Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Liquid contact
Reexamination Certificate
2005-06-07
2005-06-07
Barrera, Ramon M. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Liquid contact
C200S187000, C200S215000, C200S233000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06903287
ABSTRACT:
An optical relay is disclosed in which a liquid metal droplet is moved within a switching channel formed in relay housing. An optical path passing through the switching channel is blocked or unblocked by motion of the liquid metal droplet that coalesces with one of two additional liquid metal droplets. Motion of the liquid metal droplets is controlled by heaters that control the pressure of an actuation gas in the switching channel. The liquid metal droplets are held in place by surface tension acting on wettable contact pads within the switching channel. The surface tension of the liquid provides a latching mechanism for the relay. The pressure of the actuation gas is increased by direct heating of the gas or by heating a phase-change liquid to cause it to evaporate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2312672 (1943-03-01), Pollard, Jr.
patent: 2564081 (1951-08-01), Schilling
patent: 3430020 (1969-02-01), Von Tomkewitsch et al.
patent: 3529268 (1970-09-01), Rauterberg
patent: 3600537 (1971-08-01), Twyford
patent: 3639165 (1972-02-01), Rairden, III
patent: 3657647 (1972-04-01), Beusman et al.
patent: 4103135 (1978-07-01), Gomez et al.
patent: 4200779 (1980-04-01), Zakurdaev et al.
patent: 4238748 (1980-12-01), Goullin et al.
patent: 4245886 (1981-01-01), Kolodzey et al.
patent: 4336570 (1982-06-01), Brower
patent: 4419650 (1983-12-01), John
patent: 4434337 (1984-02-01), Becker
patent: 4475033 (1984-10-01), Willemsen et al.
patent: 4505539 (1985-03-01), Auracher et al.
patent: 4582391 (1986-04-01), Legrand
patent: 4628161 (1986-12-01), Thackrey
patent: 4652710 (1987-03-01), Karnowsky et al.
patent: 4657339 (1987-04-01), Fick
patent: 4742263 (1988-05-01), Harnden, Jr. et al.
patent: 4786130 (1988-11-01), Georgiou et al.
patent: 4797519 (1989-01-01), Elenbaas
patent: 4804932 (1989-02-01), Akanuma et al.
patent: 4988157 (1991-01-01), Jackel et al.
patent: 5278012 (1994-01-01), Yamanaka et al.
patent: 5415026 (1995-05-01), Ford
patent: 5502781 (1996-03-01), Li et al.
patent: 5644676 (1997-07-01), Blomberg et al.
patent: 5675310 (1997-10-01), Wojnarowski et al.
patent: 5677823 (1997-10-01), Smith
patent: 5751074 (1998-05-01), Prior et al.
patent: 5751552 (1998-05-01), Scanlan et al.
patent: 5828799 (1998-10-01), Donald
patent: 5841686 (1998-11-01), Chu et al.
patent: 5849623 (1998-12-01), Wojnarowski et al.
patent: 5874770 (1999-02-01), Saia et al.
patent: 5875531 (1999-03-01), Nellissen et al.
patent: 5886407 (1999-03-01), Polese et al.
patent: 5889325 (1999-03-01), Uchida et al.
patent: 5912606 (1999-06-01), Nathanson et al.
patent: 5915050 (1999-06-01), Russell et al.
patent: 5972737 (1999-10-01), Polese et al.
patent: 5994750 (1999-11-01), Yagi
patent: 6021048 (2000-02-01), Smith
patent: 6180873 (2001-01-01), Bitko
patent: 6201682 (2001-03-01), Mooij et al.
patent: 6207234 (2001-03-01), Jiang
patent: 6212308 (2001-04-01), Donald
patent: 6225133 (2001-05-01), Yamamichi et al.
patent: 6278541 (2001-08-01), Baker
patent: 6304450 (2001-10-01), Dibene, II et al.
patent: 6320994 (2001-11-01), Donald et al.
patent: 6323447 (2001-11-01), Kondoh et al.
patent: 6351579 (2002-02-01), Early et al.
patent: 6356679 (2002-03-01), Kapany
patent: 6360775 (2002-03-01), Barth et al.
patent: 6373356 (2002-04-01), Gutierrez et al.
patent: 6396012 (2002-05-01), Bloomfield
patent: 6396371 (2002-05-01), Streeter et al.
patent: 6408112 (2002-06-01), Bartels
patent: 6446317 (2002-09-01), Figueroa et al.
patent: 6453086 (2002-09-01), Tarazona
patent: 6470106 (2002-10-01), McClelland et al.
patent: 6487333 (2002-11-01), Fouquet
patent: 6501354 (2002-12-01), Gutierrez et al.
patent: 6512322 (2003-01-01), Fong et al.
patent: 6515404 (2003-02-01), Wong
patent: 6516504 (2003-02-01), Schaper
patent: 6559420 (2003-05-01), Zarev
patent: 6633213 (2003-10-01), Dove
patent: 2002/0037128 (2002-03-01), Burger et al.
patent: 2002/0146197 (2002-10-01), Yong
patent: 2002/0150323 (2002-10-01), Nishida et al.
patent: 2002/0168133 (2002-11-01), Saito
patent: 2003/0012483 (2003-01-01), Ticknor et al.
patent: 2003/0035611 (2003-02-01), Shi
patent: 0593836 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 1 014 140 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 1 221 633 (2002-02-01), None
patent: 2418539 (1979-09-01), None
patent: 2458138 (1980-12-01), None
patent: 2667396 (1982-04-01), None
patent: SHO 36-18575 (1961-10-01), None
patent: SHO 47-21645 (1972-10-01), None
patent: 62-276838 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 83-294317 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 9161640 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 8-126487 (1998-05-01), None
patent: WO99/46624 (1999-12-01), None
Jonathan Simon, “A Liquid-Filled Microrelay With A Moving Mercury Microdrop” (Sep. 1997), Journal of Microelectromechinical Systems, vol. 6, No. 3, pp 208-216.
Marvin Glenn Wong, “A Piezoelectrically Actuated Liquid Metal Switch”, May 2, 2002, patent application (pending, 12 pages of specification, 5 pages of claims, 1 page of abstract, and 10 sheets of drawings (Figs. 1-10).
Bhedwar, Homi C. et al. “Ceramic Multilayer Package Fabrication,” Electronic Materials Handbook, Nov. 1989, pp. 460-469, vol. 1 Packaging, Section 4: Packages.
Kim, Joonwon et al. “A Micromechanical Switch with Electrostatically Driven Liquid-Metal Droplet,” Sensors and Actuators, A: Physical, v 9798, Apr. 1, 2002, 4 pages.
Agilent Technologie,s Inc.
Barrera Ramon M.
LandOfFree
Liquid metal optical relay does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquid metal optical relay, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquid metal optical relay will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3517486