Patents Examined by Bradley H Thomas
  • Patent number: 8081444
    Abstract: A computer system includes a chassis and an airflow guiding duct. The chassis includes a chassis bottom wall, a chassis front wall and a chassis rear wall. The chassis front wall defines a first ventilation hole, and the chassis rear wall defines a second ventilation hole. A motherboard is secured to the chassis bottom wall between the chassis front wall and the chassis rear wall. A memory card is secured to the motherboard. The airflow guiding duct is secured in the chassis and includes an entrance portion. The entrance portion covers a portion of the memory card, so as to guide airflow. Airflow flows in the chassis via the first ventilation hole, over the memory card, and then out of the chassis via the second ventilation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bo Xiao, Xiang-Kun Zeng, Zhi-Guo Zhang, Li-Fu Xu
  • Patent number: 8018317
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuse system for a switchgear assembly, especially for a medium voltage switchgear assembly. The fuse system comprises a plurality of fuses which correspond to the number of phases, every fuse having a tripping bar that projects from the face of the fuse under the effect of the force of a spring when the fuse comes into action. A sealing body, with a spring arrangement interposed, pushes a sealing head into the interior of a receptacle receiving the fuse. A two-armed lever is received on the sealing head, one arm covering a tripping mechanism which actuates a power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Lars-Johan Lindqvist, Ole Granhaug, Jan-Henrik Kuhlefelt
  • Patent number: 8009430
    Abstract: Techniques for cooling in a data center are provided. In one aspect a computer equipment rack is provided comprising one or more air inlets; one or more exhaust outlets, and one or more of: an air inlet duct mounted to the computer equipment rack surrounding at least a portion of the air inlets, the air inlet duct having a lateral dimension that approximates a lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and a length that is less than a length of the computer equipment rack, and an air exhaust duct mounted to the computer equipment rack surrounding at least a portion of the exhaust outlets, the air exhaust duct having a lateral dimension that approximates the lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and a length that is less than the length of the computer equipment rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Claassen, Hendrik F. Hamann, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, James Andrew Lacey, Yves C. Martin, Roger R. Schmidt, Theodore Gerard van Kessel
  • Patent number: 8004841
    Abstract: A cooling or heat transfer apparatus and method is disclosed for cooling an electronic device. The apparatus includes a heat producing electronic device which may include an electronic circuit card with many heat sources. A heat transfer device is connected to the heat producing electronic device which is thermally communicating with the heat producing device for transferring heat from the heat producing device to the heat transfer device. A heat conduit is connected to the heat transfer device and thermally communicating with the heat transfer device for transferring heat to the heat conduit from the heat transfer device. A cooling housing is connected to the heat conduit and the cooling housing thermally communicating with the heat conduit for transferring heat to the cooling housing from the heat conduit. The apparatus enables the replacement of circuit cards in the field because it eliminates the need to apply thermal-interface materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Cipolla, Shurong Tian, Evan George Colgan, Paul W. Coteus, Shawn Anthony Hall
  • Patent number: 7994892
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are related to oxidative opening switches and related methods, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes a switch assembly including a first terminal, a second terminal, and an oxidative switch element in electrical communication with the first terminal and the second terminal, the switch element comprising a conductive material and an oxidizer, the switch element configured to interrupt electrical communication between the first terminal and the second terminal as a result of an oxidation reaction between the conductive material and the oxidizer. In an embodiment, the invention includes a fast opening switch for pulse power applications. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Inventors: Richard F. Johnson, Randy Berg, Stanley E. Wood
  • Patent number: 7986212
    Abstract: A fuse includes: a first connecting terminal to be connected to a power source; a second connecting terminal to be connected to a load; a third connecting terminal to be connected to a relay control circuit; a fuse element having one end to be connected to the first connecting terminal; and a semiconductor relay directly mounted on the second connecting terminal. The semiconductor relay is a relay circuit switching between conducting and non-conducting states of a connection between its own drain and source electrodes, according to control signals inputted to the own gate electrode. The drain, source and gate electrodes are electrically connected to the other end of the fuse element, the second connecting terminal and the third connecting terminal, respectively. The first to third connecting terminals, the fuse element and the semiconductor relay are formed in an integral structure with a mold resin sealing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Ueno, Katsuyuki Iwasaki, Teppei Doi, Hiromichi Hanaoka
  • Patent number: 7983042
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermal management system for electronic components includes a plurality of spacers disposed between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate to form a plurality of heat transfer regions each having a plurality of capillary pumping regions, a two-phase fluid disposed between at least one pair of adjacent spacers, and a plurality of electronic components coupled to a mounting surface of the first flexible substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: James S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 7983024
    Abstract: A fuse assembly includes: (i) a junction box including a battery B+ board having a plurality of metallized slots and a distribution board having a plurality of metallized slots; and (ii) a plurality of fuses releasably secured within the metallized slots, the fuses each including a substrate, first and second contacts positioned on the substrate, each contact in electrical communication with one of the metallized slots, and a fuse element in electrical communication with the first and second contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventor: Edwin J. Harris, IV
  • Patent number: 7978046
    Abstract: A fusible link unit includes a fusible link main body that includes a bus bar for connecting to a battery terminal, and a battery that has a battery post for connecting to the battery terminal. The fusible link main body includes an L-shaped housing having a first face and a second face which oppose two side surfaces forming a corner portion of the battery. The bus bar is connected to a fuse portion and is extended from the first face of the housing. Abutment portions for abutting against the side surfaces of the battery are provided on the first and second faces of the housing respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Norihiro Ohashi, Yusuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7969715
    Abstract: A power supply that includes a housing for retaining the electronic components needed to operate a tattoo machine. The housing includes a first region in which the tattooing controls are located and a second region that includes a display screen. The first and second regions are separated from each so that a plastic covering can be drawn over only the first region to protect the tattooing controls while leaving the display screen unobscured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Eikon Device Inc.
    Inventors: Steve A. Copeland, Dean Byrnes, Ben Campbell
  • Patent number: 7961475
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating immersion-cooling of an electronic subsystem having multiple different types of components to be immersion-cooled. The apparatus includes a container sized to receive the electronic subsystem, and a hermetically sealed electrical connector disposed on a wall of the container. The electrical connector is sized and configured to receive an electrical and network connector of the electronic subsystem when the electronic subsystem is operatively inserted into the container, and to facilitate external electrical and network coupling to the subsystem. The apparatus further includes coolant inlet and outlet ports coupled to the container for facilitating ingress and egress of coolant through the container. When the electronic subsystem is operatively inserted into the container and coolant flows through the container, the electronic subsystem is immersion-cooled by the coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Vinod Kamath, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 7961472
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electric circuit device in which it is possible to achieve simultaneously the improvement of cooling performance and reduction in operating loss due to line inductance. The above object can be attained by constructing multiple plate-like conductors so that each of these conductors electrically connected to multiple semiconductor chips is also thermally connected to both chip surfaces of each such semiconductor chip to release heat from the chip surfaces of each semiconductor chip, and so that among the above conductors, a DC positive-polarity plate-like conductor and a DC negative-polarity plate-like conductor are opposed to each other at the respective conductor surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tokuyama, Kinya Nakatsu, Atsushi Kawabata
  • Patent number: 7948352
    Abstract: A wireless secondary assembly is disclosed for use in an electrical distribution network. The secondary assembly may include a wireless source electrically connected to a first electric cable and adapted to emit an electromagnetic power signal. A wireless receiver is electrically connected to a secondary device and adapted to receive the electromagnetic power signal and convert the electromagnetic power signal to electricity to power to secondary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Le Tang, Mohamed Y. Haj-Maharsi, Ernst Scholtz
  • Patent number: 7903429
    Abstract: A housing for receiving printed circuit boards whose components form at least parts of a communication system, comprising a housing cover and a connection area which is accessible from the outside. A main printed circuit board is arranged between the base housing part and a cover part. Plug-in devices for at least one extension printed circuit board are provided in an extension area of the main printed circuit board. A first hood is provided in order to cover the extension area. The hood has push-through openings arranged towards the connection area, corresponding to plug-in devices on at least one extension printed circuit board in an assembled state. The first hood can engage with the cover part by means of a lock connection whereby said lock connection can only be released using a tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter Fürsich, Friedhelm Harnischmacher, Markus Verding
  • Patent number: 7884698
    Abstract: An electronic component is provided in which: impact-absorbing layers are provided so as to cover at least the corner portions of both end portions of a base which is made of an insulating mixture of ceramic and glass; a conductive film is formed so as to cover the surface of these impact-absorbing layers and the surface of the base; the portions of this conductive film which cover the surfaces of the impact-absorbing layers are formed into electrodes; and a resistance-adjusting groove is provided in an other portion of the conductive film than the portions serving as the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Tanaka, Tomoyuki Washizaki, Kiyoshi Ikeuchi, Toshiyuki Iwao, Yasuki Nagatomo, Kesato Iiboshi, Jiro Ota, Yasuhiro Izumi
  • Patent number: 7869193
    Abstract: The connection between the terminals of three-phase electric parts used in a matrix converter is simplified to thereby reduce the inductance between conductors. An AC capacitor and an IGBT are disposed such that the linearly arranged terminals of the AC capacitor and the linearly arranged input terminals of the IGBT are parallel to each other, and also that the three terminals of the AC capacitor and the three input terminals of the IGBT are situated close to each other. A bus bar is formed as a laminate bus bar which can be provided by laminating three plate-shaped bus bars on top of each other. In the respective plate-shaped bus bars, there are provided internal terminals for connecting together the mutually adjoining ones of the three-portion terminals of the AC capacitor and the three-portion input terminals of the IGBT, and the mutually adjoining terminals are connected together through the internal terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Shuhei Nohara, Toshihiro Mori, Hidenori Hara
  • Patent number: 7855882
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate to fan units. One exemplary fan unit includes a housing supporting a motor. The fan unit also includes an impeller coupled to the motor and configured to be rotated by the motor. The impeller comprises at least a first structure configured to move air past the housing and at least one second different structure configured to force air into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: John P. Franz
  • Patent number: 7852190
    Abstract: An electrical switching device includes a housing, a base attached to the housing, two non-actuated electrical contacts supported in the housing, and an actuator assembly contained within the housing. The actuator assembly includes a movable contact for engaging the non-actuated electrical contact and a wire element formed of a shape memory alloy. Applying an electric current to the wire element causes the actuator to either pivot or rotate the movable contact to either engage or disengage the non-actuated electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerard A. Woychik, Ryan J. Legge, Matthew W. Jenski
  • Patent number: 7843685
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for substantially preventing recirculation of heated air from an exhaust outlet of an expansion card to an air inlet of the expansion card, wherein the air inlet and exhaust outlet are both on the same end of the chassis. The apparatus comprises a chassis with a chassis fan, a motherboard within the chassis having an expansion card connector, and an expansion card in communication with the expansion card connector and secured to the front end of the chassis. The expansion card also includes a card fan configured to move cooling air through the air inlet to the exhaust outlet. An air duct redirects the hot air from the exhaust outlet to prevent recirculation into the expansion card and causes the heated air to exit through the chassis fan. The air duct may include a longitudinal segment through a computer module and a lateral segment selectively securable over the exhaust outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Norris Beauchamp, Karl Klaus Dittus, Whitcomb Randolph Scott, III, Jean Jidong Xu
  • Patent number: 7839260
    Abstract: At the time of start of usage, a voltage to be applied to a shape memory alloy wire 102 by a feedback control circuit 120 is set to a first voltage value (step S1), and at a limit resistance value detection step, (the feedback control circuit) measures a limit resistance value when the shape memory alloy wire 102 can be contracted (step S2), and upon storing the limit resistance value, a value of the maximum voltage to be input by the feedback control circuit 120 is set to a second voltage value (step S3). At an input electric power optimization step, a target resistance value is indicated, and the feedback control is carried out such that the resistance value indicated is not lower than the limit resistance value (step S4). Thereafter, voltage is stopped at the time of stopping the use of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Takahashi