Selective potting for controlled failure and electronic devices employing the same
First Claim
1. A selectively protected electrical system for providing power from a power source to energize a load, comprising:
- a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the load, the power driver circuit being encapsulated; and
a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit, the controller being un encapsulated, such that contaminants in the protected electrical system are more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated controller and are substantially inhibited from inducing an electrical fault in the encapsulated power driver circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A selectively protected electrical system includes or operates with a power source, a load, a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the load, the power driver circuit being encapsulated in a potting material, and a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit, the controller being un-encapsulated by the potting material. If a contaminant induced electrical fault occurs in the selectively protected electrical system, the electrical fault is more likely to occur in the un-encapsulated controller, such that the selectively protected electrical system is disabled. The contaminant is inhibited from contacting and inducing an electrical fault in the power driver circuit, thus providing for a controlled failure of the selectively protected electrical system.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1. A selectively protected electrical system for providing power from a power source to energize a load, comprising:
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a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the load, the power driver circuit being encapsulated; and
a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit, the controller being un encapsulated, such that contaminants in the protected electrical system are more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated controller and are substantially inhibited from inducing an electrical fault in the encapsulated power driver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 45, 46, 61, 62)
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21. A selectively protected electrical system, comprising:
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a power source;
a load;
a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the load, the power driver circuit being encapsulated; and
a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit, the controller being un-encapsulated, such that a contaminant that may be in the system is more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated controller and is inhibited from inducing the electrical fault in the encapsulated power driver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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25. A power delivery system for safely providing power from a power source to energize a load, the system comprising:
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a control portion comprising a controller for controlling a power driver circuit;
a power driver portion comprising the power driver circuit responsive to the controller for controllably transferring power from the power source to the load; and
a potting material selectively covering the power driver portion such that the power driver circuit is encapsulated by the potting material and such that the control portion remains un-encapsulated by the potting material, and such that contaminants that may be in the system are more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated control portion and are inhibited from inducing the electrical fault in the encapsulated power driver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. In an electrical system subject to contaminant exposure, a method for reducing the likelihood of a contamination induced electrical fault in a selected portion of the electrical system, the method comprising:
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providing a critical portion of the electrical system for performing a critical operation;
providing a non-critical portion of the electrical system for enabling the critical portion to perform the critical operation; and
encapsulating the critical portion to provide a barrier between the critical portion and a contaminant such that the non-critical portion is un-encapsulated and such that a contaminant that may be in the system is more likely to induce an electrical fault in the un-encapsulated non-critical portion such that the non-critical portion disables the critical portion and such that the contaminant is inhibited from inducing the electrical fault in the encapsulated critical portion. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. In an electrical system subject to contaminant exposure, a method for reducing the likelihood of a contamination induced electrical fault in a selected portion of the electrical system, the method comprising:
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providing a critical portion of the electrical system for performing a critical operation;
providing at least one circuit element operative to disable the electrical system when exposed to a contaminant; and
encapsulating the critical portion such that the at least one circuit element remains un-encapsulated and such that if the electrical system is exposed to the contaminant, the contaminant is more likely to contact the at least one un-encapsulated circuit element and disable the electrical system, and is inhibited from contacting the encapsulated critical portion. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. In an electrical system having a plurality of current paths subject to contaminant induced short circuiting, a method for protecting selected current paths, the method comprising:
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providing at least one critical current path having at least one critical component for performing a critical operation;
providing at least one non-critical current path having at least one non-critical component for enabling the critical component to perform the critical operation;
encapsulating the at least one critical current path to provide a barrier between the at least one critical current path and a contaminant such that the at least one non-critical current path remains un-encapsulated and such that a short circuit is more likely to occur in the at least one un-encapsulated non-critical current path and to disable the electrical system and is inhibited from occurring in the at least one encapsulated critical current path.
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52. A selectively protected electrical system, comprising:
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a power source for providing power to an electrical circuit;
a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the electrical circuit, the power driver circuit being encapsulated; and
a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit;
wherein the power source being un-encapsulated, such that contaminants in the protected electrical system are more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated power source and are substantially inhibited from inducing an electrical fault in the encapsulated power driver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. A selectively protected electrical system, comprising:
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a power source for providing power to an electrical circuit;
a power driver circuit for controllably transferring power from the power source to the electrical circuit; and
a controller for enabling and disabling the power driver circuit, the controller being encapsulated;
wherein the power source being un-encapsulated, such that contaminants in the protected electrical system are more likely to induce an electrical fault and disable the un-encapsulated power source and are substantially inhibited from inducing an electrical fault in the encapsulated controller. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A selectively protected electrical system, comprising:
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a critical portion of the electrical system for performing a critical operation;
a non-critical portion of the electrical system for enabling the critical portion to perform the critical operation; and
wherein the critical portion is encapsulated to provide a barrier between the critical portion and a contaminant, wherein the non-critical portion is un-encapsulated, wherein a contaminant in the system is more likely to induce an electrical fault in the un-encapsulated non-critical portion such that the non-critical portion disables the critical portion and the contaminant is substantially inhibited from inducing the electrical fault in the encapsulated critical portion. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
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Specification