Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7628349 | Inertia actuator for seat belt retractor An inertia sensitive actuator especially adapted for use with a dual spool retractor for a motor vehicle seat belt system, The dual spool retractor includes shoulder belt and lap belt spool assemblies engaging with the shoulder belt and lap belt portions of the seat... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7367591 | Safety belt which doesn't keep close to body A safety belt without tightly binding body includes a safety belt, a belt retractor, a flashboard, a buckle and a limiter. The limiter includes a housing having a belt inlet and outlet located at side faces thereof. An upper roller and a lower roller are provided wi... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7360576 | Electric transmission module for module for window curtains having winding wheel An electric transmission module for window curtains having a winding wheel bridges a power unit and a window curtain set so that the opening/closure of the curtains can be controlled. A string of a set of transmission pieces is wound around a first wheel groove of t... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7328868 | Wire-winding device for two kinds of cables A wire-winding device for two kinds of cables is described. The device has a base, two winding plates, two communication cables and a volute spring. The two winding plates are arranged inside the base, the two communication cables are rolled around the two winding p... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7317446 | Method for entering data into a computer using a peripheral input device having a retractable cord The invention, in one embodiment, is a method for entering data into a computer. The method includes anchoring an electrical cord connecting a peripheral input device to the computer, positioning the peripheral input device, and retracting slack in the electrical co... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7309286 | Gaming device having a co-molded switch and method of making same A gaming device having an extendable button and a co-molded switch. The apparatus and method includes inserting a pushbutton switch and connection cord into a mold. A first portion is formed around the cord by injecting a first material onto the cord proximate the b... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7251966 | Cable wrap security device A security device a plurality of cables which are securable about an item of merchandise with a locking member and a cable-tightening mechanism each connected to the cables in a spaced apart manner. The locking member includes a key portion for unlocking the tighten... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7219710 | Lifting mechanism for window shades Provided is a lifting mechanism for a shade including a plurality of continuous slats and two lift cords. The mechanism comprises a winding assembly, and a hoisting assembly fixedly attached to an inner surface of a lowest slat, the hoisting assembly comprising an e... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7201342 | Signal cable rewinder with two rewinding discs The invention relates to a signal cable rewinder having two opposing housings in which two independently rewinding discs are disposed. Each of two signal cables is folded once in the middle thereof to form a double-folded member that is wounded around the rewinding ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7189107 | Power module having retractable cord A power module including a housing, a plurality of first electrical connectors coupled to the housing, a second electrical connector coupled to an end of an extension cord that is configured to extend from and retract back into the housing, and a power cord coupled ... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7182286 | Cable winder apparatus A cable winder apparatus includes a casing, a winding tray, a spiral spring, a cable set, and a clamping unit. The casing has an accommodating space defined therein, a shaft in the accommodating space and two cutouts on two ends of the casing. The winding tray is pi... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7168538 | Overhead storage device for electrical tools and method of creating a work zone The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a casing that encloses an extension cord system. The casing has slots that allow access to retractable electrical power cords. The cord system comprises a plurality of spring-loaded and ratcheted spools containing e... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7168275 | Cable wrap security device A security device a plurality of cables which are securable about an item of merchandise with a locking member and a cable-tightening mechanism each connected to the cables in a spaced apart manner. The locking member includes a key portion for unlocking the tighten... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7156338 | Blind cord retractor A cord retractor device provides multiple retracting mechanisms for independently retracting cords in each of the retracting mechanisms while operating the mechanisms in unison. The retracting mechanisms may be ganged together to form a multiple cord retraction mech... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7151912 | Cable retractor for an electronic device A cable retractor assembly is capable of retracting a cable onto a rotatable reel, the rotatable reel being urged to rotate in a predetermined direction by a biasing force. A moveable actuator when located in a first position is capable of overcoming the biasing for... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7120349 | Fiber optic cable device with retractable operation A device for providing variable length fiber optic cable and storing any excess not used. Means are provided to allow for extending and retracting fiber optic cable to prevent excess slack when in use. Optical coupling units provide optical coupling of fiber optic c... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7104491 | Retractable reel for flexible tubing A generally cylindrical housing supports a pair of rotatable tubing wheels within the housing. Each rotatable tubing wheel supports a quantity of flexible tubing having one end extending outwardly through an aperture in the housing and the remaining end coupled to a... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7096917 | One way brake for a cordless blind A window covering including a head rail, a bottom rail, a window covering material extending between the head rail and bottom rail, a first and second lift cords extending between the head rail and the bottom rail, a spring motor configured to bias the bottom rail t... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7093644 | Window covering with lifting mechanism A window covering, a lifting mechanism for a window covering and a locking device for a lifting mechanism are disclosed. The lifting mechanism includes main body, a pair of cord spools rotatably mounted to the main body, and a pair of coil springs that rotate a memb... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7090304 | Retractor having vehicle sensitive sensor disabling mechanism A seat belt retractor (10) includes a spool (104) about which seat belt webbing (18) is wound. The spool (104) is supported for rotation in a belt withdrawal direction and in an opposite belt retraction direction. A vehicle sensitive sens... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7036761 | Dual reel unwinder/rewinder with a slack take-up mechanism A cable unwinder/rewinder with continuous electrical connection which is suitable for use with heavy gauge cable and in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. A general embodiment is comprised of a frame; a user-side reel; a slack-side reel and a slack take-up ... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7028580 | Rotational cable shortening device A rotational cable shortening system for shortening the effective length of a cable by bending a section of the cable. The shortening system comprises a rotatable bridged channel through which the cable is threaded. Upon rotation of the bridged channel, the cable is... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7011341 | Four-point vehicle occupant restraint system with linked lap belt retractors A vehicle restraint system (30) comprises first and second lap belts (32 and 34), first and second shoulder belts (36 and 38), and a buckle assembly (90) for interconnecting the lap belts (32 and 34) and the sh... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6968884 | Modular transport system for coverings for architectural openings A modular blind transport system for a window blind application. The complete system may be assembled form a relatively small number of individual modules to obtain working systems for a very wide range of applications, including especially a category of counterbala... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6874722 | Wire winding device having wire storing idle wheels A wire winding device having wire storing idle wheels includes a main turning wheel capable of elastic rotation and flexibly connected to a main axis, and a plurality of turning wheels having different or same diameters formed on the main body of the main turning wh... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6866219 | Wire collecting device A wire collecting device includes at least two independent main wheel bodies provided with a side recesses at side walls thereof, respectively, large turning wheels having a larger diameter, respectively, and small turning wheels having a smaller diameter, respectiv... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6773075 | Four point seat belt restraint system A four-point seat belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant in a vehicle seat. Two shoulder belts mounted on separate spool members are connected to a common retractor mechanism, which synchronizes web payout and retraction and also shares a load limiting funct... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6575223 | Concealed type lifting control mechanism for venetian blind A concealed type lifting control mechanism installed in a Venetian blind and adapted to control lifting of the lift cord of the Venetian blind comprises at least two take-up reel sets that provide a predetermined spring release force and are connected to ... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6520444 | Toolbox containing a least one cable reel Toolbox having closable cover with first cable reel and second cable reel being rotatably mounted in an interior of the toolbox, and first electrical cable, including a first connection end with an electrical plug, wound on said first reel and second elec... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6497378 | Wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets The present invention provides a wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets. The wire-winding mechanism comprises a box body, a wire-winding disk, a communication wire, and a scroll spring. The box body comprises a first and a second disk bodies pivo... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6416005 | Apparatus for reducing radial friction in a wire winding box A wire winding box for reducing radial friction, especially a wire winding box for reducing radial friction of a communication wire, is disclosed. A fixing piece is installed in the through hole in the wire winding ring of wire winding disk. The fixing pi... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6405961 | Storage assembly A storage assembly stores media, such as an optical fiber or the like, such that opposite ends of the media can be independently withdrawn. For example, one end may be withdrawn in one direction, with the second end remaining stationary, and then the seco... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6375109 | Wire winding box for short distance use A wire winding box for short distance use is provided that includes a case with single receiving tank or two receiving tanks having a rotary disk rotatably installed therein which is driven by a spiral spring. A communication wire passes through a pivotal... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6289965 | Take-up drum for a cordless shade counterbalance A spring motor with an improved take-up drum and idler gear assembly is disclosed. The spring motor includes a take-up drum proximate a drive drum with a coil spring interconnected between the two. First and second cord spools are mounted for rotation lat... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6179238 | Reel device A reeling device is provided which allows an electrical lead to be wound up without the need for slip-rings. The lead is partially wound around a spool and is electrically connected to contacts in a spindle, about which the spool rotates. A portion of the... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6059213 | Reel device A reeling device which allows an electrical lead to be wound up without the need for slip-rings. The lead is partially wound around a spool and is electrically connected to contacts in a spindle, about which the spool rotates. A portion of the lead is spr... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6036133 | Recoiling string line apparatus An apparatus (11) for aligning and positioning a mason's string (13) is provided which comprises a pair of line blocks (11). A housing (15) for the line blocks (11) is provided containing a spring-loaded (29) reel assembly (25) around which the string (13... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5964385 | Cane retrieval device A cane retrieval device includes a flexible linking member that retractably joins a cane to a wrist-mounted attachment strap. A constant, tension-spring controlled positioning assembly allows placement of a tethered cane in a user-selected location remote... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5913487 | Retractable cable system A retractable cable system with multiple cable capability allows electrical conducting cables to be individually extended from and retracted into a cable housing. The retractable cable system includes a housing and multiple cable retractors secured within... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5897039 | Retractable strap A retractable strap that may be attached to a variety of different transportable objects that includes a flexible strap having first and second ends and a first and second retractor, each first and second retractor having an attachment end for attaching t... | 04/27/1999 |
