US3628094A — Apparatus of medical and other types

Claim 1

Independent Claim 355 words

The combination with an electrically energizeable apparatus adapted normally to electrically contact a living being safely when said apparatus is electrically energized and free of fault, of a safety device operatively associated with said apparatus for preventing fault from causing said apparatus to be in unsafe electrical contact with said living being; said apparatus having a hot conductor, a neutral conductor and a ground conductor, said hot conductor being connected to a first portion of said apparatus and being adapted to connect said first portion to the hot terminal of a source of electrically energy, said neutral conductor being connected to said first portion and being adapted to connect said first portion to the neutral terminal of said source, said ground conductor being adapted to connect a second portion of said apparatus to a ground terminal; there being means, independent of said apparatus, electrically interconnecting said neutral terminal and said ground terminal, and said apparatus being energizeable in response to the electrical energy of said source available at said terminals; said safety device including a switch normally interrupting electrical continuity of said hot conductor at a place between the said hot terminal and said first portion, said switch being normally independently operable of the rest of said faultproofing device, for establishing electrical continuity at said place; said safety device also including voltage-sensing means connected in voltage-sensing relation to said conductors at points between said portions, on the one hand, and said terminals, on the other hand; said voltage-sensing means being connected to said switch and being responsive to the several voltages at said points to substantially prevent said switch from being operative to establish electrical continuity at said place, under any one of the following conditions: electrical discontinuity in said neutral conductor; electrical discontinuity in said ground conductor; connecting said hot conductor to said ground terminal and said ground conductor said hot terminal; connecting said hot conductor to said neutral terminal and said neutral conductor to said hot terminal; connecting said neutral conductor to said ground terminal and said ground conductor to said neutral terminal, provided said neutral and ground terminals are at different potentials.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 355 words

The combination with an electrically energizeable apparatus adapted normally to electrically contact a living being safely when said apparatus is electrically energized and free of fault, of a safety device operatively associated with said apparatus for preventing fault from causing said apparatus to be in unsafe electrical contact with said living being; said apparatus having a hot conductor, a neutral conductor and a ground conductor, said hot conductor being connected to a first portion of said apparatus and being adapted to connect said first portion to the hot terminal of a source of electrically energy, said neutral conductor being connected to said first portion and being adapted to connect said first portion to the neutral terminal of said source, said ground conductor being adapted to connect a second portion of said apparatus to a ground terminal; there being means, independent of said apparatus, electrically interconnecting said neutral terminal and said ground terminal, and said apparatus being energizeable in response to the electrical energy of said source available at said terminals; said safety device including a switch normally interrupting electrical continuity of said hot conductor at a place between the said hot terminal and said first portion, said switch being normally independently operable of the rest of said faultproofing device, for establishing electrical continuity at said place; said safety device also including voltage-sensing means connected in voltage-sensing relation to said conductors at points between said portions, on the one hand, and said terminals, on the other hand; said voltage-sensing means being connected to said switch and being responsive to the several voltages at said points to substantially prevent said switch from being operative to establish electrical continuity at said place, under any one of the following conditions: electrical discontinuity in said neutral conductor; electrical discontinuity in said ground conductor; connecting said hot conductor to said ground terminal and said ground conductor said hot terminal; connecting said hot conductor to said neutral terminal and said neutral conductor to said hot terminal; connecting said neutral conductor to said ground terminal and said ground conductor to said neutral terminal, provided said neutral and ground terminals are at different potentials.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 172 words

The invention of claim 1, wherein said safety device includes a solenoid, and said switch has first and second contacts and a movable contactor movable from one said contact to the other and said contactor being effectively connected to said ground conductor at all times; said solenoid being connected between said first contact and said hot conductor; said solenoid having a latch and said switch having a movable member movable to first and second positions, said first position being one in which said hot conductor has its said electrical continuity interrupted and said movable contactor contacts said first contact, and said second position being one in which said electrical continuity is established and said contactor contacts said second contact; said latch being normally positioned to obstruct movement of said movable member from said first position to said second position, so long as said solenoid is not energized, but being responsive to energization of said solenoid to move out of the way of said movable member, said solenoid being said voltage sensing means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 42 words

The invention of claim 2, wherein said safety device includes means responsive to voltage between said hot conductor and one of the other said conductors, and to said switch being in said second position, for latching said switch in said second position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 98 words

The invention of claim 2, wherein said safety device has a second solenoid, and said second solenoid has a second latch; said second solenoid being, with the first said solenoid, said voltage sensing means; said second latch being normally positioned to allow movement of said movable member from said first position to said second position, but being responsive to energization of said second solenoid and to movement of said movable member to said second position to move to a position obstructing movement of said second member to said first position, so long as said second solenoid is energized.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 183 words

The invention of claim 1, wherein said safety device includes a second switch and third switch, said second and third switches being normally open and being connected in series with one another and with a solenoid, between said neutral and hot conductors, said voltage-sensing means including means connected to said second and third switches for closing both said second and third switches in response to said voltage-sensing means sensing substantially the voltage of said source both between said hot conductor and said ground conductor, and between said conductor and said neutral conductor; the first said switch being a movable member movable to first and second positions; said first position being one in which each said conductor is electrically interrupted between said apparatus and said faultproofing device, said second position being one in which said conductor is electrically continuous between said faultproofing device and said apparatus; said first switch having a latch normally positioned to obstruct movement of said member from said first position to said second position, but responsive to energization of said solenoid to move out of the way of said member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 164 words

The invention of claim 1, wherein said safety device and said voltage-sensing means includes first core means, second core means, primary windings on said core means, and a secondary winding on said core means; one said primary winding being connected between said hot conductor and said neutral conductor for producing first flux in said first core means when there is voltage between said hot conductor and said neutral conductor, a second said primary winding being connected between said hot conductor and said ground conductor for producing second flux in said second core means when there is voltage between said hot conductor and said ground conductor; said first and second core means being arranged so that said first flux and said second flux are mutually independent of each other; said switch including means connected across said secondary winding to cause said switch to establish electrical continuity at said place only when said last two said voltages have the same sense and substantially the same magnitude.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 29 words

The invention of claim 6, wherein said core means comprises two cores each having one and another of said primary windings thereon, and both having said secondary winding thereon.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

The invention of claim 6, wherein said core means comprises two cores, each of said cores having a primary winding and a secondary winding thereon, the last said primary winding being the former said primary windings and each of the last said secondary windings being together the first said secondary winding.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 147 words

A safety device for providing interconnection of an electrically energizable apparatus with a hot terminal, a neutral terminal and a ground terminal, said device having a first winding for connection between said hot terminal and said neutral terminal, a second winding for connection between said hot terminal and said ground terminal, a third winding, a first core means inductively relating said first winding to said third winding, and a second core means inductively relating said second winding to said third winding, said first winding being noninductively related to said second winding; said safety device including switch means for manually interrupting electrical continuity of said interconnection, and being connected to said third winding for responding to voltage therein to restore said continuity when and only when said third winding has voltage therein corresponding to correct interconnection of said apparatus with said terminals, and correct voltages at said terminals.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 147 words

A safety device for providing interconnection of an electrically energizable apparatus with a hot terminal, a neutral terminal and a ground terminal, said device having a first winding for connection between said hot terminal and said neutral terminal, a second winding for connection between said hot terminal and said ground terminal, a third winding, a first core means inductively relating said first winding to said third winding, and a second core means inductively relating said second winding to said third winding, said first winding being noninductively related to said second winding; said safety device including switch means for manually interrupting electrical continuity of said interconnection, and being connected to said third winding for responding to voltage therein to restore said continuity when and only when said third winding has voltage therein corresponding to correct interconnection of said apparatus with said terminals, and correct voltages at said terminals.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 31 words

The safety device of claim 9, wherein said third winding has one part wound solely on one said core means and another part wound solely on the other said core means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 17 words

The safety device of claim 9 wherein said third winding is wound around both said core means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-12-13	1975-06-14	1975-12-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-12-13	1979-06-14	1979-12-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-12-13	1983-06-14	1983-12-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus of medical and other types

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