The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 25, 1997
Hollister Hartman, Northville, MI (US);
Robin Mihekan Miller, Ellington, CT (US);
UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
Switches incorporate a material layer which becomes fluent upon reaching a predetermined temperature such that the switch body moves to correspond to the individual position and shape of a user's hand. The material layer is made to become fluent, and the layer then flows to correspond to the individual user's hand orientation and shape. In one embodiment, the layer of material is a foam which is fluent at human body temperature. The foam thus automatically corresponds to the shape of the user's hand when the user grips the switch body. In the second embodiment, the layer of material is actuated at a relatively higher temperature and a heating coil is provided to move the layer to that higher temperature.