Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8143539 | Lever switch An operation lever comprises a main section, a cover section and a photoconductor. While the photoconductor is overlaid on the main section, sliding protrusions of the cover section are inserted into guide grooves formed in the periphery of the main section, the cov... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8003902 | Integrated automotive horn/light apparatus and method An apparatus and method for simultaneously operating the horn and light systems of a motorized vehicle is provided. The controller used to operate the systems can be a single controller that operates the horn when a certain range of pressure is applied to the contro... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7910846 | Steering column assembly for vehicle A steering column assembly includes a light switch and a wiper switch assembled to a column tube of a column shaft via an assembly bracket. The assembly bracket includes a body, to which the light switch and the wiper switch are coupled, and a coupling section, to w... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7880102 | Attachment structure An attachment structure includes a bracket that is arranged around a steering, a rotary connector device that has an engagement portion for being provisionally fixed to the bracket in a provisionally fixed state, and a combination switch that has a guide portion for... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7671288 | Switch apparatus for horn device of vehicle A switch apparatus for the horn device of a vehicle includes an inflator housing and a terminal unit provided in the inflator housing and configured to include a first contact element connected to the inflator and a second contact element connected to the inflator h... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7642475 | Lever operating device Disclosed is a lever operating device having a simple structure and high durability without a contact defect. In the disclosed lever operating device, when an operating lever is tilted in one of the first and second operating surfaces that are substantially o... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7595457 | Steering column module A steering column module includes a lever, first and second printed circuit boards, and an electronics unit. The lever has a base next to a steering column and a head away from the column. The lever base includes a primary control which actuates upon the lever being... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7592557 | Horn actuator switch A horn actuator for a vehicle horn mounts to a steering wheel hub. The horn actuator has a number of support posts that each pass through a switch cup and mount into the steering wheel hub. A switch lies within the switch cup and a spring biases the switch cup away ... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7572992 | Lever switch A lever witch comprises first and second rotary levers arranged in outer and inner peripheries of the non-rotary lever, a base mounted in a tip end side of the non-rotary lever and a rotary knob supported by a tip end side of the second rotary lever and rotating tog... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7511237 | Lever switch mounting structure To provide a structure in which a rotary connector, a turning signal switch and a wiper switch can be combined into a sub-assembly, and besides even when an unduly-large force acts on the turning signal switch or the wiper switch after the rotary connector and the t... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7511236 | Manual control unit for a vehicle A manual control unit having a handle body in which is integrated at least one manually operable control element. The handle body has a housing with a spherically bulged central section for ergonomically supporting an inner surface of a hand, the central sect... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7507921 | Control device having a rotating actuator A control device has a rotating actuator which is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation so that control parameters can be input by rotation. The rotating actuator is mounted displaceably along a movement curve so that control parameters can be input into the d... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7504600 | Control assembly, in particular for the top part of automobile vehicle steering column The invention concerns a control assembly, in particular for motor vehicle steering column top portion (1), comprising several switching modules (7; 9; 13; 15) and a microcontroller (19) mounted on a motherboard (17) for interpreting a sw... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7488907 | Lever switch device A third insulator of a washer switch constituting the second electrical switching unit is set to be long in the axial direction, the insulator is provided with fixed contacts extending in the axial direction and at the same time a base portion thereof is provided wi... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7485819 | Steering column switch A steering column switch, especially for a motor vehicle, contains a switch lever, which is activated transversely and which has a magnetic signal transmitter, to which several stationary magnetic-field sensors coupled to an evaluation unit are allocated for determi... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7482545 | In-vehicle knob switch An in-vehicle knob switch comprises a tubular housing that has an opening disposed in a portion of an outer circumferential surface thereof, a holder that is disposed inside the housing, a circuit board that is fixed to the holder, and a push switch that is mounted ... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7441800 | Steering wheel for a motor vehicle A steering wheel for a motor vehicle is provided having a hub element, a steering wheel rim, at least one steering wheel spoke for attaching the steering wheel rim to the hub element and at least one activation device which is arranged on the hub element, the steeri... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7438312 | Vehicle steering wheel with pivoting horn The invention relates to a steering wheel (11) of an automotive vehicle including a framework (17), a foam filling (19) and a horn device (33) with an integrated airbag module (21) including an element (31) for actuating sai... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7439459 | Switch device and steering switch apparatus equipped with the switch device A switch device is provided. A switch device includes a housing. A circuit board is provided with fixed contacts. A rubber sheet is disposed on the circuit board and has protuberances, a tiltably-supported actuator, a rotatable knob, and a torsional coil spring serv... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7432462 | Steering wheel of a vehicle A steering wheel provided with a remote control switch. The remote control switch includes a user-settable unit and a variable circuit unit for changing a function of the remote control switch according to the configuration of the user-settable unit; for example, th... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7417201 | Switching arrangement for actuating lighting systems on a motor vehicle Future motor vehicles will require additional lighting means. Additional lighting means are required, above all, in conjunction with environmental sensors, especially sensors which are used in night vision systems. As a result of the generally increasing number of e... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7411141 | Combination switch A combination switch includes a combination switch body 1 fixed to a steering column of a vehicle, an operating lever 2 swingably mounted on the combination switch body 1, and a wiper switch for operating a wiper of the vehicle in accordance wit... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7402767 | Handle switch device of vehicle In a handle switch device of a vehicle, a switch casing which surrounds a bar handle and accommodates a switch in the inside thereof is mounted on the bar handle, and a manipulation knob which manipulate the switch is mounted on a rear wall of the switch casing. The... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7402768 | Switch stalk device A thin film magnetic head includes a recording and playback element, a lead conductor layer for feeding a power to the recording and playback element, an electrically conductive bump for conductively connecting the lead conductor layer to an electrode pad for extern... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7398994 | Assembly for retaining an airbag module to a steering wheel An assembly of an airbag module and a steering wheel of a vehicle has the airbag module moveable between a resting position and a working position, corresponding to the actuation of the horn of the vehicle. Advantageously, the retaining assembly drives the airbag mo... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7392724 | Steering wheel with at least one device for the fastening of build-on parts A steering wheel is provided with at least one device for the fastening of build-on parts, the steering wheel having a steering wheel skeleton surrounded by foam. A holding part is substantially fixed by the steering wheel foam surround and projects out of the steer... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7385152 | Switch module The invention relates to a switch module comprising a selector lever that is pivotally mounted in a bearing housing. The selector lever comprises two opposing, projecting trunnions and the bearing housing has receiving openings, at least sections of the latter being... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7380816 | Device for actuating the horn on steering wheels The invention relates to a device for actuating the horn on steering wheels, comprising a steering wheel frame and at least one fixed horn contact provided thereon, and comprising a moving paddling support i.e. generator support and at least one horn contact, which ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7380817 | Assembly for retaining an airbag module to a steering wheel As improved airbag module retention assembly for attachment to a steering wheel has an airbag module housing having an airbag cover, an internally stored airbag. The airbag module housing has two pairs of attachment legs. A base plate assembly has a base plate with ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7380828 | Stationary wheel hub The invention provides a steering column assembly for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the steering column assembly. The steering column assembly includes a steering column member having an aperture extending along an axis. The steering column assembly also ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7377543 | Vehicle steering wheel with floating horn The invention relates to a steering wheel (11) of an automotive vehicle with an airbag module (21) fixed thereto through at least one intermediate device (33) comprising a spring (37), a positioning plate (35) incorporating at its ... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7360786 | Horn switch device, airbag system, and steering wheel A horn switch device includes a retractable body, an unmoving body facing the retractable body, a biasing member between the retractable body and the unmoving body, a pair of contact members attached to, and moving with, the retractable body, and a contacting body, ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357409 | Gas bag module A gas bag module (10) includes a gas bag (20) having a front wall. A center portion (24) of the front wall is fastened to the gas bag module (10) and prevented from a free movement in the case of deployment of the gas bag (20). The... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7348508 | Horn switch apparatus for a vehicle steering wheel A set of horn switch assemblies are mounted on a base plate of a vehicle steering wheel and linked by two continuous electrical conductors that are electrically bridged to activate a horn. Each switch assembly includes an insulator base affixed to the base plate and... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7345272 | Optical decoder systems and corresponding methods The present invention is generally directed toward optical encoder systems and corresponding methods. One aspect of the invention is directed toward an optical encoder system that includes an optical encoder device having an input wheel. The optical encoder device f... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7342188 | Rotary light switch for motor vehicles A rotary light switch for motor vehicles is presented that ensures a feel that is not susceptible to mechanical influences. The rotary light switch has an actuator that can be rotated around an axis and that can be moved in the axial direction, and that is non-rotat... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7339129 | Spring to actuator bearing mechanism A plastic actuator for a toggle switch has a metal rod embedded therein, with the metal surface partially exposed. This surface of the metal rod functions as a bearing surface for a positioning spring as the actuator is flipped back and forth to turn the switch on a... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7332684 | Turn signal switch for vehicle A turn signal switch for a vehicle includes: a resiliently urging means provided between a switch operating element and a switch case so as to urge the switch operating element toward a neutral position and a returned position. The resiliently urging means includes:... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7329819 | Steering column module for a vehicle The invention relates to a steering column module for a vehicle, especially for a motor vehicle. The steering column comprises a base housing, at least one switch unit which is arranged in or on the base housing and comprises a mechanism which is coupled to an actua... | 02/12/2008 |
