Patents Issued in March 6, 2012
  • Patent number: 8129875
    Abstract: A motor cooling structure includes a coil end cover interposed between a coil end and a motor case, a liquid passage, in which a cooling liquid flows, formed between the coil end cover and the coil end or the motor case. A micro-gap into which part of the cooling liquid in the liquid passage flows, is formed between the coil end cover and the coil end or the motor case by sandwiching the coil end cover between the coil end and the motor case instead of attaching the coil end cover to the coil end or the motor case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Murata
  • Patent number: 8129876
    Abstract: A brazed joint between a cooling fluid box and an armature bar can comprise a cooling fluid box, a plurality of conductor strands, at least one side wall spacer, and at least one middle spacer. Each side wall spacer can have a tapered width and can be wedged between the plurality of conductor strands and an interior side wall of the cooling fluid box. Each middle spacer can have a tapered width and can be wedged between two columns of the conductor strands. The side wall spacers can taper in a direction opposite the taper of the middle spacers. In one embodiment, the cooling fluid box can move around the conductor strands. Each side wall spacer can be positioned against an interior surface of the cooling fluid box. Each middle spacer can be positioned between columns of conductor strands. The cooling fluid box can be withdrawn to a final position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Bresney
  • Patent number: 8129877
    Abstract: In one aspect, an arrangement for cooling of an electrical machine is provided. A rotor and a stator include an air-gap arranged between the rotor and the stator. The rotor and the stator include a circulation arrangement to allow the circulation of air for cooling-purposes of the rotor and of the stator. The rotor and the stator are encapsulated by a shell which is formed to allow the flow of hot air from the rotor and the stator to a heat-exchanger. The shell is formed to allow the flow of cool air from the heat-exchanger back to the rotor and the stator for cooling-purposes. The shell includes a number of corners, while each corner is used to gather the hot air before it is guided to the heat-exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: James Kenneth Booth, Uffe Eriksen
  • Patent number: 8129878
    Abstract: A rotor for an electrical generator is disclosed, including a rotor body having a circular portion and a cylindrical portion coaxial with the circular portion. A generally cylindrical recess is defined by the cylindrical portion and the first side of the circular portion for receiving a stator. At least one first wall is at least partially spaced apart from the first side of the circular portion, defining at least one chamber therebetween. The chamber has an inlet. An aperture in the at least one first wall defines an outlet of the at least one chamber. At least one second wall extends outwardly from the first side of the circular portion. The at least one second wall has an end portion adjacent to the inlet of the at least one chamber. An internal combustion engine with an electrical generator and a method of cooling an electrical generator are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Patrick Raffelsberger
  • Patent number: 8129879
    Abstract: Connector side terminals 43b and 44b protruding from a connector portion 36, and front-side and back-side power supply terminals protruding from the holder main body 34 are provided to first and second lead plates 43 and 44 formed by metal plates with a conductive property, and they are embedded into a brush holder 31 formed integrally with the connector portion 36 and a holder main body 34 via a coupling portion 35. The connector side terminals 43b and 44b are disposed so as to match their width directions with an axial direction of a commutator 23 and to be mutually aligned in the width directions, and the main body portions 43a and 44a are twisted perpendicularly to the connector side terminals 43b and 44b with reference to their axes at a base end of the connector portion 36, and are disposed in the coupling portion 35 so as to match their thickness directions with the axial direction of the commutator 23 and to be mutually aligned in the width directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Uchimura
  • Patent number: 8129880
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for improving operational characteristics of a concentrated winding machine. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus comprises stator teeth having distal ends, the stator teeth arranged in an annular fashion about an axis to define stator slots between adjacent teeth and slot openings between the distal ends of the adjacent teeth, the stator teeth structured to prevent relative movement between adjacent teeth. The apparatus further comprises magnetic wedges structured to be inserted between the distal ends of the adjacent teeth to close the slot openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Khwaja M. Rahman, Edward L. Kaiser, Matthew D. Laba
  • Patent number: 8129881
    Abstract: A ring motor (1) as a direct drive, particularly for vertical mills or rod mills, has a stator (6) and a rotor (12) configured as a rotating milling body (10), wherein the stator (6) has at least two different excitation systems, and the milling body (10) has only a toothed structure, which electromagnetically interacts with the excitation systems of the stator (6) and thus brings about a rotation of the milling body (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Markus Hösle
  • Patent number: 8129882
    Abstract: A generator device for converting thermal energy to electric energy. A magnetic circuit includes at least a portion made of a magnetic material. A temperature-varying device varied the temperature in the portion made of the magnetic material alternately above and below a phase transition temperature of the magnetic material to thereby vary the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. A coil is arranged around the magnetic circuit, in which electric energy is induced in response to a varying magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit. A magnetic flux generator creates magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit. The temperature-varying device alternately passes hot and cold fluid by, or through holes in, the portion made of the magnetic material of the magnetic circuit in a single direction to thereby vary the temperature in the portion made of the magnetic material alternately above and below the phase transition temperature of the magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Gunnar Russberg, Mikael Dahlgren, Stefan Thorburn
  • Patent number: 8129883
    Abstract: A piezoelectric stack (1) has alternately successive piezoelectric layers (2) and inner electrode layers (3, 4) which are alternately electrically connected to two outer electrodes (7, 8) which are arranged on the outer side (5, 6) of the piezoelectric stack (1). The piezoelectric stack (1) also has at least one safety layer (9, 40, 50) which is arranged between two successive piezoelectric layers (2) instead of one of the inner electrode layers (3, 4). The safety layer (9, 40, 50) is structured in such a manner that it has an internal interruption (13, 44, 45, 53) which is configured in such a manner that the safety layer (9, 40, 50) does not form an electrical contact between the two outer electrodes (7, 8) if it contact-connects both outer electrodes (7, 8) and is electrically conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Hamann, Harald Johannes Kastl
  • Patent number: 8129884
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator unit includes a piezoactuator and a casting compound enclosing the piezoactuator. The casting compound is disposed in a sleeve that includes a hydrophobic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Franz Rinner, Herbert J. Thanner, Siegfried Fellner
  • Patent number: 8129885
    Abstract: An electric generating unit as a substitute for a vehicle battery includes a housing including an air pressure control member to control air pressure in an inner space of the housing, at least a diaphragm unit configured to sufficiently fluidly-insulate the inner space of the housing from outside of the housing and flexibly deformable by an inertia applied by a mass unit according to an external force so as to generate electricity, wherein the mass unit is formed on the diaphragm unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Yong Sung Lee
  • Patent number: 8129886
    Abstract: An acoustical stack for use within an ultrasound transducer that has a center frequency has a poled piezoelectric material layer and at least one impedance matching layer. The poled piezoelectric material layer has top and bottom sides and is formed of poled piezoelectric material that has a first acoustic impedance. The poled piezoelectric material layer has a first thickness and the acoustical stack has an output electrical impedance based on the first thickness. The impedance matching layers are configured to be attached to the top and bottom sides of the poled piezoelectric material layer and have second or third thicknesses. The impedance matching layers are formed of one or more materials that have an acoustic impedance substantially similar to the first acoustic impedance. The poled piezoelectric layer and impedance matching layers form an acoustic resonance thickness. The center frequency of the transducer is based on the acoustic resonance thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jian Zhong Zhao, Alan Chi-Chung Tai, Dwayne Quatier, Kevin Mahoney
  • Patent number: 8129887
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and a method for increasing the harvested energy from a piezoelectric element exposed to environmental vibrations via a two-prong system. In a first prong, a cantilever beam is tapered and shaped so as to increase and provide an approximately uniform strain on and along the beam, thus resulting in increased voltage. In a second prong of the system and method, a voltage compensating circuit, when used with a voltage inversion circuit of the prior art, increases the harvested power by injecting current to the piezoelectric element after each voltage inversion so as to increase the voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: The Curators of the University of Missouri
    Inventors: Shahab Mehraeen, Jagannathan Sarangapani
  • Patent number: 8129888
    Abstract: A sealing member of a piezoelectric resonator device is configured to hermetically seal a driving electrode formed on a piezoelectric resonator plate. In the sealing member, a through hole is formed so that an electrode pattern formed on both major surfaces of the substrate is brought into conduction; and a conductive member fills in the through hole. The through hole has a smaller diameter at a portion thereof inside the substrate than at both end portions thereof at the major surfaces of the sealing member. Both end faces of the conductive member have a concave shape with respect to the major surfaces of the substrate of the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Daishinku Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kohda, Hiroki Yoshioka, Syunsuke Satoh
  • Patent number: 8129889
    Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic composition includes a main component represented by general formula {(Pb1-x-yCaxSry) {Ti1-z(Ni1/3Nb2/3)z}O3}, wherein 0?x?0.2 (preferably 0?x?0.15), 0?y?0.2 (preferably 0?y?0.1), 0.05?x+y?0.2, and 0.02?z?0.1. Furthermore, a Mn component is preferably present in an amount of 1.0 part by weight or less (excluding zero) (more preferably 0.05 to 1.0 part by weight) in terms of MnCO3 with respect to 100 parts by weight of the main component. A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric ceramic body composed of this piezoelectric ceramic composition. Firing can be performed at a low temperature of about 1,100° C. The piezoelectric element has a high Curie point Tc, can withstand solder reflow treatment, and achieves satisfactory piezoelectric properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Kimura, Kosuke Shiratsuyu
  • Patent number: 8129890
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp (1) having a burner (2), which is provided with a starting aid device (30, 32) for improving the starting behavior. Said device is configured according to the invention as a grid (30) encompassing the burner in the region of a ceramic (6) holding the burner (2) and having contact with a power feed (24). Said grid (30) acts as a starting aid and as protection against fragments in case of a burner explosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Osram AG
    Inventor: Peter Flesch
  • Patent number: 8129891
    Abstract: A spark plug (100) including a noble metal tip (80) disposed on a distal end portion (31) of a ground electrode (30). The noble metal tip (80) is joined to the top surface of an intermediate member (81), which is a member separate from the ground electrode (30). The bottom surface of the intermediate member (81) is joined to the ground electrode (30), whereby the noble metal tip (80) is fixed to the ground electrode (30). The intermediate member (81) is formed such that its average hardness is higher than the average hardness of a portion of the ground electrode (30), excluding an intermediate portion (33) to be bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Nunome
  • Patent number: 8129892
    Abstract: In a light emitter substrate which has a resistor for connecting electrodes adjacent in a row direction, it aims to improve withstand discharge performance of the resistor. In the substrate comprising a substrate, plural light emitting members which are positioned in matrix on the substrate, plural electrodes each of which covers at least one of the light emitting members and which are positioned in matrix, and a row-direction striped resistor which is positioned between the electrodes adjacent in a column direction and connects the electrodes adjacent in a row direction and the column direction, a row-direction separated distance Gx? between the electrodes adjacent in the row direction at a connecting portion between the electrodes and the resistor is made larger than a row-direction separated distance Gx between the electrodes adjacent in the row direction at a portion covering the light emitting members (Gx?>Gx).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 8129893
    Abstract: A quick start energy-saving fluorescent lamp comprising a bulb holder assembly, a light tube, a glass shade, a protruding cold end, a thermal insulation glue, and an amalgam vapor source. The protruding cold end is disposed at the front end of the light tube and contacts with the glass shade. The thermal insulation glue is disposed outside and around the cold end. The amalgam vapor source is disposed inside the cold end. The lamp can work at high temperature with low temperature amalgam vapor source and maintain high luminous efficiency, and the lamp can reach the rated brightness quickly. A method for producing the lamp is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Zhejiang Yankon Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yang Li
  • Patent number: 8129894
    Abstract: A structure includes a substrate and a metallized carbon nano-structure extending from a portion of the substrate. In a method of making a metallized carbon nanostructure, at least one carbon structure formed on a substrate is placed in a furnace. A metallic vapor is applied to the carbon nanostructure at a preselected temperature for a preselected period of time so that a metallized nanostructure forms about the carbon nanostructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Loucas Tsakalakos, Sung Su Han, John Aibangbee Osaheni, Vanita Mani
  • Patent number: 8129895
    Abstract: Provided is a field emission device (FED) capable of fine local dimming. In the FED, a cathode substrate is comprised of a plurality of cathode layers, and a plurality of interconnections are disposed on each of the cathode layers, so that fine local dimming is enabled using a plurality of cathode blocks without limiting the number of the cathode blocks. Also, since RC delays of the respective cathode blocks can be synchronized according to the design of the interconnections, current control signals can be simultaneously transmitted to the respective cathode blocks, thereby improving the characteristics of the FED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Dae Jun Kim, Yoon Ho Song, Jin Woo Jeong
  • Patent number: 8129896
    Abstract: An inorganic electroluminescence device includes a first electrode, a dielectric layer disposed on the first electrode, an inorganic light emitting layer disposed on the dielectric layer, and a second electrode disposed on the inorganic light emitting layer. The inorganic light emitting layer includes a fluorescent particle. The fluorescent particle includes a ZnS mother body and a nano-wire disposed on a surface of the ZnS mother body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-won Jeong, Shang-hyeun Park, Min-jong Bae
  • Patent number: 8129897
    Abstract: The present invention provides an organic electroluminescence element having at least a light-emitting layer disposed between a pair of electrodes, wherein the light-emitting layer includes at least two electron transporting materials and a hole transporting host material, with at least one of the electron transporting materials being an electron transporting light-emitting material, and a total concentration of the at least two electron transporting materials in the light-emitting layer decreases from a cathode side toward an anode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Kinoshita, Manabu Tobise
  • Patent number: 8129898
    Abstract: A flexible organic electro-luminescence device is adapted to improve its flexibility and to completely and substantially exclude the intrusion of external moisture and/or oxygen. The flexible organic electro-luminescence device includes: a substrate of a thickness of about 0.05 mm˜0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: LG. Display Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Nack Bong Choi, Juhn Suk Yoo
  • Patent number: 8129899
    Abstract: A novel azafluorene derivative and an organic light-emitting device having the derivative are provided. The organic light-emitting device includes a pair of electrodes composed of an anode and a cathode one of which is a transparent or semi-transparent electrode, and an organic compound layer interposed between the pair of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kosuge, Akihiro Senoo, Hiroki Ohrui, Masanori Muratsubaki
  • Patent number: 8129900
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a laminated structure of conductive transparent oxide layers containing silicon or silicon oxide is applied as an electrode on the side of injecting a hole (a hole injection electrode; an anode) instead of the conventional conductive transparent oxide layer such as ITO. In addition, according to another aspect of the invention, a laminated structure of conductive transparent oxide layers containing silicon or silicon oxide, each of which content is different, is applied as a hole injection electrode. Preferably, silicon or a silicon oxide concentration of the conductive layer on the side where it is connected to a TFT ranges from 1 atomic % to 6 atomic % and a silicon or silicon oxide concentration on the side of a layer containing an organic compound ranges from 7 atomic % to 15 atomic %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toru Takayama, Naoya Sakamoto, Kengo Akimoto, Keiji Sato, Tetsunori Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8129902
    Abstract: An organic EL display device includes a substrate, pixel regions, each having a first electrode, a light emitting material layer, and a second electrode, and a bank film formed by a laminated structure of a plurality of inorganic material films having different etching rates from one another formed above the substrate to separate pixel regions from one another. The bank film has openings exposing upper surfaces of the first electrodes to the light emitting material layers, and the second electrode is formed over the openings in common with the pixel regions. A side wall of the bank film around the openings thereof is sloped at an angle 10 to 85 degrees (°) with respect to a principal surface of the substrate to prevent deterioration of the light emitting material layer and disconnection of the second electrode at steps of the bank film in the vicinity of the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kai, Masaaki Okunaka, Naoyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 8129903
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display device is provided, which includes a substrate having anodes arranged thereon, a bank which defines a luminous region on the anode, an organic emitting layer formed in the luminous region, and a cathode formed on the bank and the emitting layer. A desiccant layer selectively formed on the bank with interposition of the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yukitami Mizuno, Shintaro Enomoto
  • Patent number: 8129904
    Abstract: The present invention is a novel, high resolution, color, three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric display system for dynamic images—the video cube. The video cube consists of an air-tight glass cube filled with a gas mixture and multiple planes of thin wires arranged in alternating orthogonal layers. These wires may be set at voltage potentials capable of producing a glow discharge at the intersection of pairs of wires. Using a computer capable of storing dynamic image data and electronic controllers capable of energizing pairs of wires appropriately at the proper time 3-D dynamic images may be formed from multiple glows between excited wire pairs. The video cube may be used to display complex real-time information from computers and other digital processors with high accuracy for unlimited number of simultaneous unaided observers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: William Hsin-Min Ku
  • Patent number: 8129905
    Abstract: The present invention provides a phosphor having high luminance, a property of low luminance degradation during driving of a light-emitting device, and chromaticity y comparable to that of BAM:Eu. The present invention is a phosphor represented by the general formula aAO.bEuO.DO.cSiO2, where A is at least one selected from Ca, Sr and Ba, D is at least one selected from Mg and Zn, and 2.970?a?3.500, 0.001?b?0.030, and 1.900?c?2.100 are satisfied. In this phosphor, a peak intensity at 1490 cm?1 is 0.02 to 0.8 when a peak intensity at 565 cm?1 is set to 1 in a spectrum obtained by measurement using photoacoustic spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kojiro Okuyama, Masahiro Sakai, Seigo Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8129906
    Abstract: A display device constructed out of one or more lumino-shells with an organic luminescent substance(s) located in and/or on each shell, the organic luminescent substance emitting light when excited by electric current. Inorganic luminescent substance(s) may be combined with the organic luminescent substance(s). The lumino-shell includes lumino-sphere, lumino-dome, and lumino-disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Imaging Systems Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Carol Ann Wedding, Oliver M. Strbik, III
  • Patent number: 8129907
    Abstract: The plasma display panel includes: a front panel having a front substrate and display electrodes; and a rear panel having a rear substrate, a barrier rib, a data electrode and a phosphor layer. The rear substrate faces the front substrate to form a discharge space therebetween. The barrier rib is disposed on the rear substrate to divide the discharge space. The data electrode intersects the display electrodes. The phosphor layer is disposed between the barrier ribs. Further, the display electrodes are formed at a plurality of divided areas separately. The plurality of divided areas is the areas that the front substrate is divided into by a boundary intersecting the display electrodes. The display electrodes formed in the plurality of divided areas have unevenesses in profiles thereof at the boundary between the plurality of divided areas. This configuration easily provides a plasma display panel having a large screen and high resolution as display quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Suzuki, Nobutaka Hokazono, Kentaro Ueda, Toshifumi Nagino
  • Patent number: 8129908
    Abstract: The navigation lighting device for an aircraft, in particular a military aircraft and preferably a fighter aircraft is provided with several navigation light units with navigation lights, a power supply unit for the navigation tight units, and a central actuation unit for the actuation of the navigation light units in each one of several modes of operation. The navigation light units can be actuated for operation in a mode of operation by the central actuation unit sequentially in a predetermined sequence and thus with a time offset. Each navigation light unit comprises a control unit connected to the actuation unit for the actuation of its navigation light in the operation mode predetermined by the central actuation unit. The control units of the navigation light units comprise time-delay elements for the temporal delay of the actuation of the navigation lights on the receipt of an actuation signal of the central actuation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Roebke, Andreas Huentelmann, Robert Trinscheck
  • Patent number: 8129909
    Abstract: A trailer light converter that is configured to operate lights of a towed vehicle from signals supplied from lighting circuits of a towing vehicle includes at least one input that is adapted to be connected with the lighting circuits of a towing vehicle and at least one output that is adapted to be connected with the lights of a towed vehicle. At least one switch is provided that is responsive to a signal applied to the at least one input to supply electrical power to the at least one output to illuminate at least one light of the towed vehicle. The at least one switch includes a switching transistor and an overload protector. The at least one switch is responsive to the signal applied to the at least one input to change to a low impedance state to supply power to the at least one output. The overload protector is responsive to an overload condition on the at least one output to turn the at least one switch to a high impedance state to remove power from the least one output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Eric J. Hoekstra
  • Patent number: 8129910
    Abstract: A system and method of magnetically insulating the cathode of a cold-cathode electron gun is achieved. A strong magnetic field is applied in the vicinity of the cold cathode to deflect and constrain the flow of electrons emitted from structures within the electron gun. The magnetic field largely prevents re-reflected primary and secondary electrons from reaching the cathode, thereby improving the operation and increasing the life of the cold-cathode electron gun. In addition, the insulating magnetic field improves electron beam focusing and enables a reduction in the magnitude of static electric focusing fields employed in the vicinity of the cold cathode, further reducing the electron gun's susceptibility to destructive arcing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: David Riley Whaley, Ramon Duggal, Carter Michael Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8129911
    Abstract: A magnetron has an anode 3 surrounding a tubular hollow cathode 4 which contains a heater 9. The cathode is supported by radial arms at each end. At one end of the cathode, the heater is supplied with one terminal of its D.C. supply by means of a radial arm 5, which also serves to support that end of the cathode. The arm has a portion 5a offset towards the cathode, and a cover of conducting material is interposed between the heater connection and the adjacent end wall 1 of the vacuum envelope. The cover may have a folded portion so that it can be carried by the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: E2V Technologies (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Robert Charles Wilson
  • Patent number: 8129912
    Abstract: Provided are an electrode device and an apparatus for generating plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Tes Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Jin Ko, Woo-Young Chung
  • Patent number: 8129913
    Abstract: In a closed electron drift thruster, a magnetic circuit for creating a magnetic field in a main annular channel comprises at least one axial magnetic core surrounded by a first coil and an inner upstream pole piece forming a body of revolution, together with a plurality of outer magnetic cores surrounded by outer coils. The magnetic circuit further comprises an essentially radial outer first pole piece defining a concave inner peripheral surface and an essentially radial second pole piece defining a convex outer peripheral surface. The concave inner peripheral surface and the convex outer peripheral surface present respective adjusted profiles that are distinct from circular cylindrical surfaces so as to form between them a gap of varying width presenting zones of maximum value in register with the outer coils and zones of minimum value in between the outer coils so as to create a uniform radial magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Duchemin, Dominique Valentian
  • Patent number: 8129914
    Abstract: An operating circuit for at least one light-emitting diode (LED) incorporates a switched-mode regulator circuit to which a DC voltage is fed and which provides a supply voltage for the at least one light-emitting diode (LED) by means of a coil (L1) and a switch (S1) clocked by a control unit (SR). When the switch (S1) is on, energy is built up in the coil (L1), which is discharged through the at least one light-emitting diode (LED) when the switch (S1) is off. The control unit (SR) determines the time period between the switch (S1) switching off and subsequently switching on depending on the voltage across the at least one light-emitting diode (LED) and a temporally constant characteristic parameter of the coil (L1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Tridonicatco Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Michael Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 8129915
    Abstract: A series circuit comprising a diode and a resistance is connected in parallel to a filament, and a series circuit comprising a diode and a resistance is connected in parallel to a filament. The filaments are preheated by a preheating current supplied from secondary windings of a preheating transformer, via preheating capacitors. Detection circuits detect DC voltage components of the preheating capacitors. Comparators compare the DC voltage components of the preheating capacitors with a reference voltage. The comparators cause a control circuit to protect the inverter circuit if an abnormality of the filaments is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Naruo
  • Patent number: 8129916
    Abstract: A light emitting driver circuit, system, and method are provided. The driver circuit system and method can be implemented in various ways. An embodiment includes a bypass circuit which diverts current from the LEDs whenever a switch coupled to the LEDs incurs residual current when turned off. In an additional or alternative embodiment, the residual current can be sensed and the amount of residual current used to trigger fetching of a compensation value. That compensation value can change a dimming function forwarded to the switch in order to compensate for, offset, or substantially eliminate the residual current through that switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Kedar Godbole
  • Patent number: 8129917
    Abstract: An AC light emitting device is disclosed. The AC light emitting device includes at least four substrates. Serial arrays each of which has a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series are positioned on the substrates, respectively. Meanwhile, first connector means electrically connect the serial arrays formed on respective different substrates. At least two array groups each of which has at least two of the serial arrays connected in series by the first connector means are formed. The at least two array groups are connected in reverse parallel to operate. Accordingly, there is provided an AC light emitting device capable of being driven under an AC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seoul Opto Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae Won Kim, Dae Sung Kal
  • Patent number: 8129918
    Abstract: A power supply is provided, which includes a DC-DC converter being supplied with an external DC input voltage and a first switching control signal and outputting a duty sensing signal of which a magnitude is varied in accordance with the first switching control signal, the duty sensing signal being indicative of a duty ratio of the first switching control signal, and the DC-DC converter converting the input voltage into a DC output voltage of a predetermined magnitude based on the first switching control signal; and a feedback controlling unit comparing the duty sensing signal with a first reference signal to adjust the duty ratio of the first switching control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Gil Lee, Ju-Young Yoon, Jong-Seo Lee, Gi-Cherl Kim, Sang-Yu Lee
  • Patent number: 8129919
    Abstract: A discharge tube driving device which drives a plurality of discharge tubes includes a switching circuit which generates a driving pulse, and a driving transformer which has a primary winding for receiving the driving pulse and a secondary winding for generating a high-frequency driving signal. The plurality of discharge tubes comprises a first discharge tube group and a second discharge tube group. One-side terminals of discharge tubes in the first discharge tube group are connected to the positive high-voltage terminal of the secondary winding of the driving transformer. One-side terminals of discharge tubes in the second discharge tube group are connected to the negative high-voltage terminal of the secondary winding of the driving transformer. Another-side terminals of the discharge tubes in the first discharge tube group are respectively connected to another-side terminals of the discharge tubes in the second discharge tube group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sumida Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8129920
    Abstract: Electrical characteristics associated with a filament resistance are detected to control a preheating amount so as to heat a filament into an optimum state for emission in accordance with determined preheating time. A ballast for a discharge lamp includes an inverter including at least one or more switching elements connected to an output end of a DC power source, a control circuit or controlling switching in the inverter, a resonant circuit connectable to a discharge lamp with a thermionic cathode, a load circuit connected to an output end of the inverter, a preheating circuit for preheating a filament of the discharge lamp, and a detection circuit for detecting electrical characteristics associated with a filament resistance of the discharge lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Sasakawa
  • Patent number: 8129921
    Abstract: The invention introduces the concept of priorities into DALI technology. A switchgear (18) used to this end comprises two inputs (28, 22) to which a DALI bus (40, 38) can respectively be connected, and an output (24) to which another DALI bus (26) can be connected. A data processing unit (56) allocates priorities to the signals entering via the two inputs (28, 22) according to pre-determined criteria, and supplies the signals to the output according to their priority, through which they are then forwarded to electronic ballasts (14). The switchgear (18), especially the data processing unit (56), decides which instruction is carried out by means of the priority assignment in the event of collision conflicts between different instructions, for example central building control instructions and local control instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Osram AG
    Inventor: Gotthard Schleicher
  • Patent number: 8129922
    Abstract: A method for controlling a high-frequency transformer by which the acoustic transformer noises occurring during intermittent operation (burst operation) are reduced. This is achieved according to the invention by halving a length of the first and the last pulse of an AC voltage pulse train or the first and the last half-wave in the ON interval (Tn). This goes to avoid magnetizing peaks in the core that cause a major part of the background noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Mineba Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 8129923
    Abstract: A switching circuit adapted in an LED circuit and an LED circuit are provided. The switching circuit has a mode-selecting circuit, a comparator and a control module. The mode-selecting circuit has a voltage-dividing module and a switch. The voltage-dividing module receives and divides a reference voltage to further generate a working voltage. The switch is connected to the voltage-dividing module, wherein the switch has an output. The comparator comprises a first input connected to the switch, a second input and a comparator output. During a measuring mode, the switch transfers the reference voltage and the second input is connected to the comparator output. During a working mode, the switch transfers the working voltage, the second input of the comparator receives an output voltage of the LED circuit and the control module generates a control signal according to the voltage of the comparator output to switch the LED circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Himax Analogic, Inc.
    Inventor: Kuan-Jen Tseng
  • Patent number: 8129924
    Abstract: A controller for optical transducers uses stochastic signal density modulation to reduce electromagnetic interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: David Van Ess, Patrick N. Prendergast
  • Patent number: 8129925
    Abstract: A terminal apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium capable of achieving reduction of power consumption by appropriately controlling lighting of a display unit are provided. A CPU lights or extinguishes a display unit after the end of an interrupt event in accordance with a lighting state (lighting, dim-lighting, being unlighted) of the display unit when the occurrence of the interrupt event is detected. It is therefore possible for the CPU to perform appropriate display control according to the lighting state when an interrupt event occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kojima, Mitsuru Hamada