Patents Examined by Dharti Patel
  • Patent number: 9793701
    Abstract: A surge arrester, in particular for arresting surges, includes a housing and a disconnecting device. The housing is divided into at least two housing parts, and the disconnecting device connects the housing parts to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dirk Springborn, Markus Sulitze
  • Patent number: 9787087
    Abstract: An electronic device including first and second line inputs, first and second device inputs, a filter circuit, and a switching circuit. The filter circuit has a first input electrically coupled to the first line input, a second input electrically coupled to the second line input, a first output electrically coupled to the first device input, a second output, and at least one capacitor electrically coupling at least one of the first input to the second input or the first output to the second output. The switching circuit has a control input to receive a control signal, and electrically couples the second output to the second device input in response to the control signal having the first state and electrically couples the second output to one of the first input and the first output through a resistor in response to the control signal having the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Luka Petrovic, Kenneth A. Colby, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9786538
    Abstract: An attachment member (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a base (4) composed of a ceramic sintered body, which has an annular part (6) corresponding to a shape of an object (2), a bottom surface (7) located inside the annular part (6), and a plurality of column shaped protruding parts (8) protruding from the bottom surface (7), and is provided with an attachment surface (3) supporting and attaching the object (2) inside the annular part (6) by a plurality of the protruding parts (8); and a film (5) that covers at least a part of the bottom surface (7), exposes top surfaces (11) of the protruding parts (8), and has higher hydrophilicity than the base (4). Accordingly, it is possible to provide the attachment member (1) that is excellent in attachment force for the object (2), and suppresses contamination of the object (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Momikura
  • Patent number: 9786458
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device comprising a pulse trigger switch module configured to generate a first control signal in response to a first input signal value and generate the second control signal in response to a second input signal value. An on pulse generator module provides a first pulse signal having a first predetermined pulse duration in response to the first control signal and an off pulse generator module provides a second pulse signal having a second predetermined pulse duration in response to the second control signal. An on pulse switch module connects a power signal to an output in response to the first pulse signal and an off pulse switch module connects the power signal to the output in response to the second pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: WCM Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Phil A. Parker
  • Patent number: 9780464
    Abstract: A connector component is disclosed. The connector may include an electrically-conductive clamp element configured to clamp a contact element to a surface element. The surface element may be electrically-conductive and may be inserted into the clamp element using a recess in a lateral edge of the surface element to provide additional surface area for an electrical connection. The clamp element may be a lamella contact. The surface element may be at least one contact blade. The clamp element may include two laterally-spaced clamp elements. The connector component may also include a contact element that is inserted into the two clamp elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Lisa Draexlmaier GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Wortberg
  • Patent number: 9777864
    Abstract: A solenoid actuator for an injection valve or an intake valve is driven with current control during closed-loop control phases. In between the closed-loop current control, the actuator must be clamped to an opposite voltage so as to quickly decrease the current through the solenoid. The current is measured immediately following the clamping phase so as to determine whether or not the clamping phase resulted in the correct current level. If the measured current indicates an extraneous reduction in the current, the clamping phase duration is shortened for the next activation of this clamping phase. If the measured current indicates an insufficient decrease, the clamping phase duration is lengthened for the next following activation cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Dirk Etzler
  • Patent number: 9776505
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel injection hole cap for preventing explosion due to static electricity which is characterized in that it is possible to prevent any fire due to an explosion of fuel evaporation gas in such a way to instantly discharge static electricity the instant that a user touches with a hand injection hole cap before the fuel injection hole cap is opened, without carrying any device with him which is configured to prevent the occurrence of static electricity. For this, at the fuel injection hole cap of a vehicle, there is provided a static electricity discharger which is configured to discharge static electricity and flash by the current of the discharging, thus informing the use of the discharging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventor: Chang Hee Park
  • Patent number: 9768608
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method comprising providing a first signal to an apparatus comprising a protection circuit and an output for providing electric power. The protection circuit comprises at least an overdischarge detection element and a discharging control output. The first signal is used to change a voltage level at an input of the overdischarge detection element of the protection circuit. The change of the voltage level at the input of overdischarge detection element is detected, and a second signal is provided at the discharging control output to switch off the output of the apparatus. There is also disclosed an apparatus comprising a protection circuit comprising at least an overdischarge detection element and a discharging control output. The apparatus also comprises an output for providing electric power; the protection circuit; and a first signal input adapted to receive a first signal to change a voltage level at an input of the overdischarge detection element of the protection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Timo Toivola, Juhani Kari
  • Patent number: 9768694
    Abstract: An intrinsically safe redundant regulator circuit includes a plurality of voltage limiting regulators between a regulated rail and a ground rail. Each of the plurality of voltage limiting regulators includes: (i) a shunt regulator component configured to clamp a voltage across the regulated rail and the ground rail to a safety clamp voltage value; and (ii) one or more components, where a property of each of the one or more components is selected to configure the safety clamp voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Matthew J. Kemp, Davin S. Nicholas, Stephen G. Seberger
  • Patent number: 9768160
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device, an electronic circuit, and a method. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body; at least one transistor cell including a source region, a drift region, a body region separating the source region from the drift region, and a drain region in the semiconductor body, and a gate electrode dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric; a source node connected to the source region and the body region; a contact node spaced apart from the body region and the drain region and electrically connected to the drain region; and a rectifier element formed between the contact node and the source node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder
  • Patent number: 9768611
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing protection to an electric circuit includes a P-channel MOSFET; a freewheeling diode coupled to a drain of the P-channel MOSFET and coupled to a load; and a charge pump coupled to a gate of the P-channel MOSEFT. In a normal operating mode, the charge pump receives a voltage from a voltage regulator, and is configured to multiply and reverses the polarity of the voltage to supply to the gate of the MOSFET. In a reverse battery operating mode, the charge pump receives no voltage from the voltage regulator to supply to the gate of the MOSFET causing the MOSFET to deactivate such that when the MOSFET deactivates, current is prevented from flowing through the freewheeling diode to protect the freewheeling diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Roberto Togo Peraza, Lothar Erle
  • Patent number: 9768589
    Abstract: The design of the triggering circuit 1 of the overvoltage protection, connected via three poles 4 to the spark gap of the overvoltage protection, provided with the first input terminal 2 and the second main terminal 3, whose principle consists that an auxiliary electrode 7 of the spark gap 4 is connected in series to the first varistor 8 and one end of the secondary winding 14 of the transformer 13, the other end of which is connected to the second main electrode 6 of the spark gap 4 and the second input terminal 3, whereas one end of the primary winding 15 of the transformer 13 is connected in series to the gas discharge tube 10, the second varistor 9, resistor 11 and capacitor 12, connected to the other end of the primary winding 15 of the transformer 13, connected to the second input terminal 3, whereas the junction connecting the second varistor 9 to the resistor 11 is interconnected with the junction, connecting the first input terminal 2 to the first main electrode 5 of the spark gap 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: SALTEK, S.R.O.
    Inventor: Jaromir Suchy
  • Patent number: 9762035
    Abstract: A multi-step tube (1) of a ceramic material comprises a tube body (1) of the ceramic material having an inner wall (11) located inside the tube body (1). A surface of the inner wall (11) is formed with a plurality of steps (2). The steps (2) are formed to extend differently far inside the tube (1). A multi-layered gas discharge tube comprises the multi-step tube (1). An inner electrode (31) is disposed on a step (21), and an outer electrode (41) is disposed on an outer surface (13) of the tube body (1). A disc (51) is partially placed on a step (22) and the inner electrode (31) between the inner electrode (31) and the outer electrode (41) so that, in case of an electrostatic discharge, the discharge will only take place in the center of the multi-step tube (1) and not at the border of the isolated ceramic disc (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Thomas Westebbe, Yu Zhang, Eric Liu, Jiaping Hong
  • Patent number: 9753077
    Abstract: An abnormal connection detection method is used between a power supplier and a power receiver. The power supplier and the power receiver are connected through a cable. The cable includes positive and negative power transmission lines. The abnormal connection detection method includes: providing an output voltage from the power supplier, wherein the output voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage threshold; detecting, according to the output voltage, whether an output current generated by the power supplier is higher than a predetermined current threshold; and when the output current is higher than the predetermined current threshold, determining that an abnormal connection occurs between the power supplier and the power receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: RICHTECK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yi-Min Shiu, Yi-Shan Chu, Shih-Jen Yang
  • Patent number: 9748832
    Abstract: A line-to-ground fault location detector detects, based on a difference between a current flowing from a power transmission circuit to a load circuit, and a current flowing from the load circuit to the power transmission circuit, whether a line-to-ground fault is occurring at a power-transmission-circuit side or a load-circuit side. A contactor controller opens a first contactor when the load circuit detects the occurrence of the line-to-ground fault, and when a line-to-ground fault location detector detects that a location of the line-to-ground fault is at the power-transmission-circuit side, the contactor controller maintains the open state of the first contactor even if an operation to instruct closing of the first contactor is made after the first contactor is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuya Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9742186
    Abstract: An electronic equipment item for an electronic system, comprising a housing, a backplane board, at least one daughterboard and at least one lightning protection board housed in the housing. A connector is fixed to the backplane board and configured to be connected to the rest of the electronic system. For each daughterboard there is provided one lightning protection board. For each lightning protection board, a first port is arranged to connect the lightning protection board to the backplane board, and a second port is arranged to connect the daughterboard to the lightning protection board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Pierre-Louis Engelvin, Patrice Lafont
  • Patent number: 9735565
    Abstract: A bi-directional transmitter/receiver according to an embodiment includes a pin connected with a main control circuit, a transistor connected with a first electrode to the pin, a Schmitt trigger which determines an output according to a voltage of the pin, and a temperature sensor which is connected to the pin and which senses temperature and outputs temperature information to the pin. A driving circuit for controlling switching operation of one or more switches includes a bi-directional transmitter/receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinkyu Choi, Wonhi Oh, Kinam Song, Hyunsoo Bae, Samuell Shin
  • Patent number: 9728953
    Abstract: A fault detection circuit includes a micro processing unit configured to output a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, a driver electrically coupled to the micro processing unit, and a comparator configured to electrically connect the micro processing unit and the driver. The first PWM signal is configured to drive the driver to output a second PWM signal configured to drive the electrical device. The comparator is configured to compare the second PWM signal with a reference level to output a third PWM signal to the micro processing unit. The third PWM signal contains a number of high level signals and low level signals. The micro processing unit is configured to detect the number of the high level signals and the number of the low level signals during at least one time period to determine a status of an electrical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ADVANCED OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Yuan-Ching Chen
  • Patent number: 9728362
    Abstract: Surge arrester structure is provided for a dead tank circuit breaker. The circuit breaker has a pole assembly with a first electrical terminal in a first bushing, and a second electrical terminal in a second bushing. The first terminal is electrically connected to a stationary contact and the second terminal is electrically connected to a movable contact. The surge arrester structure includes a surge arrester having first and second opposing ends. A first conductor structure electrically and mechanically connects the first end of the surge arrester with an end of the first terminal. A second conductor structure electrically and mechanically connects the second end of the surge arrester with an end of the second terminal. The surge arrester is electrically connected parallel with respect to the stationary and movable contacts so that the surge arrester can limit transient over voltages occurring across the contacts when the contacts are open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Sushil A. Shinde, Arnold P. Vitols, Gary Hammack, Corey J. Stanko, Willie Freeman
  • Patent number: 9726726
    Abstract: One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another, each single-phase switching device including a direct current electromagnetic operator that in operation receives a direct current control signal for switching of the device, stationary contacts disposed in a respective device housing, and a movable assembly that in operation is displaced by energizing the operator and that include movable contacts that open and close, with the stationary contacts, a single current carrying path through the respective single-phase switching device; in which each of the single-phase switching devices receives control signals from control circuitry coupled to the operators of the respective single-phase switching devices to cause at least one of the single-phase switching devices to open or close the single current carrying path at a desired time coordinated with a current zero-crossing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher H. Bock, Christopher J. Wieloch, James J. Kinsella, Stefan T. Dziekonski