Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6680450 | Electric switch with damping elements to minimize switching noise An electric switch has a switch housing, a knob mounted in the housing, a guide gate having latching recesses and arranged inside the switch housing, and a spring-loaded cam follower guided by the guide gate. The switching positions of the switch are defi... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6672781 | Reduced noise key unit A key unit of a keyboard apparatus having at least one bumper extending from the key unit for cushioning the impact of the key unit against the enclosure of the keyboard apparatus when the key unit assumes a depressed position and/or when the key unit res... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6153840 | Reduced noise electrical switch An electrical switch comprising: one of a housing and a housing part; a contact system attached to one of the housing and the housing part; an operating member for switching the contact system and arranged so that the operating member can move on one of t... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6114643 | Flexible interference mounting floating actuator switch assembly A switch assembly with three axis actuator tolerance comprises a body containing an actuator floating in the x-y plane for moving a camming device which activates a self-contained switch unit with all parts being contained within the body. The switch asse... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6018131 | Switch pad with integrated squeak and rattle eliminator and method of manufacture and use In a preferred embodiment, a control assembly, including: a housing; a control element assembly disposed in the housing; a pushbutton assembly disposed in the housing; a switch pad disposed between the control element assembly and the pushbutton assembly;... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5627723 | Earthquake protection device for a gas-insulated switching installation An earthquake protection device is provided for a gas-insulated switching installation. The gas insulated switching installation has at least one busbar, at least two switch panels, each mounted on a supporting frame, and an arrangement for connecting the... | 05/06/1997 |
| 5563492 | Vehicular battery charging switch A vehicular battery charging switch comprising a tubular vial having a front end, a rear end, and a small amount of electrically conductive liquid material disposed therein; a coupling mechanism for coupling the vial to a vehicle such that its front end i... | 10/08/1996 |
| 5506378 | Impact resistant switch mechanism An impact resistant switch mechanism is disclosed which includes a switch disposed within a housing of a device, such as a communication device or the like. The housing has an opening formed therein through which the switch may be operated from outside th... | 04/09/1996 |
| 5496980 | Switch knob adapted to be fixed and sealed to a support A switch knob has a mobile first part adapted to switch from one connection to another by rotation and a second part fixed to a support of the device on which the knob is mounted by an assembly device and a clamping device. The assembly device comprises t... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5432312 | Push-lock devices A push-lock device has a damper mechanism 9 which includes a strip body 17; protruding portions 14, 16; a protruding portion 26; and a rubber ring 23. The strip body 17 is arranged in the moving direction of the sliding body 4 housed in the case 2 and has... | 07/11/1995 |
| 5410446 | Circuit breaker explosion stress absorber An explosion absorbing apparatus for use with circuit breakers mounted in an explosion-proof panelboard enclosure includes force absorbing plates and rods for attaching the plates to the side panels of circuit breakers. The fastener members draw the force... | 04/25/1995 |
| 4858738 | System of auxiliary mass dampers to restrain the response of slender elastic structures to vibrations such as from earthquakes Structures subject to seismic or other vibrations, such as structurally flexible elements of electrical and mechanical power plants, are effectively damped to reduce stresses resulting from such vibrations, by a system of auxiliary mass dampers. The dampe... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4814564 | Acceleration switch A bounce-free acceleration switch includes a resiliently mounted movable contact (14) which cooperates with a counter contact (15). The kinetic energy of the movable contact (14) is transmitted through an impact body (16) to a resiliently mounted massive ... | 03/21/1989 |
| 4804828 | Card-type processing device A card-type processing device such as an IC card is comprised of an electronic circuit element mounted on a circuit board and a housing which encloses them both inside. The part of the housing which actually encloses the circuit board and the circuit elem... | 02/14/1989 |
| 4797781 | Earthquake resistant high voltage device To install a high voltage device, particularly a high voltage breaker having two interrupting chambers and a high voltage insulator in a simple earthquake resistant manner, an end flange of the high voltage insulator on the ground potential side is rotata... | 01/10/1989 |
| 4703161 | Ruggedized calculator This invention provides a ruggedized calculator having shock-absorbant layers around a relatively unbreakable hard plastic case. Flotation cells enable this unit to float and various seals render it dust-proof and water-tight. Power can be selectively sup... | 10/27/1987 |
| 4599605 | Electrical encoding device An electrical encoding device for generating a coded input to an electrical apparatus, which coded input can indicate direction and speed of movement of an actuator associated with an electrical encoding device. The device is cheaper to manufacture since ... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4354220 | Gas insulated power switch-gear apparatus A gas insulated power switch gear apparatus of a reduced height comprising gas insulated circuit breakers arranged horizontally and disconnecting switches operated vertically is disclosed. Each of the disconnecting switches includes a first sheath portion... | 10/12/1982 |
| 4334260 | Wall-type intercom station for detention and penitentiary facilities A wall-type intercom station for detention and penitentiary facilities is disclosed. The station is comprised of a flush mounting box (2') which is formed of a plurality of profile elements (21, 24, 25) that are structured as extruded profiles. The profil... | 06/08/1982 |
| 4314309 | Electric test equipment mounting Assembly of electrical test or electronic equipment for a telecommunications or power cable in a protective mounting which is of compressible material. The equipment is slightly oversize to an entrance to a location space within the mounting so as to comp... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4295025 | Circuit breaker with electromechanical trip means This invention provides a circuit breaker comprising separable contacts, a releasable mechanism, releasable to effect a tripping operation automatically opening the contacts and an electromechanical trip means operable to release the mechanism. A shock ab... | 10/13/1981 |
| 4187604 | Tool and method for installing flexible tubing in a multi-capsule reed relay switching assembly A tool and method for installing a flexible tube between two or more glass encapsulated reed switches of a multi-capsule reed relay switching assembly. The tool is formed from a steel wire in a wedge shaped structure, adapted to compress when the tubing i... | 02/12/1980 |
| 4186482 | Tool and method for installing flexible tubing in a multi-capsule reed relay switching assembly A tool and method for installing a flexible tube between two or more glass encapsulated reed switches of a multi-capsule reed relay switching assembly. The tool includes a rectangular horizontally oriented insertion member with a billhook raised at one en... | 02/05/1980 |
| 4002955 | Housing for electrical, communications and measuring devices A housing assembly which may be received in a vibration dampening frame is provided with an internal relatively slideable components carrier with one or more slide locks positioned between the components carrier and the housing in such a manner as to limi... | 01/11/1977 |
| 3975603 | Earthquake resistant switchgear A metal-enclosed switchgear characterized by a metal enclosure having a rear wall, opposite side walls, a bottom wall, and a front opening with a door therefor. A circuit breaker is removably located in the enclosure and comprises a plurality of arc chute... | 08/17/1976 |
| 3973078 | Seismic motion-damper for upstanding electrical equipment A seismic damper device is provided between the supporting plate adjacent the bottom of an upstanding piece of electrical apparatus and the lower main frame support members, supporting said upstanding electrical equipment, so that any relative motion betw... | 08/03/1976 |
