Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8033583 | Electric lock device A lock device includes a tongue slidably engaged with a housing and extendible out of the housing, an anchoring device slidably disposed in the housing and having two anchoring members for selectively aligning with the tongue and having a compartment formed between ... | 10/11/2011 |
| 7963574 | Fail safe/fail secure lock with quick change access window An electric door lock interchangeable between fail safe and fail secure modes comprising a housing for receiving a plurality of internal components of the door lock. A window is included in the housing, the window allowing access to the internal components to change... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7798538 | Electrically controllable latch mechanism A latch mechanism comprises a housing (11), a plunger (12) mounted for reciprocation in the housing, a pawl (17) mounted with the housing for movement into and out of engagement with the plunger (12) and means for moving the pawl, wherein... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7780204 | Electromechanical push to close latch An electromechanical push to close latch has a pawl positioned for linear movement in a housing, with the pawl being biased to the outward extended position. An electric motor operates a cam to change the position of the pawl thereby retracting it into the housing. ... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7770943 | Window or door having an electromechanical locking mechanism A window or door including a circumferential blind frame and a leaf with a surface element is provided, which can be pivoted about one or more axes in relation to the blind frame, as well as including fittings, located between the leaf and the blind frame, which are... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7731250 | Electromechanical push to close latch An electromechanical push to close latch has a pawl positioned for linear movement in a housing, with the pawl being biased to the outward extended position. An electric motor operates a cam to change the position of the pawl thereby retracting it into the housing. ... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7614669 | Interchangeable lock operable in fail safe or fail secure modes One embodiment of an electric door lock according to the present invention is interchangeable between fail safe and fail secure modes and comprises a housing for receiving the internal components of the door lock. A latch bolt is mounted within the housing and is mo... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7455335 | Electromechanical push to close latch An electromechanical push to close latch has a pawl positioned for linear movement in a housing, with the pawl being biased to the outward extended position. An electric motor operates a cam to change the position of the pawl thereby retracting it into the housing. ... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7445255 | Cabinet lock A cabinet lock for selectively locking a cabinet of a kind including a compartment structure and a closure movable relative to the compartment structure for selectively closing an opening of the compartment structure. The cabinet lock including a latch bolt assembly... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7429066 | Embedded electric lock A body (14) of the electric lock, embedded in a jamb of a fixed frame, contains an electromechanical release device comprising a loading bolt (28) suitable to be retracted in the body (14). A pusher (34) is movable between a retracted pos... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7393023 | Remote door opener An apparatus for remotely opening a door of an enclosure. The apparatus has a linear solenoid connected to a latch on the enclosure. The solenoid is connected to an electrical outlet and the outlet is operated by a remote control. ... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7380843 | Lock device with shape memory actuating means A lock device which includes a bolt actuated by a flexible shape memory element. The memory element can assume an extended or a shortened configuration as a result of heating. A constraining element which includes two points between which an intermediate portion of ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7367596 | Ground lock fitting A ground lock fitting comprises: an upper cover comprises a top surface and an upper sidewall, wherein a guiding hole is provided on the top surface and a thread is provided on the upper sidewall; a lower cover comprises a base surface and a lower sidewall, wherein ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7364211 | Vehicle lock controlled by a shape memory alloy actuator A contractible shape memory alloy (SMA) wire is used to throw a lever in a latch. The SMA actuator provides weight and space savings. In one embodiment, the SMA actuator is incorporated in the handle of the latch in order to provide a child lock or double lock funct... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357429 | Safety lock A safety lock for a closing-off device which can be opened, has an actuating unit with an actuator which is guided in a displaceable manner, and has a locking unit into which the actuator, with the closing-off device closed, can be pushed and can be locked via an el... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354080 | Lock mechanism for electronic device A lock mechanism configured to be disposed in an electronic device is provided, including a first lock element, a recovering element, a balancing element, and a second lock element. The first lock element has a lock portion and is disposed in a first body of the ele... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7347461 | Door handle actuated electronic egress system An electronic egress system includes at least one door, each door having a handle defining an interior area, an actuator and an exit control assembly including a switch assembly located substantially within the handle's interior. The handle is movable relative to th... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7329164 | Pressure activated latch A pressure activated latch includes a latch housing, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, an internal biasing member and a sliding latch pin that is configured to engage a latch tab that is substantially adjacent to the latch housing. The latch pin is slidable between a f... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7322127 | Dryer Disclosed is an apparatus for opening/closing a door of a dryer, by which the door is opened/closed more simply and swiftly. The present invention includes a housing, a drum rotatably installed in the housing, a heating apparatus for supplying hot air to the drum, a... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7305923 | Universal boxcar with exterior metal surfaces A universal boxcar is provided with exterior metal surfaces and load carrying capabilities of a conventional uninsulated boxcar and thermal transfer ratings of an insulated boxcar. The boxcar may be formed with interior dimensions corresponding generally with interi... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7296448 | Electromagnetic integrative door locking device Described herein is a locking device which integrates mechanical components in a hollow metal door frame with electronic access components. The preferred embodiment comprises a magnetic field generating device, an appropriately shaped metal solenoid housing and a ca... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7293805 | Safety door central release device This invention relates to a type of safety door central release device which can be used to close the safety door automatically when electric power is disrupted. It comprises a cord that is tied to a mechanism having potential energy on one end, and extended to a fa... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7290823 | Closing unit A closing unit for a flap of a motor vehicle includes at least two hinges which can pivot about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; a single drive including a motor, a clutch, and a gear mechanism; and at least two transmission elements exte... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7281748 | Tailgate lift-and-secure cable and latch assembly A lift and secure latch assembly for a vehicle tailgate includes a pair of cables capable of applying upward force to the tailgate and a tensioning mechanism positioned within the tailgate and connected to the support members to apply tension thereto. One of the cab... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7275774 | Side door striker and method of operation A striker assembly reduces a force of a latch required to latch and unlatch a side door over a door opening of a motor vehicle. The door opening includes a striker opening which is disposed adjacent the door opening. The striker assembly includes a frame fixedly sec... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7275282 | Motor vehicle door lock A motor vehicle door lock having a casing (1), a drive (2) and a fixing device (5) for the drive (2). The fixing device (5) has a receiving element (6) for the drive (2) and the drive is fixed in the receiving element... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7273241 | Door latch actuator A door latch actuator includes a housing, a latch bolt pin actuator, and a spring latch bolt actuator. The housing includes a strike plate defining a latch opening. The latch bolt pin actuator is mounted for movement in the housing between a first extended position ... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7267378 | Magneto-mechanical locking device A magneto-mechanical locking device for locking a door can be displaced in relation to a stationary frame. The locking device contains a locking element produced from a magnetizable material and disposed on the frame. The locking device further has a permanent magne... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7263865 | High security lock mechanism A self-powered electric lock includes a lock bolt and a first engagement element having disengaged and engageable positions. An electric actuator includes an output operative to move the first engagement element to its engageable position. A manually operated rotata... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261044 | Boxcar with load restraint system A boxcar and load restraint system are provided with improved load carrying capabilities and performance characteristics of uninsulated boxcars and insulated boxcars. An insulated boxcar with the load restraint system may have increased load carrying capacity, incre... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7261342 | Automatically locking window latch An automatic locking window latch including a housing for holding a handle with a fully integrated bolt for securing a window, and a catch for engaging the window to release the bolt to secure the window, as well as to hold the bolt open to open the window. The catc... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7258520 | Methods and apparatus for using substrate carrier movement to actuate substrate carrier door opening/closing A system for opening a substrate carrier includes a substrate carrier having an openable portion. The substrate carrier also has an opening mechanism coupled to the openable portion. A substrate transfer location has a support adapted to support a substrate carrier.... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7252311 | Motor driven latch A latch system including a first portion and a second portion which are attached to corresponding pieces. The first portion is engageable with the second portion. A drive device is coupled to at least one of the first portion and the second portion for controllable ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7246827 | Fail safe/fail secure lock with quick change access window An electric door lock interchangeable between fail safe and fail secure modes comprising a housing for receiving a plurality of internal components of the door lock. A window is included in the housing, the window allowing access to the internal components to change... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7240524 | Locking apparatus for a garage door A locking apparatus for a garage door which utilizes a pair of actuators with one actuator being mounted at a side edge of the garage door and the other actuator mounted at the opposite side edge of the garage door. One actuator is mounted on a carrier gear which co... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7237412 | All purpose type deadbolt lock A magnetic lock comprises an actuation portion; a positioning seat having a slot at a rear end thereof for receiving the actuation portion and a circuit board; a tongue embedded at the slot at the lower end of the positioning seat and being fixed to the connecting s... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7234755 | Cargo container door lock assembly A cargo container door lock assembly including a resiliently biased door locking member movable between locked and unlocked conditions and adapted to be mounted to an interior surface of a cargo door on a cargo container including a rigid door frame. The door frame ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7233080 | Method for processing detection signals for a motor vehicle The invention concerns a method for processing a motor vehicle detection signals. It consists in taking into account data concerning the surroundings to interpret the detection signals and deliver actuating signals. The invention also concerns a device for implement... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7231791 | Electric cylinder for actuating a door lock and a cylinder door lock The present disclosure provides an electric cylinder for actuating a door lock which may be easily attached to the existing door lock to prevent picking completely, and an electric cylinder door lock not having a keyhole. An electric cylinder for actuating a ... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7216901 | Operation force transmitting member for door lock apparatus An operation force transmitting member of a door lock apparatus has a guide tube and an inner cable passed through the guide tube and is connected to one of the door lock apparatus and an operating device for operating the door lock apparatus at the upper end portio... | 05/15/2007 |
