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:
Apr. 05, 2005
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2003
Arthur Fong, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Marvin Glenn Wong, Woodland Park, CO (US);
Arthur Fong, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Marvin Glenn Wong, Woodland Park, CO (US);
Agilent Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and structure for an electrical switch. A gas-filled chamber is housed within a solid material. Contacts within the gas-filled chamber are coupled to the solid material, while a plurality of piezoelectric elements within the gas-filled chamber are also coupled to the solid material. A slug within the gas-filled chamber is coupled to one or more of the plurality of contacts and further coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. A liquid metal within the gas-filled chamber is coupled to the slug, and coupled to the plurality of contacts. One or more of the piezoelectric elements are actuated, with the actuation of the one or more piezoelectric elements causing the slug coupled to the one or more piezoelectric elements to move from a first number of contacts to a second number of contacts wherein the first number of contacts and the second number of contacts are wetted by the liquid metal. The movement of the slug from the first number of contacts to the second number of contacts breaks a liquid metal surface tension between the slug and the first number of contacts and establishes a coupling between the slug and the second number of contacts, thereby enabling the liquid metal switch to change from a first state to a second state.