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"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
Al Gore ; The basis for the later misquote by US Republicans that Gore had "invented" the Internet. Gore was the leading political champion of the modern-day Internet.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7326869 | Tactile feedback plunger switch A tactile feedback switching mechanism having a plurality of switching states. The tactile feedback switching mechanism includes a plunger switch having a plunger. When the plunger is displaced a given distance the switch changes state. A covering lies at least over... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7232971 | Circuit breaker A circuit breaker includes a shell, a movable press strip, a metal strip, a C-shaped plate spring, and three conductors. A first and a second conductor are inserted through the bottom of the shell, respectively have an upper end extending up in the shell, with a fir... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7220929 | Vehicle interior illumination lamp A vehicle interior illumination lamp for mounting at an opening portion formed in a roof panel (interior member) of a vehicle includes a function part including a bulb (light source), and a switch unit for supplying and interrupting electric power relative to the bu... | 05/22/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7196688 | Haptic devices using electroactive polymers Haptic feedback interface devices using electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators to provide haptic sensations and/or sensing capabilities. A haptic feedback interface device is in communication with a host computer and includes a sensor device that detects the manipula... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7087851 | Microswitch The invention relates to a microswitch comprising a housing, a switching plunger arranged in displaced relationship with the center of said housing and projecting from said housing, contacts which are arranged on the housing side located opposite the switching plung... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6737597 | Snap action sump pump switch A sump pump switch for controlling the application of power from a power source to a sump pump motor in response to the rise and fall of a liquid collecting in a sump includes a housing, a pair of electrically conductive terminal members fixedly disposed within the ... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6713702 | Electrical switch An electrical switch comprises an assembly of a base and an upper cover. A conductor resilient plate is mounted in the switch with a resilient tongue that extends and bends toward the upper cover and is placed parallel with a push button on a same side of the conduc... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6323449 | Touch sensitive multiple electrical switch An electrical switch is provided, which is of low height and which uses a single snap dome tripper (36) to close a plurality of switch devices and provide tactile feedback to the person who has depressed the tripper. The switch includes a support (12), a ... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6107583 | Switch assembly having an enlarged actuation surface A switch assembly having an enlarged actuation surface and enhanced tactility is provided. The switch assembly may include a switch having a movable switch mounted within a recess. The actuation surface may be an elongate planar body loosely held within t... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6046418 | Drive system for switch, especially relay A switch includes a contact having at least two contact springs and at least one slide for moving the at least two contact springs in opposite directions between an open position and a closed position of the contact. Movement in opposite directions ensure... | 04/04/2000 |
| 5998749 | Single throw pump switch A single pole, snap action, sump pump switch is disclosed having a housing containing a single electrically conductive contact arm with a contact mounted on a forward end portion, which arm is pivotally movable between on and off positions. The contact ar... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5905241 | Threshold microswitch and a manufacturing method thereof A threshold microswitch includes a movable electrode, realizing an initial deflection by a difference in residual stresses; an upper electrode, provided at a fixed distance from the movable electrode; and a support mechanism, including a movable electrode... | 05/18/1999 |
| 5577604 | Electrical snap-action switch To create a snap-action switch (1) that provides separate solutions for the mechanical function of "switching" and the electrical function of "contact bridging", the snap-action element (4) is designed as one piece made of round wire and a contact element... | 11/26/1996 |
| 5380972 | Rocker switch A rocker switch includes at least one switch device (105) actuable by a first side (110) of a first end (106) of a spring (107). The spring (107) has a second end (108) opposing the first end (106). First (103) and opposing second (103') support members a... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5326951 | Push button switch A push button switch comprises a housing having an opening at the top and provided with a fixed contact member at the inner bottom, a stem supported to be vertically movable in and with respect to the housing, and an elastic member being capable of buckli... | 07/05/1994 |
| 5089715 | Multiposition switch device for controlling a driving means A switch device for making a motor or the like alternate between forward reverse rotation, having a pair of switches and a control circuit. When either one of the switches is activated, the control circuit activates the motor in one or the other direction... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5086198 | Electric switch An electric switch comprising a fixed contact attached to a casing, a moveable contact piece carrying a moveable contact, an elastic piece which is actuated by an external force between two positions which are located on either side of the moveable contac... | 02/04/1992 |
| 5075516 | Miniature single in-line package electrical switch A single in-line package switch for individually switching a number of terminals to establish separate conductive paths with a common terminal. The switch comprises an insulating housing with a number of terminal pins exceeding the number of switching pol... | 12/24/1991 |
| 5012055 | Spring loaded push-button switch having predictable switching time despite varying spring characteristics A push button switch including a housing, an operating member slidably received in the housing, a contact switch section located under the operating member, an actuator rotatably supported to the housing for opening and closing the contact switch section,... | 04/30/1991 |
| 5010219 | Push button switch with actuator for applying transverse force to buckling spring A push button switch used for a personal computer or a word processor, which uses a membrane switch in a contact portion. The push button switch comprises a casing, a key top slidably guided along the casing, a contact portion arranged below the key top, ... | 04/23/1991 |
| 5006681 | Leaf spring system and an electric switch provided with such a leaf spring system A leaf spring system, in particular for influencing a least one body operating or comprising one or more contacts of an electric switch, with a frame aperature and at least one leaf spring which can act on the at least one body. The leaf spring system com... | 04/09/1991 |
| 4985603 | Electric switch having reduced actuator play An electric switch design compensates for unprodictable but significant variability, within a known range, in case and cover material shrinkage during manufacture. A contact actuator has radially spaced guide bosses and an axial barrel providing a plurali... | 01/15/1991 |
| 4931606 | Key switch mechanism and membrane actuator A switch activator is described which is a unitary molded plastic molded coil spring and a pivot plate which pivots to act on a membrane switch when the coil spring buckles under load. The buckling of the spring is controlled by the relative placement of ... | 06/05/1990 |
| 4931605 | Multi-pole switch A multi-pole switch is provided which has a large air gap between contacts in the open state, and which requires medium to high actuating forces while providing tactile feedback to indicate that full actuation has occurred. The switch includes a pair of s... | 06/05/1990 |
| 4916269 | Push-button rocker electric switch An electric switch having a housing including a base plate, the switch comprising a push-button which is preferably movable in a linear direction with respect to the housing, a switching tappet movable by the push-button and swivellable relative to the sw... | 04/10/1990 |
| 4916274 | Snap action sump pump switch A snap action switch is provided with an operating member in the form of an operating lever and a one piece actuating lever with a compression spring interposed therebetween.... | 04/10/1990 |
| 4859820 | Quiet key switch A key switch utilizing a buckling compression spring to move a switch actuator mechanism includes a cylindrical core of resilient material located within an opening formed by the coils of the compression spring to attenuate the acoustical energy generated... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4856182 | Method of assembling a switch device with a supporting means thereof A method of assembling a switch device with a means for supporting it. The supporting means includes at least one face having a set of bosses thereon, and each boss has a free end and a ledge intermediate the free end and the at least one face. The switch... | 08/15/1989 |
| 4835348 | Electrical switch device An electrical switch device has a casing with a viewing aperture therein, and switch actuating means is pivotally movable in the casing between an at-rest position and a switch actuating position. A toggle spring is movable with the switch actuating means... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4767896 | Stamped circuitry assembly Disclosed is a printed circuit board assembly including an integral metal stamping having a plurality of conductive circuit paths received in complementarily-shaped recesses of a dielectric substrate. The integral metallic stamping includes an improved sn... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4760221 | Multiple contact switch A multiple contact switch having at least one elastically deformable contact spring that is deformed by means of projections from a plunger to initiate contact with normally-open electrical contacts within the switch. A normally-closed contact piece withi... | 07/26/1988 |
| 4736514 | Method of making electrical switch An electrical switch construction and method of making the same are provided, the switch construction having a support carrying a pair of spaced apart first and second fixed contacts and a movable switch blade unit carrying a contact unit for being dispos... | 04/12/1988 |
| 4629838 | Sensitive constant contact pressure microswitch A microswitch comprises stationary contacts (2,3) mounted on an insulating base (1), a four-link system (5) of levers which is made in the form of a chain including connected to each other in series an actuating link (8), two middle links one of which bei... | 12/16/1986 |
| 4599497 | Single and dual in-line package switch An electrical switch comprises a dielectric housing along one side of which movable electrical contact members are disposed. A stationary electrical contact is disposed along the other side of the dielectric housing. Each of the movable contact members ha... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4588877 | Push-button switch A thin type push-button switch of momentary operation, comprising a movable contact piece which includes an inversion portion and arms formed in a manner to hold the inversion portion therebetween. The inversion portion is formed with a movable contact po... | 05/13/1986 |
| 4528431 | Rocking switch actuator for a low force membrane contact switch A pivoting rocking actuator has a first bottom surface, which comprises two spaced portions, resting on an upper surface of a membrane contact switch assembly when the actuator is in its rest position. The actuator has one end of a buckling spring, which ... | 07/09/1985 |
| 4496802 | Single in-line package switch A single in-line package switch comprises a dielectric frame along which movable electrical contact members are disposed. An electrical bus contact is mounted on support members of the dielectric frame, each of the movable contact members extending betwee... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4486735 | Latch for a snap-action switch An electrical switch comprises a snap-acting actuator blade movable with a snap action between two configurations to control the making and breaking of electrical contacts and a latching mechanism which, when the actuator blade has snap-acted in one sense... | 12/04/1984 |
