Patents by Inventor Zachary K. Foster

Zachary K. Foster 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: 11811273
    Abstract: A load protection system and a method of protecting a load. The load protection system includes a PLC transmitter module and a PLC receiver module, which are configured to communicate a plurality of bits of data, each bit transmitted near a zero-crossing of a voltage on the power lines supplying power to the load, in the form of a high frequency burst of pulses. The pulses are structured in two patterns. The first pattern serves to identify the start of the second pattern, and the second pattern includes the data. The first pattern is unique and not represented within the second pattern. The load may be a motor, and the data may include a parameter value representing a parameter of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Cooper, Adrian Chavis, Thomas S. Wolf, Zachary K. Foster, Yaritza Brinker, Dalton H. Paull
  • Publication number: 20210111610
    Abstract: A load protection system and a method of protecting a load. The load protection system includes a PLC transmitter module and a PLC receiver module, which are configured to communicate a plurality of bits of data, each bit transmitted near a zero-crossing of a voltage on the power lines supplying power to the load, in the form of a high frequency burst of pulses. The pulses are structured in two patterns. The first pattern serves to identify the start of the second pattern, and the second pattern includes the data. The first pattern is unique and not represented within the second pattern. The load may be a motor, and the data may include a parameter value representing a parameter of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Cooper, Adrian Chavis, Thomas S. Wolf, Zachary K. Foster, Yaritza Brinker, Dalton Paull
  • Patent number: 10667439
    Abstract: A motor drive and a discrete power component assembly. The motor drive has a motherboard; a controller; a heat sink; and a discrete power component assembly mounted to the motherboard, the discrete power component assembly includes two discrete power components, a motherboard facing plate intermediate the motherboard and the two discrete power components, the motherboard facing plate adjacent planar surfaces of the two discrete power components, and a heat sink facing plate adjacent planar surfaces of the two discrete power components which are opposite the planar surfaces adjacent the motherboard facing plate. The heat sink is secured to the motherboard with the discrete power component assembly therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Song, Zachary K. Foster
  • Publication number: 20200146174
    Abstract: A motor drive and a discrete power component assembly. The motor drive has a motherboard; a controller; a heat sink; and a discrete power component assembly mounted to the motherboard, the discrete power component assembly includes two discrete power components, a motherboard facing plate intermediate the motherboard and the two discrete power components, the motherboard facing plate adjacent planar surfaces of the two discrete power components, and a heat sink facing plate adjacent planar surfaces of the two discrete power components which are opposite the planar surfaces adjacent the motherboard facing plate. The heat sink is secured to the motherboard with the discrete power component assembly therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Wei Song, Zachary K. Foster
  • Patent number: 10637388
    Abstract: A motor control unit including an inverter, a fan to blow air and thereby cool the inverter, and an enclosure configured to maintain the inverter in a dry condition. The enclosure includes a back wall, a bottom wall having a ventilation grid, with the fan positioned adjacent the ventilation grid to draw air therethrough, a top cover member, a central member extending between the top cover member and the bottom wall, and a skirt below the bottom wall defining an at least partially enclosed volume surrounding the ventilation grid, and a droplet diverter to prevent that air drawn by the fan carries water droplets into the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan D. Drummond, Zachary K. Foster
  • Patent number: 10454267
    Abstract: A load protection system and a method of protecting a load. The load protection system includes a PLC transmitter and a PLC receiver, which are configured to communicate a plurality of bits of data, each bit transmitted near a zero-crossing of a voltage on the power lines supplying power to the load, in the form of a high frequency burst of pulses. The pulses are structured in two patterns. The first pattern serves to identify the start of the second pattern, and the second pattern includes the data. The first pattern is unique and not represented within the second pattern. The load may be a motor, and the data may include a parameter value representing a parameter of the motor. A motor controller may evaluate the parameter value to determine whether to institute a warning or alert action, to shut the motor down, or to continue operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Cooper, Adrian Chavis, Thomas S. Wolf, Zachary K. Foster, Yaritza Brinker, Dalton Paull
  • Publication number: 20190109554
    Abstract: A motor control unit comprising an inverter, a fan to blow air and thereby cool the inverter, and an enclosure configured to maintain the inverter in a dry condition. The enclosure includes a back wall, a bottom wall having a ventilation grid, with the fan positioned adjacent the ventilation grid to draw air therethrough, a top cover member, a central member extending between the top cover member and the bottom wall, a skirt below the bottom wall defining an at least partially enclosed volume surrounding the ventilation grid, and droplet diverter means to prevent that air drawn by the fan carries water droplets into the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan D. Drummond, Zachary K. Foster
  • Patent number: D881039
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary K. Foster, Ryan J. Riecken