Patents Assigned to Schneider Electric SA
  • Patent number: 5982258
    Abstract: The trip bar is sub-divided into a first actuating part associated to the trip rod of the actuator and a second actuating part operating in conjunction with the indicating device. A mechanical coupling link is arranged between the two actuating parts being adjustable between a coupled position and a disengaged position. An operating lever performs locking of the second actuating part in the active position to keep the fault information on the indicating device, whereas the first actuating part returns automatically to the inactive position when said mechanical link is in the disengaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Pierre Baginski, Gilles Budillon, Jean-Pierre Nereau
  • Patent number: 5982648
    Abstract: The AC-DC converter comprises a first rectifier circuit having a three-phase input and an output in DC. A compensating device is connected between the input and output of the first rectifier circuit to compensate the stray disturbances generated by a current flowing in said first rectifier circuit. The compensating device makes a compensation current flow between the three-phase input and the DC output. Said compensating circuit comprises a second rectifier circuit with controlled rectifiers connected to the three-phase input, a step-up circuit connected between the second rectifier circuit and the DC output, and a control circuit to control the step-up circuit and the second rectifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Miao-Xin Wang
  • Patent number: 5978073
    Abstract: The device uses the principle of the Doppler effect laser velocimeter. It comprises emitter and receiver optic guides formed by integrated optics techniques on a single substrate, preferably made of glass. The emitter guides, connected to a light source, produce two mutually coherent beams inclined with respect to one another in such a way as to constitute interference fringes in a measuring volume situated outside the substrate. The receiver guides transmit the light diffused by the passage of particles in movement through the measuring volume to a detection and processing circuit. The substrate is mounted in a support fixed in an orifice of a wall along which a fluid flows transporting the particles to be examined. The substrate comprises a face which comes into contact with the fluid. This device enables the velocity, size and/or number of particles in movement in a fluid moving along a wall to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Pierre Benech, Alain Cartelier, Isabelle Schanen
  • Patent number: 5978200
    Abstract: The high-voltage circuit breaker with gas insulation is equipped with a device for gas-blast and blowout of the arc generated between the stationary arcing contact and the movable arcing contact when the current is interrupted. Downstream from the blowout nozzle there is located a cooling tube provided with several holes for flow of the gas placed on the outlet path of the hot gas generated by the arc. When the hot gas flows in the cooling tube, the gas pressure difference at the level of the outlet holes causes cool gas to be sucked into the tube and gives rise to a mixture of the hot and cold gases. The gas outlet to the outside of the cooling tube is sufficiently cooled to ensure the dielectric characteristics of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignees: Schneider Electric SA, Nissin Electric Company, Limited
    Inventors: Naohiro Konma, Katsuo Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5973277
    Abstract: An electrical control or signaling device such as a push button or lamp includes a body which is fixed on a support wall and a baseplate for receiving contact blocks. The baseplate 20 houses a slide 30 and a manipulation screw having arms 33 and 34, acts on the slide 30 to translate the slide. The arms 33 and 34 have sharp edges or points (A1, A2) which act against the support wall and are displaced within a plane (P3) which is perpendicular to the plane S of the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Patrick Cuingnet
  • Patent number: 5967818
    Abstract: Electrical distribution duct with a signal transmission bus. Two bus connection parts that can be coupled with each other and associated with the support and the connector, respectively, are provided at branch connection support distributed along the duct. The connection part associated with the support includes two elastic contacts arms, built into an insulating body, to connect to each bus wire. Thus there are two contact points for each bus wire located at the ends of arms that come into contact with a rigid contact area laid out on a tab of the connector inserted in a support slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Carron, Gerard Jego, Jean-Pierre Thierry
  • Patent number: 5959826
    Abstract: A control device for an electromechanical circuit breaker device. The device includes a bistable type electromagnet to deliberately control power contacts and a monostable trip electromagnet to open the contacts in case of a fault. The bistable electromagnetic coil and the trip electromagnetic coil are placed in parallel with a capacitance. The control device includes a maintained control switch and an H bridge of two-way switches associated with the bistable coil. The control device acts on the bridge of switches and a trip switch opens the contacts depending on the current in the coils measured by sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Gilles Baurand, Jean-Christophe Cuny, Alain Gousset, Philippe Guibert
  • Patent number: 5955859
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an interface module between a field bus and electrical equipment controlling and protecting an electric motor. The interface module includes an integrated circuit having data pins connected via input/output circuits to contacts or binary sensors or to coils or actuators of the electrical equipment. The data pins of the integrated circuit are connected via logic circuits to inputs or outputs which are greater in number than the data pins. The inputs/outputs are connected to coils or actuators and to auxiliary contacts or binary sensors of the electrical equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Gilles Baurand, Andre Ganier, Fran.cedilla.ois Roussel
  • Patent number: 5955862
    Abstract: A frequency converter for an asynchronous motor including a voltage converter (O) equipped with switches (Sa, Sb, Sc) controlled by a control circuit (CC) and powered by a DC bus (B) on which a shunt (Sh) is installed to measure a DC current passing through the bus, wherein, when at least one of two components of an output voltage vector Vs is less than a predetermined value TMIN, the frequency converter includes a device which calculates firstly a vector Vs' each of two components thereof being at least equal to the predetermined value TMIN, and secondly a vector Vs" such that vectorial average of Vs' and Vs" is equal to the output vector Vs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Vinh Tung Nguyen Phuoc
  • Patent number: 5953189
    Abstract: A circuit for the protected alternating current power supply of an electrical load, the circuit including, in series, a protective circuit breaker and a bi-directional electronic switch in parallel to which a shunt contactor is connected. An electrical component is connected in series and upstream from the shunt contactor. The electrical component is intended to establish a continuous voltage (V) at the terminals of the electronic switch and its impedance is chosen in such a way that the electronic switch to which command pulses are sent periodically, is made a conductor, when an overload current appears in the circuit and when the contactor is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Jean Abot, Alain Gousset, Nicolas Hertzog
  • Patent number: 5945645
    Abstract: An activation device with a start button and an emergency stop button for an electric appliance such as a circuit breaker equipped with a start control device and a stop control device with alternating movements. Also included is a disengageable transmission device, preferably consisting of a toggle lever acted upon by a safety lever capable of detecting the position of the emergency stop button, is placed between the start button 14 and the start device specific to the circuit breaker. This arrangement prevents the circuit breaker from being started by forcing the start button even though the emergency stop button has been pressed and is locked in the stop position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Daniel Makuc, Jacques Marcenne
  • Patent number: 5946182
    Abstract: Power supply circuit for a single-winding electromagnet coil (11) comprising a low voltage DC power supply (20) and a high voltage AC power supply (30) both connected to the terminals of the winding (11), together with a switching apparatus (40) connected in series with the high voltage supply (30) and capable of supplying or cutting the high voltage power supply to the winding (11), characterized by the fact that the switching device (40) comprises a thyristor (42) connected between the high voltage source (30) and the winding (11) and a control circuit (43) for the thyristor (42) connected to the gate (G) of the thyristor used to cause the thyristor to conduct when the high voltage source (30) delivers the positive phase of a voltage wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Hertzog, Thierry Ourth, Michel Ledroit
  • Patent number: 5942812
    Abstract: A proximity detector having a power switch 30 which is switched as a function of the approach of an object. The detector includes a MOS depletion transistor T1 which connects one of the terminals 15 of the detector to a control input of a power switch 30 through a control switch T2. A regulator stage 45 is coupled to T1 in order to keep T1 saturated in the closed condition of the detector and to regulate the gate voltage of T1 when the detector is in a open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Pierre Charrier, Alain Tardivon
  • Patent number: 5933065
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control and signalling device for a protective switching apparatus of the relay switch type which is provided with power switches (1) and a protection assembly (4) and is capable of detecting faults (overloads or overcurrents) on each current path associated with a switch (1), this device being actuated by a manual control member (51) which can take an operating "run" position corresponding to closed contacts, a "stop" position corresponding to open contacts and a "trip" position corresponding to the position after detection of a fault, characterised by the fact that it comprises a mobile spring loaded cam (52) actuated by a triggering spring (54) and capable of--from the "run" position in which it is locked by an automatic interlock (55) and after the triggering and release of the interlock (55)--of turning the manual control member (51) which then actuates the coil switch (81).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Pierre Duchemin
  • Patent number: 5929759
    Abstract: A proximity detector including a rapid transistor (i.e., one having a very high product gain-band) connected to a high potential voltage via a capacitor. The capacitor is connected in series to a source of a pulsed current that is a function of the proximity of an object. The capacitor is also connected to a low potential voltage via an RC circuit. The mid-point of the RC circuit is connected to the collector of a transistor connected to the high potential voltage by a collector resistor in parallel with a gain resistor of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Pierre Charrier
  • Patent number: 5910875
    Abstract: The device comprises an electronic switch able to temporarily connect a load to an AC power supply system so as to apply the power system voltage to the load during a test phase corresponding to a half-wave of the power system voltage. A control circuit of the electronic switch measures the output current and voltage of the device and calculates the load impedance. It compares the variation of the load impedance during the test phase to curves representative of different types of load. The device performs preventive overload detection by estimating the rated power of the load according to the type of load detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Simon Tian, Jean-Marc Kasbarian
  • Patent number: 5905242
    Abstract: A high voltage hybrid circuit-breaker has an arc circuit with a gas circuit-breaker connected in a series with a vacuum bulb. The housing is subdivided into a first compartment enclosed by an insulator for housing the primary contacts of the primary circuit and of the gas circuitbreaker and a second adjacent compartment (14) containing the vacuum bulb, defined by a conductive metallic shell. The movable arcing contact of the gas circuit-breaker is actuated with the movable primary contact by a primary control rod connected to a common mechanism, wherein the displacement of the movable arcing contact of the vacuum bulb is derived from the translational movement of the primary rod through an intermediate transmission lever received in the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Georges Bernard, Pierre Chevrier, Jean-Claude Faye, Pierre Leclercq, Joseph Maftoul
  • Patent number: 5903438
    Abstract: Enclosure for electrical switching equipment including electrical control or display devices (21) supported on a wall (23) of the enclosure, being accessible from the outside, a processing or control unit (20) for these devices which is housed inside the enclosure, and an electrical interface device (1) between the devices (21) and the unit (20), the interface device (1) being composed of a housing (10) comprising a body (11) that houses a printed circuit board and encloses a row of connection terminals (30) and a connector (61) to connect the printed circuit board to the devices (21) and to unit (20) respectively, characterized in that the interface device (1) comprises an attachment part (12a) installed on the inside of the enclosure wall (23) close to the devices (21), and the terminals (30) on the device (1) are of the quick fit type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Deschamps, Francis Schmit
  • Patent number: 5898143
    Abstract: A key-operated safety switch including a control roller and a component for unlocking the control roller. The unlocking component may be applied by way of a cam surface against a lock engaged in a catch of the control roller, so as to free the control roller when the key is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Hugues Da Dalt
  • Patent number: 5895441
    Abstract: A proximity detector including a sensor unit that produces an analog signal and a processor circuit digitizing this signal. The processor circuit includes logic that determines a switching value from an initial value and an extreme value obtained during a learning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventors: Christophe Brault, Stephane Even, Patrick Durand