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:
May. 31, 2005
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2002
Masao Kasashima, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Ichiro Tokunaga, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Hirofumi Okumura, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Seiji Kikuchi, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Masao Kasashima, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Ichiro Tokunaga, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Hirofumi Okumura, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Seiji Kikuchi, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A magnetic switch using magnetoresistive elements having respective free layers whose magnetization directions are varied by an external magnetic field. The magnetic switch also has a first magnet and a second magnet that produce respective magnetic fields that serve as the external magnetic field and are different from each other in strength and opposite to each other in direction, and a magnetic shield member whose relative position with respect to the first magnet and the second magnet varies. The magnetic shield member moves between a first position with which both of the magnetic fields of the first magnet and the second magnet act on the magnetoresistive elements to magnetize their free layers in a first direction and a second position with which only one of the magnetic fields of the first magnet and the second magnet acts on the magnetoresistive elements to magnetize their free layers in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.