Did You Know...
...that the Band-Aid Bandage was invented by a Johnson & Johnson employee whose wife had cut herself? Earl Dickson's wife was rather accident prone, so he set out to develop a bandage that she could apply without help. He placed a small piece of gauze in the center of a small piece of surgical tape, and what we know today as the Band Aid bandage was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8188386 | Rotary push-button capacitance switch knob An operating device for an electrical appliance has a control panel and an operating element for rotary actuation arranged thereon and a controller, wherein said operating element is mounted in a receptacle arranged behind said control panel and comprises on a front... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8153914 | Switching distribution board The invention relates to a switching distribution board (1), comprising a number of m input contact pairs (2) and n output contact pairs (16), it being possible for an input contact pair (2) to be connected to any desired output contact p... | 04/10/2012 |
| 7994441 | Compound operation input device A compound operation input device includes a casing; an operating lever accommodatable in the casing in such a manner that the lever is depressingly operable from a neutral position in a pressing-movement direction and swingingly operable from the neutral position i... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7968808 | Compound operation input device A compound operation input device of the invention includes: a body; a switch being disposed in the body and including a contact in an arcuate cross-sectional shape; and a lever. The lever includes: a basal portion disposed on a vertex of the contact; and an operati... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7872202 | Inputting device An inputting device, used for electronic devices, for example, is disclosed. The inputting device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a case, which has a through-hole, a center key, which is exposed externally through the through-hole ... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7812270 | Multi-directional detect switch A multi-directional detect switch (100) includes an insulative housing (5), a number of fixed terminals (4) embedded in the insulative housing, a moveable contact (2), and an actuator (1) positioned on the moveable contact. The fix... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7759587 | Two-way key of portable terminal A two-way key of a portable terminal is provided. The two-way terminal includes a fixed member mounted on the portable terminal, a driving member rotatably assembled with the fixed member, and an operating member pivotably assembled with the fixed member, wherein, a... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7750256 | Rotary switch assembly A rotary switch assembly (100; 200) is disclosed. The assembly may include a dial assembly (102; 202) having a main body (150; 250) disposed about a centre aperture (132; 232). The main body may be rotatable about a central axis (126; ... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7705252 | Rotary control device The invention relates to a rotary control device intended, in particular, for being fixed to a handle of a remote control of a heavy-construction machine, comprising: a housing to be fastened to the handgrip in a fixed manner; a moving actuating part that rotates re... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7595456 | Dimmer switch A dimmer switch takes the form of a rotary switch including a stationary portion fixed to a vehicle and an operable rotary portion, and is constructed such that switching between a high beam position and a low beam position is made by a rotational operation in oppos... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7579559 | Control knob having integrated functionality A control knob for use in a motor vehicle is provided, having a hub for attachment of the control knob to a shaft, a torsion-proof part, a rotatable part, a rotation angle sensor, means for generating rotary haptics, and an electronic system by means of which the co... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7538282 | Multistage switch A multistage switch includes a switch push button. A magnet is disposed in a recess of the inner wall surface of the switch push button. The multistage switch further includes a magnetic sensor, and the magnetic sensor includes a substrate. Two magnetoelectric trans... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7525051 | Switch mechanism An object of the present invention is to provide a switch mechanism to be adopted in an air-conditioning system that may be operated manually, which allows a plurality of functions to be integrated therein and assures superior operability for the driver. Manu... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7479607 | Control knob with safety feature In a dual-concentric knob, an inner knob acts as a solid ergonomically functional knob for forces below a threshold and collapses into an outer knob for forces above the threshold. In some examples the inner knob also acts as a push button for forces below the thres... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7462787 | Rotary manipulation type input device A rotary manipulation type input device is disclosed. The rotary manipulation type input device may include: a wheel, which may receive information as input by rotation; a sensor unit, which may sense a rotation of the wheel; and a switch, which may generate an on/o... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7456367 | Power crank window switch A controller for a power window actuator including a crank-handle body configured to look like a traditional automobile window crank handle, and an electronic control unit that includes at least one electrical switch positioned such that movement of the crank-handle... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7439458 | Five-way directional push button on a rotary knob A rotary knob and push button assembly comprising a rotary knob being configured to rotate, a rotary actuated potentiometer actuated by rotation of the rotary knob, and at least four actuators within the rotary knob. Each actuator is configured to selectively activa... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7439461 | Neutral position returning mechanism and input device using the same A neutral position returning mechanism includes an actuator, a spring member including plural elastic extending portions having spiral shapes identical to each other, and a case holding the spring member as to apply a stress to the elastic extending portions. The el... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7439460 | Vehicle window opening/closing switch apparatus A vehicle window opening/closing switch apparatus for opening/closing a plurality of windows provided on a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus has a first switch and a second switch. An arbitrary window can be electrically selected from among the windows by manually... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7427721 | Compound switch There is provided a compound switch suitable for preventing malfunction as a multidirectional switch caused by an unreasonable turning force applied to a slider, improving the switch operability, and simplifying a switch mounting panel surface. When a transverse pus... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7417565 | Keyboard for hand-held devices A hand-held electronic device has a keyboard with a plurality of keys, each key having a substantially flat contact surface extending to the sides of each key. One of the sides of the key is beveled. ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7414205 | Low-cost electronic rotary switch A electronic rotary switch is disclosed that comprises domes molded into an elastomeric switch mat mounted to a printed circuit board. A knob rotatably attached to the circuit board includes a cam that depresses individual domes to actuate a contact switch pad on th... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7405728 | Portable information terminal, program, and recording medium having the program recorded therein High-speed scrolling is performed when an operating dial 35 is rotated taking a central button member 36 as an axis, and low-speed scrolling when pushing either an upper button 42A or a lower button 42C by pushing the operating dial 35... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7381912 | Switch device and steering switch device using the same A switch device is provided. The switch device includes a circuit substrate having a fixed contact. A rubber sheet having dome-shaped protuberances is disposed on the circuit substrate. A holder is held moveable in the vertical direction. A rotatable knob is axially... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7381911 | Multi-instruction switch A multi-instruction switch includes a base, a control disk, a plurality of electrodes and a conductive element. The control disk is located above the base and can rotate relative to the base to issue instructions. The conductive element is bent to form a common cont... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7375297 | Method and apparatus to improve tactile feel for keyboards and button assemblies A keyboard for an electronic device that incorporates a flexible carrier for the keys. The flexible carrier has cutouts or slots that aid in decoupling the actions of one from its neighbors. Moreover, in addition to or instead of cutouts or slots, the flexible carri... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7375295 | Collapsible keyboard A collapsible keyboard comprises a first key assembly, a second key assembly rotatably connected to the first key assembly and a third key assembly rotatably connected to the second key assembly. The first key assembly is located between the second and third key ass... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7373229 | Multifunction control system A control system for a vehicle with a plurality of selectively variable characteristics includes an input member and a generally cylindrical wheel. The input member is manipulable to cause a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. In the first mode o... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7371979 | Electrical interconnection arrangement An electrical busbar arrangement has provision for connecting a single feeder cable to a plurality of branch cables within an insulating housing. A branch port is provided for each branch cable, and a spring-loaded slidable support plate is arranged to receive the b... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7371986 | Pushbutton with replaceable mode cam A pushbutton provides an operator with a replaceable cam ring that converts the operating mode of the operator from push-pull to twist-to-release. ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7368673 | Multi directional input apparatus A knob for performing a parallel operation, a rotational operation and a pushing operation relative to a case, a first rotor disposed rotatably to the case, a second rotor positioned face to face and adjacent to the first rotor in the direction of a knob rotational ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7368672 | Push-on switch A push-on switch includes a movable contact which has a projecting segment permanently connected with an outer contact and which is accommodated in a recess of a switch enclosure. A sheet with a center through hole for the movable contact is placed on the switch enc... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7361854 | Operating element for a multi-media system in a motor vehicle The invention relates to a rotating actuator/pressure actuator (13) comprising a ring-shaped rotary transducer (5) consisting of an inner ring and a rotary ring with a handle (1) and which can rotate around the inner ring about an axis (z) and w... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360269 | Cleaning apparatus with reciprocating brush head A cleaning apparatus includes an elongated housing bounding a chamber with a motor disposed therein. A drive shaft is at least partially disposed within the chamber of the housing, the drive shaft being coupled with the motor such that during selective operation of ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7348503 | Dial type switch mechanism A dial type switch mechanism is developed in which an installation space can be made as small as possible. In a dial type switch mechanism (10) furnished with a push type switch part provided in its center, and a dial switch part which operates a dial fitted ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7342187 | Rotating input selection device A rotating input selection device is equipped with a rotating input unit, a case member rotatably supporting the rotating input unit, a circuit substrate opposing the rotating input unit, and a contact connection structures formed from a fixed contact point and a mo... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7342186 | Knob force transfer module A knob assembly comprising a housing, a circuit board, a rotary knob, a rotary actuated potentiometer and a rotation assembly. The housing has a front face. The circuit board is located in the housing, with the circuit board having a front and a rear. The rotary kno... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7339124 | Input key and input apparatus An input key to which a plurality of information elements to be inputted are assigned, comprises: a key top to be pushed; and detecting means for detecting a push on the key top and for, when detecting the push on the key top, detecting a relative displacement of th... | 03/04/2008 |
| RE40125 | Battery operated appliance, flashlight and switching systems An electric appliance includes a first electric power supply of first batteries arranged in a first pattern, and alternatively a different second electric power supply of second batteries arranged in a second pattern. An electrical ON-OFF switch has an ON-OFF positi... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7328762 | Electric vehicle An electric vehicle has traveling units, first and second electric motors for driving the respective traveling units, a speed adjusting lever for adjusting a speed of the traveling units, a speed adjustment mechanism for generating a speed adjusting signal in respon... | 02/12/2008 |
