Patents Examined by Marina Fishman
  • Patent number: 8937262
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medium voltage switchgear assembly which comprises at least one disconnector and whose drive unit is disposed inside or outside a gas chamber according to the generic part of claim 1. In order to further develop a switchgear assembly of the generic type so as to render the same more compact and more functional, the disconnector is embodied as a three-position vacuum chamber switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Gentsch, Maik Hyrenbach, Harald Fink
  • Patent number: 8937260
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control mechanism for the displacement of at least one moving contact of a low-voltage circuit-breaking device. The control mechanism comprises elastic means operatively connectable to the moving contact, at least a first element of which is operatively connected to a second element by means of pin-shaped connection means. The first and second elements each comprise a pair of facing lateral portions that are connected by a transverse portion. The pin-shaped connection means comprise a pair of pin-shaped ends, each of which emerges from one side of a lateral portion of the first element. Said pin-shaped means also comprise a pair of seats, each of which is defined on a lateral portion of the second element. Each pin-shaped end is inserted in a corresponding seat so as to configure an axis of mutual rotation between the first and the second elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: ABB S.p.A.
    Inventors: Luigi Bonetti, Michele Ferrari
  • Patent number: 8933358
    Abstract: Disclosed are a power transmission device for a vacuum interrupter, and a vacuum breaker having the same. The device includes: a driving link coupled to an adjuster; a driven link coupled to a movable electrode of a vacuum interrupter; connection links configured to connect the driving link and the driven link with each other, and coupled to the driving link and the driven link such that an interval between the driving link and the driven link is varied; cams coupled to the connection links in a perpendicular direction; and cam guides having guide recesses for slidably coupling the cams, and configured to guide the interval between the driving link and the driven link to be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: LSIS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae Min Yang
  • Patent number: 8933353
    Abstract: A switch (1), in particular a foot-operated switch, with a housing (2), in which a switching device (4) is arranged, wherein a leadthrough with a bearing (6) is provided on opposite sides of the housing (2), and a pivotable pedal (3) can be fixed to the bearings (6). The pedal (3) can be positioned removably on the bearings (6) and, in the state in which it is positioned on the bearings (6), can be secured on the bearings (6) in each case via at least one connecting element (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Bernstein AG
    Inventors: Markus Finger, Michael Schnitker, Klaus Wehmeyer
  • Patent number: 8933354
    Abstract: An electronic device in which a waterproof structure is formed without hindering a lever operation to a lever switch is provided. A device main body has a housing member in which an opening is provided to house a switch main body, and a cover member that is engaged to the housing member to form at least a part of the front surface of the device main body, and the device main body has an elastic sheet arranged at a rear surface side of the cover member to cover the opening of the housing member, having a shape extending to a position overlapping with engaging surfaces between the housing member and the cover member, and having an outer edge portion interposed between the engaging surfaces of the housing member and the cover member, and a bottomed cylindrical portion that projects from a front surface of the elastic sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Naohiro Ohata, Nobuyuki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8916785
    Abstract: A double break disconnect switch with a novel drive mechanism that swings the blade open and closed in a conventional manner but the rotation with respect to its longitudinal axis is unique. This mechanism uses a unique cam to rotate the blade about a hinge axis. The blade bearings are of very small diameter to reduce friction and are offset from the blade center of gravity so as to use the blade's weight to keep the blade in disengagement with the break jaw contacts when the switch is opened. The blade bearings are not around the diameter of the blade, the friction does not increase as current rating increases. A camming mechanism is profiled to give maximum rotational torque to the blade as it compresses the contact fingers as the switch closes to its final position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Cleaveland/Price Inc.
    Inventor: Peter M. Kowalik
  • Patent number: 8912461
    Abstract: An arc chute assembly includes a housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a pair of side walls coupled to the first wall. The walls configured to form an arc area. The housing further having a divider wall coupled to the first wall between the side walls. The divider wall configured to form a first sub-arc area, a second sub-arc area, and an arc plate area. The first sub-arc area and the second sub-arc area are configured to be in flow communication with the arc plate area. The arc chute assembly further comprises a support coupled to the first wall and the side walls, and an arc plate coupled to the support. The arc plate having a body extending between the side walls and over the divider wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Jaywant Rane, Jayesh Mavji Maru, Simhadri Ramalingeswara Rao Gupta
  • Patent number: 8912457
    Abstract: A controlling device of turning knob is disposed on a touch panel removably so as to control the touch panel. The controlling device of turning knob includes a base and a turning knob. The base has a bottom side, a top side, a plurality of first pads disposed at the bottom side, and at least two second pads disposed at the top side. The second pads are electrically connected to parts of the first pads. The base is assembled to the touch panel with its bottom side, such that the first pads touch the touch panel. The turning knob disposed on the top side rotates about a rotating axis. The turning knob has a plurality of third pads surrounding the rotating axis. When the turning knob rotates along a direction relative to the base, the third pads are electrically connected to the corresponding second pads sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Tien-Chung Tseng
  • Patent number: 8901447
    Abstract: A circuit breaker is provided which can be filled with a quenching gas and which has two contact arrangements, which can be moved relative to one another and along a longitudinal axis of the circuit breaker. The contact arrangements form a arcing contact system and a rated current contact system connected electrically in parallel with it. One of the contact arrangements includes inner rated current contacts and outer rated current contacts of the rated current contact system, where the inner rated current contacts overhang the outer rated current contacts in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and the outer rated current contacts coaxially surround the inner rated current contacts. The circuit breaker has a high current carrying capability as well as a reliable switching-on and -off behavior, such as during and after the occurrence of a short-circuit current in the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Claudio Manzoni, Javier Mantilla, Nicola Gariboldi, Stephan Grob, Jasmin Smajic, Mathias-Dominic Buergler
  • Patent number: 8901445
    Abstract: A magnetic contactor has a stationary contact including a first and second stationary contact pieces, each having a stationary contact portion and a stationary terminal portion, a third stationary contact piece disposed between the first stationary contact piece and the second stationary contact piece and having two stationary contact portions; a contact support casing supporting the stationary contact with the stationary terminal portions protruding out of the contact support casing; and a movable contact installed in the contact support casing, and including a first and second movable contact pieces contactable and separable from the stationary contact portions of the stationary contact pieces and the stationary contact portions of the third stationary contact piece accordingly, and an insulator fixing the first movable contact piece and the second movable contact piece. A driving mechanism drives the movable contact to contact and separate from the stationary contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd., Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tachikawa, Masaru Isozaki, Yuji Shiba
  • Patent number: 8895884
    Abstract: A tank type vacuum circuit breaker uses a columnar or cylindrical insulation rod at a connection portion between an operating mechanism unit and a vacuum valve. The insulation rod is connected to the operating mechanism unit and the vacuum valve by rod-shaped pins. To prevent the insulation rod itself from falling, connection is made by shifting phases of the pins 90 degrees, respectively, each pin being connected to the operating mechanism unit and the vacuum valve. Accordingly, the falling of the insulation rod, the use of an insulation support tube and an insulation support for ensuring mechanical strength, are avoided. Further fastening of those supports by bolts or the like is not needed. Increases in the number of components, the size of the shape of assembly members around the insulation rod, and weight due to such increases, are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Yamamoto, Masahiro Arioka
  • Patent number: 8890017
    Abstract: A motor operator for switchgear (1) for use in mains power distribution systems such as public medium high voltage distribution systems, where the switchgear comprises a closed cabinet (2) with an operating shaft (6) accessible from the front surface (4). The operating shaft is rotatable at least between two positions and has, a coupling part. The motor operator comprises a worm gear in a separate worm gear housing (11), which is mountable on the external surface of the switchgear cabinet. An adapter (21) with a connection shaft (22) is located in a recess in the worm wheel (16). The worm of the worm gear is connected to a motor which could be located remotely from the worm gear housing and connected to the worm preferably by means of a flexible shaft (15). This renders it possible to mount the motor operator in confined spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Linak A/S
    Inventor: Claus Hegelund Sørensen
  • Patent number: 8878092
    Abstract: A gas-insulated switchgear includes a fixed-side electrode having a tubular fixed-side-conducting contact and a fixed-side shield for housing the fixed-side-conducting contact, and a movable-side electrode having a movable conductor driven by a driving unit to be connected to and separated from the fixed-side-conducting contact, facing each other in a container filled with an insulating gas. The switchgear includes a fixed-side-arc shield in the form of a circular plate, which is made of an arc-resistant member and has an opening of a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the movable conductor, the opening being formed on the side of the fixed-side shield facing the movable-side electrode. The fixed-side-arc shield is formed into a thin plate so as to cause an arc current to flow outward in a radial direction during contact parting of the fixed-side-conducting contact and the movable conductor to generate magnetic flux on a surface thereof in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shimizu, Hitoshi Sadakuni
  • Patent number: 8872046
    Abstract: A method of creating a switch to be disposed along a longitudinal axis of a device, comprising providing a hollow body defining an interior cavity, disposing a switching element movably within the interior cavity, the switching element defining a switch-making position and a switch-breaking position and having a biasing element, coupling an electrically-conductive contact to the switching element to define a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position and a switch-braking state when the switching element is in the switch-braking position, and imparting a variable longitudinal bias to the switching element with the biasing element to place the switching element in one of the switch-making position and the switch-braking position until an external force imparted to the switching element along the switching axis exceeds the longitudinal bias thereby causing the switching element to move to the other one of the switch-making position and the switch-braking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin W. Smith
  • Patent number: 8872051
    Abstract: A control device for switches with silicone domes comprising actuator means (10) which act on silicone domes (13) associated with metallic means adapted to close and selectively open electric contacts of a printed circuit activators characterized in that between each actuator means (10) and the respective silicone dome (13) a metallic plate (11) is positioned which rests one side on the dome (13) and the other on the printed circuit (15) and upon which said actuator means act.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Bitron S.p.A.
    Inventors: Barile Marco, Rulfi Umberto, Ballatore Paolo, Tallone Fabio
  • Patent number: 8872053
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with an opening. A button may be formed within the electronic device. The button may have a button member that is actuated by a user. The button member may translate within an opening in the electronic device housing when actuated by a user. The button may have a shaft that is coupled to the button member by a coupling mechanism. When the button member is laterally translated within the opening, the coupling mechanism may rotate the shaft about its longitudinal axis. The button may be provided with detents using a detent biasing mechanism. The detent biasing mechanism may be based on a spring having grooves that interact with a protrusion on the shaft or a spring-loaded pin that engages recesses in the shaft. A switch mechanism for the button may be formed using traces on the shaft, spring-type switch contacts, and other structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Wittenberg
  • Patent number: 8872054
    Abstract: In order to improve cooling performance of a switch unit or switchgear equipped with the switch unit, the switch unit includes a switch having a movable electrode and a fixed electrode and is casted as one body with a resin, the resin is provided with resin fins, and the thickness of the resin fin is changed so that the resin fin has a thickness sloped in the longitudinal direction of the resin fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miki Yamazaki, Kenji Tsuchiya, Ayumu Morita, Tomoaki Utsumi
  • Patent number: 8866030
    Abstract: A mounting apparatus secures a keyboard to a base. The keyboard defines a plurality of nicks. The base comprises a supporting member and a receiving member installed on the supporting member. A plurality of resilient pieces is located on the supporting member. The receiving member defines a plurality of through holes allowing the resilient pieces to extend through. Each of the resilient pieces is elastically deformable to be over the keyboard to engage in each of the nicks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Kuang Liang, Quan-Guang Du, Chun Tang
  • Patent number: 8859927
    Abstract: The vacuum switch is compact, requires little effort, and provides a reliable current path having a high current-carrying capacity between the terminals of the vacuum switch, particularly at high switch-on speeds. The vacuum switch has a vacuum chamber, in which a vacuum is present and in which a switching contact is arranged. The switching contact includes a fixed contact piece firmly connected to the vacuum chamber and in electrical contact with a fixed contact terminal, and a moving contact piece movably guided relative to the fixed contact piece. The moving contact piece is at a distance to the fixed contact piece in a disconnect position and contacts the latter in a contact position. A drive unit produces a drive movement. A switching mechanism is connected to the drive unit and the moving contact piece and includes a conductor section that is electrically conducting up to the moving contact piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Anheuer, Joerg Dorn, Andreas Fartuschnja, Thomas Kuebel, Peter Lell, Andreas Zenkner
  • Patent number: 8853585
    Abstract: An electromagnetic contactor includes a first stationary contact having a stationary contact portion and a stationary terminal portion for connecting to a power supply; a second stationary contact having a stationary contact portion and a stationary terminal section for connecting to a load; a stationary-contact supporting case supporting the stationary terminal portions of the first and second stationary contacts to protrude the contact support casing, and maintaining a predetermined distance in between; a moving-contact portion contactable to and separable from the stationary contact portion of the first and second stationary contact and arranged in the stationary-contact supporting case; and a pair of arc-extinguishing magnets arranged in parallel to sandwich the moving-contact portion in the longitudinal direction and having same magnetic polarity at opposing magnetic pole surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd., Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tachikawa, Masaru Isozaki, Osamu Kashimura, Kouetsu Takaya, Yasuhiro Naka, Yuji Shiba