Patents by Inventor Redeat G. Alemu

Redeat G. Alemu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10497524
    Abstract: An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), an encapsulation member forming an enclosed compartment enclosing a portion of a surface of the PCB, and power switches mounted on the surface of the PCB outside the enclosed compartment, where the power switches are electrically configured to switchably connect a supply of electric power from a power source to the electric motor. The module further includes an input unit having at least one electro-mechanical element at least partially disposed within the enclosed component and generating a signal for controlling a switching operation of the plurality of power switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal
  • Patent number: 9847194
    Abstract: An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a module housing including a bottom surface, side walls, and an open face, a printed circuit board (PCB) received from the open face of the module housing and securely disposed within the module housing at a distance from the bottom surface of the module housing; power switches mounted on a top surface of the PCB, and heat sinks discretely arranged and each mounted over a respective one of the plurality of power switches and secured to the top surface of the PCB to transfer heat away from the power switch through the open face of the module housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal
  • Patent number: 9154009
    Abstract: A control unit for controlling commutation of a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor provided. The control unit controls high-side and low-side switches arranged between a power source and the motor and configured as a three-phase bridge to commutate the motor. The control unit is configured to provide drive signals to drive each of the high-side and low-side switches to control, for each phase of the bridge, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) of one of the high-side or low-side switches. For each phase of the bridge, immediately following a first cycle ending with a falling edge of the drive signal for one of the high-side or low-side switches, the control unit introduces a special commutation edge pulse in the drive signal of the other of the high-side or low-side switches to shunt the current from the motor before turning both the high-side and the low-side switches off during a second cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Redeat G. Alemu
  • Publication number: 20150280515
    Abstract: An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a module housing including a bottom surface, side walls, and an open face; a printed circuit board (PCB) fittingly received from the open face of the module housing and securely disposed within the module housing; an encapsulation member arranged to mate with a mating surface of the side walls of the module housing to form an enclosed compartment over a portion of the PCB to enclose at least one electronic or electro-mechanical element mounted on a surface of the PCB; and power switches mounted on the surface of the PCB within an open compartment of the module housing where the encapsulation member does not enclose the surface of the PCB, the power switches being electrically configured to switchably connect a supply of electric power from a power source to the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal, Victor A. Dorado Reyes
  • Publication number: 20150282337
    Abstract: A power tool is provided including a tool housing, an electric motor disposed in the housing, and a variable-speed actuator having a trigger, a sliding member linked to the trigger and moveable in a longitudinal direction, and a compression spring engaging the sliding member and a wall arranged at a distance from the sliding member in the longitudinal direction. A post is disposed on the wall, where an end of the compression spring engaging the wall is disposed around the post to limit a lateral movement of the compression spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal, Victor A. Dorado Reyes
  • Publication number: 20150280517
    Abstract: An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a module housing including a bottom surface, side walls, and an open face, a printed circuit board (PCB) received from the open face of the module housing and securely disposed within the module housing at a distance from the bottom surface of the module housing; power switches mounted on a top surface of the PCB, and heat sinks discretely arranged and each mounted over a respective one of the plurality of power switches and secured to the top surface of the PCB to transfer heat away from the power switch through the open face of the module housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal, Victor A. Dorado Reyes
  • Publication number: 20150279592
    Abstract: A directional input unit is provided for a power tool having an electric motor is provided, where the input unit is configured to output a signal indicative of a rotational direction of the electric motor. The input unit includes a forward/reverse actuator having a lever extending from an engagement member and pivotable around a pivot member, the lever having a contact tip, and a biasing member. The biasing member including a lever engaging member engaging the contact tip and having an upper portion and a lower portion with a groove formed at an end common point of the upper and lower portions. A first leg of the biasing member extend downwardly from the upper portion and arranged to be securely received inside an opening of a holder, and a second leg extends upwardly from the lower portion outside the opening between the lever engaging member and the first leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal, Victor A. Dorado Reyes
  • Publication number: 20150280516
    Abstract: An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), an encapsulation member forming an enclosed compartment enclosing a portion of a surface of the PCB, and power switches mounted on the surface of the PCB outside the enclosed compartment, where the power switches are electrically configured to switchably connect a supply of electric power from a power source to the electric motor. The module further includes an input unit having at least one electro-mechanical element at least partially disposed within the enclosed component and generating a signal for controlling a switching operation of the plurality of power switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Ekstrom, Matthew J. Velderman, Redeat G. Alemu, Michael D. Grove, Alexandros T. Theos, Alpay Hizal, Victor A. Dorado Reyes
  • Publication number: 20130342144
    Abstract: A control unit for controlling commutation of a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor provided. The control unit controls high-side and low-side switches arranged between a power source and the motor and configured as a three-phase bridge to commutate the motor. The control unit is configured to provide drive signals to drive each of the high-side and low-side switches to control, for each phase of the bridge, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) of one of the high-side or low-side switches. For each phase of the bridge, immediately following a first cycle ending with a falling edge of the drive signal for one of the high-side or low-side switches, the control unit introduces a special commutation edge pulse in the drive signal of the other of the high-side or low-side switches to shunt the current from the motor before turning both the high-side and the low-side switches off during a second cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventor: Redeat G. Alemu