JOHN MATTHEW SHEA, M.D., PH.D.
Osteopathic Medicine at Ave, Pittsburgh, PA

6633009, Oct 14, 2003

Jun 14, 2002

10/171826

John J. Shea - Pittsburgh PA

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H01H 8500

200 6108, 361111, 361 42

A shorting switch eliminates arcing faults in low voltage power distribution equipment. The switch includes a base supporting a first side and an opposite second side. A first end of a spring engages the first side of the base. A first end of a release bolt engages the first side of the base. An electrically activated, chemical charge is disposed in an opening of the release bolt to fracture that bolt. A bridging contact is biased by a second end of the spring toward the second side of the base. A second end of the release bolt normally holds the bridging contact and maintains the spring in a compressed state. Two contacts are supported by the second side of the base for electrical engagement by the bridging contact after fracture of the release bolt. Two terminals are respectively electrically connected to the two contacts.

6459358, Oct 1, 2002

Sep 27, 1999

09/406534

John Joseph Shea - Pittsburgh PA
Miomir B. Djordjevic - Milwaukee WI
William Kingston Hanna - Pittsburgh PA

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H01C 0702

338 20, 338 13, 338 22, 252511, 525524, 523427, 523400, 523457, 523458, 523468

A current limiting PTC device ( ) has two electrodes ( ) with a thin film of electric conducting polymer material ( ) disposed between the electrodes, the polymer material ( ) having superior flexibility and short circuit performance, where the polymer material contains short chain aliphatic diepoxide, conductive filler particles, curing agent, and, preferably, a minor amount of bisphenol A epoxy resin.

5886324, Mar 23, 1999

May 5, 1997

8/850465

John Joseph Shea - Pittsburgh PA

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H05B 102

219505

A novel current limiting PTC polymer device and methods of making the same comprising a current limiting polymer composition with porous electrodes interfaced therewith such that a low contact resistance results using a combination of (1) extrusion attachment of the current limiting polymer composition to the porous electrodes, (2) careful selection of the electrode materials in view of the conductive filler and/or conductive metal particles in the current limiting polymer composition, and (3) plasma treatment of the attachment surfaces of the current limiting polymer composition preceding and/or during the extrusion attachment process. The invention provides for the selective treatment of portions of the surface of the current limiting polymer composition by at least one of plasma etching and metallizing to create attachment surfaces for extrusion attachment of porous electrodes resulting in a low contact resistance, mechanical stability and a reduced potential for arcing in the electrode/polymer interface. The electrical devices of the invention are particularly useful in circuit protection applications.

7145757, Dec 5, 2006

Jan 13, 2004

10/756646

John J. Shea - Pittsburgh PA, US
Robert N. Parry - Beaver PA, US

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H02H 3/00, H02H 7/00

361 2, 361 8, 361 3, 361 9, 361 10

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 includes an actuation input and separable contacts, which are electrically connected in parallel with the series combination of the fuse and the first shorting switch contacts. A detection circuit includes one or more arcing light sensors and an actuation circuit. The light sensors detect arcing fault light and the actuation circuit responsively outputs a first trigger signal to the first shorting switch actuation input to close its contacts. For a persistent arcing fault, which is not eliminated by the first shorting switch, a predetermined time after the first trigger signal, the actuation circuit responsively outputs a second trigger signal to the second shorting switch actuation input to close its contacts.

7105764, Sep 12, 2006

Jan 13, 2005

11/035228

Paul R. Rakus - Chippewa Township PA, US
Thomas C. Pendrick - Clinton PA, US
John J. Shea - Pittsburgh PA, US
Michael B. Schulman - Pittsburgh PA, US

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H01H 33/02

218 34, 218 30, 218146, 335201

A current limiting power switch has a monolithic stationary conductor with a conductor section that mounts fixed contacts that engage moving contacts on moving contact fingers to form a reverse current loop with the contacts closed. A terminal section projects transversely from one end of the conductor section and an arc runner section extends from the other end. The tapered arc runner has a generally laterally centered tapered area that gathers the arcs and urges them along a raised rib on the arc runner to an arc chute. A reinforcing rib running from the back of the conductor and arc runner sections to the terminal section resists distortion of the monolithic stationary conductor by the high temperatures and closing and electromagnetic forces during interruption.

7091438, Aug 15, 2006

Jan 13, 2005

11/035310

John Joseph Shea - Pittsburgh PA, US
Paul Richard Rakus - Beaver Falls PA, US
Thomas Clements Pendrick - Clinton PA, US

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H01H 33/02

218 34, 218149

An improved circuit breaker includes an arc extinction system having one or more insulators that generates a desirable gas in the presence of an arc. The exemplary circuit breaker includes gas-generating insulators disposed at three sides of a stationary contact and an arc chute at a fourth side of the stationary contact. The gas promotes the desirable extinction of the arc in a number of exemplary fashions. The presence of the gas on three sides of the stationary contact can resist movement of the arc toward the gas, thereby substantially limiting movement of the arc in a direction other than toward the arc chute. The gas can remove heat from the arc, thereby promoting deionization of the plasma by forming neutral molecular species at a lower temperature state. The presence of the gas can reduce the concentration of ions and electrons within the interior of the circuit breaker and can increase the pressure within the circuit breaker, and these also facilitate extinction of the arc.

7009132, Mar 7, 2006

Sep 3, 2004

10/933968

John J. Shea - Pittsburgh PA, US
Yu Wei Chou - Moon Township PA, US

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H01H 33/02

218155, 218 35, 218157

A circuit breaker vents at least some of the arc gases generated during current interruption from an internal cavity containing separable contacts through a terminal recess vent in a wall in the housing into an external terminal recess. The line side main conductor extends through the same wall into the external terminal recess adjacent the vent and into the collar of a terminal assembly. An electrically conductive stand seated on the main conductor electrically connects to the main conductor an external conductor clamped against the stand by a terminal screw threaded through the collar. The stand has a through opening aligned with the terminal recess vent to pass the arc gases through the external terminal recess to atmosphere.

5928547, Jul 27, 1999

Mar 12, 1997

8/820398

John Joseph Shea - Pittsburgh PA
William Kingston Hanna - Pittsburgh PA

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H05B 102

219505

A novel multi-layer current limiting PTC polymer device comprising at least two layers of a conductive polymer composition with electrodes attached thereto characterized by having a low contact resistance and a method of producing the same. The invention provides for the selective treatment of portions of the surface of each layer of the conductive polymer composition by at least one of plasma/corona etching and plasma sputtering/plasma spray to create a site for attachment of the electrodes resulting in a low contact resistance. The electrical devices of the invention are particularly useful in circuit protection applications.

8228649, Jul 24, 2012

Jun 4, 2009

12/478330

John Joseph Shea - Pittsburgh PA, US
Jordan C. Lawrence - Rochester PA, US
Lennart Jonsson - Raleigh NC, US

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

H02H 3/00, H02H 9/08, G01R 31/00, G01R 31/08, G01R 31/12, H01H 9/50

361 42, 324503, 324536

Arc fault detection method and apparatus employ an impedance-based current sensor to provide a sensing signal indicative of current through a conductor. The impedance-based current sensor diverts high frequency components of current through the conductor and converts the high frequency components into an arc fault signal.