Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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 |
| 7441713 | Tamper resistant temperature dial and associated method of use A tamper resistant temperature dial and associated method of use is disclosed. This includes a temperature adjustment device associated with a controller for a heating device that includes a rotatable dial for setting temperature in the heating device, a ring that i... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7432477 | Set-back control for both HVAC and water heater via a single programmable thermostat A system and method of using a set-back or programmable thermostat for heating or cooling systems to also controlling a fast-recovery water heater such as a power-vented fossil fuel powered water heater such that the water heater is disabled during a set-back mode o... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7417209 | Recording disk drive with reduced noise thermal flyheight control A system and method for preventing crosstalk noise from being superimposed on a read signal due to noise from a heater line for a slider in a recording disk drive is disclosed. A heater line pair to the slider is not grounded but is in a floating state with respect ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7402780 | Thermostat for a heat pump or conventional heating system A thermostat is provided comprising a first connector for connecting to an air conditioner, a second connector for connecting to either a conventional heater or a heat pump reversing valve, and a selection means for selecting from at least a first mode of operation ... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7339141 | System and method for monitoring heat seal devices An apparatus for monitoring the operation of a heating element moving periodically along a predefined path includes first and second sensors positioned adjacent the path of the heating element. The first sensor is configured to sense the presence of the heating elem... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7253379 | High voltage circuit breaker with cooling In order to dissipate heat losses from the inner conductor (21), the circuit breaker (20) having an elongated inner conductor (21) and an outer conductor (22) which surrounds the inner conductor (21) like a housing has at least one... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7247820 | Heat sink and information processing device A heat sink that is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element includes: a contact surface to which recessed grooves are formed and the region of which excluding the recessed grooves is in contact with the heating element; in... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7221106 | Cordset based appliance controller An apparatus and method for distributed control of an electrical appliance having a plug and a load and two power carrying conductors connecting the plug to the load, comprising locating power control elements completely within the plug, connecting interface element... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7208704 | Heating device with thermostat switch A system for wiring a heating element in an electrical appliance to a conventional thermostat switch in a new manner and a new thermostat for supporting the new wiring system. The new wiring system avoids switching the full heating element current for both hot power... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7193188 | Temperature control system for controlling heat treatment of metals, that is heating, soaking and cooling by a single frequency converter The purpose of the present invention is to create a temperature control system applied in heating and cooling phases of thermal processing. The invented temperature control system consists of a single frequency converter F to whose output, through contactors, are si... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7152775 | Magnetic source and ferromagnetic device for ultrasonic welding There is provided an ultrasonic welding apparatus that includes a magnetic source and a ferromagnetic device to apply pressure to at least one component being joined during the ultrasonic welding process. The magnetic source is positioned proximate the ultrasonic tr... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7151240 | Bi-directional tamper resistant temperature dial A bi-directional tamper resistant temperature adjustment controller interface comprises a control dial having an interior face wherein a cylindrical center boss extends therefrom, said cylindrical center boss having a substantially annular cross section, and a centr... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7148453 | Control unit with thermal protection and an electrical heating device comprising the control unit An overheating protection system for a control unit includes an interrupter element, which, in its initial position defined with respect to a circuit board, electrically connects the opposite facing ends of at least one track on the circuit board, and an actuating e... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7145107 | Tamper resistant temperature dial utilizing deflection pins An adjustment interface for adjusting a controller teaches a novel apparatus and method for controlling the temperature of a heating device comprising a controller cover panel having a rotatable controller dial; a ring member mounted to axially extend beyond and awa... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7142078 | Magnetic levitation actuator A magnetic actuator including a mobile magnetic part, a fixed magnetic part, and a mechanism for triggering displacement of the mobile magnetic part relatively to the fixed magnetic part. At least two amagnetic supports, placed in different planes, delimit a gap bet... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7087867 | Programmable oven with broiler temperature interlock The oven includes a lower electrical heating element which is located below a support member. Two laterally spaced apart upper electrical heating elements are supported above the support member and the food to be cooked. An electrical system is provided for supplyin... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6996333 | Fan speed control A fan speed control includes a power adapter, a CPU programmed with a phase splitting program, a current-limit resistor, a capacitor, a TRIAC, and a switch module, the CPU having a signal input terminal connected in series to the power input terminals of the power a... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6988897 | Detachable breakaway power supply source Objects of the invention relate to a detachable breakaway power supply device that can be selectively coupled to an electrical appliance. A first coupling element is carried by the appliance and a second coupling element is carried by the detachable power supply dev... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6960745 | Electronic control circuit An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, the electronic control circuit including a single control switch for controlling both power output and responding to a sensed... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6940051 | Electric circuit for portable heater A heater effectively uses a current controlled fan motor in series with a resistance heating arrangement. The fan motor preferably is wound with a gauge of wire to appropriate for the relatively high current provided to the fan motor. This arrangement is effectively... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6914216 | Digital control air heating electric blanket A digital control wet heating type of electric blanket for heating air, comprised of a mattress containing a tenacious, air permeable cotton cloth consistently paved with hearing wires, cotton strip on the heating wires, a compression strip passing through the cotto... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6894253 | Device for controlling the service loads of an electric household appliance, in particular a refrigerator A control unit (3) for controlling an electric household appliance, e.g. a refrigerator, is connected in series with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistive unit (4) which, when supplied with electric current, generates sufficient heat to ac... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6884973 | Heating pad controller with multiple position switch and diodes A control circuit for a heating pad. The control circuit includes a two-pole, four-position slide switch. The four positions of the two-pole, four-position slide switch include off and three different heat settings of the heating pad. The control circuit also includ... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6867395 | Variable flow thermostat and method for variably controlling engine temperature A variable flow thermostat, as applied to an internal combustion engine, provides a means for allowing the flow of coolant fluid from the engine block to the radiator to vary in response to the temperature of the engine coolant sensed at the engine block. The thermo... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6844530 | Thaw-server system for convection cooking appliance A cooking appliance incorporates a convection system including a blower or fan having an associated heating element used for thawing food items in an oven cavity. The convection fan and its associated heating element are specifically controlled to regulate the air f... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6727477 | Temperature controller A temperature controller includes temperature-adjusting device and a heating device. A plurality of magnet pieces and magnet attractive pads are respectively provided to terminal faces of the temperature-adjusting device and the heating device respectively for induc... | 04/27/2004 |
| 6670585 | Humidity cabinet with automatic fluid fill system A fluid fill system includes at least one sensor for indicating whether a fluid level in a reservoir is equal to or greater than a predetermined fluid level and a process control. The process control obtains a reading from the at least one sensor at a pre... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6624395 | Switch control device and method, and heating cooker having the control device The present invention provides a device for signal control of a switch which outputs a first signal in response to a turning operation thereof and outputs a second signal in response to a depressing operation thereof. If one of the first and second signal... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6467326 | Method of riveting Rare earth metal switched magnetic devices that comprise one or more magnets, a rare earth metal element positioned in the magnetic field produced by the magnet(s) and a system for controlling the temperature of the rare earth metal element are disclosed.... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6414285 | Thermal protector A thermal protector has a fixed plate provided with a fixed contact at the front end portion. There is a first terminal for external connection in the rear end portion and a movable plate having elasticity so that a movable contact provided in the front e... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6313445 | Control for an electrical kitchen appliance with power interruption off feature An electric appliance control comprising an electromagnet; an electrical switch assembly; a ferromagnetic section movable with a contact of the switch assembly towards the electromagnet; and a user actuated member adapted to move the ferromagnetic section... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6310331 | Circuit configuration for driving an ignition coil A circuit configuration for driving an ignition coil includes a first semiconductor switch having a load path connected in series with a primary winding of the ignition coil, and having a control electrode, which is driven in accordance with a first drive... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6294767 | Dishwasher A dishwasher having a cabinet and wash chambers in the form of drawers which slide in and out of the cabinet. Rigid and flexible closures are disclosed for sealing off the wash chambers when retracted into the cabinet. A detergent dispenser for the dishwa... | 09/25/2001 |
| 6191398 | Dry bath temperature control and method A dry bath with a heat conductive block having a plurality of bores adapted to receive tubes containing samples of material. The dry bath includes a heater and a temperature sensor mounted to the block. A heat controller executes a control cycle of initia... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6184503 | Riveter Rare earth metal switched magnetic devices that comprise one or more magnets, a rare earth metal element positioned in the magnetic field produced by the magnet(s) and a system for controlling the temperature of the rare earth metal element are disclosed.... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6180928 | Rare earth metal switched magnetic devices Rare earth metal switched magnetic devices that comprise one or more magnets, a rare earth metal element positioned in the magnetic field produced by the magnet(s) and a system for controlling the temperature of the rare earth metal element are disclosed.... | 01/30/2001 |
| 5688422 | Programmable fan control method and apparatus for use in a food oven A cooking device for cooking food comprising a cavity, a heating element disposed in the cavity, a temperature sensor for determining the temperature in the cooking device and a fan operable in at least three modes, an OFF mode, a HI mode and a LO mode to... | 11/18/1997 |
| 5585024 | Protecting device for protecting an electronic equipment in order to use the electronic equipment under a hostile environment A protecting device is for use in protecting a radio communication device (15) under high and low temperature. The protecting device comprises a cover member (31) of a heat insulator that defines a room therein. The radio communication device is located i... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5582756 | Heater control device in injection molding machine A semiconductor switching circuit is connected to a DC power source for an inverter to control a servomotor in an injection molding machine, and a PWM signal controls an ON/OFF operation of a switching device in the semiconductor switching circuit so as t... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5543602 | Method for the storage and controlled supply of electric energy for discontinuous loads in steelworks Method for the storage and controlled supply of electric energy for discontinuous loads in steelworks and in particular for metal melting systems and rolling mills, the method comprising at least one main supply line (18) connected to a main supply source... | 08/06/1996 |
