Contact-breaker device, circuit and apparatus comprising the same, and method for assembling contact-breaker device

• US 20060028306A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hukuba Dental Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hukuba Dental Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kiyoshi, Ikegami, Akira, Saeki, Satoshi, Tozawa, Keisabro, Shibata, Tomoko, Tobe, Toshio, Saeki, Kimihiro, Hukuba, Hiroshi, Kohno, Yukito, Ikegami, Kiyoshi, Saeki, Akiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,566,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/144 operated by vibration

Abstract

A contact-breaker device that can be miniaturized, realize low power consumption and low cost, and generate an irregular pulse current by causing irregular electrical conduction and insulation of a circuit. The contact-breaker device comprises: fixed terminals 12A and 12B secured at positions spaced apart from each other; and a movable member 11 capable of moving relative to the fixed terminals 12A and 12B and coming into or avoiding contact with the fixed terminals 12A and 12B based on its movement, thereby causing electrical conduction or insulation between the fixed terminals 12A and 12B; wherein the movable member 11 irregularly moves in accordance with externally applied vibration, thereby causing irregular electrical conduction or insulation between the fixed terminals 12A and 12B.

Claims

1. A contact-breaker device comprising:

a pair of fixed terminals secured on a supporting member at positions spaced apart from each other; and

a movable member capable of moving relative to the pair of fixed terminals and coming into or avoiding contact with the pair of fixed terminals based on its movement, thereby causing electrical conduction or insulation between the fixed terminals;

wherein the movable member moves irregularly in accordance with externally applied vibration, thereby causing irregular electrical conduction or insulation between the fixed terminals.

2. The contact-breaker device according to claim 1, wherein the movable member can move in all directions.

3. The contact-breaker device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the movable member comes into or avoids contact with one of the fixed terminals, while the other end of the movable member comes into or avoids contact with the other fixed terminal.

4. The contact-breaker device according to claim 1, wherein each of the fixed terminals has a through-hole in which the movable member loosely fits, and both ends of the movable member fit in the through-holes of the respective fixed terminals.

5. The contact-breaker device according to claim 4, wherein the fixed terminal comprises:

a first side wall with the through-hole; and

a second side wall formed opposite the first side wall.

6. The contact-breaker device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the fixed terminal has a cutout which is connected to the through-hole, and through which the movable member can be inserted into the through-hole in a snap-fit manner.

7. The contact-breaker device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed terminals are located at positions spaced apart from each other by interposing a joint member made of an insulator between the fixed terminals, and a housing including the joint member and the pair of fixed members is configured and the movable member is placed in the housing.

8. The contact-breaker device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member is a substrate for forming a circuit board.

9. The contact-breaker device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the fixed terminal comprises:

a third side wall that is set up on the supporting member and has the through-hole; and

a fixed part connected to the third side wall and secured on the supporting member.

10. The contact-breaker device according to claim 9, wherein the movable member comprises a restraining part for restraining the movement of the movable member by coming into contact with the third side wall.

11. The contact-breaker device according to claim 10, wherein the restraining part is located between the pair of fixed terminals when the movable member loosely fits in the through-holes.

12. The contact-breaker device according to claim 10, wherein the restraining part is located at both ends of the movable member.

13. The contact-breaker device according to claim 9, wherein the supporting member is a substrate for forming a circuit board.

14. A circuit comprising the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1.

15. The circuit according to claim 14, further comprising:

a power source; and

an indicator that operates based on an electric current supplied from the power source;

wherein the contact-breaker device and the indicator are connected in parallel to the power source; and

wherein the indicator operates when a current path including the contact-breaker device is broken, and the indicator stops operating when the current path including the contact-breaker device is formed.

16. The circuit according to claim 15, further comprising a contact electrode in the current path including the contact-breaker device,

wherein in the current path including the indicator, there is a control device for controlling the amount of electric current based on an electric potential difference between the contact-breaker device and the contact electrode.

17. The circuit according to claim 16, wherein the contact electrode includes a pair of terminals spaced apart from each other, and closes the circuit when the pair of terminals is made to come into contact with a conductive object.

18. The circuit according to claim 16, wherein at least either the indicator or the control device is a semiconductor device.

19. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the indicator is a light-emitting device.

20. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the indicator is a sound-generating device.

21. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the control device is an amplifying device.

22. A circuit comprising the contact-breaker device stated in claim 9.

23. A circuit board comprising the circuit stated in claim 14.

24. A pulse-current generator comprising:

the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1;

a power source connected to the contact-breaker device to supply an electric current to the contact-breaker device; and

a contact electrode for controlling the supply of the electric current to the contact-breaker device;

wherein the contact electrode includes a pair of terminals spaced apart from each other; and

when the pair of terminals comes into contact with a conductive object, the electric current is supplied to the contact-breaker device; and

when at least either one of the pair of terminals moves away from the object, the supply of the electric current to the contact-breaker device is stopped.

25. The pulse-current generator according to claim 24, further comprising an indicator that operates based on an electric current supplied from the power source;

wherein the contact-breaker device and the indicator are connected in parallel to the power

wherein the indicator operates when a current path including the contact-breaker device is broken, and the indicator stops operating when the current path including the contact-breaker device is formed.

26. The pulse-current generator according to claim 25, wherein in the current path including the indicator, there is a control device for controlling the amount of electric current based on an electric potential difference between the contact-breaker device and the contact electrode.

27. The pulse-current generator according to claim 24, further comprising a driving member for vibrating either one of the terminals of the contact electrode.

28. The pulse-current generator according to claim 24, further comprising:

a bristle-implanted part with brush bristles implanted therein;

a handle for a user to hold, that contains the power source;

a conductive plate connected to one electrode of the power source and placed in a such a manner that at least part of the conductive plate is exposed on a surface of the handle; and

a conductive member connected to the other electrode of the power source and capable of electrically connecting the brush bristles with the other electrode of the power source;

wherein one terminal of the contact electrode is composed of the conductive plate; and

wherein the other terminal of the contact electrode is composed of the brush bristles.

29. The pulse-current generator according to claim 28, wherein the brush bristles and the conductive member are located at positions spaced apart from each other, and a liquid pathway is interposed between the brush bristles and the conductive member, thereby bringing the brush bristles and the conductive member into conduction via the liquid pathway.

30. The pulse-current generator according to claim 29, wherein a conductive connecting member connected to the liquid pathway is placed on at least part of the surface of the bristle-implanted part where the brush bristles are implanted.

31. The pulse-current generator according to claim 24, comprising a main body including a handle for a user to hold and a contact part that comes into contact with the user'"'"'s body, wherein the main body contains the power source;

and

wherein one terminal of the contact electrode is composed of at least part of a surface of the handle, and

the other terminal of the contact electrode is composed of at least part of a surface of the contact part.

32. A pulse-current generator comprising the circuit stated in claim 14.

33. A pulse-current generator comprising the circuit board stated in claim 23.

34. A high-potential irregular pulse-current generating circuit comprising:

the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1;

and

a high-potential generating circuit for generating a regular oscillation wave; and

wherein the contact-breaker device turns the regular oscillation wave generated by the high-potential generating circuit, into an irregular oscillation wave.

35. The high-potential irregular pulse-current generating circuit according to claim 34, wherein the high-potential generating circuit and the contact-breaker device constitute a blocking oscillation circuit.

36. The high-potential irregular pulse-current generating circuit according to claim 34, further comprising:

a power source; and

an indicator that operates based on an electric current supplied from the power source;

wherein the contact-breaker device and the indicator are connected in parallel to the power source; and

wherein the indicator operates when a current path including the contact-breaker device is broken, and the indicator stops operating when the current path including the contact-breaker device is formed.

37. A high-potential irregular pulse-current generator comprising:

the high-potential irregular pulse-current generating circuit stated in claim 34;

a power source for supplying an electric current to the high-potential irregular pulse-current generating circuit;

a contact electrode for controlling the supply of the electric current to the contact-breaker device;

wherein the contact electrode includes a pair of terminals spaced apart from each other; and

when the pair of terminals comes into contact with a conductive object, the electric current is supplied to the contact-breaker device; and

when at least either one of the pair of terminals moves away from the object, the supply of the electric current to the contact-breaker device is stopped.

38. The high-potential irregular pulse-current generator according to claim 37, further comprising an indicator that operates based on the electric current supplied from the power source;

wherein the contact-breaker device and the indicator are connected in parallel to the power source; and

wherein the indicator operates when a current path including the contact-breaker device is broken, and the indicator stops operating when the current path including the contact-breaker device is formed.

39. The high-potential irregular pulse-current generator according to claim 37, further comprising:

a bristle-implanted part with brush bristles implanted therein;

a handle for a user to hold, that contains the power source and the high-potential pulse-current generating circuit;

a conductive plate connected to one electrode of the power source and placed in such a manner that at least part of the conductive plate is exposed on a surface of the handle; and

a conductive member connected to the other electrode of the power source and capable of electrically connecting the brush bristles with the other electrode of the power source;

wherein one terminal of the contact electrode is composed of the conductive plate; and

wherein the other terminal of the contact electrode is composed of the brush bristles.

40. A method for assembling the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1 on the supporting member, comprising the steps of:

installing, in a detachable manner, the contact-breaker device on a tape wound on a reel;

unwinding the tape from the reel and peeling off the contact-breaker device, which is installed on the tape in a detachable manner, from the tape; and

placing the contact-breaker device peeled off from the tape, at a specified position on the supporting member.

41. A method for assembling the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1 on the supporting member, comprising the steps of:

installing, in a detachable manner, the fixed terminals on a tape wound on a reel;

unwinding the tape from the reel and peeling off the fixed terminals, which are installed on the tape in a detachable manner, from the tape; and

placing the fixed terminals peeled off from the tape, at specified positions on the supporting member.

42. The method for assembling the contact-breaker device according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the supporting member is a substrate for forming a circuit board.

43. A taping reel comprising:

a reel; and

a tape wound on the reel;

wherein the contact-breaker device stated in claim 1 is installed on the tape.

44. A taping reel comprising:

a reel; and

a tape wound on the reel;

wherein the fixed terminals stated in claim 1 are installed on the tape.