Patents Examined by Shik Luen Paul Ip
  • Patent number: 4689493
    Abstract: In a building electrical network including a power circuit constituted by several loops connected to sockets, lamps 35, 36, 37 and/or other electrically-operated apparatus, and a low-voltage circuit constituted by several loops connected to control means or sensors 38, 39, 40, 41 for controlling the loops of the power circuit, each loop of the low-voltage circuit and the corresponding loop of the power circuit are interconnected through a removable switching module 16 located in a centralized switching block 5. The low-voltage loops are not directly connected to terminals 12, 14 of the switching block, but are connected to terminals 45, 47 of a terminal strip 6, jumpers 46 establishing the connection between the terminals of the terminal strip(s) 6 and the terminals 12, 14 of the switching block 5. The plug-in switching modules 16 include an electronic relay member 21 (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1987
    Inventors: Jacques E. Nozick, Patrick S. Lepaillier
  • Patent number: 4687947
    Abstract: An alternating power supply system is provided with a circuit which employs a transformer having three windings. The primary and secondary windings are wound in the direction upon a magnetically permeable core. A third winding is connected to a load and produces flux in the core in the opposite direction. The magnetic field produced by the third winding proportionally decreases the power input of the primary winding while maintaining the power output of the secondary winding. The circuit thereby reduces the power drain necessary to operate a given load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1987
    Inventor: Melvin Cobb
  • Patent number: 4686381
    Abstract: An overhead wiring system for use in the suspended ceiling of a clean room includes a generally rectangular housing with closed top, side and end walls and a substantially open bottom. A plurality of movable panels are provided in the bottom to close the bottom wall, one or more of the panels having openings through which a power cord can pass. A barrier within the housing divides its interior into a wiring chamber and a power cord chamber, the wiring chamber having a terminal strip connectable with wires from an external conduit. A power cord is connected to the terminal strip, through the barrier and through one of the panels with a stress-relieving cord grip in each of the pass-through locations. The housing is supporting so as to be substantially coplanar with a suspended ceiling and without exerting stress on the ceiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: William C. Boteler, Alfred L. Ehrenfels
  • Patent number: 4686380
    Abstract: A remotely controlled electrical power circuit (10) for supplying power to an electrical load (13) requiring electrical power from an electrical outlet comprising a receiver (14) for receiving a predetermined radio signal from a transmitter (12). The receiver (14) includes a super-generative detector (16) for receiving the predetermined radio signal. An amplifier filter (20) amplifies and filters the signal from the detector (16). A Schmitt trigger (34) detects the signal from the amplifier filter (20) and produces positive feedback to operate a latch (36), causing a detector (38) to produce a control signal in response to a first duration of the predetermined radio signal to operate relay (RY1) for closing contacts (24) and to produce a control signal in response to a second duration of the predetermined radio signal for opening the contacts (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Inventor: Paul G. Angott
  • Patent number: 4686393
    Abstract: Circuit breakers which employ a capacitor to pass a current in opposition to a load current through a thyristor when interruption is required suffer from the disadvantage that high switching over-voltages occur. In the present invention current is diverted from the main first thyristor through a resistor when second and third thyristors are fired to pass a commutating current from a capacitor through the first thyristor. As a result the values of the resistor and the capacitor control the over-voltage and they are chosen to reduce it to approximately half the value obtained with equivalently rated conventional thyristor-based circuit breakers. In a second stage of commutation a fourth thyristor is fired to pass commutating current through the second thyristor to effect final interruption of the load current and the values of a parallel resistance-capacitance circuit in series with the second thyristor are chosen to reduce a second over-voltage which occurs when the second thyristor is commutated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: National Research Development Corporation
    Inventors: Peter M. McEwan, Iorwerth Thomas
  • Patent number: 4684818
    Abstract: An electrical system for a motor vehicle includes a three-phase AC generator having wye-connected output windings and a three-phase full-wave rectifier. The neutral node of the wye-connected generator is grounded while the rectifier is ungrounded. As a result, three distinct DC voltages are produced: two three-phase half-wave rectified DC voltages of opposite polarity in respect to ground and a three-phase full-wave rectified voltage which is the sum of the other two DC voltages. One of the former lower-magnitude DC voltages may be employed to supply the usual low DC voltage loads of the vehicle while latter higher-magnitude DC voltage may be employed to energize a higher DC voltage load such as a window glass heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Carlson
  • Patent number: 4684827
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for detecting a current flowing over a path in a power supply device, which arrangement includes a choke having a primary winding and a measuring winding, with each winding having first and second ends and the choke being connected so that the current to be detected flows through the primary winding, and a comparison stage having first and second inputs, with one of the comparison stage inputs being connected to the measuring winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Ohms
  • Patent number: 4684821
    Abstract: In a magnetic modulator circuit (13) for a radar system, a switching reactor arrangement comprising a switching reactor (17) including input and output coils (respectively 16 and 36), the low side (16') of the input coil (16) being electrically connected to a capacitor (41) through reactor 39, said switching reactor effective for driving a pulse forming network (53), and said capacitor (41) being effective for resetting the switching reactor (17) into saturation with a linear inductor (15) spanning the input coil (16) of the switching reactor (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Picone, Edward A. Cronauer
  • Patent number: 4684859
    Abstract: A novel control system for the motor or the like is disclosed which operates basically on principle that the power flowing in during the conduction of a chopper gate of a chopper device is integrated, and when the integrated value reaches a target, the gate is turned off, thereby realizing the control of an instantaneous value and high response and stability without the conventional feedback control. The target value is also reduced against the excess of the source voltage under variations in load for the regenerated power. Further, a constant-voltage control limiter is added to improve the ability to prevent a slip and race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nohmi, Shoji Miyamoto, Tadashi Takaoka, Hiroyasu Oshima
  • Patent number: 4684857
    Abstract: An optical excitation electromagnet brushless motor comprises a stator having at least two angularly separated stator coils; a transistorized amplifier connected to the stator coils and connectable to a power source for exciting the stator coils when the amplifier is activated; a rotor rotatably mounted about an axis with respect to the stator and carrying at least two angularly spaced rotor magnets each for generating a permanent magnetic field for interaction with magnetic fields generated by the stator coils when energized by the amplifier to cause rotation of the rotor about the axis; a disc mounted for rotation with the rotor and having at least one port therein extending radially on the disc with respect to the axis and rotatable about the axis, the port being at a selected angular position with respect to the rotor magnets; an arm mounted for radial movement with respect to the disc; a light transmitter and a light receiver mounted on the arm on opposite sides of the disc for the passage of light from
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Inventor: Miguel C. Llopis
  • Patent number: 4684822
    Abstract: A remotely controlled electrical dimmer circuit (10) for supplying power to an electrical load (18) required power from a constant source comprises a radio signal receiver (14) for receiving a predetermined radio signal from a transmitter (12). The receiver (14) includes a super-generative detector (16) for receiving the predetermined radio signal. An amplifier filter (20) amplifies and filters the signal from the detector (16). A counter (50) triggers a triac (T1) to open and close the circuit (10) in response to a first duration of the predetermined radio signal. The counter (50) also decreases and increases the power supply to the electrical load (18) in a series of stepped levels in response to a second duration of the predetermined radio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Inventor: Paul G. Angott
  • Patent number: 4684820
    Abstract: A circuit for generating a relatively high voltage, fast rise time pulse for a load. The circuit includes first and a second pulse-forming networks with each network including shunt capacitance and series inductance, and with each network having an input end and an output end. The circuit also includes first and second charging circuits with one charging circuit connected to the input end of a respective one of the pulse-forming networks. Additionally, the circuit of the present invention includes switch means connected across the input end of the first network to short-circuit the input end of the first network when the switch is closed so that after interconnection of the network output ends with one another and with the load and after the capacities of the networks have been charged, operation of the switch results in a pulse of high voltage to be developed across the load due to superimposition of voltage waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Maxwell Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Vance I. Valencia
  • Patent number: 4684856
    Abstract: A method and device for elevator DC drive motor speed control stabilization system in which current data and speed data are used as feed-back information. The current regulator is approximated by an ideal integrator, and mathematical model thereby obtained is used for determining the amplification and time constants of the control system speed loop or loops, and these system parameters are compensated by providing short instruction accentuations for achieving practically delay-free compliance with instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Elevator GmbH
    Inventor: Matti Kahkipuro
  • Patent number: 4683381
    Abstract: In a controlled-access apparatus for agricultural food industries, means is provided within the space located between the rotary tool-holder and the edge of the opening of the vessel of the apparatus for a protection and access-control device which performs a double function, namely that of protecting the user against accidental bodily injuries and that of allowing penetration of/or access to agricultural food products or ingredients, utensils or instruments having predetermined characteristics such as zero electrical conductivity and nonmagnetic properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1987
    Assignee: Ets. Bonnet
    Inventor: Gilbert E. Dufoug
  • Patent number: 4682044
    Abstract: An automobile engine having a device for increasing the inkage air in idle operation when a load is applied to the engine from equipments associate with the engine. An alternator driven by the engine has a voltage regulator which controls the alternator output in response to a load condition on the alternator by controlling the field current. A control unit is provided to restrict an increase in the field current when an electric load is turned on for a time period required for having the engine output increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Hotate, Tadashi Kaneko, Toshio Nishikawa, Tadataka Nakazumi, Nobuo Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 4682045
    Abstract: A noise eliminating signal compensation circuit in an audio device such as a car radio is configured to produce a compensation signal having the same frequency and level as those of an entered signal for signal compensation during noise removal, so as never to degrade its signal compensation capacity during noise removal when the switching time for noise removal is relatively long with respect to the wavelength of the entered signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amazawa, Akira Mori
  • Patent number: 4680517
    Abstract: A motor drive control device to control the speed of a motor includes a drive control section in series with the motor. Only, when a speed setting voltage exceeds a first predetermined value the, drive control section conducts to energize the motor, and when that setting voltage exceeds a second predetermined value, the drive control section is short-circuited thereacross to energize fully the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Fujioka
  • Patent number: 4680516
    Abstract: A motor speed control system comprises an encoder (12) which produces a series of indicator pulses related to the motor's speed. The period of the pulse is compared with that of a crystal-controlled reference period produced by a period generator (14). Comparison is made by means of a period comparator (16) consisting of logic elements, including flip-flops (F1, F2, F3) and gates (G1 and G2). Digital outputs of the period comparator control UP and DOWN charge pumps whose integrated value controls the motor through a power driver. Advantages of the system are precise digital control with crystal accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: Guzik Technical Enterprises
    Inventors: Nahum Guzik, Gennady Mangeym, James W. Jones
  • Patent number: 4680515
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus is disclosed for controlling the rotational velocity of a drive shaft of an electric motor in accordance with a reference time period indicative of the desired rotational speed of the drive shaft. A sensor in the form of a tachometer provides a train of pulses. The period between tachometer pulses is measured and the difference between the reference and measured time periods is obtained. This difference is digitally processed by integrating, dividing and summing with a signal proportional to the difference to provide a motor command signal. The gains of the motor control apparatus are set to reduce phase delays and the deleterious effects thereof. Further, sensors in the form of Hall effect devices are disposed about the motor to each provide a train of timing signals. The timing signals are used to control the application of an energizing signal by corresponding switches to the motor coils; the level of the energization signal or current is set by the motor command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Inventor: James C. Crook
  • Patent number: RE32474
    Abstract: A circuit for providing an adjustable period of delay in a vehicle which is started by engaging the engine of the vehicle and a brake means, then disengaging the brake means after the period of delay, has a relay for selectively engaging and disengaging the brake. A variable time delay provides the period of delay. A switch selectively causes the relay to engage the brake and then to disengage the brake after the period of delay. A safety activation means prevents the relay from engaging the brake means in the absence of the switch selected to cause the relay to engage the brake means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Inventor: Dennis Reid