Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7369033 | Rotating type variable resistor The rotating type variable resistor includes a housing; a rotating member disposed to be rotatable in the housing; a ring-shaped support member having a conductive pattern at one surface of the support member and disposed at any one side between the housing and the ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7362307 | Joystick connectable to the operating member of an exerciser or game machine A joystick used in a motion apparatus, for example, an exerciser or game machine, is disclosed to include a base fixedly fastened to the body of the motion apparatus, a motion member fixedly fastened to the operating member of the motion apparatus for biasing with t... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7305864 | Ball and socket joint for a motor vehicle A ball joint for a motor vehicle includes a housing (6) having a cavity (5), and with a ball pivot (1), which has a pin (2) and a joint ball (3) and which, with its joint ball (3), is mounted in the cavity (5) of the ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7265304 | Joystick for electro-hydraulic control system A joystick for an electro-hydraulic control system is provided with a rotary potentiometer having a pivotable arm. This pivotable arm is integrally arranged on a rotary shaft and pivots responsive to pivotal control of a joystick in a predetermined direction or a di... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7256679 | Stick lever units A stick lever unit is provided that is capable of eliminating uncomfortable feeling during manipulation of the stick, as well as, minimizing breaking of a wiring conductor of the variable resistor. The stick lever unit includes a fixing member, a first variable resi... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7250844 | Stick lever unit for radio controlled device and radio controlled device equipped with the same A stick lever unit for a radio-controlled device that is capable of easily changing the type of stick lever holding mechanism by a user is provided. The stick lever unit includes a fixing member to which a variable resistor is attached, a rotational member equipped ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7213323 | Method of forming an electronic pressure sensitive transducer on a printed circuit board The cost and complexity of an electronic pressure sensitive transducer are decreased by constructing such a transducer directly on a printed circuit board containing support electronics. Conductive traces are formed on the printed circuit board to define a contact a... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7199314 | Joystick and switch A joystick includes a base and a cover mounted over the base. A stick has a first end that extends from the cover and a second end. An active yoke is mounted above the base and is coupled to second end of the stick. The active yoke has a first and second end. The ac... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7184021 | Game performing method, storage medium, game apparatus, data signal and program A game performing method realizable of finer and easier operational input with a joy stick. The game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired directi... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7167075 | Dual design resistor for high voltage conditioning and transmission lines A dual resistor for eliminating the requirement for two different value resistors. The dual resistor includes a conditioning resistor at a high resistance value and a run resistor at a low resistance value. The run resistor can travel inside the conditioning resisto... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7111912 | Control handle with spiral position sensor and integral switches A control handle for electro-mechanical devices, such as the brakes of a train or other vehicle, is disclosed. The control handle incorporates elements for electrical switching as well as elements for measuring the angle of rotation between the control handle's rota... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7071918 | Volume-integral type multi directional input apparatus A multi-directional input apparatus having a volume as a signal output in which the number of parts of the multi-directional input apparatus is reduced. Turning members 40A and 40B which are turned when an operating member 30 is operated are com... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7066198 | Pressurized fluid controller using tilt / push / pull operator An intuitive pressurized fluid controller using tilt/push/pull (3 axis) operator includes a swivel joint such that it can move axially and tilt. A first array of valves is arranged to be activated as the lever tilts. A second array of valves is arranged so they can ... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7046118 | Signal processing circuit board with variable resistor which is hardly declined in the mechanical strength while its variable resistor is not limited to one particular location for the installation A signal processing circuit board includes a board body, a variable electronic element, and a hole. The variable electronic element is mounted in a mounting side of the board body. The variable electronic element has an operating member to control an output outputte... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7034804 | Computer pointing device employing a magnetic field source and magnetic field sensors A pointing device for a computer includes a magnetic field source, a magnetic field sensor, and a flexible member that connects the magnetic field source and the magnetic field sensor. When a user accelerates the pointing device the position of magnetic field source... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6993982 | Stress sensor for electronic devices A stress sensor enduring against long-term use is provided. Accordingly, a substrate (4), which is used as both a sensor part (1) and a supporting part (2), functions as a stress sensor, in which the sensor part (1) has means for deformin... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6965677 | Focus fader with adjustable tension The apparatus is a cross fader with a slide assembly which slidingly traverses a path defined by two parallel guide rods which pass through a partially open channels in the slider of the slide assembly. Tension plates are secured by self-tapping screws within recess... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6937132 | High-voltage variable resistor A high-voltage variable resistor includes an insulating-resin front case, and an insulating-resin rear case fitted to the front case. The front case further includes a circuit board having a circuit pattern including a resistive element, and a slider that is slidabl... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6918316 | Adjustable pedal assembly An adjustable pedal assembly includes a mounting arrangement (1) for attachment to a vehicle structure (37), an accelerator pedal (6), a brake pedal (7), and a clutch pedal (8). The pedals (6, 7, 8) are pivotally supported w... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6909354 | Electronic pressure sensitive transducer apparatus and method for manufacturing same The cost and complexity of an electronic pressure sensitive transducer are decreased by constructing such a transducer directly on a printed circuit board containing support electronics. Conductive traces are formed on the printed circuit board to define a contact a... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6909353 | Multi-directional control device A multi-directional control device comprising a base (1) on which is mounted a stick (2) which is maintained in a non-active central position by elastic means (3) and which can be manually inclined to any orientation around said non-active centr... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6909205 | Motor assembly allowing output in multiple degrees of freedom A motor allowing multiple degrees of output freedom includes a stator having an interior surface forming at least a portion of a sphere or curved surface and first and second substantially orthogonally positioned stator coils wound on the interior surface. A rotor i... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6905259 | Tilt-in-place alignment system and method Disclosed is a mounting system and method in which symmetrical springs are used about a collar in a gimbal system to capture an assembly of a ball and an optical or other type of component. Once captured within the mounting system, the ball/component assembly can pi... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6879240 | Ball joint with integrated angle sensor A ball-and-socket joint with integrated angle sensor for a motor vehicle, especially for the chassis of the motor vehicle is created. The ball-and-socket joint has a ball-and-socket joint housing (6) provided with a joint opening (7), a ball pivot (... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6796201 | Input device provided with manipulating member that slides In an input device according to the invention, when a manipulating member slides, a sliding member slides in the same direction as the manipulating member, and respective engaging positions of first and second drive members are made changeable to enable each of the ... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6617957 | Multidirectional input device Disclosed is a multidirectional input device having a reduction in thickness and in which the inclination of the operating shaft can be smoothly effected. The device comprise first and second interlock members that are supported at both ends by support po... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6588288 | Resistive element structure for a sender assembly of a gauge A resistive element structure for a sender assembly of a gauge is provided. The resistive element structure comprises a first and second resistive element. A first set of contact elements are distributed along a first arc about a pivot point. Each contact... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6437682 | Pressure sensitive direction switches Pressure sensitive direction devices are provided which may facilitate assembly and provide higher tolerance for variation in alignment of components while still providing for pressure sensitive direction detection. The devices of the present invention ma... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6433778 | Finger operating apparatus, and arm operating apparatus using the finger operating apparatus The invention is to provide a finger operating apparatus by which operations of a robot apparatus can be easily carried out comfortably, wherein the finger operating joystick includes a joystick shaft 11 rotatably attached to the signal reaction generator... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6429767 | Multidirectional input device In a multidirectional input device, a control shaft and an operating member are spline-connected so that when the control shaft is turned in the tilted state, the operating member spline-connected to the control shaft also turns even if there is friction ... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6405432 | Potentiometer mounting clip for a joystick controller A mounting clip for a rotary potentiometer. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting clip comprises front and back generally vertical opposing side segments elastically deformable relative to each other between a naturally biased position and an outward fl... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6396386 | Angle sensor which makes it possible to prevent rattling caused by backlash between gears inside the angle sensor An angle sensor in which, when a biasing member is used, a biasing force in the 댢 direction acts on a driving gear, and a biasing force in the 댡 direction acts on an auxiliary gear. This prevents backlash from occurring between a rotary memb... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6344620 | Multidirectional input device A multidirectional input device with a built-in push-down switch, capable of reducing the number of parts, eliminating soldering for connection with a mounting substrate, and reducing an assembly cost of devices using the multidirectional input device, wh... | 02/05/2002 |
| 6313731 | Pressure sensitive direction switches Pressure sensitive direction devices are provided which may facilitate assembly and provide higher tolerance for variation in alignment of components while still providing for pressure sensitive direction detection. The devices of the present invention ma... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6292090 | Position detecting switch A switch circuit including voltage dividing elements for dividing a reference voltage inputted from an external source through a reference voltage input terminal, a fixed contact having metallic patterns formed on a board, and a movable contact coming in ... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6275139 | Multidirectional input device In a multidirectional input device, a surface of a bottom plate facing the bottom of an operating member is provided with a projection having a taper portion that gradually rises from the outer periphery toward the center, wherein the operating member is ... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6275138 | Variable resistor changing resistance value by pressing The conventional variable resistor has a problem in that, because a pressure-sensitive member made of a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber is used, a serious scattering is caused in the characteristic (change curve), and scattering of thickness in the m... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6239688 | Variable resistor in which an electrode connected to a resistor can not be required There is provided a variable resistor comprised of a resistor formed at a movable member arranged to be reciprocatable, and a slider element attached to a fixing member fixed in opposition to the movable member, slidingly contacted with the resistor. The ... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6172594 | Focus unit of fly back transformer A focus unit of an FBT (fly back transformer) is disclosed. Particularly a focus volume slider of the focus unit is disclosed. A ceramic substrate 150 is installed within and on the bottom of a cover 130 through which an actuation knob 120 passes. A varia... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6150919 | Multi-way input device In the multi-way input device of the present invention, pivot shaft portions of an operating shaft and engaging portions of a second interlocking member are engaged with each other by snap-fitting to support the operating shaft in the second interlocking ... | 11/21/2000 |
