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:
Nov. 22, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2008
Applicants:
Naohiro Sakai, Saitama, JP;
Yoshitaka Noguchi, Saitama, JP;
Inventors:
Naohiro Sakai, Saitama, JP;
Yoshitaka Noguchi, Saitama, JP;
Assignee:
Toyo Denso Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01H 9/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
Paddle levers protrude from lower sides of a center pad of a steering wheel into two lower spaces partitioned using a horizontal spoke and a vertical spoke of the steering wheel. The paddle lever is formed of a transparent photoconductor, and a periphery of the paddle lever is illuminated in a rimmed shape. Hence, the paddle lever can be visually recognized easily, and a finger touching the paddle lever can be visually recognized instantaneously. Therefore, operation almost nearly equivalent to complete blind touch operation can be attained, and the operability is improved.