Patents Examined by Dhirubhai R Patel
  • Patent number: 9509127
    Abstract: A wire guiding tool includes a support structure configured to removably mount the guiding tool to an electrical box. The support structure includes an aperture at a first position on the support structure that is configured to allow a fastener attached to the electrical box to extend through, and wherein the support structure is further configured to be removably mounted to the electrical box at a second position, the second position being remote from the aperture at the first position. A locking element is movably connected to the support structure to selectively engage the fastener to inhibit removal of the fastener from the aperture. A carriage assembly is carried by the support structure having a perimeter structure with a perimeter surface configured to guide a wire thereover without damaging the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Inventor: John A. Bergstrom
  • Patent number: 9510471
    Abstract: An electronics cabinet having a cabinet frame, a front equipment rail, and a structural air dam. The cabinet frame includes a first pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of top side-to-side beams to form a top frame, a second pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of bottom side-to-side beams to form a bottom frame, and a plurality of vertical post connected to the top frame and the bottom frame. The front equipment rail is removably connected to one of the first pair of front-to-back beams and to one of the second pair of front-to-back beams. The structural air dam is connected to the front equipment rail and to one of the plurality of vertical posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Roger D. Segroves, Rey Bravo, Alex C. Brouwer
  • Patent number: 9508481
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing temporary secure electric cable access to a terminal of a transformer mounted on a pad; the apparatus includes: 1) at least one riser for supporting an end of the transformer a distance above the pad thereby creating a gap between the pad and the transformer, the distance being sufficient to allow axial passage of the cable through the gap; 2) a barrier shaped for abutting engagement with the transformer and sized to cover the gap; 3) a cable access portal disposed through the barrier; the cable access portal being sized to permit axial passage of the cable; and 4) a barrier lock removably mounted to the barrier for removably securing the barrier to the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Inventor: Richard L. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9502188
    Abstract: One or more apparatuses are provided for forming a seal between a circuit breaker and an enclosure. An adjustable door assembly includes an inner floating frame assembly positioned according to a floating configuration between a first external flange and a second external flange that connect to an enclosure door of an enclosure housing a circuit breaker. The inner floating frame assembly includes an inner floating frame and an inner floating box frame. An adjustable coupling is used to apply a force, between the inner floating frame and the inner floating frame box, to the inner floating box frame towards a front side of the circuit breaker to form a seal between the front side of the circuit breaker and the enclosure door. The seal may provide a barrier for mitigating arc flash, hazardous gases, material, and/or explosive force from escaping from a backside of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventor: Liam Devine
  • Patent number: 9502160
    Abstract: Disclosed is a corona-free cap assembly for achieving uniform electrical stress distribution around an electrical device having a cylindrical end, the corona-free cap assembly comprising: a clamping member configured for clamping on the cylindrical end along circumferential direction of the cylindrical end; and a corona-free cap comprising a grading chamber with two open ends, the corona-free cap further comprising a connection component fixed inside the grading chamber and adapted for connection with the clamping member in a manner that the corona-free cap is detachably fixed on the electrical device and the cylindrical end of the electrical device is at least partially extended into the grading chamber of the corona-free cap through one of the open ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Zheng Huang, Ming Zhang, Jinquan Yang
  • Patent number: 9496694
    Abstract: An electrical connector for easy insertion of one or more electrical cables through a hole or knock-out of an electrical box. The electrical connector includes a substantially tubular connector body including sidewalls, a leading end, and a trailing end. A recess in at least one of the sidewalls facilitates orientation of the connector to avoid burrs in the knockout aperture of the electrical box. The connector body includes base flange at the trailing end, an inner bore, and a dividing wall. Two flexible gripper arms are formed at notched areas of the base flange on opposing sides of the sidewalls. An inner tooth and an outer tooth are included on each gripper arm. Each gripper arm includes a top wall and an outward extending wing. The connector enables connection of two cables to a single knockout with the dividing wall preventing contact between the cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ARLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Gretz
  • Patent number: 9496641
    Abstract: An electrical wire protective cover is assembled to a connector to cover an electrical wire pulled out of the connector. The electrical wire protective cover includes: a cover body configured to receive the electrical wire and having a wire receiving channel with an opening along a wire extending direction of the electrical wire; and a temporary wire retaining piece protruding from the cover body in a direction narrowing the opening of the wire receiving channel, and configured to allow the electrical wire to be inserted by a bending deformation of the temporary wire retaining piece into an inside of the wire receiving channel and prevent a movement of the electrical wire received in the wire receiving channel to an outside of the wire receiving channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Watanabe, Tomoyuki Kasajima
  • Patent number: 9490617
    Abstract: An electrical connector for easy insertion of one or more electrical cables through a hole or knock-out of an electrical junction box. The electrical connector includes a substantially tubular connector body including sidewalls, a leading end, and a trailing end. The connector body includes base flange at the trailing end, an inner bore, and a dividing wall. For connection of two cables, the dividing wall keeps the separate cables from touching. Two flexible gripper arms are formed at notched areas of the base flange on opposing sides of the sidewalls. An inner tooth and an outer tooth are included on each gripper arm. Each gripper arm includes a top wall and an outward extending wing. The outward extending wing in combination with the base flange form seats on opposing sides of the connector body for accommodating the wall of an electrical box when the connector is pushed into a knockout hole in an electrical box or panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ARLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Gretz
  • Patent number: 9484730
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a clamp and a spacer for bundle-shaped wires of high-voltage electric lines, as well as a relative mounting kit. The clamp possesses an arm for fastening to wires, at the free end of which two fixed jaws are formed. The second jaw being movable through disengageable tightening means, both jaws being provided with opposite saddles for the housing of wire, wherein the second moving jaw has a first end mounted rotating on a pin, carried by said fastening arm in a position coinciding with a first end of the first jaw. The tightening includes a tie rod having an end mounted rotating on the jaw and a distal end constrained through a constraint pin to a cam lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: A. SALVI & C. S.p.A.
    Inventor: Aldo Tufari
  • Patent number: 9478955
    Abstract: A feedthrough device (10) for an explosion-proof housing constructed as a “flameproof enclosure” of the flame protection type. The feedthrough device (10) is arranged in a wall opening of the housing and forms a flameproof gap therein. A rigid component (11) is arranged through said gap to be displaced in its direction of extension relative to the wall. The feedthrough device (10) has a clamping body unit (20), a sleeve (21), a cap (22) and a thrust collar (23). The sleeve (21) and the cap (22) can be screwed together. Axial forces are transmitted between the clamping body unit (20) and the cap (22) via the thrust collar (23). The sleeve (21) exerts a radial clamping force on the clamping body unit (20), which is fully penetrated by a conduit (25) along a longitudinal axis (L), in which conduit a longitudinal section of a component (11) is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: R. Stahl Schaltgeräte GmbH
    Inventor: Tom Wondrak
  • Patent number: 9478374
    Abstract: A portable load-breaking and pickup apparatus for handling a load associated with a power distribution system is disclosed. The apparatus includes first and second spaced-apart connectors electrically connected by a load break assembly. The load break assembly includes first and second outer contacts configured for mating engagement and configured to provide a low-resistance path between the first and second connectors, and first and second inner contacts configured for mating engagement and configured to provide a high-resistance path between the first and second connectors. The load break assembly transitions from an open position to a closed position in two stages. The two stages include closing the high-resistance path prior to closing the low-resistance path, and closing the low-resistance path after the high-resistance path has been closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Utility Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene H. Wood, Matthew G. Nolte
  • Patent number: 9480153
    Abstract: A housing for an electronic circuit unit has a housing body and a bus bar. The housing body is made from a resin material and includes a bottom wall part and a side wall part for defining an inner space where electronic components are located. The bus bar includes a base portion buried in the bottom wall part and a folded portion buried in the side wall part. The folded portion includes two ends each connected to the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Hachiya
  • Patent number: 9478965
    Abstract: A cryogenic electrical power feed-through assembly includes a contact header assembly. The contact header assembly includes a feed-through body forming a feed-through body cavity disposed therethrough extending between a first opening end to a second opening end. A first contactor plate assembly is disposed at and hermetically seals the first opening end of the feed-through body with a first electron beam weld formed between the first contactor plate and the first opening end. A second contactor plate assembly is disposed at and hermetically seals the second opening end of the feed-through body with a second electron beam weld formed between the second contactor plate and the second opening end. Each contactor plate assembly includes a contactor plate, a plurality of insulative bushings hermetically sealed to and extending through the contactor plate, and a plurality of contact pins hermetically sealed to and extending through the plurality of insulative bushings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ACD, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis W. Chalmers, Mark Geipel, Rahul Joshi
  • Patent number: 9472931
    Abstract: Sealing ability with respect to a shield pipe is ensured. A wire harness is inserted in the inside of a shield pipe and a braid portion, and furthermore, a corrugated tube is disposed on the outer side of the braid portion. A sealing grommet is disposed to extend across a connecting portion between the shield pipe and the braid portion. A seal member made of rubber is pushed into an end portion of the shield pipe. A wire insertion hole in which a conductive wire of the wire harness is inserted penetrates the seal member, and a wire insertion path is formed in an outer circumferential surface of the seal member toward the wire insertion hole. Thus, the conductive wire can be inserted into the wire insertion hole from a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Takamasa Maeda
  • Patent number: 9474178
    Abstract: The invention describes an electronics device housing having two side wall elements, which are spaced apart from one another, for forming a housing having a housing interior for accommodating at least one printed circuit board, wherein at least one fitting location for conductor connection plug connectors is provided on at least one of the end faces in the intermediate space between the side wall elements. The electronics device housing has receiving devices in the region of the at least one fitting location, the receiving devices being designed to selectively receive—an ejector element, which can be pivotably mounted on the electronics device housing by the receiving devices, for ejecting a conductor connection plug connector from a fitting location, or—a locking element, which can be fixedly latched to the electronics device housing by of the receiving devices, for locking a conductor connection plug connector at a fitting location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: WAGO VERWALTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
    Inventor: Lars Binner
  • Patent number: 9470360
    Abstract: A brace assembly is provided having a brace for mounting to a support and a hanger member. The hanger member is coupled to the brace by a bar positioned in a longitudinal slot in the bottom side of the brace. The bar enables the hanger member to slide along the length of the brace. The hanger member has a bottom wall and side walls with a top end for coupling to a support. A mounting bracket is removably coupled to the hanger member for supporting the brace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Krzysztof W. Korcz, Mahran H. Ayrton
  • Patent number: 9472932
    Abstract: An electrical enclosure cord stowage system for effectively stowing a cable within an electrical enclosure. The electrical enclosure cord stowage system generally includes a base adapted to support at least one electrical component, a cover adapted to selectively enclose the at least one electrical component with respect to the base, and a receiver opening within the base, wherein the receiver opening is adapted to receive at least a portion of a power cable and/or power connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: S.J. Electro Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan J. Bergum
  • Patent number: 9465183
    Abstract: A break-out assembly includes an enclosure including a first side with a first opening and a second side, opposite the first side, with a plurality of second openings. A conductive frame is disposed within the enclosure. The conductive frame includes a first spring basket aligned to the first opening and a plurality of second spring baskets aligned to the plurality of second openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Nahid Islam
  • Patent number: 9466963
    Abstract: A breaker box suitable for safely housing an electrical connection. The electrical connection can be made between at least two electrical conductors. The breaker box includes a bottom and a plurality of adjacent side walls, each the side wall being at least partially joined to the bottom and to each adjacent side wall to form an open box. Each side wall can have a top edge wherein the top edges define a box interior and an open box perimeter. At least one the side wall includes a screw connection near the box perimeter, the screw connection including threads for engaging mating threads of a screw. The screw connection can be disposed to receive the screw generally parallel to and adjacent the at least one side wall. A screw guard can be disposed on the side wall, the screw guard encompassing and isolating the screw from the interior when the screw is screwed into the screw connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Inventor: Raymond Leonard Conway
  • Patent number: 9447907
    Abstract: An electrical conduit fitting installation system and method of use for replacement of conduit fittings in existing installations and for new building construction is disclosed. The present system includes a plurality of electrical conduit fittings and couplings which are manufactured in mating half-sections that can be assembled by use of fasteners, gaskets and associated hardware. The use of such replacement conduit bodies of the present system allows replacement of a damaged conduit body of conventional unitary construction using standard tools without the need for disconnection and withdrawal of wiring from the conduit required to replace a conventional conduit body. The present system includes conduit bodies, couplings and accessory conduit components which are available in various configurations and standard sizes used in the industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventor: Bruce Woodcock