Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7612471 | Hybrid electrical switching device The invention relates to a hybrid electrical switching device, comprising an electromechanical relay including a mechanical switching element to be operated by an electrical coil, and a main semiconductor switching element including a control input and a current con... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7439636 | Driver system for MOSFET based, high voltage electronic relays for AC power switching and inductive loads A method and apparatus provides for high-speed switching of high-voltage and high power MOSFET-based solid state relays. A driver for a MOSFET based, high voltage, high current electronic relay includes a current supply for actuating the switching circuit and a tran... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7339288 | Hybrid electrical switching device The invention relates to a hybrid electrical switching device, comprising an electromechanical relay including a mechanical switching element to be operated by an electrical coil, and a main semiconductor switching element including a control input and a current con... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7304402 | Car power source apparatus The car power source apparatus switches a pair of contactors (driving battery relays) connected to positive and negative output sides of a driving battery via a switching circuit with an auxiliary battery as power supply. The switching circuit is provided with a vol... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7245085 | Lamp fault detector The continuity of a series-wired, lamp circuit is restored after interruption caused by failure of a lamp filament by providing a control relay that is wired in parallel with each lamp. A power resistor having a resistive load substantially the same as that of a lam... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7230354 | Driver system for MOSFET based, high voltage, electronic relays for AC power switching and inductive loads A method and apparatus provides for high-speed switching of high-voltage and high power MOSFET-based solid state relays. A driver for a MOSFET based, high voltage, high current electronic relay includes a current supply for actuating the switching circuit and a tran... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7199640 | Bi-directional double NMOS switch A semiconductor switch comprises two NMOS transistors coupled in an anti-series arrangement, and a gate control circuit coupled to both gates of the NMOS transistors. Both drains of the NMOS transistors are interconnected, and the gate control circuit is coupled to ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7193833 | Electric switch An electric switch (1) comprising a capacity sensor circuit (2) provided with a signal input (3) arranged to be connected to an actuating line, and which is provided with a relay device (4) arranged to feed a current to a load line (7 | 03/20/2007 |
| 7183672 | MOSFET based, high voltage, electronic relays for AC power switching and inductive loads A MOSFET based, high voltage, high current AC electronic relay includes a MOSFET switching circuit selectively switching between switch conducting and switch isolation. The relay also includes a transformer coupled to the MOSFET switching circuit, the transformer se... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7154976 | Frequency controller The invention may relate to a digital frequency adjuster for adjusting a first frequency of a first signal. The digital frequency adjuster may comprise a first digital delay line and a first control circuit. The first digital delay line may comprise a plurality of t... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7133272 | Solid-state replacement for locomotive relay A solid-state direct replacement relay assembly, and a method for installing and using it to replace the mechanical-style relays in the electrical cabinets of a locomotive. Solid-state relay components are substituted to upgrade locomotive relay systems, and to impr... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7129653 | Self-contained, self-snubbed, HID dimming module that exhibits non-zero crossing detection switching A protection circuit for an HID dimming circuit is provided. A resistive component limits the initial current after a relay closes and current flows from a charged capacitor to a second capacitor. An inductive component limits the rate of change of current through t... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7102253 | MOSFET based, high voltage, electronic relays for AC power switching and inductive loads A MOSFET based, high voltage, high current AC electronic relay operating with normally closed contacts is disclosed. The relay includes at least one MOSFET switching circuit selectively switching between switch conducting and switch isolation. The at least one MOSFE... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7023683 | Electric relay control circuit A circuit and method for controlling two or more electric relays, wherein at least one of the relays are rated to handle a higher voltage level while at least one of the relays are rated to handle a lower voltage level. A controller selectively activates the relays ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6984944 | Controlling device for use with exterior landscape lighting assemblies A controlling device for use with an exterior landscape lighting assembly. The lighting assembly includes a transformer having an input line connected to an electrical power source. The transformer converts a primary electrical load to a secondary electrical load wh... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6972697 | Controller for automatically manipulating a horn signal for navigational purposes A system and method for a horn controller is provided that automatically operates a vessel's horn as a foghorn. The horn controller automatically causes the vessel's horn to sound according to the proper foghorn sounding schedule. The horn controller is designed to ... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6683393 | MOSFET based, high voltage, electronic relays for AC power switching and inductive loads A MOSFET based, high voltage, high current AC electronic relay. The relay includes a MOSFET switching circuit selectively switching between switch conducting and switch isolation and a first transformer coupled to the MOSFET switching circuit. The first t... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6674183 | Rotary switch with rotatable contact A contact 24 is fitted to an insulator complete 25, and the contact 24 is adapted to rotate in correspondence with the operation of an operation knob. The length of an arm 38 among arm portions 37 to 39 which are provided on the contact 24 is set to be sh... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6426858 | Voltage conditioner and switching device The present invention is a voltage conditioner and switching device applied to alternating current relays. An electronic circuit and direct current (DC) relay to overcome material, mechanical, physical, and construction variations of electromechanical alt... | 07/30/2002 |
| 6339264 | Apparatus and method for forecasting output voltage of a battery of a digital camera There is disclosed an apparatus and a method for forecasting output voltage of a battery of a digital camera. A dummy load is disconnected after the digital camera is powered on. An output voltage of the battery is obtained when he dummy load is off. The ... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6271759 | Controlling and monitoring an electrical system A system for controlling and monitoring operation of an electrical system is described. The system includes a fault protection device, for example, a circuit breaker, that is connected to the electrical system to provide fault isolation. The system also i... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6262653 | Light flashing apparatus The light flashing apparatus of the present invention is a four-button control switch in conjunction with an electronic circuit which is installed within an existing light switch junction box and replaces conventional switches. In addition to the two conv... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6124674 | Multi-setting and easy-to-install light switch controller A switch controller for providing on/off timing control of lights including a base unit, an electronic unit, and a cover unit. The electronic unit includes two printed circuit boards, one of which includes an integrated circuit controller for controlling ... | 09/26/2000 |
| 5933019 | Circuit board testing switch An electro-mechanical reed relay in-circuit test fixture switch is inserted onto a wrapped wire pin extending from the bottom of a socket holding a spring-loaded nail inside a bed-of-nails or equivalent testing fixture. The switch is located at the circui... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5821876 | Communication interface for bus connected circuit breakers The present invention provides a circuit breaker control arrangement that is reliable, accurate and cost-effective to manufacture, install and maintain. This circuit breaker arrangement also provides increased modularity by alleviating the need for instal... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5760493 | Dishwasher and control therefor The invention is a dishwasher and a control therefore in which the control comprises multiple parallel loads, including a motor. The motor and the other loads are connected to one side of a power source by a motor relay, which is controlled by a processor... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5751116 | Apparatus to retrofit an HID light fixture An apparatus for retrofitting an HID light fixture is described in several embodiments. The apparatus is coupled in series with the secondary winding and the HID lamp of the HID light fixture. A first retrofit capacitor replaces the light fixture capacito... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5594287 | High voltage solid state relay A solid state relay, suitable for use in a defibrillator or other high voltage application, is disclosed. Upon activation by a switch, the solid state relay switches power from a high voltage power source, such as a capacitor, to a load, such as a patient... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5536980 | High voltage, high current switching apparatus A high voltage, high current DC switch is shown having a single pole, double throw relay and a solid state power switch such as an IGBT or MOSFET transistor. Voltage is switched by means of the solid state switch while steady state current is conducted th... | 07/16/1996 |
| 5524083 | Decentralized, modular tripping arrangement A modular circuit interrupter is arranged for interrupting current in a three-phase circuit path providing current from a three-phase source to a three-phase motor. The interrupter includes a contactor unit arranged to interrupt the circuit path in respon... | 06/04/1996 |
| 5510658 | Circuit breaker device for electric vehicle A circuit breaker device for use on an electric vehicle has a high-voltage drive power supply for supplying electric energy to a load to drive the electric vehicle, a circuit breaker for cutting off the electric energy supplied from the drive power supply... | 04/23/1996 |
| 5479042 | Micromachined relay and method of forming the relay A bridging member extending across a cavity in a semiconductor substrate (e.g. single crystal silicon) has successive layers--a masking layer, an electrically conductive layer (e.g. polysilicon) and an insulating layer (e.g. SiO2). A first elec... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5455733 | Contact status monitor A circuit which gives a continuous voltage output indication of whether a contact is open or closed. The circuit senses the voltage across the contact to detect whether the contact is open or closed. When there is a significant voltage, the circuit indica... | 10/03/1995 |
| 5422808 | Method and apparatus for fail-safe control of at least one electro-mechanical or electro-hydraulic component A fault management apparatus and method are described for a system that includes at least one electro-mechanical or electro-hydraulic component, such as a system valve or main discharge pump in a process plant or water transmission line. An actuator is el... | 06/06/1995 |
| 5406129 | Flashing locator switch control with built-in lamp operation test A flashing locator switch control includes an audible alert circuit with the switch and flasher to provide assurance to the user that the outside light is operating to flash on and off and by which to test the outside light at any time day or night.... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5341282 | Circuit for detecting short-circuiting of inductive load drive devices An inductive load drive device which has a switch defining an output terminal connectable to an inductive load between the output terminal and a reference potential line is provided. A first current recirculating branch is connectable parallel to the load... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5231565 | Electrical distribution system having mappable control inputs In an electrical distribution system for controlling current paths through a plurality of associated circuit breakers, a programmable circuit arrangement operates the circuit breakers by remote control in at least the open and closed circuit positions. Th... | 07/27/1993 |
| 5051604 | Electrically normally closed switch device A mechanically normally open low voltage switch is connected between ground and the high impedance input of a low voltage electronic circuit fed by a low voltage source through a low impedance resistor. With the switch open, current flows into high impeda... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4996646 | Microprocessor-controlled circuit breaker and system A circuit breaker system uses a microprocessor for calculating at least one function of a measured current flow. The microprocessor provides other functions such as serial data stream communications, the ability of many circuit breaker systems to communic... | 02/26/1991 |
| 4857758 | Cycle timer for household appliance A hybrid analog and electronic cycle timer has a mechanical movement and cam-operated cycle switch driven by a low-RPM synchronous motor. Electronic control logic divides the power line frequency to obtain pulses for pulsing the synchronous motor. The con... | 08/15/1989 |
