Cts Corporation

Stephen W Burry

Lewis L Seffernick

Robert M Vandenboom

John Zdanys

Terry R Bloom

David Larry Poole

James N Hufford

Steven N Ginn

Ronald J Dedert

Ronald L Stuckey

Eric B Taylor

Dennis Raesner

Nelson T Clark

Mark N Grube

Timothy L Hartigan

An integrated, surface-mount pointing device for controlling the movement of an object on a display screen, comprises a base member mounted to a substrate; a shaft mounted in the base member; a sensor mounted on the shaft for sensing the amount of strain in the shaft in response to an applied force on the shaft; and an integrated circuit mounted between the base member and the substrate. The integrated circuit can provide signal conditioning and analog to digital signal conversion as required. This allows for an integrated and compact pointing device.

Integrated surface-mount pointing device

A ball grid array resistor network has a substrate that has top and bottom surfaces. Resistors are disposed on the top surface. Conductors are disposed on the top surface, and each conductor is electrically connected to an end of each resistor. Vias extend through the substrate and are electrically connected to the conductors. Solder spheres are disposed on the bottom surface, and are electrically connected to the vias. A cover coat is disposed over the conductors and resistors. In an alternative embodiment, the vias are eliminated and the resistor network is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. The resistor network provides a high density of resistors per unit area.

Ball grid array resistor network

A pointing stick for controlling the positioning, movement and operation of a cursor on the display screen. Specifically, there is a pointing stick that both directs a cursor and acts as the activation button for selecting items on the display screen by tapping on the pointing stick instead of clicking on a mouse button. Uniquely, the device is made of a shaft (,) having a longitudinal length oriented along a first axis (,) and having a top surface that is perpendicular to the first axis, there is a vertical force sensor (,or,), mounted on the top surface of the shaft, for sensing a vertical oriented force applied to the shaft along the first axis. Cap (,), has a cavity (,) with a top surface (,) therein, where the top surface of the shaft is positioned within the cavity and spaced from and juxtaposed to the top surface of the cavity. In one embodiment the vertical sensor includes first and second electrically conductive pads that are electrically isolated from each other. The vertical sensor also has a flexible conductive layer positioned next to the top surface of the cavity of the cap. Additionally, the vertical sensor has an electrically insulative spacer (,) shaped to position the first and second pads away from the flexible conductive layer. In a second embodiment, the vertical sensor comprises a pressure sensitive layer (,) located on the top surface of the shaft. Additionally, the alternative vertical sensor has a strain concentrator, shaped and positioned to concentrate a z-axis oriented force applied to the cap to effect the electrical conductivity of the pressure sensitive layer.

Pointing stick with top mounted z-axis sensor

A resistor network has a substrate with top and side surfaces. Resistors are located on the side surfaces. Several side conductors are located on the side surface and are electrically connected to the resistors. Several top conductors are located on the top surface and are electrically connected to the side conductors. Each top conductor has a cavity. A solder sphere is partially located in the cavity and is electrically and mechanically connected to the top conductor by reflowed solder paste. A cover coat covers the side conductors and the resistors. The resistor network provides a high density of resistors per unit area.

Resistor network with solder sphere connector

In a hydraulic press for briquetting loose powders into green compacts, a load cell senses maximum compacting force. The maximum compacting force is compared with a compacting standard force known to effect a particular weight and density of compacted briquette. There is next operated a closed-loop servo network which adjusts the peak force to the standard force by varying the initial size of the cavity receiving the loose powders. Should the peak force be greater or less than standard force, an actuating mechanism is energized either to enlarge or diminish the die cavity for receiving the powder. If the peak force is too small, the initial die cavity size is enlarged so that a greater amount of powder is charged to the die cavity. The result is that when the final configuration of the briquette is reached, there will be greater density and greater weight to the briquette, causing it to more nearly approximate a standard briquette weight and density. Conversely, the die cavity is automatically initially reduced in the event that compacting maximum force is too great so that the final compacted briquette will contain less powder, thus reducing the density and weight and thereby adjusting the finished product to a standard briquette size and density.

Apparatus for producing uniform density and weight briquettes

In a hydraulic press for briquetting loose powders into green components, a load cell senses maximum compacting force. The maximum compacting force is compared with a compacting standard force known to effect a particular weight and density of compacted briquette. There is next operated a closed-loop servo network which adjusts the peak force to the standard force by varying the initial size of the cavity receiving the loose powders. Should the peak force be greater or less than standard force, an actuating mechanism is energized either to enlarge or diminish the die cavity for receiving the powder. If the peak force is too small, the initial die cavity size is enlarged so that a greater amount of powder is charged to the die cavity. The result is that when the final configuration of the briquette is reached, there will be greater density and greater weight to the briquette, causing it to more nearly approximate a standard briquette weight and density. Conversely, the die cavity is automatically initially reduced in the event that compacting maximum force is too great so that the final compacted briquette will contain less powder, thus reducing the density and weight and thereby adjusting the finished product to a standard briquette size and density.

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Berne, IN, United States of America

Stephen W Burry