"Inventing is a combination of brains and materials. The more brains you use, the less material you need."
Charles Kettering
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 |
| 8058571 | Dual-action single-key mechanism A switch assembly is provided to actuate a pair of switches using a single key cap, e.g. for a camera that utilizes a first switch to activate an image focusing function and a second switch to activate a camera shutter. The switch assembly comprises an inner switch ... | 11/15/2011 |
| 7977587 | Two-stage switch assembly A switch assembly is provided to actuate a pair of switches using a single push key, e.g. for a camera that utilizes a first switch to activate an image focusing function and a second switch to activate a camera shutter. The switch assembly comprises a contact pad s... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7964807 | Pressure switch employing silicon on insulator (SOI) technology A pressure switch employs semiconductor silicon on insulator (SOI) technology and utilizes a first silicon wafer with a deflecting diaphragm having two metal contacts deposited thereon. Secured to the silicon wafer is a glass wafer having a central aperture defining... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7952038 | Two-stage switch apparatus A two-stage switch apparatus includes: a PCB including first and second electrodes; a conductive dome disposed on the PCB; an insulating film covering a surface of the conductive dome on a side opposite to the PCB, and third and fourth electrodes above the conductiv... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7880100 | Electrical switch, as for controlling a flashlight An electrical switch and a flashlight employing the switch may comprise a base having three electrical conductors thereon and an electrically conductive flexible dome adjacent the base. The flexible dome has plural longer legs extending from its dome and in electric... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7737373 | Mobile terminal key input device and method A mobile terminal keypad is provided having a plurality of key switches on the keypad that provides a first signal or a second signal according to the pressure applied to the key switch. In each of the plurality of key switches, a plate is provided to sequentially c... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7652216 | Electrical switch, as for controlling a flashlight An electrical switch may comprise a base having three electrical conductors thereon and an electrically conductive flexible dome adjacent the base. The flexible dome has plural longer legs extending from its dome and in electrical contact with a first conductor, has... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7429707 | Push switch A push switch which includes a switch case, a first movable contact, and a second movable contact. The switch case has a central fixed contact on an inner bottom face of its recess that has an open top, and a peripheral fixed contact. The first movable contact is cu... | 09/30/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7378605 | Input component In the present invention, an input component is provided. The input component includes a first area performing a first function while pressed with an external force, and a second area disposed around the first area and performing a second function while the first an... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7373036 | Switching device and method A rocker styled switch includes an arm member moveable into and out of a beam path transmitting light between an optical transmitter and an optical receiver for blocking and allowing light to reach the receiver for providing an actuating signal. An end of the arm me... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7368672 | Push-on switch A push-on switch includes a movable contact which has a projecting segment permanently connected with an outer contact and which is accommodated in a recess of a switch enclosure. A sheet with a center through hole for the movable contact is placed on the switch enc... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7321101 | Switch device and input device using the same A switch device includes a operation body, a membrane switch pushed by the operation body, and plural push switches activated by pushing the operation body via the membrane switch. The membrane switch includes plural contact switches electrically connected upon bein... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7301113 | Diaphragm for use in switch, method for manufacturing thereof, membrane switch, and input device A dome-shaped diaphragm includes a convex portion; a base portion provided on an outer periphery of the convex portion; and a pressing force reducing portion provided in at least one of the convex portion and the base portion. Examples of the pressing force reducing... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294801 | Switching device A switching device has a switch, a case within which the switch is accommodated, a cylinder which is provided on an upper surface of the case and open to above and below to communicate with the inside of the case, an operation knob which covers an opening of the cyl... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7291795 | Flexible printed circuits with many tiny holes A switch or circuit board having a first conductive area on a first side of the board, a second conductive area on a second side of the board, several tiny holes running through the board from the first side to the second side, and a conductive material substantiall... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7291796 | Press switch having a force-to-detach function A press switch includes a base, a contractible pulling rod, an upper casing, and an actuator, and when the actuator is pressed to compress a resilient spring between the upper casing and the actuator, such that the contractible pulling rod and its press terminal mov... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7288731 | Switching device A switching device (2) for a multi-step vehicle transmission (4) having one main transmission part (6) and an auxiliary-section transmission part (10) comprising the switching mechanisms (12, 14, 18, 38) for actuating switching ele... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7285740 | Toggle button structure A button, having two end portions along a particular direction that can be selectively depressed, is supported by a support member. Pins are formed on the support member at locations corresponding to the respective two end portions of the button, the axes of the pin... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7282657 | Assembly having an electric switching function as well as a method of producing such an assembly An assembly having an electric switching function, comprises a switch device which has associated electric conductors and a movable actuating part, on which a hood member is mounted, and which is provided in a housing comprised by an outer injection-molded body; the... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7268305 | Elastomeric vehicle control switch A vehicle control switch assembly for use with a printed circuit board that includes a switch having an elastomeric pad portion and a first insert interface attached to the pad. The assembly also includes first and second electrical contacts, each contact being sele... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7256359 | Key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument A key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument that suppresses increase in reaction forces with key depression operation, to improve a key touch feeling. A depression operation of any one of keys of the keyboard instrument is detected by first a... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7252444 | Switch configuration A switch configuration for use with a keyboard comprises a plurality of support structures positioned adjacent each other in spaced relation and a plurality of dome switches, with at least one dome switch being coupled to each of the plurality of support structures.... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7250581 | Push-on switch A push-on switch in which dome-like movable contacts are placed in an invertible manner in two or upper and lower stages in an accommodating portion of an insulative body having plural stationary contacts. In order to fix the lower movable contact without using a de... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7241957 | Two-in-one button structure A two-in-one button structure includes a casing, a grounded plate, two signal plates, and two button bodies. The casing has two containing spaces and a plurality of guiding grooves respectively communicating with the two containing spaces. The grounded plate is cont... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7238896 | Switch device A switch device is provided that includes a first switch portion in which an upper electrode and lower electrodes face each other at a predetermined gap and a second switch portion having metal domes which are disposed at a lower side facing the first switch portion... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7238906 | Electrical switch of the normally closed type The invention proposes a switch (10) comprising a casing (12) which carries a pair of fixed contact elements (48), a contact bar (96) which is movable between a rear closure position and a front opening position, and a member (60) ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7238902 | Slider The present invention provides a slider which is less likely to cause a drastic change in a contact state such as instantaneous disconnection. The slider according to the present invention has teeth 13 of a comb shaped like a narrow sheet being rectangular in... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7230190 | System and apparatus for adjustable keyboard arrangements Some embodiments of the invention include an apparatus and system for keyboard arrangements where one or more of the keys are adjustable. In some embodiments, the arrangement includes one or more keys and a moving mechanism for controlling the position of the keys. ... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7217893 | Two-stage button structure A two-stage button structure includes: a silver paste PCB, a metal dome, a film, a flexible contact body, and a button body. When the button body is pressed to a first stage, the pair of conductive blocks of the flexible contact body respectively passes through the ... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7211757 | Push slide switch For a push slide switch in which as a knob is slid, terminals and are electrically connected, click springs and are provided, which have a characteristic that as displacement level is increased, stress increases, and as the displacement level is more increased, the ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7196280 | Miniaturized electric switch A switch (10) comprising a bottom contact-holder (12) supporting two fixed electric contacts (30, 30B), an actuation member (54) and an intermediate conductive contact strip (14) that can be deformed elastically in order to modify ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7183510 | Switching device A switching device capable of preventing entrance of water from outside of a case through a space below an operation knob into the case is disclosed. The switching device includes: a switch; a case within which the switch is accommodated; a hollow cylinder which is ... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7180024 | Operating device An operating device includes a switch member having a shaft holding part for holding a base end of a shaft member, an operating member having a mounting part formed in a substantially cylindrical shape which is adapted to be engaged with an end portion of the shaft ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7176397 | Water resistant switch mat having activation across its entire surface An electrical switch mat which generally includes a first layer of flexible matting material, a second layer of flexible matting material, and a perimeter ribbon switch disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The ribbon switch has a longitudinal edge ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7173206 | Sealed soft switch assemblies A switch assembly is provided which includes a holder defining at least a pair of eyelets extending completely therethrough; an electrically conductive lead-frame supported on the holder, the lead-frame defining at least a pair of openings therein; and at least a pa... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7165791 | Positive action fenestration lock A positive action fenestration lock, i.e. adaptable to be attached to a moving window profile and to interact, by sliding, with a fixed window profile, said positive action fenestration lock comprises: a hollow body closed by a base plate; a bolt-wedge displaceable ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7166813 | Multistep switch having capacitive type sensor A multistep switch includes a first input device, a second input device, and a third input device. The first input device is a capacitive type sensor. The second input device is disposed behind the first input device and capable of switching by pressure when the fir... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7161106 | Switching device for flexible material A switching device for use on flexible material includes a core member configured to be secured to and extend outwardly from a flexible material, a switch supported by the core member, and a cover. The switch is configured to be operably connected to an electrical d... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7157650 | Electrical switch device with lateral activation A casing (1); a first conductive track (31) and a second conductive track (27); a first conductive dome (3) which is resiliently deformable so as to be able to pass to a configuration, in which it forms an electrical contact between the f... | 01/02/2007 |