General Electric Company

Parag Thakre

Kanakasabapathi Subramanian

Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore

Christopher Fred Keimel

William James Premerlani

Marco Francesco Aimi

Brent Charles Kumfer

Robert Joseph Caggiano

David J Lesslie

Russell William Craddock

Charles Stephan Pitzen

Shubhra Bansal

Glenn Scott Claydon

John Norton Park

Reed Roeder Corderman

Xuefeng Wang

Shankar Chandrasekaran

Alex David Corwin

Atanu Saha

Kathleen Ann O'Brien

Sairam Sundaram

Joshua Isaac Wright

Oliver Charles Boomhower

John Christopher Greenwood

Peter Kinnell

Atanu Phukan

Eddula Sudhakar Reddy

Nikhil Chandra

Sriharsha Aradhya

Peter Ken Kinnell

David James Lesslie

A device, such as a switch structure, is provided. The switch structure can include a contact and a conductive element each respectively disposed on a substrate. The conductive element can be composed substantially of metallic material, and can be configured to be deformable between a first position, in which the conductive element is separated from the contact by a separation distance, and a second position, in which the conductive element contacts the contact and stores mechanical energy. The conductive element can be further configured such that, subsequent to being deformed into the second position at a temperature between about room temperature and about half of a melting temperature of the metallic material for a cumulative time of at least 10seconds, the separation distance in the absence of external forces varies by less than 20 percent over the cumulative time. Associated methods are also provided.

Switch structures

Provided is a device, such as a switch structure, that includes a contact and a conductive element that is configured to be deformable between a first position in which the conductive element is separated from the contact and a second position in which the conductive element contacts the contact. The conductive element can be formed substantially of metallic material configured to inhibit time-dependent deformation. For example, the metallic material may be configured to exhibit a maximum steady-state plastic strain rate of less than 10swhen subject to a stress of at least about 25 percent of a yield strength of the metallic material and a temperature less than or equal to about half of a melting temperature of the metallic material. The contact and the conductive element may be part of a microelectromechanical device or a nanoelectromechanical device. Associated methods are also provided.

Switch structure and method

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

The present invention comprises a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) micro-switch array based current limiting enabled circuit interrupting apparatus. The apparatus comprising an over-current protective component, wherein the over-current protective component comprises a switching circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of micro-electromechanical system switching devices. The apparatus also comprises a circuit breaker or switching component, wherein the circuit breaker or switching component is in operable communication with the over-current protective component.

MEMS micro-switch array based on current limiting enabled circuit interrupting apparatus

The present invention provides a remote operable over-current protection apparatus. The apparatus includes control circuitry integrally arranged on a current path and a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch disposed on the current path, the MEMS switch responsive to the control circuitry to facilitate the interruption of an electrical current passing through the current path. The apparatus further includes a communication connection in signal connection with the control circuitry such that the control circuitry is responsive to a control signal on the communication connection to control a state of the MEMS switch.

Remote-operable micro-electromechanical system based over-current protection apparatus

A MEMS switch includes a substrate, a movable actuator coupled to the substrate, a substrate contact, a substrate electrode, and a conductive stopper electrically coupled to the movable actuator and structured to prevent the movable actuator from contacting the substrate electrode while allowing the movable actuator to make contact with the substrate contact.

MEMS microswitch having a conductive mechanical stop

A differential pressure sensing system is provided. The sensing system includes a membrane layer having a channel extending diametrically therein, and including one or more cavities provided radially outbound of the channel and at least one resonant beam disposed in the channel and configured to oscillate at a desired frequency. The system further includes sensing circuitry configured to detect oscillation of the at least one resonant beam indicative of deformation in the membrane layer.

System and method for sensing differential pressure

A micro-electro-mechanical, micro-fluidic flow sensor () includes a flow separating element () for separating a first portion () of a fluid flow () from a second portion () of the fluid flow. The flow sensor also includes a flow obstructing member () disposed in the first portion of the flow for at least partially obstructing the first portion of the flow. The flow obstructing member deflects in response to the first portion of the flow so that a degree of partial obstruction of the first portion of the flow by the flow obstructing member varies in response to the first portion of the fluid flow.

MEMS flow sensor

A differential pressure sensor for use in an industrial application is described. The differential pressure sensor includes a membrane layer having a covered portion and an exposed portion where a first side of the exposed portion of the membrane layer is in fluid communication to a first aperture and a second side of the exposed portion is in fluid communication to a second aperture. The differential pressure sensor also includes at least one resonating device secured to the covered portion of the membrane layer and configured to oscillate at a desired frequency and a sensing circuitry configured to a detect oscillation in the at least one resonating device indicative of deformation in the membrane layer.

System and method for sensing pressure

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Parag Thakre