Did You Know...
...that it was melting ice cream that inspired the invention of the outboard motor? It was a lovely August day and Ole Evinrude was rowing his boat to his favorite island picnic spot. As he rowed, he watched his ice cream melt and wished he had a faster way to get to the island. At that moment the idea for the outboard motor was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8134811 | Uninterruptible power supply An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system includes an AC power input configured to receive AC power from a single-phase AC power source or a multi-phase AC power source, a DC power source, an output circuit including a power output, a controllable switch configur... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8089735 | Hybrid power relay with thermal protection Hybrid power relay for making and breaking an electrical circuit which includes electromagnetically operated contacts for making and breaking the circuit, a solid state switch connected across the contacts, a control circuit responsive to a control signal for actuat... | 01/03/2012 |
| 7697247 | Arc suppression circuit using a semi-conductor switch An arc suppression circuit in a protection relay having trip contacts is used to turn off a battery-powered solenoid and trip an AC power circuit breaker. The arc suppression circuit uses a switch-control circuit to control the turning off of a semi-conductor switch... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7672096 | Switching apparatus and method An improved switching apparatus and method are disclosed. In at least some embodiments, the apparatus includes first and second ports, a first switching device such as a contactor coupled between the ports, and a second switching device coupled in parallel with the ... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7660083 | Electromechanical and solid-state AC relay with reduced arcing An electromechanical/solid-state AC relay has an electromechanical winding coil that moves an armature to force mechanical contacts to open or close. Electrical arcing across the mechanical contacts that occur as the contacts are opening or closing can damage and se... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7643256 | Electromechanical switching circuitry in parallel with solid state switching circuitry selectively switchable to carry a load appropriate to such circuitry A switching system is provided. The switching system includes electromechanical switching circuitry, such as a micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry. The system may further include solid state switching circuitry coupled in a parallel circuit with the e... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7633725 | Micro-electromechanical system based soft switching A system is presented. The system includes detection circuitry configured to detect occurrence of a zero crossing of an alternating source voltage or an alternating load current. The system also includes switching circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry and com... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7593198 | Relay circuit A switching circuit for connecting a power source to a load is described. The circuit comprises a first relay and at least one second relay in parallel arrangement with the first relay. The switching circuit is arranged such that in the event of a fault condition oc... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7593197 | Electric circuit An electric circuit in which a combined resistance including a plurality of resistors of a small rating is disposed. The electric circuit includes a bypass section in order to allow a short-circuit current, when it occurs in the electric circuit, to intensively flow... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7508636 | Hybrid circuit breaker device This invention relates to a circuit breaker device comprising a main branch (1) comprising a mechanical switch element (2) and an auxiliary branch (3) containing a semiconductor breaking cell (4), this auxiliary branch (3) being mo... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7440244 | Self-triggering superconducting fault current limiter A modular and scaleable Matrix Fault Current Limiter (MFCL) that functions as a “variable impedance” device in an electric power network, using components made of superconducting and non-superconducting electrically conductive materials. The matrix fault current... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7433229 | Flash memory device with shunt A shunt activation signal is transmitted by an external control terminal through an external transmission interface to switch a flash memory controller in a shunt mode. The shunt activation signal of the external transmission interface can set up a switch as shunt. ... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7405544 | Voltage regulating circuit for uninterruptible power supply A voltage regulating circuit has a first switch, a transformer and a second switch. The first switch has an input node, a first node and a second node. The transformer is connected to the switches has a first coil and a second coil. The first coil and the second coi... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7405910 | Multifunction hybrid solid-state switchgear A universal hybrid solid-state switchgear for power transmission or distribution systems incorporates a fast mechanical switch and solid-state power electronics switching circuits to provide circuit breaker and fault current limiting applications. ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7391133 | Hybrid switch An electrical switching topology for a hybrid switch provides extremely low losses in both cryogenic and non-cryogenic electronic systems. In this switch having switch modules connected in parallel, switching losses in a first module are separated from conduction lo... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7385791 | Apparatus and method for relay contact arc suppression An arc suppression circuit for a power switch or power supply with a relay having a coil and a set of contacts for providing a portion of an input power as load power to an output. The relay coil is configured for closing the relay contacts in response to receiving ... | 06/10/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7265952 | Two-terminal protecting circuit An integrated circuit provides a load with back-flow and open-circuit protection and includes a load, a trigger circuit, and a shunt circuit. The integrated circuit provides large-size LED displays having series LED connection with back-flow and open-circuit protect... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7259945 | Active arc-suppression circuit, system, and method of use An active arc suppression circuit and systems and methods of use to suppress arcing in an electro-mechanical apparatus. The preferred circuit includes an electro-mechanical switch and a solid state shunt switch for temporarily shunting current around the electro-mec... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7239492 | Control system for at least one vacuum interrupter gap A control system for at least one vacuum interrupter gap in a high-voltage switching device includes at least one non-reactive control resistor disposed in parallel with the vacuum interrupter. The non-reactive control resistor merges concentrically onto the vacuum ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7235900 | Switching apparatus and method for varying a phase line impedance of an electric power transport line section The switching apparatus and method are provided for varying the impedance of a phase line of a segment of an electrical power line. The phase line includes n conductors electrically insulated from each other and short-circuited among each other at two ends of the se... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7224557 | Method and system of controlling asynchronous contactors for a multi-phase electric load Control of an induction motor is carried out to limit damaging arcing stress and mechanical stresses placed on the control contactor assembly and the induction motor resulting from the simultaneous or synchronous breaking and making of contactors employed to connect... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7149063 | Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture to minimize arcing in electrical connectors An electrical connector and methods for minimizing arcing when the connector is connected or disconnected under load are disclosed. The invention provides an arc reduction circuit with one or more regulators, such as transistors, integrated into the connector housin... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7145757 | System for eliminating arcing faults and power distribution system employing the same A shorting system, which eliminates persistent arcing faults in power distribution equipment, includes a first shorting switch having separable contacts, an actuation input and a fuse electrically connected in series with those contacts. A second shorting switch inc... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7139157 | System and method for protecting a load from a voltage source A field effect transistor (FET) is used as the protection circuit. The gate is grounded through an electrical element. The voltage source is connected to the drain of the FET. The load is connected to the source of the FET. At low input voltages, the FET conducts in... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7110225 | Arc-limiting switching circuit First and second switches and an arc-limiting switch are closed during a turn-on sequence in a switching circuit. The arc-limiting switch is left open during a turn-off sequence. Current flow through the switching circuit may be broken by opening the first or second... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7079363 | Hybrid DC electromagnetic contactor In a hybrid DC electromagnetic contactor, by including a power unit for supplying a certain power voltage; a main contact point of a breaking switch for providing a supply path of the power voltage by being switched in accordance with a voltage apply to an operation... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7066749 | Method and system for preventing the formation of an electric arc in a connector which is inserted in a power load supply line The connector (11) is made up of electroinsulator supports (1, 2) carriers of at least one pair of terminals (3, 4) capable of coupling to a plug said terminals (3, 4), being in a coupling position for said electroinsulator supports (1... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7010436 | Method and device for prediction of a zero-crossing alternating current An apparatus (14) for detecting a zero-crossing of an alternating current after occurrence of a fault in a current path (2) for determining a suitable time for opening an electric switching device (2) arranged in the current path for breaking th... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6960844 | Electric switching device An electric switching device for alternating current comprises two branches (2, 3) connected in parallel in a current path and having each at least two contact members (4–7) connected in series. A semiconductor device (8) is adapted to interco... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6930457 | DC motor brush filter circuit The present invention provides a motor control circuit including a motor with a motor winding and a brush, a battery, a relay, and a ground return circuit. The battery is for energizing the motor. The relay selectively provides connection between the battery and the... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6917500 | Hybrid relay including solid-state output and having non-volatile state-retention and associated methods The hybrid relay may include a plurality of input and output terminals, and a voltage supply terminal. The hybrid relay may also include an electromagnetic coil connected to the input terminals and a latching mechanism that may include first and second contacts mova... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6818953 | Protection of an integrated circuit against electrostatic discharges and other overvoltages The forming of an integrated circuit including at least one element of electronic protection of the circuit formed of at least one switch for short-circuiting supply conductors arranged in a rail, the switch being integrated in the rail, under said conductors. ... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6741435 | Power controller with DC ARC-supression relays A DC arc-suppressor for network appliance power managers comprises an electromechanical relay that controls the flow of battery power to a network appliance by remote control. The relay includes electrical contacts that open to interrupt the flow of current in respo... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6643112 | Semiconductor switch-assisted electromechanical relay An electromechanical relay including a mechanical displacement electrical contact and a transistor parallel-connected with the electrical contact. The contact is closed for a voltage V corresponding to the forward direction of the transistor and a powerin... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6633467 | AFCI which detects and interrupts line side arcing An arc fault causes the line voltage across the line terminals of an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) to change its characteristic voltage pulse shape as the line voltage is momentarily removed from the AFCI terminals after the arc extinguishes and be... | 10/14/2003 |
| 6594126 | Method and apparatus for extinguishing an arc through material surface ablation A technique is provided for forcing greater voltage investment in an arc developed during interruption of a current carrying path. A source element is provided in a secondary current carrying path parallel to a primary path through the device. Upon interr... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6543673 | Dissolving shunt connection system for ESD sensitive components A method and system are disclosed for protecting an electrical component from electrostatic discharge prior to its electrical connection to an additional component. Specifically, a flex on suspension circuit of a disc drive that is electrically connected ... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6535366 | High-speed current-limiting switch The current-limiting switch (S) has an arc-resistant contact arrangement (K1), which is intended to carry the rated current (IN), of a first switching point (S1), and two commutation paths (P1 and P2)... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6215632 | Switching device A switching device including a movable contact member. The movable contact member produces an isolating distance and includes an integral semiconductor switching element.... | 04/10/2001 |
