Multistable mechanical switching device
First Claim
1. A multi-stable mechanical switching device comprising a plurality of elongated elements of substantially uniform hexagonal cross-section held in a tight bundle by an inward, centrally acting containing member such that appropriate pressure on the sides of the bundle causes transverse shearing of the bundle and rearrangement of the elements;
- further wherein interactive components are variously contained within selected elements to provide signaling effects when the act of rearrangement causes selected elements to come into contact with other selected elements activating the interactive components of the selected elements in mutual contact and producing signaling effects depending upon the predetermined interactive properties of the selected elements in mutual contact.
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Abstract
This invention is a multistable mechanical switching device. It is a bundle of rods surrounded by elastic, which when manipulated can be made to change from one stable close-packed state to another, causing a sudden rearrangement of the rods within the bundle, and producing a snapping noise or click which can be heard and felt with the fingers, interesting visual effects due to the rearrangement of the rods, and various switching and signaling effects. Possible applications of this invention are electrical switches, electronic logic, locks, medical devices, amusement devices, puzzles, science education, toys, executive pacifiers, hand exercisers, and physics and materials science demonstrations.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A multi-stable mechanical switching device comprising a plurality of elongated elements of substantially uniform hexagonal cross-section held in a tight bundle by an inward, centrally acting containing member such that appropriate pressure on the sides of the bundle causes transverse shearing of the bundle and rearrangement of the elements;
- further wherein interactive components are variously contained within selected elements to provide signaling effects when the act of rearrangement causes selected elements to come into contact with other selected elements activating the interactive components of the selected elements in mutual contact and producing signaling effects depending upon the predetermined interactive properties of the selected elements in mutual contact.
- View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A multi-stable mechanical switching device comprising a plurality of elongated elements held in a tight bundle by an inward, centrally-acting containing member such that appropriate pressure on the sides of the bundle causes transverse shearing of the bundle and rearrangement of the elements;
- further wherein the interactive components contained within selected elements variously comprising electrically conducting contacts spaced along the length of the elements, a power source, interconnecting wires, and a signaling device;
such that the act of rearrangement causes the electrically conducting contacts to come in mutual contact with other contacts of other selected elements to conduct electrical current through interconnecting wires to the signaling devices of the selected elements in mutual contact to produce various signaling effects.
- further wherein the interactive components contained within selected elements variously comprising electrically conducting contacts spaced along the length of the elements, a power source, interconnecting wires, and a signaling device;
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4. A multi-stable mechanical switching device comprising a plurality of substantially identically-shaped, hexagonal rods held in a tight bundle by an inward, centrally acting means such that appropriate pressure on the sides of the bundle causes transverse shearing of the bundle and relative movement among the elements;
- further wherein interactive electrical components variously comprising electrically conducting contacts spaced along the length of the elements, a power source, interconnecting wires, and a signaling device;
are contained within selected elements to provide different signaling effects when the relative movement of the elements causes the electrically conducting contacts of selected elements to come in mutual contact with other contacts of other selected elements to conduct electrical current through interconnecting wires to the signaling devices of the selected elements in mutual contact to produce various signaling effects depending upon the predetermined interactive properties of the selected elements in mutual contact.
- further wherein interactive electrical components variously comprising electrically conducting contacts spaced along the length of the elements, a power source, interconnecting wires, and a signaling device;
Specification