"Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognize it as a conspicuous failure."
Henry Morton, president of the Stevens Institute of Technology ; Said in 1880 about the light bulb
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8085519 | Circuit arrangement for providing a DC operating voltage The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for providing an operating DC voltage from a mains voltage, more particularly to operating circuits comprising a clocked electronic converter. Such operating circuits are preferably used for lamps or other light sources... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7309896 | Electrostatic discharge protection device An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is provided. The apparatus includes: a double diffused drain N-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET); a P-type silicon controlled rectifier (SCR); a double diffused drain P-type MOSFET; and... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7294976 | Split power supply subsystem with isolated voltage supplies to satisfy a predetermined power limit A power subsystem including a mechanism for satisfying a predetermined power limit in a computer system. The power subsystem may include a split power supply and a voltage regulator. The split power supply may include at least a first voltage supply line and a secon... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7283341 | Protector for over tensions of industrial and home networks There are multiple distortions and anomalies during the operation of the electric energy sources. The anomaly that with more incidence produces destruction is the over voltage, when the voltage of the feeder source goes over the maximum level supported by the isolat... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7276883 | Self-driven synchronous rectified boost converter with inrush current protection using bidirectional normally on device A boost converter in which the conventional boost diode is replaced by a bidirectional normally conducting semiconductor switch. The circuit may be implemented so the bidirectional switch is self-driven by connecting a low voltage Schottky diode between a first gate... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7164562 | Configuration and method for protecting converter means A protection configuration for converter means which comprise a plurality of controllable switches, the protection configuration comprising a protection circuit coupled to the alternating voltage side of the converter means, which protection circuit comprises at lea... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7064393 | Electrostatic discharge protection structures having high holding current for latch-up immunity An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having high holding current for latch-up immunity. The ESD protection circuit is formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) having protected circuitry. The ESD protection device includes a silicon controlled ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7009828 | Semiconductor switching device Self-quenching switching elements are connected in series in a semiconductor switching device. Snubber circuits including a diode, a capacitor, and a non-linear circuit are connected in parallel with the respective semiconductor switching elements. In the snubber ci... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6952335 | Solid-state DC circuit breaker A high-speed, solid-state circuit breaker is capable of interrupting high DC currents without generating an arc, and it is maintenance-free. Both the switch and the tripping unit are solid-state, which meet precise protection requirements. The high-speed, solid-stat... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6947270 | Building block for series connection in high power converter A converter includes building blocks, each building block being a switching unit. Each building block must be able to receive high power at an elevated switching frequency with low power dissipation in semiconductor switches. The building block includes semiconducto... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6870202 | Surge protection semiconductor device A pnpn thyristor element Thy1 and six pn diode elements D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6 are formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, and separated into six regions by a diffusion layer of a second ... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6850397 | Silicon controlled rectifier electrostatic discharge protection device for power supply lines with powerdown mode of operation An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device, for protecting power lines of an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the ESD protection device includes a first silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) coupled between a first power line and a second power line, and ... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6594130 | Method and circuit for the protection of a thyristor Circuits and methods for protecting thyristors in a bridge configuration are provided. A circuit comprises a line reactor in series with the input of the bridge and the input of the diametric cell, two leg reactors each in series with a respective leg and... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6567253 | Apparatus to sense a silicon controlled rectifier short circuit An apparatus to sense an SCR short circuit failure and prevent overheating of solid-state power supply equipment, such as a welder, during an occurrence of the short circuit failure is provided. The apparatus includes a detector circuit capable of sensing... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6342994 | Protective device against excessive currents, in particular for resettable protection of a controlled switch A protective device against excessive currents occurring in an electric circuit between a voltage source and a load mounted downstream of said device, comprising a first triggering component with high current sensitivity and adapted to be triggered, rapid... | 01/29/2002 |
| 6275093 | IGBT gate drive circuit with short circuit protection An IGBT gate driver circuit includes means for detecting when the collector-to-emitter voltage (Vce) of a turned-on IGBT, intended to be operated in the saturation region, increases above a preset level, indicative of a fault condition, such as a short ci... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6204493 | Fault tolerant electric current regulator The present invention is a fault tolerant apparatus for regulating the flow of electricity. The apparatus comprises a light radiating circuit which includes a first light source for radiating a first light signal, a second light source for radiating a sec... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6169672 | Power converter with clamping circuit A power converting apparatus comprising a group of semiconductor switches and DC terminals electrically connected to the group of semiconductor switches, in which a clamping circuit is connected to the semiconductor switches or the DC terminals. Otherwise... | 01/02/2001 |
| 5946178 | Protective circuit for series-connected power semiconductors A semiconductor assembly with overvoltage protection is provided. The semiconductor assembly comprises at least two series connected power semiconductors, each of which is protected by at least one overvoltage protection device. The overvoltage protection... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5815359 | Semiconductor device providing overvoltage protection against electrical surges of positive and negative polarities, such as caused by lightning An overvoltage protection device, particularly for protecting equipment against electrical surges caused by lightning, wherein the protective device includes a first protection element for protecting the equipment from an electrical surge of positive pola... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5781392 | Balanced overvoltage protector for a dual-wire system A balanced overvoltage protector for a dual-wire system comprising a single semiconductor substrate including two breakover thyristors located in sufficiently close proximity so that current in one thyristor effects firing of the other thyristor at a volt... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5621599 | Switched MOV device A metal oxide varistor in series with a semiconductor switch forms a protection circuit that reduces the steady-state voltage across the metal oxide varistor during normal operation, During an overvoltage transient condition, the semiconductor switch is g... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5570260 | Overvoltage protection circuit An overvoltage protection circuit including a plurality of series connected thyristors having an overvoltage protection function and a plurality of impedance circuits. Each of the impedance circuits is connected in parallel with one of the thyristors, res... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5532638 | Superconducting energy storage apparatus In a superconducting energy storage apparatus including an AC-DC converter unit, a superconducting coil, a quench protection unit and a mechanical type persistent current switch, a self-firing type thyristor switch is connected in parallel to the mechanic... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5436786 | Isolator surge protector for DC isolation and AC grounding of cathodically protected systems An isolator surge protector for use with corrosion protection systems which are an inherent part of or coupled to an electrical power system, for power transformers, and for DC transmission systems, where it is necessary to present a high impedance to DC ... | 07/25/1995 |
| 5212619 | Method and system for protecting a gate controlled thyristor against unacceptable overvoltage Protecting a gate fully controlled thyristor that is controlled by a drive circuit including a turn-on circuit and a turn-off circuit against overvoltage, is accomplished by monitoring the anode voltage of said gate fully controlled thyristor relative to ... | 05/18/1993 |
| 5155673 | Thyristor converter protection method and apparatus A method and apparatus for protecting thyristors in a power converter from overvoltages. Voltage detectors determine if the forward voltage of each thyristor has increased in the converter. If such an overvoltage occurs during a predetermined period after... | 10/13/1992 |
| 4947282 | Thyristor valve with improved gate pulse generating scheme A thyristor valve circuit protected having an arrester to protect it from an overvoltage. The circuit includes a voltage detector for detecting a forward voltage level applied to the thyristor valve and generating a signal sVp when the detected voltage le... | 08/07/1990 |
| 4885657 | Thyristor with turn-off facility and overvoltage protection In a thyristor with turn-off facility (AT) and overvoltage protection, the voltage limitation is achieved by a parallel-connected controllable resistor, in particular in the form of a J-FET (JF) which is driven by an overvoltage sensor (OS). The separatio... | 12/05/1989 |
| 4876620 | Protection devices and arrangements for telephone lines A two-wire telephone subscriber line protection arrangement consists of two protection devices each comprising a pair of complementary thyristors connected in reverse parallel with one another between a respective wire and a reference point, with their ga... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4796146 | Protection circuit for a thyristor converter A protection circuit is provided which digitally detects the presence/absence of individual forward voltages across all thyristors at a level low enough compared to the allowable voltage, judges a partial turn-off in accordance with the number of detectio... | 01/03/1989 |
| 4757417 | Monitoring system for load-driving switch circuits Disclosed is a monitoring system for a load-driving switch circuit, in which a switch circuit arranged in a circuit for driving an electrical load is controlled and opened or closed by a fail-safe input signal Si, the conduction state or non-conduction st... | 07/12/1988 |
| 4745513 | Protection of GTO converters by emitter switching A fault current protection arrangement for a power converter circuit utilizes gate turn-off thyristors as electronic switching devices. A gate turn-off thyristor is connected between relatively positive and negative voltage buses with a circuit interrupti... | 05/17/1988 |
| 4710699 | Electronic switching device An electronic switching device having a detection circuit or input circuit powered by an external source and load is described. The external source and load are in a series circuit with a power switching element which thereby provides switch controlled po... | 12/01/1987 |
| 4694315 | CMOS overvoltage protection circuit utilizing thyristor and majority carrier injecting anti-parallel diode A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor circuit of CMOS type and an overvoltage protective circuit integrated therewith. The CMOS circuit and the overvoltage protective circuit are formed in one and the same substrate. The device has a contact el... | 09/15/1987 |
| 4665458 | Acceleration power supply An acceleration power supply includes a series-connected semiconductor switches with voltage dividing elements and another semiconductor switch coupled in series to the series-connected semiconductor switches for cutting off a power supply line connected ... | 05/12/1987 |
| 4651251 | Protective circuitry for a thyristor A protection circuit for use with a thyristor having several break over diode, BOD, elements is connected between the anode and the gate of a thyristor providing static and dynamic overvoltage protection. With the exception of the BOD element connected to... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4638138 | High frequency inverter circuit for melting and induction heating A two-pole inverter bridge has an inductor mounted between the two controlled switches in each pole and a resonant load is connected across the poles between ends of the inductors which are similarly situated relative to the terminals. In each pole one an... | 01/20/1987 |
| 4613932 | Method and circuit for reduction of stress in thyristors operating in the individual emergency firing mode The invention is a method and a circuit for the emergency firing of individual thyristors in a thyristor valve that have a protection circuit for providing an emergency gate control signal for firing the thyristor when the voltage applied thereto equals o... | 09/23/1986 |
| 4571535 | VAR Generator having controlled discharge of thyristor switched capacitors A device is taught for controlling the residual charge on a thyristor switched capacitor. A capacitor is in series circuit relationship with at least two bidirectional back-to-back thyristor switches which are then connected across an AC network. Each bac... | 02/18/1986 |