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 |
| 7541553 | Actuating device with push buttons An actuating device is provided for a technical system, especially for selecting gears of a shift-by-wire speed-change gear. This includes a push button arrangement with at least one push button (1) as well as a device (4) generating electrical control... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7528334 | Circuit breaker-contactor with a piezo-electric controlled locking The inventive circuit breaker-contactor (1) comprises a fixed contact, a contact (5) movable (19, 21) with respect to the fixed contact between open and closed positions, means (7) for displacing the movable contact (5) in the clos... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7442891 | Electrical socket with latching mechanism An electrical socket includes a pair of terminal units and a latching mechanism. Each of the terminal units includes resilient first and second clamping arms. The latching mechanism includes a pair of engaging projections, each of which is provided on the second cla... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7354292 | Low profile latching connector and pull tab for unlatching same A small, low-profile plug connector for use with electronic devices provides a latching member with a pair of hooks that engage mating holes in a guide frame, and which can be easily delatched from the guide frame or opposing connector or housing. The hooks lock the... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7217897 | Backpanel insertion switch A switch comprising a switch body and a control actuator, which can be associated with a control button and can move with respect to the switch body, the control actuator having a receptacle for a light source at a containment portion which is directed toward the bu... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7202433 | Appliance selector switch programmed by console cutout A console switch assembly for appliances provides a rotatable electronic switch having a rotational range constrained by a cutout in the control panel to which the switch is mounted. The cutout most simply may be a sector of a circle having a different angular range... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7182055 | Remote car starter shielding apparatus An improved remote car starter shielding apparatus consisting of a hard, durable, quadrangular convexly shaped shielding component with a plurality of holes in it near the top edge thereof through which a key-ring component, also affixable to a remote car starter un... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7065992 | Rotary pawl latch with lock down paddle A latch assembly for releasably securing a first member in a closed position relative to a second member is disclosed. The latch assembly includes a housing, a handle, and a lock barrel. The housing is adapted for attachment to one of the first member and the second... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7027957 | Current interrupter assembly A method for determining the influence of one of a plurality of cathodic protection circuits along a pipeline includes switching one of a plurality of cathodic protection circuits off, while the remainder of the plurality of cathodic protection circuits are left on,... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7018702 | Component A component including a base body of a relatively hard material and a coating of a relatively soft material, wherein the coating covers at least a main surface area of the base body. The main surface area is delimited by an outer periphery and an edge portion of the... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6924446 | Circuit breaker including a latchable cradle and a cross bar adapted to move in an arcuate path away from primary and secondary latches A circuit breaker includes a housing and an operating mechanism having a cross bar supported by a first housing surface and moving in an arcuate path between open/tripped and closed positions, a pivotally mounted cradle including a latch, and pivotally mounted prima... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6870113 | Latching mechanism for locking a spring energy store A latching mechanism is for locking a spring energy store of an electric switching device. The store is tensioned by a rotary drive and an extensible lever system. In the latching mechanism, the extensible lever system is locked with the spring energy store under te... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6753490 | Ambidextrous switch lockout system The present invention is for an ambidextrous lockout switch system for use with a power tool. With the system of the present invention in place, a multi-step process must be carried out before the power tool can be activated. The system is adapted for the process to... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6730867 | Electrically operated ratcheting pawl latch The present invention is directed to a latch that includes a housing, a pawl pivotally supported by the housing and movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, a spring biasing the pawl toward the unlatched position, and a locking member being rota... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6621020 | Breaking mechanism for circuit breaker A breaking mechanism includes a latch receiver engaging a latch to allow a movable contact shoe to be closed, and a tripping device for rotationally driving the latch receiver to disengage the latch to open the movable contact shoe. An engaging surface of... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6608265 | Switch box for vehicle door lock device A switch box for a vehicle door lock device comprises a slide pin which has one end abutting against a side surface of a latch that engages with and is fixed to the striker and slides in response to a pivot motion of the latch, a slider which is connected... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6600119 | Position indicating devices and position locking devices for power circuit breaker systems Switch position indications and interlocks for power breaker circuits for air-insulated medium-voltage switchgear assemblies, having the functional features of power switching, disconnection and grounding. The switch position indications and interlocks ar... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6586693 | Self compensating latch arrangement A latching mechanism for a circuit breaker operating mechanism includes a primary latch with a cross bar and a first pair of elongated leg members flexibly mounted to the cross bar. A secondary latch is pivotally mountable to the circuit breaker operating... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6489577 | Electrically operating apparatus for circuit breaker An apparatus for electrically operating a circuit breaker arranged such that the change-over lever movable between an electrical operation mode position and a manual operation mode position has provided therewith a blocking portion which, while allowing t... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6483053 | Lock switch apparatus A lock switch apparatus comprises: a key insertion hole 7; a detection switch unit 9 for detecting the insertion of an operation key 2 in the key insertion unit 7; a lock unit 11 for locking the operation key 2 when the operation key 2 is inserted in the ... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6479770 | Electrical switch An electrical switch includes a switching contact arrangement, an interchangeable release block and a locking element. A first operating surface is formed on the locking element, which can be moved from a locked position to an unlocked position. The first... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6472625 | Piezo ceramic operated mechanism An over-center clamping mechanism is disclosed having a pivot guide to guide the pivot of one of the link arm members of the mechanism which comprises a piezoelectric actuator. The actuator is arranged to withdraw the pivot guide from the plane of the act... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6448521 | Blocking apparatus for circuit breaker contact structure A blocking apparatus for blocking a contact structure from closing in a circuit breaker is provided. The apparatus includes a link extending from the circuit breaker and connected to a movable contact arm. The contact structure, being operated by an opera... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6437261 | Interlock for use in an electric motor handle and contactor combination An interlock mechanism for preventing or enabling the operation of a handle operator or a contactor in certain circumstances comprises a system of mechanical linkages which interact to determine whether a lock-out mode or an enabling mode exists with resp... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6433290 | Trip indicator including latch for a circuit breaker An indicator apparatus for a circuit breaker includes an indication mechanism and a latch mechanism mounted on a base, the base being mounted within the circuit breaker. The indication mechanism includes an indicator movably mounted on the base and being ... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6404354 | Rotary controller for electrical or electronic apparatuses The invention relates to a rotary controller for electrical or electronic apparatuses (21, 22, 23), having a rotating knob (10). In order to offer the user a reference position of the rotating knob (10), with a simple design of the rotary controller, when... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6384356 | Switch with snap-action closure A switch includes two interacting contacts (1, 2) and a closing spring (5, 11, 15, 21) for moving the contacts into the closed position, an operating button which can be used to initiate a prestressing phase of the closing spring (5, 11, 15, 21), and a lo... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6252186 | Insertable and retractable switching device comprising a blocking bar which prevents wrong operation A switching device has a closing device and a traversing mechanism for insertion and retraction relative to an insertion frame, where the said devices can be operated only in the OFF state of the switching device. A blocking bar having a cam element that ... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6229106 | Circuit breaker movement structure with three position locking mechanism A circuit breaker movement (10) structure is provided for use with a circuit breaker (12) to move the circuit breaker be connected with or be disconnected from a circuit breaker connecting apparatus (14). The movement structure comprises a draw bracket as... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6222284 | Multiphase power supply with series connected power cells with failed cell bypass A high output level is maintained in power supplies having multiple cells in each leg. Failed cells in any leg are bypassed to provide a current path through the respective leg. All of the unfailed cells are utilized while maintaining equal magnitude betw... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6201199 | Button lock mechanism for handheld device A lockable button mechanism for use in a portable device. The mechanism includes three button elements aligned with three switch elements, whereby the button elements may be individually depressed to activate respective switch elements. The mechanism furt... | 03/13/2001 |
| 6072131 | Device for the actuation of at least one switch with reinforced safety A device for the actuation of at least one main switch, includes a lever having two main faces. In a working position of the lever, its main face is designed to actuate the main switch. In an idle position of the lever, its second main face is designed to... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6031195 | Latching mechanism for an electrical overload protection switch, in particular for a motor-protection circuit breaker A latching mechanism comprises a stationary chamber (1), a spring-loaded main slide (2) which is guided along the stationary chamber (1) in a first direction, a spring-loaded message slide (3) disposed inside the stationary chamber (1) which is guided in ... | 02/29/2000 |
| 5969312 | Ambidextrous powers-switch lock-out mechanism The invention is a novel power tool with an ambidextrous lock-out mechanism to prevent unintended actuation of a power switch operatively associated with a motor that operates the power tool. The lock-out mechanism has a first unlocking means located to b... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5941371 | Electrical switch with latching manual/automatic reset An electrical switch has a snap action blade with a contact pad. The snap action blade levers between a first configuration at which the contact pad is remote from a stationary contact and a second configuration at which the contact pad abuts the stationa... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5886603 | Electrically controlled tripping mechanism A detent mechanism comprising a support member having a fixed seating member comprising opposite sides; a first spring for exerting a first spring force, disposed between one side of the fixed seating member and a first sliding member, further comprising ... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5829282 | Control lever lock assembly A lock assembly for locking a control lever in a neutral or non-active position includes a lock mechanism having a locking pin and a locking bracket for receiving the locking pin. The locking bracket is secured to the control lever and prevents the lever ... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5819916 | Two-position latching two dome switch The invention includes a keycap having a top surface having a first and second end, and a body portion, said keycap being pivotally connected to a support for movement of the keycap from a first to a second position. A lever extending downward from the bo... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5777284 | Safety switch assembly with a latch mechanism A safety switch assembly for use with a machinery guard enclosing kinetic machinery, comprises a housing, an electrical contact arrangement and a rotatable actuator cam contained within the homing for operating the electrical contact arrangement and space... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5758762 | Electrical switch An electrical switch having a switching lever for actuating a slide which receives at least one contact bridge, and having an enabling slide which is active in the inserted position. The technical problem is to provide a switch whereof the switching lever... | 06/02/1998 |
