1329results about "Snap-action arrangements" patented technology

Disclosed is a tamper resistant PIN entry apparatus for input of a key and for encryption of a password in a cash transaction machine. The PIN entry apparatus supplies the electric power to a memory of an electric circuit section, in such a manner that a first rod and a second rod of a rear case connect contacts of a key scan board, wherein the first rod is protruded on the rear of a key module including a button provided substantially on the front of the key module and the second rod of the rear case is coupled with the rear of the key module. At this time, in case that the rear case is removed from the key module or damaged, thereby changing the location of any one of the first and the second rods at the contact, the electric circuit section detects the event and destroys the memory itself physically. Otherwise, the electric circuit section makes information stored in the memory physically or softwarely unreadable, thereby preventing the leakage of the information.

Concentric tilted double-helix magnets, which embody a simplified design and construction method for production of magnets with very pure field content, are disclosed. The disclosed embodiment of the concentric tilted double-helix dipole magnet has the field quality required for use in accelerator beam steering applications, i.e., higher-order multipoles are reduced to a negligibly small level. Magnets with higher multipole fields can be obtained by using a simple modification of the coil winding procedure. The double-helix coil design is well-suited for winding with superconducting cable or cable-in-conduit conductors and thus is useful for applications that require fields in excess of 2 T. The coil configuration has significant advantages over conventional racetrack coils for accelerators, electrical machinery, and magneto-hydrodynamic thrusting devices.

A micromechanical resonator device and a micromechanical device utilizing same are disclosed based upon a radially or laterally vibrating disk structure and capable of vibrating at frequencies well past the GHz range. The center of the disk is a nodal point, so when the disk resonator is supported at its center, anchor dissipation to the substrate is minimized, allowing this design to retain high-Q at high frequency. In addition, this design retains high stiffness at high frequencies and so maximizes dynamic range. Furthermore, the sidewall surface area of this disk resonator is often larger than that attainable in previous flexural-mode resonator designs, allowing this disk design to achieve a smaller series motional resistance than its counterparts when using capacitive (or electrostatic) transduction at a given frequency. Capacitive detection is not required in this design, and piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, etc. detection are also possible. The frequency and dynamic range attainable by this resonator makes it applicable to high-Q RF filtering and oscillator applications in a wide variety of communication systems. Its size also makes it particularly suited for portable, wireless applications, where, if used in large numbers, such a resonator can greatly lower the power consumption, increase robustness, and extend the range of application of high performance wireless transceivers.

This is directed to a dome switch that includes a capacitive sensor. A dome switch can include a dome operative to deform to provide tactile feedback to a user. To provide an electrical instruction to the device, the region underneath the dome can define a free space separating conductive regions forming a capacitor. For example, a tip of the dome, a button placed between the dome and a circuit board, or a user's finger can form a first conductor of a capacitor, and a support structure for the dome can include a terminal forming a second conductor completing the capacitor. When the dome deflects, the distance between the conductors can change and provide a measurable capacitance variation, which the device can detect. To protect the dome switch from damage due to contaminants, the terminal can be integrated within a volume of the circuit board such that it is not exposed to the environment of the dome switch. In one implementation, the terminal may not be exposed to air.

A micro-mirror device includes a stator structure having a set of radial stator electrodes, a rotor structure having a set of radial rotor electrodes, a mirror mounted on the rotor structure, and a flexure structure suspending the rotor structure relative to the stator structure. 100111168 1

A micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch (10) includes a substrate (12) and a stress free beam (14) disposed above the substrate (12). The stress free beam (14) is provided within first and second platforms (16, 18) to limit displacement of the stress free beam (14) in directions that are not substantially parallel to the substrate (12). A set of one or more control pads (20) is disposed in a vicinity of a first lengthwise side (22) of the stress free beam (14) for creating a potential on the first lengthwise side (22) of the stress free beam (14). The stress free beam (14) is displaceable in directions substantially parallel to the substrate (12) in accordance with the potential for providing a signal path.

A circuit breaker with a thermal / magnetic trip device incorporates a monitor that senses the temperature of the bimetal and the amplitude of the load current to distinguish between a thermal and a magnetic trip. If the temperature of the bimetal is above a selected value when the circuit breaker trips, a “THERMAL” trip light emitting diode (LED) is energized, while a high load current at the time of a trip lights a “MAG” trip LED. The monitor also energizes an “ARC” LED in response to an arc fault signal from an AFCI at the time of trip, or a “GRD” LED in response to a ground fault trip. If a trip sensor, which monitors load voltage does not detect opening of the circuit breaker contacts when an arc fault or ground fault signal is generated, the corresponding LED is flashed to indicate the failure to trip. The monitor also has a “SURGE” LED to indicate a voltage surge in the protected distribution system as detected by a surge detector built into the circuit breaker. The trip and surge indications can be communicated to a remote location.

A pusher formed of a rubber material, a click plate, a membrane switch which serves as a second step switch, a reinforcing plate, a membrane sheet on which a plurality of first step switches are formed, a key operation base and a knob are sequentially assembled into a case. The knob includes a plurality of depressing pieces having on its internal surface a projection which moves into contact with each membrane switch and also includes a marginal portion which is supported by the top surface of the case. The knob is thin-walled except for the depressing piece, and the thin-walled portion comprises a thermoplastic elastomer or silicone rubber. The knob, the key operation base and the reinforcing plate are secured together. As the depressing piece is depressed, the thin-walled portion which is located therearound becomes flexed, whereby the membrane switch is depressed by the projection to turn the switch on. When the depressing piece is further depressed, the reinforcing plate moves and the click plate reverses, turning the switch on.

An input device has a housing having an operation hole formed therein, an operation member supported in a slidably moving manner in multi-directions within the operation hole, and at least two magnetic sensors, arranged at a periphery of the operation member, for detecting change in magnetic property by displacement of the operation member. The operation member includes a holder having a circular ring-shaped magnet incorporated in a fit-in hole and a central push button having a disc plate made of magnetic material integrated at a lower surface. The central push button is fitted in the circular ring-shaped magnet to adsorb, in a separable manner, the disc plate to the circular ring-shaped magnet and position-regulate the central push button.

A system and method for connecting supply power to motor control components includes use of a motor control center subunit with moveable supply power contacts. After a motor control center subunit is secured into a motor control center compartment, the supply power contacts may be advanced to engage supply power buses. For disconnection, the supply power contacts may be retracted and isolated from the buses before physical removal of the subunit.

A two-step switch, which may be minimized in radial direction and is suitable for PCB or FPC circuit board, has a first contact spring, having outer peripheral contacts in regular contact with first fixed contacts and having an inner contact inside the outer peripheral contacts and reversed by depressing, and a second contact spring, stacked on the first contact spring via an insulation sheet, having an outer peripheral contact in regular contact with a second fixed contact and having an inner contact inside of the outer peripheral contact and reversed by depressing. Through a first depressing, the inner contact of the first contact spring is reversed and in contact with the inner contact of the second contact spring, whereby a first electric circuit is actuated. Also through a second depressing, the inner contact of the second contact spring is reversed and in contact with the third fixed contact, whereby a second electric circuit is actuated.

An input device that is capable of sensing how hard a user is pressing when contacted is disclosed. The input device includes a pressure sensing unit generating an electrical signal in accordance with pressure applied on one surface of the pressure sensing unit and a fixed resistance making a parallel electrical connection with the pressure sensing unit. Thus, not only can the input device receive a form of information that is changed proportionally in accordance with the pressure applied by the user, but the deviation in electrical characteristics that may occur during the manufacturing of different products can also be reduced. Also, by adjusting the resistance value of the fixed resistance, the sum of the resistance values by the parallel connection between the fixed resistance and the pressure sensitive resistance can be adjusted so that the electrical signal generated by the input device through pressing can be adjusted.

A dual tactile feedback, three-state, low profile pushbutton switch comprising an insulated housing, a metal dome, an extended travel molded elastomeric dome or stem having a conductive material on a bottom surface for contacting the metal dome and contacts in the switch housing, a collar having an opening for a top portion of said elastomeric dome to protrude therethrough, and a fixed contact under the metal dome on the base of the insulated housing connected to a switch terminal. A flat plate with four legs is placed above the stem which moves adjacent to the walls of the housing. The plate extends through a frame and openings on the sides of the frame snap on to the sides of the insulated housing. Greater switch reliability is achieved by having the elastomeric dome with a bottom portion comprising a conductive material for contacting the metal dome. An alternate embodiment of the three-state switch comprises a pushbutton disposed above an upper, extruded, elastomeric element for lower cost advantages having conductive material on a bottom surface for making electrical contact within the base of the switch housing and a lower metal dome, when the pushbutton is activated. The lower metal dome also makes electrical contact with contacts in the base of the switch housing.

A MEMS tunable capacitor with angular vertical comb-drive (AVC) actuators is described where high capacitances and a wide continuous tuning range is achieved in a compact space. The comb fingers rotate through a small vertical angle which allows a wider tuning range than in conventional lateral comb drive devices. Fabrication of the device is straightforward, and involves a single deep reactive ion etching step followed by release and out-of-plane assembly of the angular combs.

A two-step push-on switch in which the operating stroke of an upper movable contact is ensured, and particularly the width of the switch is reduced while the durability of the upper movable contact is improved, the number of parts is reduced, an the operation is improved. Dome-like movable contacts are placed in two or upper and lower stages in an invertible manner in a recess of an insulative body having a plurality of stationary contacts, and the upper movable contact is formed into an oval shape.

A system and method for connecting supply power to motor control components includes use of a motor control center subunit with moveable supply power contacts. After a motor control center subunit is secured into a motor control center compartment, the supply power contacts may be advanced to engage supply power buses. For disconnection, the supply power contacts may be retracted and isolated from the buses before physical removal of the subunit.

The present invention relates to a multiple contact input device which makes it possible to use a single operation member in common for the purpose of controlling a coordinate signal and setting a point thereby preventing two switches from simultaneously operating. The device reduces the number of elements of the multiple contact input device. A base is provided with a first switch and four second switches at a periphery of the first switch, and an operation member is provided with a first pressing portion, second pressing members, and projections. When the operation member is swung longitudinally and laterally, the second pressing portions press the second switches. When the operation member is swung diagonally, each projection touches a receiving portion of the base, thereby preventing the second pressing portions from pressing the second switches. When the operation member is pushed, the first pressing portion presses the first switch.