Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8171806 | Force detection element A temperature compensated force detection element is provided with a substrate, an insulation layer disposed above the substrate, and a p-type semiconductor layer disposed above the insulation layer, and a positive electrode and a negative electrode disposed apart f... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8069737 | Force sensing system for a tensioned flexible member A force sensing system comprising a force sensor cell with the necessary electronics to acquire and process various signals. The signals may provide force measurement data for activities performed, for instance, on a weight stack exercise machine. ... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7971495 | Measuring a tensile force An apparatus can measure a tensile force in a continuously running material, such as a material web or strand. The apparatus can facilitating an improved absorption of force and a more precise measurement while at the same time enabling simpler manufacture and easie... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7762150 | Load detecting device for vehicle seat A load detecting device for a vehicle seat includes a supporting base adapted to be mounted on a floor of the vehicle, a plurality of load sensors arranged along a forward and backward direction of a seat for the vehicle on the supporting base, the load sensors incl... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7631565 | Collision detection system A collision detection system for a vehicle includes a bumper reinforcement fixed to a side member of the vehicle, a pressure sensor placed in front of the bumper reinforcement and having at least one pressure-sensitive member, and a load plate placed in front of the... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7621190 | Method and apparatus for strain monitoring of printed circuit board assemblies A technique of monitoring strain on a printed circuit board assembly involves the use of a strain detector mounted on a printed circuit board. The strain detector is formed of a non-ductile material. The strain detector has a narrowed portion forming a weak link tha... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7454987 | Apparatus and method for determining a position of a patient in a medical examination An apparatus and a method are provided for determining a position of a patient during medical examinations. The apparatus comprises a tabletop operable to support the patient, at least one elongatable strain gauge which is integrated into the tabletop, and tabletop ... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7441467 | Compression strain sensor A sensor is disclosed for sensing an applied load. The sensor includes a rigid substrate. A strain sensitive resistor is mounted to the substrate. The resistor has a pair of ends. The resistor has a length and a width that defines an area. A pair of conductors are c... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7360438 | Advanced thick film load cell A load cell apparatus and method for forming the same. A load cell apparatus is configured to include a load cell housing and a modular strain gage element that is modularly assembled into the load cell housing. The load cell housing and the modular strain gage elem... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357022 | Strip planarity measuring method and apparatus A method and a surface evenness measuring roller for determining surface evenness measurement errors in steel and metal band comprising at least one measuring head having part measuring heads which part measuring heads are integrated respectively offset by 180° int... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7353720 | Bridge patch for electromechanical transducer elements in tire assemblies A bridge patch for use with a tire is provided. The bridge patch modifies the magnitude, orientation, or both of the mechanical forces, and particularly the stress-strain relationship, imparted by the inner liner of a tire in order to obtain the desired stress-strai... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7350426 | Seat belt tension sensor having shock isolation A seat belt tension sensor is attached to a seat belt assembly in a vehicle. The seat belt tensor sensor is secured to the vehicle by a bolt. The sensor includes a housing that is secured by the bolt. An anchor plate is mounted to the housing. The anchor plate has a... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347109 | Load cell with foil strain gauge A foil strain gage is attached to a strained section for outputting a resistance change proportional to a strain generated at the strained section. The foil strain gage includes two grid-shaped resistors disposed in parallel on an insulating base material as detecti... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7328627 | Seat load detecting device and mounting structure thereof In a seat load detecting device, sensor bodies are interposed between an upper rail and respective lower brackets. Each sensor body includes an annular strain portion which axial line extends vertically, an outer peripheral holder which is mounted to the upper rail ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7322253 | Fishing line tension measuring and indicating system An attachment for a fishing rod to respond to tension on the fishing line. In one mode it responds to a lateral pull on the rod tip. In another mode it responds to an axial pull on the line. It enables accurate adjustment of the drag, and can indicate when the tensi... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7313975 | Apparatus and method for measuring tension in guy wires An apparatus for measuring tension in guy wire systems wherein the lower end of the guy wire has a thimble adjoined by a connection pin to a yoke or clevis of a turnbuckle shackle bolt connected to an earth anchor. A block assembly is removably received beneath the ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7312615 | System and method for communicating calibration data A Force/Torque (FT) sensor includes memory for storing calibration data associated with the FT sensor. Force and torque analog signals are output to a data acquisition (DAQ) system. The digital calibration data is output to the DAQ system as a digital bitstream comp... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7263895 | Strain detector and method of manufacturing the same A fluid pressure sensor (1) for measuring the pressure of a fluid comprises a diaphragm portion (12) which is a strain generating body, a silicon oxide film (21) as an insulating film, and a strain gauge (20) made of crystalline silicon, ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7255015 | Occupant weight sensor for vehicular seats, method for making and system therefor An occupant weight sensor (1) for placement between a frame (7) fixed to the chassis of a vehicle and a second frame (8) supporting a vehicle seat has a sense element having a first body (12, 22, 28, 34, 50, 62, 64, 68) formed with a plan... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7252307 | Tension detecting device An end portion of a webbing belt is attached to a metal base plate, in which a hole is formed. A projecting portion is formed at an inner edge of the hole which inner edge is at a side opposite a belt attachment portion. When tension is applied to the webbing belt, ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7240571 | On-board scale sensor with mechanical amplification and improved output signal apparatus and method A system for sensing the load carried in a structural member by attaching a load cell to a neutral axis of bending. Small deflections along an arc of bending create a desirable signal level via mechanical amplification. A load sensor is adapted for mounting on an ax... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7233239 | Method and apparatus for detecting improper installation of child seat in a vehicle A method and apparatus for detecting an improperly installed auxiliary child seat of the type that is secured in a motor vehicle by the seatbelt, and providing an alert to a vehicle operator in the case of improper installation. A seat occupancy sensor, a seatbelt b... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7222545 | Seat belt tension sensor having shock isolation A seat belt tension sensor assembly is adapted to be secured to the seat belt assembly of a vehicle. The assembly includes a housing for a seat belt anchor adapted for movement relative to the housing into an overload position where a portion of the anchor is abutte... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7219565 | Specimen holding apparatus A specimen holding apparatus includes a main body, a specimen supporting surface provided on the main body, and a restraining element movable along the main body in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main body from a first position in... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7210362 | Diaphragm type load detection sensor, load detection unit and electronic scale using same Disclosed is a diaphragm type load detection sensor, comprising: a mounting portion attached to a installation plate; a strain generation portion provided on the mounting portion and having a load applied portion formed at the center thereof to which a load to be de... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7204137 | Thread breakage detection systems and methods A thread breakage detection apparatus comprises a light source operable to generate a light beam, an emitter in communication with the light source, the emitter operable to emit the light beam, and a receiver in communication with and disposed in facing opposition t... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7202425 | Under-pillow-block load cell An under-pillow bearing (UPB) load cell for controlling tension in the winding process for a continuous web of material. The load cell has a deflection and sensor assembly that is quickly and easily removable from the load cell for maintenance and repair. The deflec... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7185549 | Pressure point detector A pressure point detector has a simple structure and is capable of detecting which location of a two-dimensional surface such as a circle a pressure is applied can be detected. The pressure point detector includes a flexible insulation member in a predetermined shap... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7181831 | Method of manufacturing strain sensor A strain sensor comprising a metal substrate, a first electrode provided on the metal substrate, a glass layer formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode and a strain detecting resistor provided on the glass layer. In the strain sensor, the insulation res... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7182338 | Apparatus for discriminating sheet material The present invention provides an apparatus for discriminating the kind of a sheet material, comprising: a substrate having a recessed portion; a press member situated so that a sheet material can be deflected using the recessed portion; a support member that is def... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7156198 | Attaching structure for a seatbelt apparatus An attaching structure for a seatbelt apparatus of a vehicle equipped with a seat, which is supported by a vehicle body through a weight sensor. The seatbelt apparatus includes a buckle, a seatbelt, and a tang. The buckle is fixed to one side of the seat of the vehi... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7141918 | Method for obtaining biometric data for an individual in a secure transaction Provided are a method and system for a biometric sensing apparatus. An apparatus includes an input signal generator configured to produce an activation signal. Also includes is a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements array... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7132780 | Method for obtaining biometric data for an individual in a secure transaction Provided are a method and system for a biometric sensing apparatus. An apparatus includes an input signal generator configured to produce an activation signal. Also includes is a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements array... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7117756 | Load detecting vehicle seat assembly A load detecting vehicle seat assembly includes a discrete strain gage mounting plate having a specified flatness to produce desired strain gage performance. The strain gage mounting plate is disposed between a strain gage and a vehicle seat component, such as a cus... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7104138 | Strain detector A strain detector includes an insulating substrate, a power electrode, output electrodes and a ground electrode which are disposed over the insulating substrate, a strain-resistance element provided over the insulating substrate and coupled to the power electrode, t... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100457 | Method for measuring residual stress in a siamese region of a cylinder block Using a strain gauge attached at an interior side of a cylinder bore at a siamese region, a plurality of output values of the strain gauge can be detected during partially cutting the cylinder bore and residual stress of the siamese region can be calculated based on... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7096748 | Embedded strain gauge in printed circuit boards An apparatus generally having a circuit board and a first strain gauge is disclosed. The circuit board may have a plurality of insulating layers. The first strain gauge may be disposed between two of the insulating layers. ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7086299 | Multi-load beam apparatus to prevent improper operation due to off-axis loads A multi-load beam transducer includes a fixed member, a movable member, and a plurality of load beams positioned between the members, each beam separated by a given distance normal from each other and positioned about a longitudinal axis between the members. The plu... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7086297 | Seat belt tension sensor having shock isolation A seat belt tension sensor is attached to a seat belt assembly in a vehicle. The seat belt tensor sensor is secured to the vehicle by a bolt. The sensor includes a housing that is secured by the bolt. An anchor plate is mounted to the housing. The anchor plate has a... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7077016 | Load sensor A load sensor includes a resilient member including a stationary segment, a load-receiving segment extending outward from the stationary segment, and an arm segment between the load-receiving segment and the stationary segment. Moreover, first and second strain-sens... | 07/18/2006 |
