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...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7377463 | Noise reducing seat belt retractor A seat belt retractor has a spool for carrying seat belt webbing rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axle and biased in a seat belt webbing rewinding direction. A toothed ratchet wheel is mounted to rotate with the spool. A sensor is provided for detecting an eme... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7263784 | Enhanced structure for measuring tape An enhanced structure for measuring tape, comprises a tape casing having a wheel disposed in its interior, a metal tape being wound around said wheel 11 and having a tail end fixedly connected to said wheel so as to generate elastic force to let said tape eje... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7172150 | Retractable reel apparatus A retractable reel apparatus for connecting the electrical wiring on a trailer to the electrical system of a towing vehicle. The apparatus comprises a housing with a reel rotatably disposed therein. A wire has a first portion wrapped in a first direction around the ... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7106301 | Input device with cable storage An input device, which is capable of changing the appearance of a display, includes a body made up of a cover and a base, a cable receiver, and a cable coupled to the cable receiver. The input device has a first mode with a first portion of the cable having a first ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7017721 | Cable winding device with clocked keycap and revolving electrical switch Mechanisms for providing electrical controls on a rotating assembly such as a cable winding device are disclosed. The cable winding device generally includes an electronic control actuator such as a keycap attached to a housing and providing an actuating pad actuata... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6988687 | Mouse cable rewind apparatus The invention relates to a mouse cable rewind apparatus having an upper cover, a protection disc, an upper winding disc, a lower winding disc, a cable, a support plate and a lower cover. The upper winding disc and the lower winding disc are attached to each other an... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6978644 | Locking mechanism for handcuffs A solenoid operated mechanical mechanism for controlling the rotation of a gear comprising the use of a first linear element which moves in response to an electrical current to cause the rotation of a cam which, in turn, causes the movement of a second linear elemen... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6912291 | Structure of a receptacle for earphone wire An improved structure of a receptacle for earphone wire is disclosed. The present receptacle for an earphone wire is characterized in that the front shell contains a switching button, an interconnection rod urged against the switching button and a swinging rod which... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6588444 | Therapeutic gas tube safety reel having easy tube replacement means and method of replacement A safety reel for storing, paying out and rewinding tube is provided. As tubing is paid out of the reel a coil spring is wound tight to provide the energy to recoil the tubing when desired. In this way tubing may be reeled up to a desired length and is th... | 07/08/2003 |
| 5950272 | Vacuum cleaner having an apparatus for fixing a cord A vacuum cleaner having a cord fixing apparatus. The vacuum cleaner has a body having a rear wall having an opening, a brush assembly connected to the body through a flexible hose and making contact with a floor, for sucking dust and impurities, a blower ... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5857261 | Sophisticated structure for a tape measure A sophisticated structure for a tape measure is disclosed having a measuring tape, a main body, and a brake apparatus, the brake apparatus including a plurality of acute teeth, a brake lever and two positioning pins. A user may pull out the tape with an e... | 01/12/1999 |
| 5392808 | Retractable tubing reel A retractable tubing reel device utilized in conjunction with a oxygen supply tank and nasal oxygen catheter, the device having an extended length of tubing allowing a patient greater movement beyond the immediate area of the oxygen tank, the device havin... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5346054 | Suspended belt-type expandable and movable part holder unit A belt-type part holder unit to be used in a track conveyor system of a sewing factory or the like having a large number of work stations in it in order to transfer a part from a work station to another. The unit includes a belt pulley provided in it with... | 09/13/1994 |
| 5339461 | Compact radio frequency receiver having take-up spool housed earphone conductors A compact, radio frequency receiver apparatus having left and right channel conductors windably disposed within a housing of the apparatus. The left and right channel electrical conductors each further have earphone transducers electrically coupled theret... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5074483 | Recoil windlass A recoil windlass is provided with a casing, a reel wound with a wire having a hook end for suspending a hand tool, a hub member nonrotatably and axially mounted in the casing and formed with an internally threaded passage and a recoil spring mounted on t... | 12/24/1991 |
| 4948065 | Cable reel A spring powered cable reel, particularly for a vacuum cleaner, comprises a rotatable drum (10) from which the cable (3) is wound off during tightening of the spring (12). The drum is prevented from rotation in the winding-up direction by a brake which is... | 08/14/1990 |
| 4946196 | Retractor with manually-operable remote control for tension-relieving system An automotive safety belt retractor comprising a remotely-operable, electromechanical tension-relieving system. The tension-relieving system is shifted into a tension-relieving mode by a conveniently located manual switch. Movement of the user to extract ... | 08/07/1990 |
| 4834208 | Winding apparatus A winding apparatus for winding up a webbing is used with an automatic seat belt arrangement in which one end of the webbing is automatically moved and applied to a person sitting in a seat. If it is sensed that nobody uses the webbing, a lever is engaged... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4732347 | Easy release tension reliever An improvement to ratchet wheels having a releasable pawl for engaging the ratchet wheel to prevent rotation thereof so as to allow release of the pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel at a lower force. The pawl is in two parts hingedly joined toget... | 03/22/1988 |
| 4723728 | Apparatus for reducing webbing wind-up force An apparatus for reducing webbing wind-up force has a ratchet which rotates together with a take-up shaft for winding up a webbing, a rocker arm with a pawl engageable with the ratchet, a bidirectional solenoid for causing the rocker arm to pivot, and a s... | 02/09/1988 |
| 4714274 | Seat belt retractor In a seat belt retractor including a housing, a take-up shaft rotatably mounted to the housing, a spring for biasing the take-up shaft in a belt retracting direction, a gear mechanism operatively connected to the belt take-up shaft, a tensionless mechanis... | 12/22/1987 |
| 4620677 | Seat belt retractor A seat belt retractor including a main body, a spindle rotatably journaled to the main body having a seat belt wound around the outer periphery thereof, a stopper having teeth formed at the top end thereof for engaging with external gear to inhibit the ro... | 11/04/1986 |
| 4600164 | Safety seat belt system and latch release mechanism used therein An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use ... | 07/15/1986 |
| 4537365 | Safety seat belt system and latch release mechanism used therein An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use ... | 08/27/1985 |
| 4534520 | Webbing take-up amount limiting device of a retractor In a retractor having a base, a webbing take-up shaft rotatably supported by the base, and a biasing member for biasing the shaft in a webbing take-up direction, a webbing take-up amount limiting device is characterized in that between a portion movable i... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4534441 | Seat belt retractor A seat belt retractor comprises a take-up shaft which is spring biased in a belt retracting direction; a planetary gearing having a sun gear nonrotatably mounted to the take-up shaft, a ring gear and a planet pinion; a mechanical tensionless mechanism whi... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4494709 | Seat belt retractor with an automatically memorized tensionless position A seat belt retractor includes a mechanism for keeping the belt reel from rotating in the winding direction at the urging of the winding spring when the reel is at an automatically memorized rotational position. The mechanism comprises an internal toothed... | 01/22/1985 |
| 4467982 | Webbing winding force restraining device This webbing winding force restraining device contemplates that when the webbing is fastened about an occupant, rotation of a takeup shaft is controlled through the action of a holding mechanism so as to restrain a winding force not to act on the takeup s... | 08/28/1984 |
| 4461493 | Tension relieving mechanism for a seat belt retractor and control means therefor A seat belt retractor having a tension relieving mechanism has a new and improved control and release means for operating the mechanism to release the tension relieving mechanism from its tensionless mode and allow seat belt retraction. Preferably, the co... | 07/24/1984 |
| 4456196 | Seat belt retractor with a tension eliminator A seat belt retractor having a tension eliminator comprises a belt take up shaft, a return spring, a first rotatable member rotatable together with the belt take up shaft, a second rotatable member rotatable about the first rotatable member, the relative ... | 06/26/1984 |
| 4445648 | Safety device for vehicles A safety device for vehicles includes a safety belt for restraining a passenger in a normal position in a seat. A winder is attached to one end of the safety belt and winds the end of the belt onto a winding roller. A blocking device is actuated to preven... | 05/01/1984 |
| 4387862 | Seat belt retractor A seat belt retractor for a safety belt arrangement having a seat belt for reliably restraining and safely protecting a seat belt occupant, comprises belt retracting means for retracting the seat belt, belt slackening means for slackening the seat belt by... | 06/14/1983 |
| 4384735 | Safety restraint system having tensionless type belt retractor adapted for adjustable seat A safety restraint system for an occupant of a vehicle seat provided with adjusting means for varying the seat position and/or seatback inclination. The system comprises a seat belt, a retractor having a reel constantly biased toward retraction of the bel... | 05/24/1983 |
| 4373684 | Belt retractor A belt retractor is disclosed which includes a rotary shaft having thereon a belt reel with a coil of seat belt wound therearound. The rotary shaft is rotatable in a first direction when the seat belt is pulled out and is spring-biased for rotation in a s... | 02/15/1983 |
| 4349164 | Retractor provided with two types of emergency locking mechanism and take-up force locking means A retractor comprises reel shaft means rotatably supported between the two opposed side plate portions of a base member, a gear fixed to one end of the reel shaft means and meshing with another gear given a take-up force by a take-up spring and rotatably ... | 09/14/1982 |
| 4320878 | Vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor includes a system for locking the belt reel against rewinding by an otherwise continuously operating rewind spring. The system locks in response to rotation of the belt reel with a time delay interposed between ... | 03/23/1982 |
| 4264302 | Orthodontic appliance An extraoral orthodontic appliance including a harness for mounting on the head and/or neck of a patient and connected to a conventional corrective tractive apparatus, such as a set of J-hooks, a face bow or a chin cup, by traction force devices (force mo... | 04/28/1981 |
| 4261531 | Seat belt retractor having belt take-up force locking means A seat belt retractor comprising belt take-up shaft means supported by the base member, belt take-up force locking means capable of assuming an interlocked position in which it is interlocked with the take-up shaft means and a non-interlocked position in ... | 04/14/1981 |
| 4228971 | Seat belt retractor with tension eliminating mechanism A seat belt retractor with a tension eliminating mechanism comprises a reel on which a webbing is wound up when the reel rotates in one direction, first biasing means biasing the reel to rotate in the one direction, a ratchet wheel journaled on a concentr... | 10/21/1980 |
| 4199172 | Seat belt retractor with tension eliminating mechanism A seat belt retractor having a tension eliminating mechanism and a belt position memorizing mechanism comprises a shaft on which the belt is wound up when the shaft rotates in one direction, biasing means biasing the shaft to rotate in the one direction, ... | 04/22/1980 |
