Abstract: A switch gear protection circuit for use in electric vehicles provides parallel circuit pathways for selectively coupling a power source to a capacitive load. A first pathway includes a main switch element that preferably is a high-current contactor or a high-current, low-voltage relay switch. A second pathway, which is in parallel with the first pathway, includes a low-voltage, low-current switch element in series with a circuit breaker element such as a fuse. When it is desirable to open the main switch element in the first pathway, the second pathway is closed. Once the second pathway is closed, the voltage drop across the first pathway is reduced and the first switch element can be opened. The parallel arrangement provides the ability to use low-voltage switch elements, that are relatively inexpensive compared to high-voltage components.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell stack with two separators in which adjacent, but spaced apart, electrode assemblies share either a fuel space or an oxidizer space between them. Each of the electrode assemblies includes a proton exchange membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode. A first electrode assembly is positioned apart from one of the separators and oriented with either its anode or its cathode facing that separator. Subsequent electrode assemblies are placed between the first electrode assembly and the other separator. Each subsequent electrode assembly is oriented with the opposite side, anode or cathode, as compared to the immediately preceding electrode assembly, facing the separator that is adjacent the first electrode assembly. Each space that has at least one side defined by an anode is used as a fuel space. Each space that has at least one side defined by an cathode is used as a oxidizer space.

Abstract: An alignment bushing (40) having a frusto-conical entranceway (44,46) at each of its opposite end faces (41,43) with each entranceway receiving a frusto-conical lens (30) terminted to an optical fiber cable (16,26), the bushing optically aligning and coupling an optical signal passed between a fiber in each with each lens having its focal point (31) coaxially rearward of a hemispherical nose portion of the lens and abutting the fiber end. The frusto-conical cross-section defining the entranceway and lens conform identically to assure coaxial seating.

Abstract: The invention described is a hermetically sealed fiber optic connector that may be repeatedly coupled and uncoupled. A fiber optic connector assembly incorporating the principles and features of this invention is characterized by an optically transparent window (3), hermetically sealed (6) within a main housing (1) passage (2), a member (30, 40) mounted on each side of the window (3) having axially aligned bores (31, 41) that axially align lenses (10, 20) and their respective optical fibers (81, 83) and a lens holder assembly (70) mounted within a second housing (50) that may be uncoupled from the main housing (1).