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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7378934 | Negative rate switch methods and systems for resilient actuating device Methods and systems for actuating a negative rate switch. A negative rate switch comprising a plunger and a resilient actuator thereof can be provided, wherein a highest plunger force occurs at a free position and a lowest plunger force occurs at a full over travel ... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7356913 | Process for manufacturing a microsystem A process for making microswitches or microvalves, composed of a substrate and used for shifting between a first state of functioning and a second state of functioning by means of a bimetal-effect thermal sensor. The sensor includes a deformable element attached, at... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7339454 | Tensile-stressed microelectromechanical apparatus and microelectromechanical relay formed therefrom A microelectromechanical (MEM) apparatus is disclosed which includes a shuttle suspended above a substrate by two or more sets of tensile-stressed beams which are operatively connected to the shuttle and which can comprise tungsten or a silicon nitride/polysilicon c... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7324876 | System for remotely controlling energy distribution at local sites A power management system and associated method includes provision of local wireless energy control units at remote sites for controlling power delivery to customer loads, and a central station with a wireless transmitter for broadcasting commands to the wireless en... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7301434 | Thermally responsive electrical switch A motor protector (10) is shown having an elongated generally cup-shaped metallic housing (12) formed by a top wall (12a) and a side wall (12b) extending down from the perimeter of the top walls, the free end of which is wel... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7292131 | Heat-sensitive switch and a heat-sensitive switch assembling method A heat-sensitive switch includes a first terminal, a second terminal away from the first terminal, a reverse spring reversing at a set temperature and having an opening part and positioned between the first and second terminals, and a junction spring positioned betw... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7283030 | Doubly-anchored thermal actuator having varying flexural rigidity A doubly-anchored thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device such as a liquid drop emitter or a fluid control microvalve is disclosed. The thermal actuator is comprised of a base element formed with a depression having opposing anchor. A deformable elemen... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7268653 | Microelectromechanical system able to switch between two stable positions A microelectromechanical system includes separate conducting elements. An electromechanically deformable element can be switched between a first stable position and a second stable position. Contact elements allow for electrical continuity to be established between ... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7265652 | Controllable electronic switch A controllable electronic switch for, e.g., controlling power distribution comprises a deformable member such as a bimetal arm that can be deformed to break an electrical path. The deformable member may be anchored at one end and in controllable contact with an elec... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7230516 | Circuit breaker A circuit breaker includes a body having a neck member integrally connected thereto. A flange extends from an inner periphery of the neck member and a recess is defined in an inner periphery of the flange. Two terminals are connected to the body and a bi-metallic pl... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7222561 | Pyromechanical cutting element A pyromechanical cutting element has a housing (2) in which an electrical conductor (3) is arranged, a cutting plunger (5) with a cutting tool (8) to cut through the electrical conductor (3), and pyrotechnic charge (13) to d... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7218200 | Manual-reset thermostat A movable operating member 5 is swingably borne by the base 1, and its distal end is moved upward by allowing its proximal end 5b to be pressed downward. The movable contact 3 is separated from the stationary contact 2 upwar... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7135953 | Adjusting device for a thermal trip An adjusting device is for a thermal trip of a switchgear. It includes a bimetal, which is held in a fixed manner on a bimetal support, whose free end is located at a distance from a tripping lever, and which increasingly acts upon this tripping lever in a tripping ... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7122942 | Electrostatic RF MEMS switches A micro switch having a dielectric layer having a movement region formed on a substrate, a conductive layer formed on a predetermined portion of the movement region, a dielectric film formed on the conductive layer, first and second electric conductors formed a pred... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7112362 | Thermally movable plastic devices and toys In accordance with the invention, thin bodies of plastic, such as sheets or strands, with substantially different thermal coefficients of expansion are laminated together to make plastic bodies which move in response to heat. The movable plastic bodies can be secure... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7087866 | Radiant heater in a cooking hob with a thermal switch The electric radiant heater (1) adapted to a cooking hob is attached to the cooking plate (2a) forming with it an air cavity (13) inside which the extended heating resistor (5) is housed on an insulating base (4). A peripher... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6972649 | Method and apparatus for shielding and armature from a magnetic flux A trip unit for a circuit breaker having a current carrying conductor that electrically communicates with a cable or a bus bar. The trip unit includes a current carrying strap, a magnet core, an armature and a magnetic barrier. The current carrying strap is adapted ... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6919518 | Phase flux barriers for transfer switch A transfer switch that includes output contacts, primary input contacts, secondary input contacts and a switch stack. The switch stack alternately connects the output contacts to the primary input contacts and the secondary input contacts via at least one conductive... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6914514 | Switch for water boiling appliance such as a kettle A steam-responsive switch for use in an electrical water boiling appliance comprises a main body (12) from which extends a tubular portion (13) having at or near its leading end a heat responsive bimetal (16) extending across the mouth thereof w... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6891464 | Thermal switch striker pin A striker pin in a thermal switch configured as a mechanical link between a bimetallic disk and an armature spring is provided. The striker pin includes a pin of molded ceramic material. The pin has a generally cylindrical shape, a first axial end, and a second axia... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6879239 | Thermostat assembly A thermostat assembly for opening and closing an electrical circuit in response to the temperature within a measurement region. The thermostat assembly includes a relatively low-cost bimetal disc thermostat, but may be used in circumstances where temperature or othe... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6823580 | Method of producing a temperature-dependent switch with stamped-on adhesive layer For producing a temperature-dependent switch, which has a temperature-dependent switching mechanism which is accommodated in a housing and, depending on its temperature, establishes an electrically conducting connection between at least two connection electrodes arr... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6812820 | Microsystem with element deformable by the action of heat-actuated device The invention concerns a microsystem, in particular for producing microswitches or microvalves, constituted on a substrate (50) and used for producing a shift between a first operating state and a second operating state by means of a heat actuated device with... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6794964 | Bi-stable microswitch including magnetic latch A bi-stable microswitch (1) including a pair of contacts (4, 5) and an armature (10,11) movable between a first position and a second position to selectively break or make the pair of contacts, the armature being latched in the second position b... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6762668 | Laser adjusted set-point of bimetallic thermal disc A thermal switch having a thermally, responsive bimetallic member that exhibits a snap-action response and a pair of relatively movable contacts positioned relative to the thermally responsive bimetallic member such that the thermally responsive bimetallic member is... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6734782 | Switching device with an actuator element consisting of a shape memory alloy A switching device includes a strip-shaped actuator element including a shape memory alloy, which is connected to a movable contact part of a switching contact. It is intended that an at least largely extended shape has been impressed into the actuator element at an... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6639503 | Methods and apparatus for mounting a bimetal coil in a thermostat An apparatus is described for mounting a bimetal coil in a thermostat having an anticipator operable via an anticipator circuit. The apparatus includes an insulating member configured to insulate the coil from the anticipator circuit. The apparatus also i... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6633222 | Battery breaker There is provided a battery breaker comprising a case, a fixed contact which is mounted to the inner bottom surface of one end of the case and is connected to a terminal extending from the case outwards, an elastic movable piece which is mounted such that... | 10/14/2003 |
| 6597274 | Bimetal snap disc thermostat with heaters An adjustable bimetal snap disc thermostat is disclosed which provides conventional resistance-type heaters symmetrically positioned adjacent one side of the snap disc to allow adjustment of the operating temperature of the thermostat. The heaters are sup... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6597273 | Thermal protector A thermal projector includes a switching mechanism section having a fixed contact, a movable contact disposed so as to face the fixed contact. There are first and second external connection terminals projecting sideward and connected electrically to the f... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6580351 | Laser adjusted set-point of bimetallic thermal disc A method for post-fabrication modification of the snap actuation properties of a thermally responsive bimetallic actuator by exposing a pre-formed bimetallic actuator to laser energy, thereby permanently altering the thermal response properties of the bim... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6577223 | Thermal protector A first contact portion 10a is projectingly provided at a part of a first terminal 10 in the direction so as to intersect a bimetal plate 90, and a second contact portion 20a is projectingly provided at a part of a second terminal 20 so as to be opposed t... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6552645 | Bimetallic actuator for electronic components and other devices A calibrated bimetallic actuator has contoured areas having either raised or recessed generally annular shaped forms about the locations thereon where the actuator is affixed in assembled position on associated electronic components or other devices or wh... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6515571 | Thermal protector A thermal protector is configured so that a raised portion 23 and a lowered portion 27 with the attachment face of a movable contact 21 being the reference are provided at the rear of and close to the movable contact 21 on a movable plate 20, and a tongue... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6516164 | Excessive temperature rising prevention device, heating apparatus and fixing apparatus A thermostatic device has a temperature detecting portion for detecting temperature, the portion including a bimetal and a heat conductive cap for covering the bimetal, and an opening/closing portion for opening and closing electric contact point in accor... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6472646 | Thermally sensitive controls A thermally sensitive, overheat protection control for a thick film electric heater comprises a bimetallic actuator (68) arranged for making good thermal contact with the heater, and a moveable electrical contact (78) for engagement with a contact provide... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6456190 | Device for micromechanical switching of signals The invention refers to a micromechanical switching device including at least two contact elements (11, 12, 31, 32), which are provided at least partly movable relative each other and via thermal actuation can be closed and opened, whereby the contact ele... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6445274 | Circuit interrupter with thermal trip adjustability A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts within the housing, and an operating mechanism within the housing and interconnected with the separable main contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed within the housing that includes a trip ... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6417757 | Buckle resistant thermal bend actuators The invention relates to a thermal bend actuator 7 including: a first anchor portion 9 for securing to a fixed substrate 2; a first thermally conductive active beam member 10 secured at a proximal end to said first anchor portion 9 and extending to a movable distal... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6410361 | Methods of fabricating in-plane MEMS thermal actuators A MEMS thermal actuator device is provided that is capable of providing linear displacement in a plane generally parallel to the surface of a substrate. Additionally, the MEMS thermal actuator of the present invention may provide for a self-contained heat... | 06/25/2002 |
