Did You Know...
...that the first rickshaw was invented in 1869 by an American Baptist minister, the Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, to transport his invalid wife around the streets of Yokohama?
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7825346 | Low powered activation electronic device A low powered activation electronic device includes a power source, an electronic circuit, having two spaced apart electrodes, electrically connected to the power source to form an opened circuit, and two fabric contacts made of textile material provided at the two ... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7528337 | Pressure sensitive conductive sheet and panel switch using same A first resistor layer is formed on the lower surface of a base in film form, and at the same time, a second resistor layer in which particles of different particle diameters are dispersed is formed and layered on the lower surface of the first resistor layer, and t... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7405372 | Low powered activation electronic device A low powered activation electronic device includes a power source, an electronic circuit, having two spaced apart electrodes, electrically connected to the power source to form an opened circuit, and two fabric contacts made of textile material provided at the two ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7378608 | Stretchable fabric switch The present invention provides a stretchable fabric that may serve as a switch device or coupling to an electronic device and a power source by merely stretching or pusing the fabric. The stretchable fabrics may be usable in a wearable garment, furniture, or other s... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7348513 | Membrane switch A membrane switch solves the problem of requiring a spacing layer or spacers as in the prior art, and includes an upper membrane, a lower membrane. The upper membrane has an upper elastic tongue, an upper hollow portion formed around the upper elastic tongue, and a ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7304860 | Printed circuit board with thin film switches for a keyboard A printed circuit board with thin film switches for a keyboard including an upper board having multiple circuit lines, an insulating separation defining multiple through holes, a lower board having multiple circuit lines and multiple thin film switches mounted on th... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7291940 | Pressure sensitive switches including touch sensor structures An electronic circuit for use with an exhaustible power source and at least one load such as a light bulb, a radio or motor, includes a microchip with an input that transmits a signal to the microchip when the load is activated or deactivated. The input does not for... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7279652 | Push button switch assembly A switch assembly includes a unitary push button housing including an actuable button, a retainer having a first surface and a second surface, in which the retainer is secured within the push button housing, a snap dome secured on the first surface of the retainer, ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7259341 | Tamper switch actuator arrangement A tamper switch actuator is used in combination with a circuit board held between two outer structural members. The tamper switch actuator includes a suspended displacement member moveable to a conducting position after a given amount of compression of a compressing... | 08/21/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7232973 | Capacitive touch switch A capacitive touch switch includes a sensor button which is disposed between a circuit board and a cover plate and which forms a terminal of a capacitor that is variable in its capacitance by an approach. The sensor button includes a body of a flexible material, whi... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7210939 | Conductive buttonhole interconnect A wearable garment incorporates a manual interconnect device, so that a user wearing the garment can operate the interconnect device by coupling a connector, which is in turn coupled to a power source or external electronic device. Through a releasable locking actio... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7199315 | Pressure actuated electrical switch An electrical switch comprises a dielectric substrate and a deformable contact member overlying the dielectric substrate for contacting an electrical conductor on the dielectric substrate when deformed. The contact member is electrically connected to another electri... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7186938 | Membrane switch, method for manufacturing membrane switch, and contact switch A pressure detection switch includes a membrane switch and a key pad arranged on the membrane switch. The membrane switch includes first and second insulation sheets arranged to face each other. An electric circuit, which includes a first electrode and a voltage-div... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7164089 | Thin keyboard structure A thin keyboard structure comprises a substrate, a flexible circuit and a keycap. The substrate comprises a base, a first portion with a first end, and a second portion with a second end. At least one of the first portion and the second portion protrudes from the ba... | 01/16/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7112755 | Pressure-sensitive sensor The pressure sensitive sensor includes a sheet base, an application-side and a receiving-side electrode provided on the sheet base and conducting coatings provided on the electrodes. The conductive electrodes have pressure-sensitive conductive ink containing conduct... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7091436 | Flexible keyboard A flexible data input device including a first textile layer and a second textile layer, which are arranged spaced apart from each other by a spacer. The spacer includes apertures delimiting the active zones of the data input device. The two textile layers are elect... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7060919 | Contact for a vehicle horn circuit A horn circuit for a vehicle includes a steering wheel, a prong extending from a base, and a carbon-based contact disposed on the prong and in electrical contact with the steering wheel. A method of manufacturing a vehicular horn system includes connecting a prong t... | 06/13/2006 |
| 6987232 | Sensor and method for detecting a patient's movement via position and occlusion There is provided herein a sensor for use in connection with an electronic patient monitor, wherein the sensor preferably uses a linearly configured resistive ladder with spaced-apart resistors as a means of determining at least approximately a location of the patie... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6935956 | Control apparatus and detecting device A control apparatus includes a pressure-sensitive device for providing an analog signal responsive to an applied pressure, a level segmenting unit for segmenting the analog signal into output levels and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converting unit for converting the s... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6906273 | Switch assembly A switch assembly movable between a closed position and open position includes a multilayer circuit. The multilayer circuit includes a first layer having a first conductive material disposed thereon, a second layer having a second conductive material disposed thereo... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6906700 | 3D controller with vibration A hand operated controller or converter structured for allowing hand inputs to be converted or translated into electrical outputs, the controller structured with a plate or platform moveable relative to a base or housing about two mutually perpendicular axes general... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6833825 | Apparatus for remotely controlling a digital processing system According to one aspect of the invention an apparatus is provided for remotely controlling a digital processing system, comprising a housing, a scrolling detector, a cursor positioning detector, and a transmitter. The housing has a wall having an outer scrolling sur... | 12/21/2004 |
| 6812424 | Elastic sheet structure having an improved electrical continuity function, and printed circuit board structure In an elastic sheet member of the present invention, a silicon rubber sheet is supported by a fixed member. A wire group functioning as contacts is disposed at either one of the silicon rubber sheet or the fixed member. In other words, electrical continuity paths, w... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6792640 | Automatic electric toothbrush An electric, motorized toothbrush includes a switch that has an “automatic” position. The “automatic” mode provides for intermittent motorized operation, which is dependent upon application of an external force. Various embodiments allow for the force to be ... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6747224 | Integrated keypad interface for a personal digital assistant device One embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a “plug-in” button module for a personal digital assistant (PDA). Specifically, the “plug-in” button module includes a button frame module having a membrane layer (e.g., thermo-plastic urethane... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6689973 | Electro-mechanical door latch switch assembly and method for making same A switching apparatus and electro-mechanical latching system includes an elastomeric button with independently movable electrically conducting spring plates mounted to the button. The button includes a plurality of elastomeric posts extending from an inbo... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6652968 | Pressure activated electrically conductive material A pressure activated electrically conductive polymeric matrix material that is doped with particulate filler material. Electrical conductivity is pressure activated with a change in electrical resistance; specifically, with no pressure applied, the materi... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6642467 | Electrical switch for use in garments A switch suitable for use in garments is provided. The switch comprises an arrangement of at least two electrically conductive contact portions provided in the form of textile fastener components. The textile fastener components may be stud fastener compo... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6639161 | Door unlatch switch assembly A switching apparatus and electromechanical latching system includes an elastomeric button with independently movable electrically conducting spring plates mounted to the button. The button includes a button cap including a relatively high durometer mater... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6621029 | Switch with capacitive control member and pictogram A control member of the capacitive type for controlling at least one functional member in particular of a motor vehicle, the control member including a rigid support structure, at least one capacitive touch-sensitive detection cell located on or close to ... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6618941 | Method of forming freestanding metal dendrites A technique for making acicular, branched, conductive dendrites, and a technique for using the dendrites to form a conductive compressible pad-on-pad connector are provided. To form the dendrites, a substrate is provided on which dendrites are grown, pref... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6534731 | Safety edge switch Safety edge switch (1) for power-driven equipment or power-driven doors, sliding equipment and so forth of vehicles, with a hollow profile made of an elastomeric material and having a mounting profile (2) and a shell part (3), in which hollow profile ther... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6529122 | Tactile sensor apparatus and methods The tactile sensor has at least two conductive workpieces which bear on one another at a bearing area, at least one workpiece of which is produced from elastomer, with the result that it is possible to measure a contact resistance between the workpieces, ... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6521852 | Pushbutton switch An improved pushbutton switch includes an elastic element located in a body. The elastic element is made of metal and bent to form an action which has an inner diameter and two free ends to form respectively two support arms. The support arms are located ... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6491319 | Steering wheel assembly and a switching device thereof A steering wheel assembly has an electrical switching device that can be used, for example, for activating a horn or any other electrically run devices. The electrical switching device includes first and second electrical contact elements. At least one of... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6466140 | Pedestrian push button assembly A pedestrian push button assembly for activating a signal generator to generate a signal at a street crosswalk. The pedestrian push button assembly has a rigid frame having a piezoelectric material of a solid state switch positioned across a central apert... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6465752 | Door unlatch switch assembly A switching apparatus and electromechanical latching system includes an elastomeric button with independently movable electrically conducting spring plates mounted to the button. The button includes a button cap including a relatively high durometer mater... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6441331 | Press switch An improved press switch for channeling signal transmission or output includes a body, two terminal element mounted on the body, a first elastic element located in the body, a press element disposed in the body above the first elastic element, and a face ... | 08/27/2002 |
