Patents by Inventor Alan R. Harwood

Alan R. Harwood has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6120304
    Abstract: A contact member is disclosed for providing electrical connection between two components of a housing for electrical or electronic equipment. The contact member comprises a spring clip for mounting the contact member over an edge of the first housing component. The spring clip has integrally connected front and rear portions for gripping the first housing component therebetween. The contact member also has a spring leaf integrally connected with the spring clip. The spring leaf has a generally U-shaped cross-section defined by a first contact portion, which extends away from the spring clip to the bight of the U at an acute angle to the first component when gripped by the spring clip, to contact the second housing component in use, and a second contact portion, which extends from the bight of the U back towards the spring clip, to contact the first housing component is use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: APW Electronics Limited
    Inventors: Alan R Harwood, John R Parkin
  • Patent number: 4577513
    Abstract: A strain sensing arrangement includes a rigid annular ring, which is co-axial with an upper central boss and a lower central boss. An upper array of vertical, relatively flat, wide and flexible beams are connected to the upper boss and the ring and a lower array of horizontal beams are connected to the lower boss and the ring. Each of the beams are provided with a strain gauge on each side thereof for detecting any deflection of the beams.When the arrangement is utilized in an assembly robot, the end of an arm of the robot is inserted downwardly into the upper boss and a gripper is inserted upwardly into the lower boss, so that the strain gauges can detect torsional and/or linear strain acting on the arrangement caused by relative rotation of the gripper with respect to the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignee: EMI Limited
    Inventors: Alan R. Harwood, Julie A. Ward