Patents Examined by Karl Easthom
  • Patent number: 5798684
    Abstract: A thin-film temperature sensor with a robust bridge structure and a stable electric characteristic, as well as a method of manufacture thereof, is provided. Over the substrate 1 with the cavity 13 are formed electrode layers 6 in a bridge shape, whose electrodes 6A, 6B are bonded with thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8, which are then covered with a protective insulating film 9, a buffer film 10 and a glass layer 11 in that order. The protective insulating film 9 and the glass layer 11 extend over the substrate 1 to increase the mechanical strength of the infrared sensitive element A. The sandwich structure of the insulating films 5, 9 holding the thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8 in between and the use of the buffer film 10 combine to prevent electrical characteristic variations, which would otherwise be caused by changes in composition of the thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8 during the heat treatment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Ishizuka Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Haruyuki Endo, Takeshi Fuse, Hiroyuki Ishida
  • Patent number: 5793278
    Abstract: A current limiter with a controllable resistance which assumes a low value during rated service and a high value during a short-circuit disconnect. The current limiter includes a thermoplastic resistive member between two flat, metallic electrodes. Each of the flat metallic electrodes has a surface profile on the side facing the thermoplastic resistive member. The resistive member has a surface profile complementary to the surface profile on the adjacent surfaces of the flat electrodes. The flat electrodes and the resistive member are thereby inseparably connected, with the flat electrodes and the resistive member being pressed together by a pressure force. The interlocking of the surfaces results in an especially rapid readjustment of the limiter resistance from its high-resistance state during a short-circuit disconnect back to the low-resistance state during rated service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fritz Pohl, Wilfried Jaehner
  • Patent number: 5790012
    Abstract: There is provided a variable resistor having a small number of parts and having an excellent heat releasing property. A rotor is rotatably contained in a concave portion of a case. The rotor has a resistive element provided on the bottom thereof and electrodes connected to both ends of the resistive element. Arms of sliders are provided on the bottom of the concave portion of the case in a sliding relationship with the respective electrodes and resistive element. A metal cover is disposed on the upper surface of the case in contact with the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakatsu, Hideaki Tsukada, Katsuhiro Onishi, Miroyuki Kishishita, Yukinori Ueda
  • Patent number: 5786744
    Abstract: A hybrid sensor which is comprised of an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration based on a temperature distribution of a predetermined gas hermetically enclosed within a fluid-tight space, and an angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity based on a deviation of a flow of a predetermined gas. The acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor are formed in one piece by the use of semiconductor processing technology in such a manner that the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor are formed on a plurality of semiconductor substrates, and then the plurality of semiconductor substrates are superposed one upon another and united into a laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nishio, Satoshi Hiyama, Mizuho Doi, Nobuhiro Fueki, Hiroshi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 5786745
    Abstract: A package (10) has outermost surfaces (12, 13, 14, 16) that form a polygon shape. The body (11) of the package (10) has axial symmetry about an axis (21). A lead (22) exits the package along the axis (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander J. Elliott, Lonne L. Mays
  • Patent number: 5781099
    Abstract: A miniature trimmer resistor has a resistor carrier with resistive path deposited thereon and solder contacts electrically connected to the resistive path. The resistor carrier and solder contacts are formed by means of a single film of electrically insulating material. This film is covered or coated with electrically conductive material in the region of the solder contacts and printed with a resistive enamel in the region of the resistive path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Wilhelm Ruf KG
    Inventors: Thomas Joschika, Werner Till
  • Patent number: 5780811
    Abstract: This diesel particulate filter comprises of a composite filter plate composed of thin filter plates formed out of ceramic fiber, and a latticed heating wire, and metal nets. The composite filter plate is bent into a bellows-like structure so as to increase a cross-sectional area of an exhaust gas passage. The latticed heating wire is formed to a current self-controlling type heating wire out of a material containing Ni as a main component the resistance value of which increases as the temperature rises. The particulates collected by the thin filter plates are burnt by supplying an electric current to the latticed heating wire. When a high-temperature region occurs on the thin filter plates, the level of an electric current flowing to the portion of the latticed heating wire which corresponds to the same region is reduced. Consequently, all the regions of the thin filter plates are heated at a uniform temperature, and the melting and breakage of the thin filter plates do not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Isuzu Ceramics Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Kawamura
  • Patent number: 5781100
    Abstract: A resistor substrate in which a resistor layer having an electroconductive powder and carbon fibers dispersed in a heat resistant resin is molded into a substrate comprising a heat resistant thermosetting molding material, and the surface of the resistor layer is in a mirror-finished state. The resistor substrate is manufactured by printing the resistor layer on a metal plate and heat-curing the same, molding the resistor layer formed on the metal plate in a die into a substrate shape with a heat resistant thermosetting resin and peeling the metal plate and transferring the resistor layer to the substrate molded from the heat resistant thermosetting resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisasi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 5777543
    Abstract: A ceramic resistor comprising chiefly an aluminum nitride, and an electrostatic chuck using the ceramic resistor as a resistor layer. The ceramic resistor comprises chiefly an aluminum nitride crystal phase, and is doped with at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of elements of the Groups 2b, 4b and 6b of periodic table, and exhibits a volume resistivity of not larger than 10.sup.14 .OMEGA.-cm at 25.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Aida, Kazuhiko Mikami, Kenji Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 5770993
    Abstract: A resistor with a thermal fuse includes: a substrate consisting of an insulating material; a wire pattern formed on a surface of the substrate; a gap for electrically cutting off the wire pattern; a plate spring consisting of an electrically conductive material arranged across the gap; an electrically conductive member fixed to one end of the plate spring on a side of the wire pattern and having approximately the same linear conduction coefficient as that of the substrate; a first low melting point alloy for welding the electrically conductive material and the wire pattern provided on one side of the gap; a second low melting point alloy for welding the other end of the plate spring and the wire pattern provided on the other side of the gap; wherein, when the first low melting point alloy is melted, the electrically conductive member is released from the first low melting point alloy so that the plate spring is also released from the wire pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Miyazawa, Shinji Iwama, Masaki Sanji, Yasufumi Kojima
  • Patent number: 5764130
    Abstract: A temperature sensing element packaged in a protected basket by a single insert molding operation. This design does not obstruct the air flow perpendicular to the thermistor thickness, and thus provides enhanced response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Peter John Straub, Richard Darrell Kirkwood
  • Patent number: 5764129
    Abstract: A ceramic resistor includes zinc oxide as a main component, and as essential components, aluminum oxide 3.0-40 mol %, magnesium oxide 2.0-40 mol %, silicon oxide 0.1-10 mol %, and at least one kind of compound 0.005-0.5 mol %, selected from a group consisting of calcium oxide, strontium oxide and barium oxide, and has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance. A neutral grounding resistor and a gas circuit breaker, each using the above-mentioned ceramic resistors, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Moritaka Syouji, Tadashi Kitami, Seiichi Yamada, Ken Takahashi, Shingo Shirakawa, Takeo Yamazaki, Shigeru Tanaka, Shigehisa Motowaki
  • Patent number: 5760676
    Abstract: In a positive temperature coefficient thermistor, a terminal holding member is provided between an outer casing and an elastic terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor ceramic element. The terminal holding member is formed of a thermoplastic resin having a low softening point. Consequently, when an abnormally large amount of heat is generated in the semiconductor ceramic element, the terminal holding member melts and deforms, causing the semiconductor ceramic element to be separated and thereby electrically disconnected from the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5760675
    Abstract: Disclosed is the method of producing a piezo-device utilizing an ultra-thin Mo-C film as a piezoresistive material for a general class of improved piezo-device with the high sensitivity and the weak temperature dependence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seong-Jae Lee, Kyoung-Wan Park, Min-Cheol Shin
  • Patent number: 5756971
    Abstract: Proposed is a heater arrangement for a measuring sensor for determining components in gases, particularly in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines. The heater arrangement comprises at least two heating elements (10, 11) which are disposed at least partly one above the other and electrically insulated from one another by means of at least one insulating layer. A contacting member (14) laid through the insulating layer from one heating element (10) to the other heating element (11) is provided in such a manner that the heating elements (10, 11) are switched in series one behind the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Heinrich Hipp
  • Patent number: 5757264
    Abstract: A resistor structure which resistance value is electrically adjusted after fabrication by a tester during the test operation so that its equivalent resistance closely approximates a desired nominal value. The resistor structure includes a main resistor and a number of trimming resistors connected in parallel. Each trimming resistor can be connected in parallel to the main resistor independently of one another via a switch, typically a pass-gate NFET device, and serially connected therewith. The switch is enabled via a control line coupled to a binary storage cell. It includes a programmable fuse that can be electrically blown by the tester. Because the resistance value of the main resistor and trimming resistors changes as a result of fabrication process variations, the trimming resistors are designed so that no matter what the equivalent resistance value of the main resistor is, there exists an appropriate combination of trimming resistors to achieve the desired nominal value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Dominique A. Petit
  • Patent number: 5757263
    Abstract: Method of providing a semiconductor device with an inorganic electrically insulative layer, the device having exposed semiconductor surfaces and electrically conductive metal end terminations, in which the device is reacted with phosphoric acid to form a phosphate on the exposed surfaces of the semiconductor but not on the metal end terminations, and in which the device is thereafter barrel plated in a conventional electrical barrel plating process and the plating is provided only on the end terminations because the phosphate is not electrically conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventor: Palaniappan Ravindranathan
  • Patent number: 5754301
    Abstract: The potentiometer has a housing in which a carrier plate which supports a resistance strip is disposed. A rotary pin is supported on the housing and has a sliding contact connected to the rotary pin for engaging the resistance strip. The carrier plate is rotatably connected to the housing and is embodied for the engagement of a turning tool. It assumes its position with regard to the housing because of a frictional connection. The resistance strip can be oriented with regard to the housing or the sliding contact by rotating the carrier plate relative to the housing and the rotary pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Aloys Schnaeker
  • Patent number: 5748069
    Abstract: A resistive film includes carbon (40-95 at. %), one or more metal(s) (4-60 at.%) and hydrogen (1-30 at. %). The film has a resistivity in excess of 1000 .mu..OMEGA.cm and a temperature coefficient TC in the range of between -100 and +100 ppm/K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Heinz Dimigen, Claus-Peter Klages, Rainer Veyhl, Klaus Taube, Rudolf Thyen, Hubertus Hubsch, Eckart Boettger
  • Patent number: 5742223
    Abstract: An electrical device in which a first resistive element which is composed of a first electrically non-linear composition is in electrical contact, and preferably in physical and electrical contact, with a second resistive element which is composed of a second composition which has a resistivity of less than 100 ohm-cm. The first composition has a resistivity of more than 10.sup.9 ohm-cm and contains a first particulate filler. The second composition contains a second particulate filler which (a) is magnetic and electrically conductive, and (b) is aligned in discrete regions in the second polymeric component. The device also contains first and second electrodes which are positioned so that current can flow between the electrodes through the first and second resistive elements. Devices of the invention have relatively low breakdown voltages and can survive high energy fault conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Raychem Corporation
    Inventors: William H. Simendinger, III, Charles A. Boyer, Rudolf R. Bukovnik