Thermoelectric Patents (Class 361/162)
  • Patent number: 10347440
    Abstract: A method and apparatus using electromagnetic switching in a two-step connection process is provided to minimize surge currents and torque oscillations in three-phase motors during starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Kinsella, Christopher J. Wieloch
  • Patent number: 9726726
    Abstract: One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another, each single-phase switching device including a direct current electromagnetic operator that in operation receives a direct current control signal for switching of the device, stationary contacts disposed in a respective device housing, and a movable assembly that in operation is displaced by energizing the operator and that include movable contacts that open and close, with the stationary contacts, a single current carrying path through the respective single-phase switching device; in which each of the single-phase switching devices receives control signals from control circuitry coupled to the operators of the respective single-phase switching devices to cause at least one of the single-phase switching devices to open or close the single current carrying path at a desired time coordinated with a current zero-crossing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher H. Bock, Christopher J. Wieloch, James J. Kinsella, Stefan T. Dziekonski
  • Patent number: 9267458
    Abstract: A general purpose engine control apparatus can detect misfire occurrence with high accuracy, while reducing adaptation man hours of misfire determination. The apparatus includes a first air/fuel ratio determiner to make a rich/lean determination, an injection amount corrector to calculate a corrected injection amount corresponding to a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, an injection controller to supply fuel to the engine so as to match the corrected injection amount, a second air/fuel ratio determiner to make a rich/lean determination based on a comparison of the O2 sensor output with a rich and a lean determination voltage, a rich/lean period calculator to calculate a rich/lean period according to the determination of the second air/fuel ratio determiner, and a misfire determiner to determine the presence or absence of a misfire based on the rich/lean period. The injection controller stops fuel injection to the engine in the presence of a misfire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Sakaguchi, Yasuhiko Ishida
  • Patent number: 8693709
    Abstract: An audio speaker has at least one transducer for converting electrical signals into mechanical motion. There is a planar sound producing structure that has a first face and a second face. A mechanical connection connects the at least one transducer to the sound producing structure, such that mechanical motion produced by the at least one transducer induces the sound producing structure to vibrate and produces sound from the first face and the second face. A deflector is interposed between the at least one transducer and the sound producing structure. The deflector is adjacent to the second face of the sound producing structure and reflects the produced sound from the second face of the sound producing structure to a listening area forward of the first face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Allan Schneider
  • Patent number: 7706152
    Abstract: A power conversion unit and method for converting DC power. The power conversion unit includes a self-oscillating device configured to convert a DC voltage into a self-oscillating alternating current AC signal, a transformer connected to the self-oscillating device and configured to transform the self-oscillating AC signal into a transformed AC signal, and an AC-to-DC converter configured to convert the transformed AC signal into a DC signal. The method generates a self-oscillating current, transforms the self-oscillating current into a transformed AC signal, and converts the transformed AC signal into a DC signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Bing Shen, Robert Hendry, Cynthia Watkins, Rama Venkatasubramanian
  • Patent number: 7498913
    Abstract: A thermal trip device in which a bimetal (2) is heated by overcurrent and performs trip operation of a circuit by curvature of the heated bimetal (2), wherein at least one part of the surface of the bimetal (2) is made to be black or matte black (7). Thereby, temperature of the bimetal (2) can be highly accurately measured using a no-contact thermometer. Furthermore, a temperature measurement part (8) of the bimetal is provided with a bending part (11), and the surface of the bending part is made to be matte black.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Kawamura, Hiroyuki Akita, Masatoshi Murai, Hirotoshi Yonezawa, Satoru Naito
  • Patent number: 7397148
    Abstract: An engine start is beforehand detected when a preparation operation to engine start is detected. When the preparation operation is detected based on a seat switch indicating that a driver seats himself on a driver seat, control of an electric current for a heater of an air/fuel ratio sensor is started. The air/fuel ratio sensor is then activated prior to the engine start. Failure diagnosis is conducted on a function for detecting the preparation operation. Namely, the seat switch is diagnosed as having failure, for instance, by the following. Even while a vehicle travels, the seat switch is in an OFF state indicating that no driver is seated. This structure can restrict the engine start without the air/fuel ratio sensor being pre-heated. It can also restrict deteriorating of emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Fujimoto, Keiji Wakahara
  • Patent number: 6639992
    Abstract: A speaker diaphragm is supported in a frame and a voice coil is secured to the speaker diaphragm. A rotor having a central permanent magnet and a cylindrical hub provided around the central permanent magnet is rotatably supported in the frame. A motor annular permanent magnet is disposed around the rotor. The voice coil is disposed in the gap formed between the central permanent magnet and the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Akira Nikaido, Kenshi Aihara
  • Patent number: 6522235
    Abstract: A switch structure for a heating device having a passage formed within the main body of the structure, an air inlet, a main flame air outlet, a second air outlet and a thermocouple insertion hole connected to the passage being formed on the main body, and a manual control rod having a stopper being provided within the passage of the main body, two through holes being formed corresponding to the main flame air outlet and the second flame air outlet; characterized in that the main flame air outlet, the thermocouple insertion hole and the second flame air outlet have upward direction openings of similar direction, and the main flame air outlet and the air inlet are located on the same axis, and a stopper is suitably mounted between the main flame outlet and the air inlet, thereby the lighting rod of the switch, the thermocouple and the second air tube are extended in same direction to form an easy assemble, safe and stable switch for the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Inventor: Yu Jen Cheng
  • Patent number: 5903202
    Abstract: A reed relay comprising a reed switch having a pair of leads and a magnetic coil assembly for driving the reed switch, the magnetic coil assembly being composed of a magnetic coil wound around a cylindrical bobbin having an insulating flange at each end of the cylindrical bobbin, a terminal insulator integrally continuous with each flange, and a plurality of terminal leads insulated from one another by each of the terminal insulators. One embodiment of the present invention is a cylindrical bobbin having an electric conductivity so as to act as an electrostatic shield for the reed switch inserted thereinto, and another embodiment of the present invention is a method for fabricating the magnetic coil assembly comprising a step of forming a cylindrical bobbin and the terminal leads in each side of the cylindrical bobbin by using a patterned sheet of metal, wherein the cylindrical bobbin is continuous with the ground terminal lead in each side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Limited
    Inventors: Tomohisa Endoh, Tsutomu Motoyama
  • Patent number: 4745385
    Abstract: A temperature compensated switching relay with thermally effected switching delay should be of simple and compact construction and reliable in switching with precisely adjustable switching delay. For this purpose, the switching relay comprises a switching member (1) movable between two end positions and bearing a permanent magnet (2), with an inherent snapping action to actuate at least one switching contact (6), on opposite sides of the permanent magnet (2) in its direction of movement a first and a second paramagnetic member (3, 4) is provided, on the first paramagnetic member (3) a PTC resistor (5) feedable by a source of current is mounted, and in the end position of the switching member (1) at the second paramagnetic member (4) the distance (A) of the permanent magnet (2) from the first paramagnetic member (3) is less than its distance (B) from the second paramagnetic member (4). The ratios of the distances of the permanent magnet (2) from the paramagnetic members (3, 4) can expediently be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Ranco Incorporated
    Inventor: Guglielmo Rossi
  • Patent number: 4112478
    Abstract: A high-temperature detecting apparatus most suitably used with a system for protecting a catalytic apparatus provided for purifying exhaust gas of an automobile is disclosed. A reed relay coil is connected between the cold junctions of a thermocouple in such a manner that the reed relay is driven directly by an electromotive force generated in the thermocouple due to heat in the exhaust gas. The thermocouple and the reed relay are integrally arranged by means of a metal cover. This arrangement reduces the connection resistance between the thermocouple and the coil, thereby making it possible to directly drive the reed relay by the output of the thermocouple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takahasi, Sadayasu Ueno, Tomoji Inui