Abstract: A dispensing apparatus includes a housing defining a channel, a plunger slidably engaged with an inner surface of the channel, a substrate with one or more passages each having two or more openings, a liquid in each of the one or more passages, at least one fluid, and a force application system. The substrate is disposed in the channel on one side of the plunger. The liquid in each of the one or more passages has a volume which exceeds an internal volume of each the one or more passages and forms a liquid drop around each of the openings. The liquid drops are fluidly connected to one another and each of the liquid drops is individually adjustable between two or more sizes. Each of the sizes and a location of each of the liquid drops define one of two or more switch positions. The fluid is located in the channel on the one side of the plunger and substantially surrounding the liquid drops.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a channel plate for a fluid-based switch. The channel plate is produced by 1) depositing a photoimagable dielectric layer onto a substrate, 2) photoimaging at least one channel plate feature on the dielectric layer, and 3) developing the dielectric layer to form the at least one channel plate feature in the dielectric layer, thereby forming the channel plate. Switches using photoimaged channel plates, and a method for making a switch with a photoimaged channel plate, are also disclosed.

Abstract: In order to prevent a crack of plastic parts caused by a shrinkage force of a resin filler filled in an ignition coil casing, a cylindrical coil casing houses a primary coil and a secondary coil concentrically, and the resin filler such as epoxy resin is filled in the coil casing to insulate between the parts in the coil casing and to fix the parts. A ring-shaped partition member is provided at the upper portion in the coil casing to separate the resin filler locating above the primary coil and the secondary coil inside and outside. The partition member is made of a resin whose adhesive strength against the resin filler is weak, such as polypropylene (PP). The partition member reduces the shrinkage force between the outside resin filler and the inside resin filler, and prevents a crack of plastic parts, such as the secondary spool.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator for operating a signal transmitter comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in a housing, a motor rotating the shaft to operate the signal transmitter as a function of position, a portion of the shaft having a first recess, a sleeve surrounding the shaft having a second recess, a ball element spring biased in one recess, the ball element operating the signal transmitter when the position of the first and second recess coincide.

Abstract: It has been discovered that electrically conducting, vitreous pyrolytic carbon in broken-bubble, foam-type, reticulated structures can be used as an extremely fast and efficient electrically operated motor to actuate mechanical devices, such as mercury liquid contact relays, by electrothermally-produced gas expansion. The gas pressure change is produced evenly and almost instantaneously throughout the volume of the reticular motor to move mercury contacts, to open or close a liquid contact relay, thus avoiding the expensive electromagnetic coils now used as relay motors.By passing an electrical current through conducting reticulated material formed from pyrolytic carbon, metals, conductive ceramics or plastics, the microscopic network of interconnecting filaments is heated, thus heating and expanding the fluid (air, hydrogen, helium, argon, etc.) contained in the reticular motor.