Patents by Inventor Larry E. Maple

Larry E. Maple 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: 7351497
    Abstract: A battery arrangement that minimize battery-to-battery and battery-to-device contact resistance by rupturing or removing an insulating contaminant layer on portions of battery terminals that contact each other or that contact contacts in a battery compartment. Generally, standard dry cell and miniature batteries are arranged such that the surface area of the terminals that contact other terminals or device contacts is reduced. A given compression force applied to the serially-aligned batteries in the battery compartment results in a contact pressure sufficient to rupture the insulating contaminant layer at the terminal region that contacts the adjacent terminal or device contact. A relative lateral motion can be imparted between adjacent batteries and/or a battery and device contact to facilitate the removal of the insulating contaminant layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Larry E Maple
  • Publication number: 20040061477
    Abstract: A battery arrangement that minimize battery-to-battery and battery-to-device contact resistance by rupturing or removing an insulating contaminant layer on portions of battery terminals that contact each other or that contact contacts in a battery compartment. Generally, standard dry cell and miniature batteries are arranged such that the surface area of the terminals that contact other terminals or device contacts is reduced. A given compression force applied to the serially-aligned batteries in the battery compartment results in a contact pressure sufficient to rupture the insulating contaminant layer at the terminal region that contacts the adjacent terminal or device contact. A relative lateral motion can be imparted between adjacent batteries and/or a battery and device contact to facilitate the removal of the insulating contaminant layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple
  • Publication number: 20040056637
    Abstract: A conical coiled spring battery contact for use in a battery compartment that ruptures an insulating contaminant layer on a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The coiled spring contact is constructed and arranged such that only a battery terminal contact point contacts an abutting a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The contact point is defined by a minimal surface area of an upper end turn of the coiled spring contact. Such a conical coiled spring contact minimizes the contact resistance between the conical coiled spring contact and the battery terminal due to the presence of such an insulating contaminant layer. This in turn increases the amount of battery power and current available for the implementing device. The battery compartment can include a housing configured to receive one or more batteries and a conical coiled spring contact of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple
  • Patent number: 6641952
    Abstract: A battery arrangement that minimize battery-to-battery and battery-to-device contact resistance by rupturing or removing an insulating contaminant layer on portions of battery terminals that contact each other or that contact contacts in a battery compartment. Generally, standard dry cell and miniature batteries are arranged such that the surface area of the terminals that contact other terminals or device contacts is reduced. A given compression force applied to the serially-aligned batteries in the battery compartment results in a contact pressure sufficient to rupture the insulating contaminant layer at the terminal region that contacts the adjacent terminal or device contact. A relative lateral motion can be imparted between adjacent batteries and/or a battery and device contact to facilitate the removal of the insulating contaminant layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Larry E Maple
  • Patent number: 6635383
    Abstract: A conical coiled spring battery contact for use in a battery compartment that ruptures an insulating contaminant layer on a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The coiled spring contact is constructed and arranged such that only a battery terminal contact point contacts an abutting a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The contact point is defined by a minimal surface area of an upper end turn of the coiled spring contact. Such a conical coiled spring contact minimizes the contact resistance between the conical coiled spring contact and the battery terminal due to the presence of such an insulating contaminant layer. This in turn increases the amount of battery power and current available for the implementing device. The battery compartment can include a housing configured to receive one or more batteries and a conical coiled spring contact of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Larry E Maple
  • Publication number: 20020155345
    Abstract: A conical coiled spring battery contact for use in a battery compartment that ruptures an insulating contaminant layer on a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The coiled spring contact is constructed and arranged such that only a battery terminal contact point contacts an abutting a terminal of a battery installed in the battery compartment. The contact point is defined by a minimal surface area of an upper end turn of the coiled spring contact. Such a conical coiled spring contact minimizes the contact resistance between the conical coiled spring contact and the battery terminal due to the presence of such an insulating contaminant layer. This in turn increases the amount of battery power and current available for the implementing device. The battery compartment can include a housing configured to receive one or more batteries and a conical coiled spring contact of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple
  • Publication number: 20020155344
    Abstract: A battery arrangement that minimize battery-to-battery and battery-to-device contact resistance by rupturing or removing an insulating contaminant layer on portions of battery terminals that contact each other or that contact contacts in a battery compartment. Generally, standard dry cell and miniature batteries are arranged such that the surface area of the terminals that contact other terminals or device contacts is reduced. A given compression force applied to the serially-aligned batteries in the battery compartment results in a contact pressure sufficient to rupture the insulating contaminant layer at the terminal region that contacts the adjacent terminal or device contact. A relative lateral motion can be imparted between adjacent batteries and/or a battery and device contact to facilitate the removal of the insulating contaminant layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple
  • Patent number: 6365848
    Abstract: A key panel includes a key panel configuration having a number of switch locations arranged in a pattern so as to define an aspect ratio for the key panel configuration. A strip of switch material having an aspect ratio that is greater than the aspect ratio of the key panel configuration and having a number of switches that is at least equal to the number of switch locations for the key panel configuration is provided with at least one fold therein so as to arrange the number of switches on the strip of switch material in the pattern defined by the key panel configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Larry E Maple
  • Patent number: 6359242
    Abstract: A key panel comprises a key pad having a number of key sites provided thereon that define an aspect ratio for the key pad. A strip of printed wiring material is positioned adjacent the key pad. A number of switch contact sites provided on the strip of printed wiring material define an aspect ratio for the strip of printed wiring material that is greater than the aspect ratio of the key pad. The strip of printed wiring material is provided with at least one fold therein so that each of the number of switch contact sites provided on the strip of printed wiring material is generally aligned with a corresponding one of the number of key sites provided on the key pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple
  • Patent number: 5523562
    Abstract: An optical scanner having enhanced depth of illumination may comprise an elongate light source positioned along a longitudinal axis for illuminating points contained within a scan plane bounded at an upper edge by a far limit focal plane and at a lower edge by a near limit focal plane. A first light shade and a second light shade are positioned in spaced apart relation to one another and to the elongate light source. The first and second light shades define a lamp aperture that subtends a first angle with respect to a first line defined by the intersection of the scan plane with the near limit focal plane and that subtends a second angle with respect to a second line defined by the intersection of the scan plane with the far limit focal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Larry E. Maple