Patents Examined by Marina Fishman
  • Patent number: 8563888
    Abstract: An arc containment device is presented. The arc containment device includes a shock shield further having a multiple apertures for escape of gas, the shock shield configured to surround an arc source. The device further comprises an inner enclosure having a multiple openings generally aligned with the multiple apertures, the inner enclosure configured to provide an electrical insulation base for the arc source. An outer enclosure disposed is provided around the inner enclosure, the outer enclosure configured to direct the gas to the environment outside the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adnan Kutubuddin Bohori, Dean Arthur Robarge, Robert Joseph Caggiano, Thangavelu Asokan, George William Roscoe
  • Patent number: 8563881
    Abstract: An input device and an electronic apparatus having the same are provided. The input device includes a main body, and a plurality of keys each having a contact part which contacts a pressing unit and a non-contact part which extends from the contact part and is spaced apart from the pressing unit. The contact parts and the non-contact parts of the keys may be arranged in a zigzag pattern. The electronic apparatus includes the above-mentioned input device and a display device which is provided in the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bum-su Park
  • Patent number: 8558131
    Abstract: A switch has a base, a housing, a support terminal that is assembled in the base, a moving contact piece that is made of a band-shaped material having a section being formed into a substantial J-shape, a moving contact being provided in one end portion of the moving contact piece, an intermediate portion of the moving contact piece being turnably supported by a turning bracket of the support terminal, a plunger that is accommodated in an internal space while being vertically movable, wherein the internal space is formed by fitting the housing in the base, and a coil spring that is turnably supported by the plunger. The plunger is vertically moved such that one end portion of the coil spring is slid while brought into press-contact with an edge of the other end portion of the moving contact piece, whereby the moving contact piece is inverted to bring and separate the moving contact into contact with and from a fixed contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kiyono, Toshihiro Naruo
  • Patent number: 8546710
    Abstract: An automatic transmission switch includes a fixed member provided with a fixed-side contact, and a movable member provided with a movable-side contact. The movable-side contact includes an intermittent contact portion with respect to the fixed-side contact. The contact portion extends along a moving direction of the movable member. The movable member is connected to an automatic transmission, and if the movable member is turned according to a switching operation of a shift lever, the movable member brings the fixed-side contact and the movable-side contact into contact with each other and separates them from each other. The movable-side contact is fixed to the movable member. The fixed member is provided with a coil spring which biases the fixed-side contact toward the movable-side contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Masafumi Itonaga
  • Patent number: 8546716
    Abstract: A gas-blast circuit breaker is disclosed which includes a first contact and a second contact which can move relative to one another along a longitudinal axis. A blowout volume is arranged around the first contact. The blowout volume can be connected via a gas channel to an arc zone, in order to blow out an arc which is struck when the first contact is disconnected from the second contact. The blowout volume can be bounded radially on an outside by a separating element which separates the blowout volume from a low-pressure area. A flow opening, which allows a gas exchange, can lead in a radial direction from the low-pressure area into the blowout volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Juerg Nufer, Martin Kriegel, Olaf Hunger, Marialuisa Perela
  • Patent number: 8546711
    Abstract: A pneumatic switch (1) having a diaphragm (3) and a switching mechanism operationally connected to the diaphragm (3), the switching mechanism comprises a prestressing element which can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Bircher Reglomat AG
    Inventors: Stefan Spengler, Stephan Koll, Patrick Kemna, Liebmer Trauschein
  • Patent number: 8530774
    Abstract: A method of evacuating hot gases produced in a current breaking operation by a high voltage circuit breaker (1) which comprises a metal outer tank (2) filled with insulating gas, a casing (3) having gas outlet ports (30) and arranged inside the metal outer tank (2), with which it is in communication via the said ports, characterized in that insulating gas (GI) is aspirated from inside the casing (3) in a direction parallel to the flow of the hot gases (GC) produced by the current breaking operation, so as to mix the gases inside the casing (3) before they are evacuated, through the said gas outlet ports (30) of the casing, into the interior of the metal outer tank (2). The invention also relates to an associated high voltage circuit breaker, which includes means (5) for aspirating insulating gas from the interior of the casing (3), in a direction parallel to the hot gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Areva T&D SA
    Inventors: Wolfgang Grieshaber, Roger Ledru, Steven Grosick, Nicklas Davison
  • Patent number: 8530775
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a pole part of a low-voltage, medium-voltage and/or high-voltage switching device. The pole part includes a vacuum interrupter chamber having a fixed contact and a movable contact, which includes an electrical contact piece. The vacuum interrupt chamber is cast into an insulating material. The insulating material has opening at the bottom in at least one of a region of the movable contact and a drive rod driving that drives the movable contact. To reduce the heating of the pole part to enable production of a higher rated current carrying capacity, in the region of the movable contact and/or the articulation point of the drive rod, at least one ventilation opening is formed to pass through at least one of an exterior wall of the insulation, a boundary zone between the insulation and the electrical connection piece, and the electrical connection piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Dietmar Gentsch
  • Patent number: 8525058
    Abstract: To prevent debris from entering the volume between a dome and contacts of a dome switch, a dome can include a channel providing a remote path through which air can be vented. In particular, the channel can extend from the dome to a location within an electronic device that is known to be or expected to be contaminant free (e.g., a region of the device that does not include any interfaces communicating with the device environment). The channel can be defined from components of the dome switch including, for example, as a channel bound by spacer walls between a flex circuit and a film layer. The channel can include an opening for venting the dome switch. In some embodiments, the dome switch can include a protective film applied over the opening in the channel. The protective film can be selected to allow air to flow through, but to prevent contaminants or particles from reaching the channel opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Hill, Stephen Zadesky, Erik Wang, Adam Mittleman
  • Patent number: 8525056
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a switch for use in an electronic device. As the user actuates the switch, different labels may be visible to indicate to the user the current state of the switch. To allow the switch to be positioned adjacent to an edge of the device, the switch may include only a single label that moves with the switch. For example, the switch may include a label positioned adjacent to a nub that the user may operate. The label may be sized such that only the label is visible when the switch is in a first position. The electronic device may also include a second label that is fixed to a non-moving portion of the electronic device. When the user moves the switch, the switch may move away from and uncover the second label while hiding the label that is included in the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Emery Sanford
  • Patent number: 8519284
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a substrate including an active layer, a signal electrode formed on a surface of the active layer, a first driving electrode that is formed on the surface of the active layer and is connected to a ground, and a second driving electrode including a first part that is formed on the surface of the active layer and a second part that is connected to the first part and is provided above the first driving electrode. The substrate is provided with a loop-like groove that penetrates through the active layer and encompasses the first part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tadashi Nakatani, Hiroaki Inoue, Satoshi Ueda
  • Patent number: 8519292
    Abstract: An arc chute including an arc extinguishing chamber formed by a stack of deionizing plates, an arc formation chamber defined by first and second side walls or cheeks, and a system for removing gases generated when an electric arc forms in the chute, that include a removal duct behind the second cheek and connected to an exchange space. The arc extinguishing chamber includes permanent magnets, at least a part of the magnets being behind the first cheek, and the gas removal system includes an opening formed partially in the second cheek and exiting outside the arc chute. A circuit breaker may include such an arc chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
    Inventor: Eric Domejean
  • Patent number: 8519293
    Abstract: In a gas-insulated power apparatus in which contiguous vessels 11, 12 (GIBC1, GIBC2) are coupled by way of flanges 111, 121 of respectives thereof, and power conductors 112, 122 (GIBC5) insulated from the vessels by an insulating gas 13 are included in the vessels, by squeezing the flange 111 of the vessel on one side to be coupled by a pressing member 14 screwed to the flange 121 of the vessel on other side and the flange 121 of the vessel on other side, positions of the vessel on one side and the vessel on other side coupled as described above relative to each other can be shifted in a peripheral direction of the flange, and therefore, even when a direction of leading out a gas-insulated bus or the like becomes various depending on products, various directions can be dealt with out depending only on design of respective product specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kisanuki, Hitoshi Sadakuni
  • Patent number: 8502102
    Abstract: A DC switching device including a plurality of arc-extinguishing chambers and a plurality of contacting units conductively connected in series to each other, each of the contacting units including a stationary contact and a movable contact movable between a rest position and a working position, an air gap is formed between the contacts when the movable contact is moved from the working position to the rest position and each of the chambers enclosing a contacting unit and including a splitter plate unit including one or more splitter plates arranged for splitting and cooling an arc occurring in the air gap between the contacts. The chambers include a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field between the contacting unit and the splitter plate unit and the splitter plates are made of non-ferromagnetic material, and the splitter plates of the chambers are made of ferromagnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Eriksson, Lars Banghammar
  • Patent number: 8497445
    Abstract: A vacuum valve includes a hermetically sealed vessel having an insulative cylinder, an end plate at a movable electrode end, and an end plate at a fixed electrode end. The vessel accommodates a movable contact and an opposed fixed contact. The movable contact is supported through a bellows allowing the contacts to open and close while maintaining an air-tight (hermetic) seal. The bellows used in at least one embodiment is a seam type bellows without metal plating. Nickel plating layers are formed on the end plate at movable contact end and on a cover, which are joined to the bellows. The ends of the bellows are soldered with the end plate and the cover using a silver solder at the solder joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Yoshida, Nobuyuki Odaka, Masayuki Furusawa
  • Patent number: 8481881
    Abstract: A polyphase (e.g., three-phase) metal-enclosed, gas-insulated high-voltage circuit breaker and a switchgear including the circuit breaker is provided. For each phase, the circuit breaker includes one power arcing chamber pole per phase which are accommodated together in a common circuit breaker housing, and which have at least two connecting outputs per phase. The circuit breaker housing has a number, corresponding to the number of arcing chamber poles of chambers open at their front ends, in which the arcing chamber poles are arranged. The open front ends of the chambers are each respectively closed by means a corresponding dome-like lid covering the corresponding front ends so that a gas link between the individual chambers is provided for via the connection spaces created by the lids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: David Saxl, Markus Amberg
  • Patent number: 8476546
    Abstract: Switch assemblies and electrical distribution devices for making and breaking electrical connections in an electrical circuit are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a switch assembly that includes a pair of electrically conductive jaws attached to a platform. The first jaw is configured to electrically connect to an incoming line of the electrical circuit, whereas the second jaw is configured to electrically connect to an outgoing line. The switch assembly also includes a blade having at least two electrically conductive plates that are attached to and spaced from each other via an electrical insulator. The blade is pivotably coupled to the platform to rotate between a disengaged position, whereat the blade is electrically decoupled from the first and second jaws, and an engaged position, whereat the blade delivers an electrical current from the incoming line through the first and second plates to the outgoing line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Hamid S. Abroy
  • Patent number: 8466385
    Abstract: A toroidal vacuum switch/interrupter for modular switchgear is disclosed. The toroidal vacuum module includes a coaxial moving contact drive rod system, which includes a nonconductive tube inside of a moving insulating cylinder. A contact drive rod system drives a contact system. The contact configuration allows the center contact rod to extend completely through the vacuum envelope to drive successive series connected modules. A system of capacitors and resistors is provided in the insulated portion of the contact drive rod, which extends through the module to connect to and balance the voltage between any series connected vacuum modules. A mechanical adjustment system provides contact pressure and a means to adjust out tolerance build-up within the vacuum module to provide the contacts with a uniform set point. This allows multiple vacuum modules to be connected together in series combinations and provides for simultaneous operation of the contacts in each module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventor: Michael David Glaser
  • Patent number: 8455781
    Abstract: A low-voltage circuit breaker that comprises: a containment structure; a control mechanism; a plurality of circuit breaking poles, each of which comprises a housing containing a sealed ampoule that in turn contains at least one fixed contact and at least one moving contact, which can be mutually coupled and uncoupled, said housing consisting of a first side and a second side that define an interior containing said ampoule, the outer side wall on said first side being complementary to and associable with the outer side wall of said second side, said poles being located side-by-side to form a set of poles complementary to at least a part of said containment structure; operative connection means between said control mechanism and said poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: ABB S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Curnis, Federico Gamba
  • Patent number: 8450630
    Abstract: Exemplary contact backings for vacuum interrupters are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventor: Paul N. Stoving