Patents by Inventor Ricky Curl

Ricky Curl 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: 8045303
    Abstract: A ground fault interrupter to be used by utility company while effecting repairs to the electrical service for a building is positioned to interrupt the power supply to the building in case of a detected ground fault and utilizes a sensor for detecting the fault current at the service entrance to a building; a contact switch, selectively movable between open and closed positions, mounted for temporary use in series with said power supply to the building; and a microprocessor based circuit for measuring and evaluating fault current detected by the sensor and controlling the selective movement of the contact switch between its open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: The Von Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky Curl, Fred von Herrmann
  • Publication number: 20090279217
    Abstract: A ground fault interrupter to be used by utility company while effecting repairs to the electrical service for a building is positioned to interrupt the power supply to the building in case of a detected ground fault and utilizes a sensor for detecting the fault current at the service entrance to a building; a contact switch, selectively movable between open and closed positions, mounted for temporary use in series with said power supply to the building; and a microprocessor based circuit for measuring and evaluating fault current detected by the sensor and controlling the selective movement of the contact switch between its open and closed positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventors: Ricky Curl, Fred von Herrmann
  • Patent number: 7595669
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a solid-state replacement for a variable transformer. The circuit arrangement presented is not placed in series with the load. It can change output voltage quickly, and is able to deliver more current to the load than is drawn from the source while stepping down because the circuit is not placed in series with a load. The output voltage from the driver circuit is a low-frequency sine wave that is “chopped” by a high frequency carrier, yet the end result after the transformer or LC filter is a very clean sine wave. The circuit arrangement is lightweight and inexpensive to fabricate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: The Von Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky Curl, Frederick Howell von Herrmann
  • Publication number: 20090027092
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a solid-state replacement for a variable transformer. The circuit arrangement presented is not placed in series with the load. It can change output voltage quickly, and is able to deliver more current to the load than is drawn from the source while stepping down because the circuit is not placed in series with a load. The output voltage from the driver circuit is a low-frequency sine wave that is “chopped” by a high frequency carrier, yet the end result after the transformer or LC filter is a very clean sine wave. The circuit arrangement is lightweight and inexpensive to fabricate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Ricky Curl, Frederick Howell von Hermann
  • Publication number: 20070081291
    Abstract: A dissipator useful for discharging provides a continuously variable high-voltage load under control of a computer or other device capable of providing an analog control voltage. Known dissipator arrangements use multiple high voltage switches and resistors to attempt to dissipate power. However, the disclosed dissipator uses the resistive property of a matrix of photo resistive cells, typically cadmium sulphide arranged on a circuit board. These photo resistive cells are series connected and controlled optically to vary their resistances. An optical control signal is provided for each photo resistive cell by a corresponding light emitting diode (LED). The amount of light emitted by each LED is analog controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Ricky Curl, Frederick Herrmann