Abstract:
A switching device for breaking an electric current including a main contact carrier, movable and stationary main contacts, the movable contact attached to the main contact carrier, an arcing contact carrier, a movable and stationary arcing contacts, the movable arcing contact attached to the arcing contact carrier and the stationary arcing contact arranged in parallel with the stationary main contact, and an actuating unit for the main and arcing contact carriers between open and close position at an actuating distance, wherein there are separation distances between the stationary and movable contacts of the main and arcing contact units respectively when the current is interrupted. The switching device further includes a first rack and a first gear for actuating the arcing contact carrier so that, when interrupting the current, a separation distance between the arcing contacts is longer than a separation distance between the main contacts.
Abstract:
A keypad encoding circuit contains a voltage dividing network and an integrated circuit. The voltage dividing network includes a string of resistors that generates an encoding signal voltage. The integrated circuit converts the encoding signal voltage into a digital value indicative of which of the keys has been pressed. The cost of the voltage dividing network is reduced by forming the resistors from a layer of conductive carbon and avoiding the cost of providing discrete resistors. Each resistor has the same resistance even where the dimensions of the conductive carbon patches that form the resistors vary. Providing the resistors does not involve additional manufacturing cost because the resistors are made in the same step as are the landing pads of the voltage dividing circuit. Manufacturing costs associated with etched printed circuit board layers are avoided because inexpensive printed layers are used to realize the required traces and resistors.
Abstract:
A conductive tracing for a keyboard including a pair of electrically conductive paths that are electrically isolated from each other. The pair of electrically conductive paths may each include conductive surfaces that are electrically coupled together. Each of the plurality of conductive surfaces of the pair of electrically conductive paths extend radially between a canter portion and a peripheral portion of the conductive tracing. One or more of the conductive surfaces may include a pair of outer edges that are substantially parallel to a respective radial direction that the outer edges extend in. The conductive surfaces of one of the pair of electrically conductive paths may be complementary formed to the conductive surfaces of another of the pair of electrically conductive paths. The conductive tracing may be substantially symmetric about an axis that passes through the center portion of the conductive tracing.
Abstract:
A silver-coated stainless steel strip for movable contacts, which has an underlying layer comprising any one of nickel, cobalt, nickel alloys, and cobalt alloys, on at least a part of the surface of a stainless steel substrate, and has a silver or silver alloy layer formed as an upper layer, in which a copper or copper alloy layer with a thickness of 0.05 to 2.0 μm is provided between the silver or silver alloy layer and the underlying layer; and a producing method of the above-described silver-coated stainless steel strip, in which said strip is subjected to a heat-treating in a non-oxidative atmosphere.
Abstract:
An actuator body or actuator system (1) for electrical and electronic microdevices comprises at least two switch contacts (5, 7) which by way of a membrane (13) extending across at least one of said contacts can be mutually connected when the membrane is depressed for triggering a switching operation. In the actuating system described at least one of the contacts (5) is positioned in the area of the membrane perimeter and is connected via an electroconductive polymer (17) to a conductor strip (15) located on the inside surface of the membrane facing said contacts. The membrane with its conductor strip is suspended above the other contact (7) in such fashion that it and the conductor strip remain at a distance from that other contact when the system is not being operated. When depressed, the membrane can be deflected to said other contact so as to cause the conductor strip to touch that other contact, establishing the electrical connection between the two contacts (5, 7).
Abstract:
Systems and methods for forming an electrostatic MEMS switch that is used to hot switch a source of current or voltage. At least one surface of the MEMS switch is treated with an ion milling machine to reduce surface roughness to less than about 10 nm rms.
Abstract:
A reconfigurable device for terahertz (THz) or infrared (IR) ranges that includes a base substrate, a lower array attached to the base substrate, and an upper array attached to the base substrate and at least partially suspended over the lower array. Activation of the reconfigurable device causes the upper array to mechanically flex towards the lower array so that electrical contact is made therebetween. Methods of fabricating and operating the reconfigurable device are also provided.
Abstract:
An electrically conductive structure is provided with a hollow elastic member including an open bottom, a cavity, a pillar extending downward from a center of an inner surface into the cavity, a top platform, at least one hole open to the cavity, and a silver layer formed on a bottom of the pillar. Advantages such as elimination of short circuit and without heavy key depressing are obtained.
Abstract:
A contact element for high voltage direct current switches includes a matrix made of a first material selected from the group comprising copper, silver, palladium, platinum, tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, nickel, gold, and alloys thereof. The contact element also includes a foreign phase, which is dispersed in the matrix and is made of a second material selected from the group comprising carbon, tin(II) oxide, tin(IV) oxide, zinc(II) oxide, tungsten, nickel and mixtures thereof. The contact element has a porosity of ≦1.0% by volume, based on a total volume of the contact element.
Abstract:
A contact structure for a switch that ensures stable electrical connection. The contact structure includes a substrate. A first fixed contact and a second fixed contact are arranged on the substrate and spaced from each other. An elastically deformable movable contact engages and disengages the first and second fixed contacts. The movable contact includes a recess. A conductive member is arranged on the movable contact for electrically connecting the first and second fixed contacts when the movable contact engages the first and second fixed contacts.