Patents Assigned to Moeller GmbH
  • Patent number: 6518529
    Abstract: A pushbutton for latching and momentary contact functions that is used to actuate contact elements includes a hollow cylindrical housing and a switch plunger displaceable in a lengthwise direction and non-rotatably guided in the housing. An open ring element is rotatably supported on the switch plunger. A spring and stop device for enabling a resting position of the pushbutton is provided. The housing includes an approximately heart-shaped latching guideway for the latching function disposed at an inside wall of the housing. The housing also includes a longitudinal groove for the momentary-contact function and disposed at the inside wall of the housing approximately parallel to the latching guideway and to an actuating direction. Also provided is a guide pin capable of being repositioned between the latching guideway and the longitudinal groove using a tool through an access opening defined by the housing. The guide pin projects radially outward from the open ring element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Bonn, Artur Wiese
  • Patent number: 6501356
    Abstract: A method for determining a remaining service life of switching contacts in an electric switching device. The method includes operating the switching contacts so as to produce structure-borne sound signals, capturing the structure-borne sound signals, performing a Fourier transform on the structure-borne sound signals in a plurality of discrete time windows so as to produce a sonogram, determining a plurality of function values using the sonogram, and evaluating the plurality of function values using an evaluation device. Also a electrical switching device including first and second switching contacts, a sound sensor configured to capture structure-borne sound signals produced by an operation of the first and second switching contacts, and an evaluation device configured to evaluate the first structure-borne signals so as to determine a remaining service life of the first and second switching contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Fenner, Frank Berger, Klaus-Jochen Froehlich, Eckhardt Pridoehl
  • Patent number: 6501355
    Abstract: A system includes a switching device, a sound device and an evaluation device. The switching device includes a housing and a contact system disposed in the housing, the contact system including a contact piece carrier and a contact piece disposed on the contact piece carrier. The sound device produces and captures structure-borne sound waves so as to determine an equivalent criterion for determining the remaining service life of the contact piece. The evaluation device evaluates the equivalent criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Fenner, Frank Berger, Klaus-Jochen Froehlich, Bernd Koehler
  • Patent number: 6483379
    Abstract: The invention relates to an input circuit for relatively high-current alternating current-signals to be monitored. Said input circuit is provided with a capacitor (C) at the input side for supplying a relatively high input current on the basis of an AC supply voltage (L1) by the switched off device (1; 2) to be monitored. At the input side a discharge circuit (23) is provided in parallel for quickly detecting any changes of state of the device (1; 2) to be monitored. Said discharge circuit has a small discharge resistance (Rc) vis-à-vis the input resistance (Re). The discharge circuit (23) is further provided with a switch element (S3) that is blocked when the current supply voltage (L1) and the threshold voltage (Ustyp) to be recognized have the same polarity and that is conductive when they are of different polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Horea-Stefan Culca
  • Publication number: 20020167776
    Abstract: A method for determining a remaining service life of switching contacts in an electric switching device. The method includes operating the switching contacts so as to produce structure-borne sound signals, capturing the structure-borne sound signals, performing a Fourier transform on the structure-borne sound signals in a plurality of discrete time windows so as to produce a sonogram, determining a plurality of function values using the sonogram, and evaluating the plurality of function values using an evaluation device. Also a electrical switching device including first and second switching contacts, a sound sensor configured to capture structure-borne sound signals produced by an operation of the first and second switching contacts, and an evaluation device configured to evaluate the first structure-borne signals so as to determine a remaining service life of the first and second switching contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: MOELLER GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Fenner, Frank Berger, Klaus-Jochen Froehlich, Eckhardt Pridoehl
  • Patent number: 6476366
    Abstract: A device for degassing and brazing preassembled vacuum interrupters in only one brazing operation includes a base plate having at least one brazing site which features an opening of the base plate for connecting a suction pump and a bell which covers the opening and can be put on the base plate and lifted off. The bell is surrounded on the outside by an excitation coil to which medium- or high-frequency energy can be applied. The device includes a medium- or high-frequency generator for the excitation coil and with a cylindrical tubular susceptor arranged inside the bell for receiving at least one preassembled vacuum interrupter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Jerrie Lipperts
  • Publication number: 20020158728
    Abstract: A system includes a switching device, a sound device and an evaluation device. The switching device includes a housing and a contact system disposed in the housing, the contact system including a contact piece carrier and a contact piece disposed on the contact piece carrier. The sound device produces and captures structure-borne sound waves so as to determine an equivalent criterion for determining the remaining service life of the contact piece. The evaluation device evaluates the equivalent criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: MOELLER GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Fenner, Frank Berger, Klaus-Jochen Froehlich, Bernd Koehler
  • Publication number: 20020149452
    Abstract: A low-voltage switching device includes a guide insert for receiving the bridge contact of the device. The guide insert can be fixed without play inside the housing of the switching device. The bridge contact is mounted in the guide insert in a manner that permits it to linearly move counter to a spring force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: MOELLER GmbH
    Inventors: Guenther Baujan, Rudolf Baumeister, Volker Blechacz, Manfred Faust, Klaus Dauer, Lothar Winzen, Peter Willerscheidt
  • Patent number: 6466115
    Abstract: The invention relates to a low voltage switchgear with a bimetallic actuator, especially to a motor safety switch. The aim of the invention is to improve such a low voltage switchgear so that the fabrication and assembly tolerances are widely compensated for. To this end, the two-part (21, 22) housing (2) of the switchgear (1) is provided with an opening (23), that is closed with a protective cover (24). By way of said opening (23), the bimetallic component (51) and the jack system are accessible for the purpose of measurement and a bridge system (52) of the bimetallic actuator (5) that is calibrated on the basis of the measured values can be mounted therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Baujan, Rudolf Baumeister, Volker Blechacz, Manfred Faust, Klaus Dauer, Lothar Winzen, Peter Willerscheidt
  • Patent number: 6449137
    Abstract: In a multiple break contact device for electrical switchgear the fixed contacts of the switching device are mounted in such a way that they can move linearly along an axis. The multiple break contact device has improved resistance to erosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Roesner, Michael Wohlang
  • Patent number: 6425556
    Abstract: A control and/or signaling device including a housing member and a head member, and which is intended for mounting in the mounting bore of a mounting plate, a mounting wall or a like smaller than the head in the vicinity of the head. The housing member so that the control and/or signaling device can be attached through a nut member and using only one hand. To this end, a resilient flexible material is placed in the transition area between the cylindrical housing and the head member wherein this flexible mass is applied according to a dual-component injection-moulding method. The housing member and the head member are made of hard resilient material that has a sealing function as well as fixation function optimised by rib-shaped segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Kuepper, Angela Hilgers
  • Patent number: 6423912
    Abstract: A manually operated device for use with an electrical switching device, the manually operated device having a turning handle indicating a given switching position of the switching device and operatively connected to a driving axle of a rotary drive. A base plate mounted on the rotary drive has a circular rim. To assure unambiguous grip positions in varying installation positions of the switching device, the base plate can be mounted in different offset positions around the driving axle. Furthermore, the rim has a first edge segment that protrudes towards the inside of the rim. The turning handle is operatively connected to a drive plate that can be inserted inside the rim. On the drive plate, an annular second edge segment is configured with respect to a set-back edge area. In the OFF position, the two edge segments align with respect to one another so as to form a complete circular ring, without overlapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Arenz, Tom Kitzing
  • Patent number: 6409363
    Abstract: A control and signaling unit or a signaling unit having a light-emitting element, made up of a front element and a mounting adapter for locking the functional elements into place. This is achieved in that only one light-emitting diode having a diode crown and connecting wires are integrated in the functional element, the diode crown being embedded and retained in a receptacle, the light-emitting diode having an angle of radiation of 30-45°. The light-emitting diode has a luminosity of at least 0.5 candela, and an electronic circuit is arranged on circuit conductors, secured to the inner housing wall of a housing half and applied using a foil heat-embossing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Wolff, Joerg Schaefer, Juergen Volberg, Juergen Hoegener
  • Patent number: 6403901
    Abstract: A contact system having a two-armed contact arm equipped at its opposite ends with contact pieces that can be brought into and out of contact with corresponding contact pieces of stationary busbars. The contact arm is mounted rotatably on a central bearing axis using an elongated hole, the two lever arms being acted upon by contact force springs that brace with one end against a switching shaft or a switching shaft segment. To provide a uniform contact pressure in the presence of differing wear of the contact pieces, the elongated hole extends in a direction that differs substantially from the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the contact arm and substantially from the longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal action direction of the contact force springs extends neither perpendicular to the longitudinal axis nor perpendicular to the extension direction of the elongated hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Boeder, Guido Dedenbach
  • Patent number: 6313727
    Abstract: The invention relates to a current transformer for three-phase systems and it used to detect currents, for example with three-phase current meters or electronic devices which trigger low voltage protection breakers. The invention aims at developing a current transformer that can be produced and fixed in a simple and low cost fashion and permitting to measure total current. Therefore, four mutually spaced apart, parallel, identical cylindrical conversion coils (4-7) are provided. In each case, a three-phase current lead (1, 2, 3) runs between two conversion coils (4-5, 5-6, 6-7) arranged adjacent and substantially normal to their longitudinal axes (10). Conversion coils (4-7) are held headwise through two low coercivity yokes (8, 9) extending in their longitudinal axes plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Rupprecht Gabriel
  • Patent number: 6297718
    Abstract: An electromagnetic switching device with a multipart housing. The magnet core of the switching device, including the coil, is accommodated in one of the housing parts. Identical connecting modules are provided for each outer terminal of the device. These connecting modules can be slipped on on the top side of the housing part in which the magnet core is accommodated, in the area of the four corners of said housing part. A blank module is configured externally in the same way and can be slipped on on the corner of the housing part which is not occupied by a connecting module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Scholz, Volker Lang, Stefan Joergens, Ralf Thar
  • Patent number: 6259338
    Abstract: A multipole circuit breaker includes an arcing chamber housing with a number of arcing chambers, corresponding to the number of poles, arranged next to each other. Each arcing chamber has a hinged contact bridge cooperating with a stationary contact arrangement. An interrupter shaft common to the poles of the multipole circuit breaker and including a number of shaft segments made of an insulating material, in each of which a contact bridge is arranged, is provided. The adjoining shaft segments are joined to each other by a respective coupling element, each coupling element including two tab-shaped parts joined to each other by a support shaft. Each tab-shaped part supports at least two first connecting pins on a side facing away from the support shaft and extending in an axial direction. The shaft segments each include recesses a side facing the coupling element, the recesses for receiving the connecting pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Boeder, Guido Dedenbach, Hans-Juergen Mader
  • Patent number: 6255864
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a defined amplitude threshold value of a signal formed by alternating voltage and a circuit for carrying out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Horea-Stefan Culca
  • Patent number: D445407
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Alfred Bonn
  • Patent number: D455405
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventor: Alfred Bonn