General Electric Company

Joshua Isaac Wright

William James Premerlani

Kanakasabapathi Subramanian

John Norton Park

Edward K Howell

Christopher Fred Keimel

Robert Joseph Caggiano

Brent Charles Kumfer

David J Lesslie

Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore

Charles Stephan Pitzen

Xuefeng Wang

Kathleen Ann O'Brien

Fengfeng Tao

Long Que

Parag Thakre

Ajit Achuthan

Somashekhar Basavaraj

Wensen Wang

Kanakasabqapathi Subramanian

Abhijeet Dinkar Sathe

Kristina Margaret Korosi

Edward Keith Howell

David James Lesslie

Wang Wensen

A pipe trim assembly for trimming a pipe extending through a wall includes a panel that has a pipe opening extending through the panel for having a pipe extending therethrough. The panel has a plurality of connection openings each extending through the panel. Fasteners can be extended through the connection openings for fastening the panel to an exterior wall of a building through which the pipe extends. A gasket is coupled to the panel and the gasket extends around the pipe opening. Moreover, the gasket surrounds the pipe when the pipe is extended through the pipe opening. A frame is removably attachable to the panel such that the frame covers the plurality of connection openings in the panel to enhance the appearance of the panel.

Pipe trim assembly

The present invention comprises a method for over-current protection. The method comprising monitoring a load current value of a load current passing through a plurality of micro-electromechanical switching system devices, determining if the monitored load current value varies from a predetermined load current value, and generating a fault signal in the event that the monitored load current value varies from the predetermined load current value. The method also comprises diverting the load current from the plurality of micro-electromechanical switching system devices in response to the fault signal and determining if the variance in the load current value was due to a true fault trip or a false nuisance trip.

Resettable MEMS micro-switch array based on current limiting apparatus

A system is presented. The system includes a micro-electromechanical system switch. Further, the system includes a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switch. A pulse circuit is coupled to the balanced diode bridge to form a pulse signal in response to a fault condition. An energy-absorbing circuitry is coupled in a parallel circuit with the pulse circuit and is adapted to absorb electrical energy resulting from the fault condition without affecting a pulse signal formation by the pulse circuit.

Micro-electromechanical system based arc-less switching with circuitry for absorbing electrical energy during a fault condition

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 electromechanical switching circuitry, and a controller coupled to the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry. The controller may be configured to perform selective switching of a load current between the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry in response to a load current condition appropriate to an operational capability of a respective one of the switching circuitries.

Electromechanical switching circuitry in parallel with solid state switching circuitry selectively switchable to carry a load appropriate to such circuitry

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 comprising a micro-electromechanical system switch. Additionally, the system includes control circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry and the switching circuitry and configured to perform arc-less switching of the micro-electromechanical system switch responsive to a detected zero crossing of an alternating source voltage or alternating load current.

Micro-electromechanical system based soft switching

A motor starter is provided. The motor starter includes micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry. The system may further include solid state switching circuitry coupled in a parallel circuit with the electromechanical switching circuitry, and a controller coupled to the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry. The controller may be configured to perform selective switching of a load current from a motor connected to the motor starter. The switching may be performed between the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry in response to a load current condition appropriate to an operational capability of a respective one of the switching circuitries.

Micro-electromechanical system based electric motor starter

A gating voltage control system and method are provided for electrostatically actuating a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device, e.g., a MEMS switch. The device may comprise an electrostatically responsive actuator movable through a gap for actuating the device to a respective actuating condition corresponding to one of a first actuating condition (e.g., a closed switching condition) and a second actuating condition (e.g., an open switching condition). The gating voltage control system may comprise a drive circuit electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the device to apply a gating voltage. The gating voltage control system may further comprise a controller electrically coupled to the drive circuit to control the gating voltage applied to the gating terminal in accordance with a gating voltage control sequence. The gating voltage control sequence may comprise a first interval for ramping up the gating voltage to a voltage level for producing an electrostatic force sufficient to accelerate the actuator through a portion of the gap to be traversed by the actuator to reach a respective actuating condition. The gating voltage control sequence may further comprise a second interval for ramping down the gating voltage to a level sufficient to reduce the electrostatic force acting on the movable actuator. This allows reducing the amount of force at which the actuator engages a contact for establishing the first actuating condition, or avoiding an overshoot position of the actuator while reaching the second actuating condition.

Gating voltage control system and method for electrostatically actuating a micro-electromechanical device

MEMS-based switching module, as may be electrically connected to other such modules in a series circuit, to achieve a desired voltage rating is provided. A switching array may be made up of a plurality of such switching modules (e.g., used as building blocks of the switching array) with circuitry configured so that any number of modules can be connected in series to achieve the desired voltage rating (e.g., voltage scalability).

Micro-electromechanical system based switching module serially stackable with other such modules to meet a voltage rating

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Arlington, VA, United States of America

Joshua Isaac Wright