Patents Examined by Christopher J Clark
  • Patent number: 11228307
    Abstract: In recent years, an improvement in detection accuracy of an overcurrent is desired. An overcurrent detection device is provided, which includes a gate current detection unit that detects whether a gate current flowing to a semiconductor element is equal to or above a reference gate current; a sense current detection unit that detects whether a sense current flowing through a sense-emitter terminal of the semiconductor element is equal to or above a reference sense current; and an adjustment unit that decreases a detected value of the sense current relatively to the reference sense current if the gate current is equal to or above the reference gate current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Akahane
  • Patent number: 11211787
    Abstract: An electrical protection circuit breaker comprises a microprocessor chip part, a circuit breaker part connected between a power line and a power supply, a temperature detection part for detecting a temperature of the power line, a current detection part for detecting a current of the power line, and a voltage detection part for detecting a voltage of the power line. A memory of the microprocessor chip part stores a data collection S=f(temp, I, V, ?time), wherein S represents a diameter of the power line, temp represents the temperature, I represents the current, V represents the voltage, and ?time represents a set time period. The microprocessor chip part matches electronic data of real-time temperature changes, electronic data of an import current, and electronic data of a voltage with data sets in the data collection, and sets a corresponding safety protection current according to matching results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Inventor: Yaoya Li
  • Patent number: 11205893
    Abstract: A thermally protected metal-oxide varistor is provided, including a disconnecting unit, a first varistor assembly and a second varistor assembly. The first varistor assembly and the second varistor assembly are connected in series through a low-melting-point alloy layer; wherein when the low-melting-point alloy layer is fused, the disconnecting unit acts to cut off the low-melting-point alloy. The two varistors are connected directly through solder joints without any transition connection member. The heat transfer path is reduced to the shortest path, and a faster response is realized compared to conventional products formed by a varistor and a disconnecting unit when abnormal over-current passes. Moreover, the slider functions as a physical separator capable of isolating the two varistors after the solder joints are fused, which further diminishes the risk of fire occurrence caused by the failure of instantly blocking current by the disconnecting unit when the varistor breaks down by over-current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: XIAMEN SET ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Xianggui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11201462
    Abstract: A solid state power controller for delivering power to a load is provided. The solid state power controller includes a set of sections, where each section includes at least one power switching block. The solid state power controller further includes protection circuitry in each section. The protection circuitry is configured to prevent a fault occurring in one power switching block to propagate to the other sections, to other power switching blocks, or to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: David Alan Elliott
  • Patent number: 11201463
    Abstract: Techniques are described to slow the turn off of a pass transistor coupled to an inductive load and being controlled by a hot swap or switch controller in the event of a fault on the load side. Active circuitry can control the gate of the pass transistor, e.g., field-effect transistor (FET), as the inductive load de-energizes and a feedback loop can servo the gate voltage of the pass transistor in order to ensure that its source does not go below a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventor: Karl David Peterson
  • Patent number: 11190007
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fault current controller for a direct current power grid, which includes a primary circuit and a controller. The primary circuit includes an inductor, a filter capacitor, a resistor, an IGBT switch, a diode, a contactor and a Hall current sensor. The inductor, a first resistor and a second contactor are connected in series and are connected to a first contactor in parallel. A first branch including a second resistor and a first diode, a second branch including a third resistor and a second diode, and the inductor are connected in parallel; the filter capacitor, the IGBT switch and the first resistor are connected in parallel. The Hall current sensor is arranged in the series circuit. The controller controls the IGBT switch and the two contactors in the primary circuit to form different on-off combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignees: STATE GRID JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD., STATE GRID JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD. RESEARCH INSTITUTE, STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA, JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chenyu Zhang, Yubo Yuan, Jinggang Yang, Shu Chen, Xiaodong Yuan, Jian Liu, Mingming Shi, Qun Li, Xuefeng Ge, Huiyu Miao, Ruihuang Liu, Yunlong Jiang
  • Patent number: 11177653
    Abstract: Bus mounted surge protection devices are provided that are configured to be positioned in a panelboard alongside one or more similarly sized circuit breaker devices. The bus mounted surge protection device is configured to be received by a same provisional bus as the one or more circuit breaker devices and the bus mounted surge protection device is configured to protect all of the one or more circuit breaker devices in the panelboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Paul Anthony Colbaugh, Thomas Perry Colcombe, Daniel Lee Ellis, Richard Alan Orman, Daniel Joseph Resnik, Scott Anthony Seale, James Nicholas Skoczlas, David John States, Thomas Mark Young
  • Patent number: 11177652
    Abstract: Circuit assembly for protecting a unit to be operated from a supply network against surges, comprising an input having a first and a second input connection, which are connected to the supply network, an output to which the unit to be protected can be connected, and a protective circuit which is placed between the first and the second input connections in order to limit the voltage applied thereto, said protective circuit comprising a power semiconductor device. The power semiconductor device includes at least one Zener element between the collector and the gate, or a digital-to-analog converter is placed between the collector and the gate of the power semiconductor device. The protective level of this type of protective circuit can be easily adjusted by setting the clamping voltage for the power semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: DEHN SE + CO. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Böhm, Franz Schork
  • Patent number: 11171475
    Abstract: A fault current sensor for a fault current protection device for monitoring an electrical consumer for a vehicle is provided. The fault current sensor has a measuring device for measuring a differential current between a first electrical current in an electrical forward conductor, which conducts from a control device for controlling the electrical consumer to the electrical consumer, and a second electrical current in an electrical return conductor, which conducts away from the electrical consumer. The fault current sensor also has a reporting device for reporting a fault current at the control device via the forward conductor depending on a comparison of the measured differential current with a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Jenoptik Advanced Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Seidler
  • Patent number: 11165239
    Abstract: A virtual electronic circuit breaker having an electrical relay and a control circuit, the control circuit including a load and wire protection (“OC”) detection unit, a microprocessor and a driver. The OC detection unit is configured to monitor a power flow and the electrical relay is effective to control it. The driver is effective to cause the relay to stop the power flow upon receipt of a deactivation command. The OC detection unit is effective to cause the driver to receive a deactivation command if the OC detection unit senses that a short circuit condition or an overload condition exists. The microprocessor of the control unit is configured so as to be capable of, at least, receiving input from the OC detection unit and sending output to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Massoud Vaziri
  • Patent number: 11156438
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stun gun with illumination and siren. The stun gun generates a high-voltage pulse instantaneously through the transformer, stuns the contacted creature into dazed or shock for self-defense. The function of existing stun gun is relatively single, and the structure is not compact enough, it is inconvenient for use. If integrating more function in the existing stun gun, the structure of the stun gun will be complicated and it will be even more inconvenient for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Limei Yang
  • Patent number: 11152782
    Abstract: A drive device (9) drivably controls linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) by inputting respective drive signals to one-side ends (5a) of the linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) via a connector (Co) and wires (Ha). Other-side ends (5b) of the linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) are connected to respective wires (56). The wires (56) are connected to the connector (Co) while being integrally commonalized by the common wire (57). This allows reducing the number of ground terminals gt of the connector (Co), whereby the connector (Co) can be downsized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kento Yamashita, Junichi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11152932
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a gate protection circuit for an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), the IGBT being used as a switch device in a solid state pulse modulator based on the MARX generator principle, the gate protection circuit including: a voltage regulator configured to supply a stable voltage to an emitter of the IGBT with respect to the ground for a gate of the IGBT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited
    Inventors: Yaohong Liu, Ziran Zhao, Jinsheng Liu, Wei Jia, Wei Li, Xinshui Yan
  • Patent number: 11133795
    Abstract: In an overcurrent determining apparatus, a temperature obtainer obtains a temperature parameter indicative of a temperature of a switching element as a temperature measurement value. A determination voltage has a first voltage value when the temperature measurement value is a first temperature. A setter sets the determination voltage to a second voltage value upon determining that the temperature measurement value is a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The second voltage value is lower than the first voltage value and higher than a value of a Miller voltage of the switching element at the second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Muraho, Yohei Kondo
  • Patent number: 11128288
    Abstract: A switching device has, for example, a first terminal configured to be connected to an application node for a first voltage, a second terminal configured to be connected to the first end of a load, a third terminal configured to be connected to the second end of the load and to an application node for a second voltage, a switching element configured to be connected between the first and second terminals, a first active clamper configured to limit the output voltage at the second terminal with reference to the first voltage in a first state, and a second active clamper configured to limit the output voltage with reference to the second voltage in a second state different from the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takuma, Shuntaro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11128117
    Abstract: A protection circuit includes: a high-side switch connected to a power terminal to which a predetermined power supply voltage VBB is supplied from an onboard battery; and an NMOS transistor MT1 connected to the high-side switch and configured to prevent an electrical conduction to the high-side switch when the onboard battery is reverse-connected to the power terminal, wherein a semiconductor integrated circuit is protected from a breakdown due to the reverse connection of the external power supply. A semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus includes the above-mentioned protection circuit configured to protect a semiconductor integrated circuit connected between the power terminal and the ground terminal, from an electro-static discharge breakdown. The protection circuit is connected to the clamp circuit unit inserted between the power terminal and the ground terminal, and is configured to protect the clamp circuit unit from a breakdown when the external power supply is reverse-connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Shuntaro Takahashi, Toru Takuma
  • Patent number: 11121546
    Abstract: The invention relates to a protection ensemble, comprising a circuit breaker, and a surge protector device, wherein the circuit breaker and the surge protector device have an interface, wherein the surge protector device comprises a monitoring device and, upon recognizing a fault condition by the monitoring device, the circuit breaker can be tripped by means of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: PHOENIX CONTACT GMBH & CO KG
    Inventors: Gernot Finis, Mario Stolzenberg
  • Patent number: 11114837
    Abstract: A ground overcurrent control system includes ground circuit with a first section and a second section. The first section is electrically connected to a ground member of an electrical connector and the second section is electrically connected to a ground reference. A switch element is positioned between the first section of the ground circuit and the second section of the ground circuit. A controller is configured to determine the current within the ground circuit while current is passing through the switch element and, upon the current exceeding a current threshold, the switch element is modified to an open condition. Upon determining that the voltage between the first section of the ground circuit and the ground reference is less than a voltage threshold, a command is generated to modify the switch element back to a closed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Molex, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory L. Bella, Jeffrey R. Ciarlette
  • Patent number: 11116067
    Abstract: A renal failure therapy system (10) includes a dialyzer (102); a blood circuit (100) in fluid communication with the dialyzer (102); a dialysis fluid circuit (30) in fluid communication with the dialyzer (102); and an electrically floating fluid pathway (140) comprising at least a portion of the blood circuit (100) and at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit (30), wherein the only electrical path to ground is via used dialysis fluid traveling through machine (12) to earth ground (28), and wherein at least one electrical component (46, 90, 82, 66, 102, 116) in the at least a portion of the dialysis fluid circuit (30) of the electrically floating fluid pathway (140) is electrically bypassed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Sture Hobro, Erik Torgny, Par Lofgren
  • Patent number: 11114845
    Abstract: An adapter system for protection of electronics from voltage spikes induced on connected wires. Said adapter system comprises an enclosure, one or more power line connectors and a suppression elements. Two or more plug sockets comprise at least a first line socket and a neutral socket. Said first line socket connects to a first line. Said neutral socket connects to a neutral. Said adapter system is configured to connect to at least said first line with said one or more power line connectors and suppressing a portion of a power on said first line with said suppression elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventors: William Goldbach, James Moellmann, Mark Wingate