining a volume of the one-piece part, and wherein the interior portion of the lower wall extends into said volume.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC.Inventor: Bryan D. Drummond
-
Patent number: 10756652Abstract: In the field of motor protection for industrial automation systems, HVAC systems, pumping systems, and/or similar implementations, improved motor starters and overload electronics can be configured to offer substantially automatic levels of protection for motors, independent of such starters and/or overload electronics first being calibrated for, or properly calibrated for, the motor.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2012Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Andre Pierre Perra, Kent Jeffrey Holce, Scott E. Leonard
-
Patent number: 10637388Abstract: A motor control unit including an inverter, a fan to blow air and thereby cool the inverter, and an enclosure configured to maintain the inverter in a dry condition. The enclosure includes a back wall, a bottom wall having a ventilation grid, with the fan positioned adjacent the ventilation grid to draw air therethrough, a top cover member, a central member extending between the top cover member and the bottom wall, and a skirt below the bottom wall defining an at least partially enclosed volume surrounding the ventilation grid, and a droplet diverter to prevent that air drawn by the fan carries water droplets into the enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Bryan D. Drummond, Zachary K. Foster
-
Patent number: 10637387Abstract: A method and system to convert a constant speed motor drive (40) into a variable speed motor drive (80) are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Terry A. Smith, Andrew C. Grubbs, Robert L. Wetekamp
-
Patent number: D881039Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventors: Zachary K. Foster, Ryan J. Riecken
-
Patent number: D926821Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.Inventor: Russell Bookout