Did You Know...
...that a workman who left the soap mixing machine on too long was responsible for making Ivory Soap? He was so embarrassed by his mistake that he threw the mess in a stream. Imagine his dismay when the evidence of his error floated to the surface! Result: Ivory soap, the soap that floats.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8124895 | Planar microelectromechanical device having a stopper structure for out-of-plane movements A microelectromechanical device has a mobile mass that undergoes a movement, in particular a spurious movement, in a first direction in response to an external event; the device moreover has a stopper structure configured so as to stop said spurious movement. In par... | 02/28/2012 |
| 7714239 | Force switch A mechanical force switch to be disposed along a longitudinal device axis of a medical device includes an electrically conductive switching piston to form a first electrical contact of the switch, a hollow body, an end stop, a bias device, and an electrically conduc... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7479608 | Force switch A mechanical force switch to be disposed along a longitudinal device axis of a medical device includes an electrically conductive switching piston to form a first electrical contact of the switch, a hollow body, an end stop, a bias device, and an electrically conduc... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7411140 | Inertial mass detection device An inertial mass detection device. An illustrative embodiment of the device includes a generally elongated ball track, at least one pair of spaced-apart switch contacts provided on the ball track, a battery connected to a first one of the at least one pair of spaced... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7371982 | MEMS safety and arming devices having launch and rotation interlocks and method of manufacturing the same A device, a Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-Switch (MEMS) safety and arming (S&A) device and a method of manufacturing the MEMS S&A. In one embodiment, the device includes a body and a MEMS shuttle movably coupled to the body. In this embodiment, the shuttle is configur... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7359781 | Method and apparatus for determining symmetric and asymmetric crash events with improved misuse margins An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32) sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer ( | 04/15/2008 |
| 7332685 | Vibration switch A vibration switch includes a conductive housing defining a chamber, a first electrode having a first end projecting outwardly of the housing and a second end projecting into the chamber, a moving element disposed movably in the chamber and spaced apart from the sec... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7243530 | Free fall sensor A free fall sensor includes an electrically conductive container, an electrically conductive pin having an end inserted into the container, and a movable electrode enclosed in the container, the movable electrode including a coil spring cantilevered on the end of th... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7241959 | Mechanical power breaker for a vehicle A mechanical power breaker for a vehicle has a casing, a power input, a master power output, and a breaker positioned in the casing and electrically connected between the power input and master power output. The breaker has a seat, a conductive connector, a moving e... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7230821 | Housing for an electronic control device in vehicles A housing for a control device in vehicles is provided. The housing satisfies the requirements of acceleration transmission and reliable ground connection with a simple and inexpensive construction. The housing comprises a metallic shell that has parallel top and bo... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7197982 | Method for detection of media layer by a penetrating weapon and related apparatus and systems The present invention is directed to a system and a method for accurately locating a penetrating-type weapon within a shelter for detonation at a desired target site. The method includes reliably and accurately detecting thin layers of a shelter by use of a weapon f... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7170019 | Inertia switch and flashing light system Inertia switches in insulating housings are used to make or break electrical contact. The switches may be small in size, and may be used with flashing light systems in footwear or other articles. One embodiment is a directional switch sensitive to the orientation of... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7148436 | Microelectromechanical acceleration-sensing apparatus An acceleration-sensing apparatus is disclosed which includes a moveable shuttle (i.e. a suspended mass) and a latch for capturing and holding the shuttle when an acceleration event is sensed above a predetermined threshold level. The acceleration-sensing apparatus ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7134687 | Rear view mirror monitor A vehicle including a system for obtaining information about occupants of the vehicle including a rear-view mirror including a mirror part and a support for mounting the mirror part to the vehicle (such as to a windshield of the vehicle), a wave-receiving system arr... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7081801 | Magnetostrictive stress wave sensor A shock sensor has a housing with a Terfenol-D type sensing element positioned inside a sensing coil. A permanent biasing magnet is positioned in engagement with the Terfenol-D sensing element, and a spacer engages the Terfenol-D sensing element and extends from the... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7078635 | Housing with conductor bus for a disconnecting apparatus A pyromechanical disconnecting apparatus, in particular for battery shutoff in a motor vehicle, includes a housing (4) in which there is arranged an electrically conductive conductor bus (2), which is fashioned so as to be severable at a predetermined ... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7051656 | Microelectromechanical safing and arming apparatus A two-stage acceleration sensing apparatus is disclosed which has applications for use in a fuze assembly for a projected munition. The apparatus, which can be formed by bulk micromachining or LIGA, can sense acceleration components along two orthogonal directions t... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7038150 | Micro environmental sensing device A microelectromechanical (MEM) acceleration switch is disclosed which includes a proof mass flexibly connected to a substrate, with the proof mass being moveable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate in response to a sensed acceleration. An ele... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7030327 | Acceleration detector An acceleration detector includes a mass body movably housed in a case, an elastic member backwardly urging the mass body, and a switch that opens and closes by forward movement of the mass body against urging force, when acceleration is received by the mass body, w... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7009124 | Acceleration switch An acceleration switch and method therefor includes providing a conductive substrate and an insulating cap. A recessed area is formed in the insulating cap. An insulating layer is disposed on the conductive substrate. A conductive layer is disposed on the insulating... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6950022 | Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a vehicle Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a passenger compartment of a vehicle including at least one sensor for obtaining data from the passenger compartment. Information about the occupancy is generated based on the data and... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6942248 | Occupant restraint device control system and method Control system for controlling an occupant restraint device effective for protection of an occupant of the seat including a receiving device arranged in the vehicle for obtaining information about contents of the seat and generating a signal based on any contents of... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6919520 | Stoplight switch and mounting method With the stoplight switch and method for its mounting in accordance with the present invention, by configuring the stoplight switch in a manner such that a contact section of a spacer projecting out from a through-hole on the side surface of a case is made to come i... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6917004 | Earthquake actuated micro switch An earthquake actuated micro switch includes a ball which falls into a micro switch actuating position when disturbed. The ball normally resides in a shallow ball seat. A sufficient disturbance causes the ball to escape the ball seat, and fall into a switch seat. Wh... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6910711 | Method for controlling deployment of an occupant protection device Method for controlling a vehicular component based on the position and velocity of an occupant in which the current position and velocity of the occupant are determined, an expected position of the occupant is determined based on the current position and current vel... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6720505 | Acceleration detecting device An acceleration detecting device comprising a mass body inserted in a casing so as to be movable in the forward and backward direction, an elastic member for biasing the mass body backward, stationary contacts provided on the casing, moving contacts provided on the ... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6717078 | Collision detection apparatus designed to minimize contact chatter A collision detecting apparatus is provided which consists of a rotor and a first and a second contact spring. Upon collision, the rotor pushes the first contact spring to establish an electrical contact with the second contact spring. At least one of the first and ... | 04/06/2004 |
| 6646213 | Acceleration detector with high response sensitivity An acceleration detector including a mass member and a fixed contact, which keep contact with each other by an elastic member that presses the mass member to the fixed contact. When a vehicle undergoes an impact from its left side in its traveling directi... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6635835 | Acceleration detecting device An acceleration detecting device is provided with a mass body (1) having a through hole (1a) and a sliding shaft (2) passing through the through hole (1a) and sliding the mass body (1) and is constituted such that the slicing shaft (2) comes in contact wi... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6455791 | Acceleration detection device and sensitivity setting method The setting of a sensitivity of an acceleration detection device is performed by regulating the characteristics of a compression coil spring such as an initial load or a spring constant of the compression coil spring and by regulating the dimension of a m... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6439007 | Enhanced occupant spring mass model for use with an actuatable restraint system including compensating for monotonicity of misuse conditions An apparatus for switching the value of a spring constant K used in a spring mass model (54, 56, 60, 70, 76) for modeling a vehicle occupant in an occupant restraint system (20) includes a sensor (22) for sensing a crash event and providing a crash signal... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6429545 | Automobile power supply system for preventing uncontrolled acceleration Disclosed is an automotive power supply system for preventing uncontrolled acceleration that includes a battery, an ignition switch electrically connected to the battery, and an acceleration responses switch provided between the battery and the ignition s... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6335498 | Shock sensor employing a spring coil for self-test A reed switch based shock sensor provides for passing electrical current through the coil spring used to bias the shock sensing magnetic mass. The spring is wrapped around the reed switch, allowing the coil spring to act as an electrical coil. The coil ge... | 01/01/2002 |
| 6329618 | Reed switch with shock sensing mass within the glass capsule A shock sensor has a shock sensing magnetic mass that rides on the inside of a glass tube that is sealed about a reed switch. The reed switch has a first stop positioned so that the shock sensing magnetic mass when resting against the first stop does not ... | 12/11/2001 |
| 6297463 | Out-of-fluid detector for reciprocating pumps A dynamic displacement sensor for detecting an out-of-fluid condition in a liquid delivery system detects an increased amplitude of pump motion of a reciprocating air pump and provides an output signal upon detecting the increased amplitude motion. The de... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6236005 | Micromechanical acceleration switch A micromechanical acceleration switch of silicon or similar materials, comprising a resilient electrode element, a proof mass, a housing and a spring element connecting the electrode element and the proof mass to the housing. The electrode element is mech... | 05/22/2001 |
| 6166339 | Safety switch intended to be fitted in an electrical circuit of a motor vehicle The safety switch incorporates a substantially cylindrical inertial mass which is horizontally movable in all directions in a cavity of the-body of the switch. The inertial mass has a peripheral edge which is engageable with a cam action by projections of... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6087951 | Magnetic accelerometer A magnetic accelerometer detects the sharp lateral rocking movements of an unbalanced spinning tub of a washing machine. The accelerometer has a fixed and a movable magnet that are disposed at a rest position in spaced, magnetic attraction to each other. ... | 07/11/2000 |
| 6064013 | Miniature, planar, inertially-damped, inertially-actuated delay slider actuator A miniature, planar, inertially-damped, inertially-actuated delay slider uator is micromachined on a substrate and consists of a "slider", with zig-zag or stair-step-like patterns on the side edges, interacting with similar vertical-edged zig-zag pattern... | 05/16/2000 |
| 5990427 | Movable acceleration switch responsive to acceleration parallel to plane of substrate upon which the switch is fabricated and methods A micro-miniature acceleration switch (240) has a substrate (242) and an inertial mass member ("IMM" 244) fabricated upon the substrate. The substrate (242) has a planar surface (246), and the IMM (244) can slide relative to the substrate from a first pos... | 11/23/1999 |
