The present invention generally relates to hand-held electronic thermometer.
Electronic thermometers are widely used in the healthcare field for measuring a patient's body temperature. Typical electronic thermometers have a base unit that is held in the palm of a hand and a probe with an elongated shaft connected to the base. The base unit includes a probe well for removably housing the probe when the thermometer is not in use. Electronic temperature sensors such as thermistors or other temperature sensitive elements are contained within a tip of the probe. When the tip is placed, for example, in a patient's mouth, the tip is heated up by the patient's body and the thermistor measures the temperature of the tip. A microcontroller in the base unit receives input from the thermistor to compute the patient's temperature. The temperature is then typically displayed on a LCD screen. Push buttons interfaced with the microcontroller are disposed below the LCD screen to allow the user to communicate with the microcontroller.
Some conventional electronic thermometers of the type described above are somewhat difficult to hold and operate with one hand. Moreover, because the LCD screen is above the buttons, the thermometer is typically top heavy and awkward to hold because the user holds the thermometer adjacent to a bottom of the thermometer so that he/she can access the buttons with his/her thumbs.
In one embodiment, a hand-held electronic thermometer generally comprises a temperature sensing component and a housing having a top, a bottom and a height that extends generally transverse to lengths of a user's fingers when being held in a hand of a user. A microcontroller in the housing is in communication with the temperature sensing component. A display on the housing is in communication with the microcontroller and is capable of displaying a temperature detected by the temperature sensing component. A control panel on the housing is defined by at least one input interface device in communication with the microcontroller for operating the thermometer. The control panel is disposed above the display screen so that a user may hold the base unit with one hand and a thumb of the hand is naturally positioned adjacent to the interface device to allow the user to quickly access the interface device with the thumb without substantially blocking the display screen.
In another embodiment, a hand-held electronic thermometer generally comprises a probe including at least one temperature sensing component disposed within the probe and a housing having a front side and a back side, a top and a bottom, and a height that extends generally transverse to lengths of a user's fingers when being held in a hand of a user. A microcontroller in the housing is in communication with the temperature sensing component of the probe. A display on the housing is in communication with the microcontroller and is capable of displaying a temperature detected by the temperature sensing component. A probe well in the housing on the back side of the housing is sized and shaped to receive the probe. The probe well is disposed a distance below the top of the housing so that when the probe is seated in the probe well an entirety of the probe is disposed below the top of the housing, whereby the probe is shielded by the housing.
In yet another embodiment, a hand-held electronic thermometer generally comprises a temperature sensing component and a housing having a front side and a back side, a top and a bottom, and a height that extends generally transverse to lengths of a user's fingers when being held in a hand of a user. The housing comprises an upper component and a lower component adapted to be releasably secured together. A microcontroller in the housing is in communication with the temperature sensing component of the probe. A display screen on the front of the housing is capable of displaying a temperature detected by the temperature sensing component. A compartment is in the lower component of the housing for containing a source of power for operating the thermometer. A door is on the back side of the lower component of the housing for accessing the compartment. The upper and lower components are configured to prevent the door from opening when the upper and lower components are secured together.
In a further embodiment, a hand-held electronic thermometer generally comprises a probe including a temperature sensing component and an elongate housing having a top, a bottom and a height that extends generally transverse to the length of a user's fingers when being held in a hand of the user. The bottom of the housing is formed to hold the housing in an upright position when the bottom is placed in engagement with a horizontal support surface. A microcontroller in the housing is in communication with the temperature sensing component of the probe. A display on the housing is in communication with the microcontroller and is capable of displaying a temperature detected by the temperature sensing component.
In yet a further embodiment, a hand-held electronic thermometer generally comprises a temperature sensing component and a housing having a top, a bottom and a height that extends generally transverse to lengths of a user's fingers when being held in a hand of a user. A microcontroller in the housing is in communication with the temperature sensing component. A display on the housing is in communication with the microcontroller and is capable of displaying a temperature detected by the temperature sensing component. The housing has a generally hourglass shape for gripping and retaining the thermometer in the hand.
Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
The probe 12 is constructed for contacting an object (e.g., tissue in a patient's mouth) and sending signals representative of the temperature to a microcontroller 26 (
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring still to
Referring still to
Referring to
Referring still to
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 9-14, a probe well 60 is located at the rounded back side 58 of the upper component 22 of the housing 14. The probe well 60 receives the probe shaft 30 for holding the probe 12 and isolating the shaft from the environment when not in use. A centerline CPW of the probe well 12 is generally aligned with a centerline CH of the housing 14 (
The probe well 60 includes a distal end portion defined by a probe well extension 62 (
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
The door 84 is secured at its bottom by a pivot tab 104 (
When the upper component 22 is secured to the lower component 24, the probe well extension 62 is received in the opening 68 of the lower component 24 (more specifically, the opening is in an upper surface of the door 84) thereby preventing the door from opening when the upper component is secured to the lower component (
Other configurations of the door latch and other ways of securing the door to the housing are within the scope of the invention.
Referring to
Having described embodiments of the invention in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
When introducing elements of the present invention or embodiments thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/241,955 filed Nov. 3, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1115561 | Northey | Nov 1914 | A |
1436707 | Gaschke | Nov 1922 | A |
1518531 | Lung | Dec 1924 | A |
2219605 | Turkel | Oct 1940 | A |
2854976 | Heydrich | Oct 1958 | A |
3254533 | Tongret | Jun 1966 | A |
3539034 | Tafeen | Nov 1970 | A |
3610240 | Harautuneian | Oct 1971 | A |
3681991 | Eberly, Jr. | Aug 1972 | A |
3729998 | Mueller et al. | May 1973 | A |
3822598 | Brothers et al. | Jul 1974 | A |
3884230 | Wulff | May 1975 | A |
3890971 | Leeson et al. | Jun 1975 | A |
3893058 | Keith | Jul 1975 | A |
3893445 | Hofsess | Jul 1975 | A |
3904033 | Haerr | Sep 1975 | A |
3915003 | Adams | Oct 1975 | A |
3946613 | Silver | Mar 1976 | A |
3976070 | Dumont | Aug 1976 | A |
4008614 | Turner et al. | Feb 1977 | A |
4010737 | Vilaghy | Mar 1977 | A |
4026287 | Haller | May 1977 | A |
4099518 | Baylis | Jul 1978 | A |
D249475 | Turner et al. | Sep 1978 | S |
4112762 | Turner et al. | Sep 1978 | A |
4139009 | Alvarez | Feb 1979 | A |
4142517 | Contreras Guerrero de Stavropoulos et al. | Mar 1979 | A |
4143853 | Abramson | Mar 1979 | A |
4160450 | Doherty | Jul 1979 | A |
4163446 | Jamshidi | Aug 1979 | A |
4177797 | Baylis | Dec 1979 | A |
4183248 | West | Jan 1980 | A |
D254723 | Lawrence et al. | Apr 1980 | S |
D255997 | Maeda | Jul 1980 | S |
4211214 | Chikashige | Jul 1980 | A |
4256119 | Gauthier | Mar 1981 | A |
4258713 | Wardlaw | Mar 1981 | A |
4258722 | Sessions et al. | Mar 1981 | A |
4262676 | Jamshidi | Apr 1981 | A |
4266543 | Blum | May 1981 | A |
4266555 | Jamshidi | May 1981 | A |
4314565 | Lee | Feb 1982 | A |
4356828 | Jamshidi | Nov 1982 | A |
4392859 | Dent | Jul 1983 | A |
4403617 | Tretinyak | Sep 1983 | A |
4425120 | Sampson | Jan 1984 | A |
4438884 | O'Brien et al. | Mar 1984 | A |
4469109 | Mehl | Sep 1984 | A |
4482348 | Dent | Nov 1984 | A |
4487209 | Mehl | Dec 1984 | A |
4513754 | Lee | Apr 1985 | A |
4543966 | Islam | Oct 1985 | A |
4572365 | Bruno et al. | Feb 1986 | A |
4573976 | Sampson | Mar 1986 | A |
4613329 | Bodicky | Sep 1986 | A |
4619271 | Burger et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
4630616 | Tretinyak | Dec 1986 | A |
4631057 | Mitchell | Dec 1986 | A |
4639249 | Larson | Jan 1987 | A |
4642785 | Packard et al. | Feb 1987 | A |
4643199 | Jennings | Feb 1987 | A |
4643200 | Jennings | Feb 1987 | A |
4655226 | Lee | Apr 1987 | A |
4664654 | Strauss | May 1987 | A |
4676783 | Jagger et al. | Jun 1987 | A |
4681567 | Masters | Jul 1987 | A |
4693708 | Wanderer | Sep 1987 | A |
4695274 | Fox | Sep 1987 | A |
D292493 | King | Oct 1987 | S |
D292494 | King | Oct 1987 | S |
D293215 | Bruno et al. | Dec 1987 | S |
4723943 | Spencer | Feb 1988 | A |
4725267 | Vaillancourt | Feb 1988 | A |
4728320 | Chen | Mar 1988 | A |
4735619 | Sperry | Apr 1988 | A |
4737144 | Choksi | Apr 1988 | A |
4738663 | Bogan | Apr 1988 | A |
4741627 | Fukui et al. | May 1988 | A |
4743233 | Schneider | May 1988 | A |
4747831 | Kulli | May 1988 | A |
4747836 | Luther | May 1988 | A |
4747837 | Hauck | May 1988 | A |
4752290 | Schramm | Jun 1988 | A |
4762516 | Luther | Aug 1988 | A |
4770655 | Haber et al. | Sep 1988 | A |
4772272 | McFarland | Sep 1988 | A |
4775363 | Sandsdalen | Oct 1988 | A |
4781684 | Trenner | Nov 1988 | A |
4781692 | Jagger et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
4785826 | Ward | Nov 1988 | A |
4790329 | Simon | Dec 1988 | A |
4790827 | Haber et al. | Dec 1988 | A |
4790828 | Dombrowski | Dec 1988 | A |
4793363 | Ausherman | Dec 1988 | A |
4795432 | Karczmer | Jan 1989 | A |
4804371 | Vaillancourt | Feb 1989 | A |
4804372 | Laico | Feb 1989 | A |
4810248 | Masters | Mar 1989 | A |
4813426 | Haber et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
4816022 | Poncy | Mar 1989 | A |
D300728 | Ross | Apr 1989 | S |
4819659 | Sitar | Apr 1989 | A |
4820275 | Haber et al. | Apr 1989 | A |
4826488 | Nelson | May 1989 | A |
4826490 | Byrne et al. | May 1989 | A |
4826491 | Schramm | May 1989 | A |
4834718 | McDonald | May 1989 | A |
4838280 | Haaga | Jun 1989 | A |
4838282 | Strasser | Jun 1989 | A |
4842586 | Hogan | Jun 1989 | A |
4846809 | Sims | Jul 1989 | A |
4900307 | Kulli | Feb 1990 | A |
4904242 | Kulli | Feb 1990 | A |
4906235 | Roberts | Mar 1990 | A |
4909793 | Vining | Mar 1990 | A |
4911694 | Dolan | Mar 1990 | A |
4911706 | Levitt | Mar 1990 | A |
4915702 | Haber | Apr 1990 | A |
D307558 | Messina et al. | May 1990 | S |
4922602 | Mehl | May 1990 | A |
4927414 | Kulli | May 1990 | A |
4929241 | Kulli | May 1990 | A |
4931044 | Beiter | Jun 1990 | A |
4935013 | Haber et al. | Jun 1990 | A |
4943283 | Hogan | Jul 1990 | A |
4944725 | McDonald | Jul 1990 | A |
4950250 | Haber | Aug 1990 | A |
4952207 | Lemieux | Aug 1990 | A |
4955866 | Corey | Sep 1990 | A |
4958625 | Bates et al. | Sep 1990 | A |
4960412 | Fink | Oct 1990 | A |
4964854 | Luther | Oct 1990 | A |
4966587 | Baumgart | Oct 1990 | A |
4969554 | Sawaya | Nov 1990 | A |
4978344 | Dombrowski | Dec 1990 | A |
4986279 | O'Neill | Jan 1991 | A |
4994041 | Dombrowski | Feb 1991 | A |
5005585 | Mazza | Apr 1991 | A |
5012818 | Joishy | May 1991 | A |
5013304 | Russell et al. | May 1991 | A |
5031634 | Simon | Jul 1991 | A |
5036860 | Leigh et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
5047044 | Smith et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
5049136 | Johnson | Sep 1991 | A |
5051109 | Simon | Sep 1991 | A |
5053017 | Chamuel | Oct 1991 | A |
5057085 | Kopans | Oct 1991 | A |
5059180 | McLees | Oct 1991 | A |
5085648 | Purdy et al. | Feb 1992 | A |
5092851 | Ragner | Mar 1992 | A |
5102394 | Lasaitis | Apr 1992 | A |
5108374 | Lemieux | Apr 1992 | A |
5126090 | Egolf et al. | Jun 1992 | A |
5127916 | Spencer | Jul 1992 | A |
5133727 | Bales et al. | Jul 1992 | A |
5135504 | McLees | Aug 1992 | A |
5147327 | Johnson | Sep 1992 | A |
5154703 | Bonaldo | Oct 1992 | A |
5171229 | McNeil et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
5172702 | Leigh et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
5176256 | Sawaya | Jan 1993 | A |
5183468 | McLees | Feb 1993 | A |
5195533 | Chin | Mar 1993 | A |
5195985 | Hall | Mar 1993 | A |
5213115 | Zytkovicz et al. | May 1993 | A |
5215525 | Sturman | Jun 1993 | A |
5215528 | Purdy et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
5215533 | Robb | Jun 1993 | A |
5217438 | Davis | Jun 1993 | A |
5228451 | Bales et al. | Jul 1993 | A |
5256149 | Banik | Oct 1993 | A |
5257632 | Turkel et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
5279306 | Mehl | Jan 1994 | A |
5279563 | Brucker et al. | Jan 1994 | A |
5279591 | Simon | Jan 1994 | A |
5282477 | Bauer | Feb 1994 | A |
5295977 | Cohen et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
5304136 | Erskine | Apr 1994 | A |
5312359 | Wallace | May 1994 | A |
5314406 | Arias et al. | May 1994 | A |
5316013 | Striebel et al. | May 1994 | A |
5320635 | Smith | Jun 1994 | A |
5322517 | Sircom et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
5324288 | Billings et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
5328482 | Sircom et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5331971 | Bales et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5331972 | Wadhwani | Jul 1994 | A |
5334158 | McLees | Aug 1994 | A |
5338311 | Mahurkar | Aug 1994 | A |
5338314 | Ryan | Aug 1994 | A |
5341816 | Allen | Aug 1994 | A |
5344408 | Partika | Sep 1994 | A |
5348022 | Leigh | Sep 1994 | A |
5348544 | Sweeney et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
5356421 | Castro | Oct 1994 | A |
5357974 | Baldridge | Oct 1994 | A |
5368045 | Clement et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
5368046 | Scarfone et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
5370623 | Kreamer | Dec 1994 | A |
D354921 | Narayanan | Jan 1995 | S |
5385151 | Scarfone | Jan 1995 | A |
5385570 | Chin | Jan 1995 | A |
5389104 | Hahnen et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
5389106 | Tower | Feb 1995 | A |
5394885 | Francese | Mar 1995 | A |
5395375 | Turkel | Mar 1995 | A |
5396900 | Slater et al. | Mar 1995 | A |
5399167 | Deniega | Mar 1995 | A |
5403283 | Luther | Apr 1995 | A |
5405323 | Rogers et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
5405388 | Fox | Apr 1995 | A |
5409461 | Steinman | Apr 1995 | A |
5411486 | Zadini | May 1995 | A |
5415182 | Chin | May 1995 | A |
5417659 | Gaba | May 1995 | A |
5417709 | Slater | May 1995 | A |
5419766 | Chang et al. | May 1995 | A |
5421522 | Bowen | Jun 1995 | A |
5423766 | Di Cesare | Jun 1995 | A |
5425718 | Tay | Jun 1995 | A |
5425884 | Botz | Jun 1995 | A |
5429138 | Jamshidi | Jul 1995 | A |
5429616 | Schaffer | Jul 1995 | A |
5454378 | Palmer et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
5456267 | Stark | Oct 1995 | A |
5458658 | Sircom | Oct 1995 | A |
5462062 | Rubinstein | Oct 1995 | A |
5466223 | Bressler et al. | Nov 1995 | A |
5471992 | Banik | Dec 1995 | A |
5473629 | Muramoto | Dec 1995 | A |
5476099 | Robinson et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
5476102 | Como | Dec 1995 | A |
5478313 | White | Dec 1995 | A |
5480385 | Thorne et al. | Jan 1996 | A |
5482054 | Slater et al. | Jan 1996 | A |
5487734 | Thorne | Jan 1996 | A |
5492532 | Ryan | Feb 1996 | A |
5501675 | Erskine | Mar 1996 | A |
5507296 | Bales et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5507297 | Slater et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5507298 | Schramm et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5514100 | Mahurkar | May 1996 | A |
5514152 | Smith | May 1996 | A |
5522398 | Goldenberg | Jun 1996 | A |
5526821 | Jamshidi | Jun 1996 | A |
5533516 | Sahatjian | Jul 1996 | A |
5533974 | Gaba | Jul 1996 | A |
5538009 | Byrne et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
5542927 | Thorne | Aug 1996 | A |
5549565 | Ryan et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
5549708 | Thorne et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
5553624 | Francese | Sep 1996 | A |
5558651 | Crawford et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
5562629 | Haughton | Oct 1996 | A |
5562633 | Wozencroft | Oct 1996 | A |
5562683 | Chan | Oct 1996 | A |
5569217 | Luther | Oct 1996 | A |
5569299 | Dill | Oct 1996 | A |
5570783 | Thorne et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
5573008 | Robinson | Nov 1996 | A |
5573510 | Isaacson | Nov 1996 | A |
5578015 | Robb | Nov 1996 | A |
5584809 | Gaba | Dec 1996 | A |
5584810 | Brimhall | Dec 1996 | A |
5584818 | Morrison | Dec 1996 | A |
5586990 | Hahnen et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
5591202 | Slater et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5595186 | Rubinstein et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5599310 | Bogert | Feb 1997 | A |
5601536 | Crawford et al. | Feb 1997 | A |
5601585 | Banik | Feb 1997 | A |
5601599 | Nunez | Feb 1997 | A |
5611781 | Sircom et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
5615690 | Giurtino et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
5616135 | Thorne et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
5623969 | Raines | Apr 1997 | A |
5624459 | Kortenbach | Apr 1997 | A |
5630506 | Thorne et al. | May 1997 | A |
5630837 | Crowley | May 1997 | A |
5632555 | Gregory et al. | May 1997 | A |
5634473 | Goldenberg | Jun 1997 | A |
5643307 | Turkel | Jul 1997 | A |
5656031 | Thorne | Aug 1997 | A |
5662610 | Sircom | Sep 1997 | A |
5666965 | Bales et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
5669883 | Scarfone | Sep 1997 | A |
5672161 | Allen | Sep 1997 | A |
5679907 | Ruck | Oct 1997 | A |
5685852 | Turkel | Nov 1997 | A |
5685862 | Mahurkar | Nov 1997 | A |
5687907 | Holden | Nov 1997 | A |
5690619 | Erskine | Nov 1997 | A |
5693022 | Haynes | Dec 1997 | A |
5693031 | Ryan et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5695467 | Miyata et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5695521 | Anderhub | Dec 1997 | A |
5697904 | Raines | Dec 1997 | A |
5697907 | Gaba | Dec 1997 | A |
5700249 | Jenkins | Dec 1997 | A |
5700250 | Erskine | Dec 1997 | A |
5702080 | Whittier et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5702369 | Mercereau | Dec 1997 | A |
5706824 | Whittier | Jan 1998 | A |
5707392 | Kortenbach | Jan 1998 | A |
5713368 | Leigh | Feb 1998 | A |
5713888 | Neuenfeldt | Feb 1998 | A |
5715832 | Koblish et al. | Feb 1998 | A |
5718688 | Wozencroft | Feb 1998 | A |
5722422 | Palmer | Mar 1998 | A |
5730150 | Peppel | Mar 1998 | A |
5730724 | Plishka | Mar 1998 | A |
5735827 | Adwers | Apr 1998 | A |
5738660 | Luther | Apr 1998 | A |
5738665 | Caizza | Apr 1998 | A |
5746753 | Sullivan | May 1998 | A |
5752923 | Terwilliger | May 1998 | A |
D395609 | Knieriem et al. | Jun 1998 | S |
5758655 | Como Rodriguez et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
5776157 | Thorne et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
5795336 | Romano et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5807275 | Jamshidi | Sep 1998 | A |
5807277 | Swaim | Sep 1998 | A |
5810744 | Chu | Sep 1998 | A |
5817069 | Arnett | Oct 1998 | A |
5823970 | Terwilliger | Oct 1998 | A |
5823971 | Robinson | Oct 1998 | A |
5823997 | Thorne | Oct 1998 | A |
5824002 | Gentelia et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
D400806 | Tillack | Nov 1998 | S |
D400808 | Schwan | Nov 1998 | S |
5836917 | Thorne | Nov 1998 | A |
5836921 | Mahurkar | Nov 1998 | A |
5840044 | Dassa | Nov 1998 | A |
5843001 | Goldenberg | Dec 1998 | A |
5848692 | Thorne et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
5853393 | Bogert | Dec 1998 | A |
5860955 | Wright | Jan 1999 | A |
5865806 | Howell | Feb 1999 | A |
5871453 | Banik et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
5873886 | Larsen et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
5879332 | Schwemberger et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5879337 | Kuracina et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5879338 | Mahurkar | Mar 1999 | A |
5882337 | Bogert et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5885226 | Rubinstein | Mar 1999 | A |
5891105 | Mahurkar | Apr 1999 | A |
5893845 | Newby | Apr 1999 | A |
5893876 | Turkel | Apr 1999 | A |
5895361 | Turturro | Apr 1999 | A |
5897507 | Kortenbach et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
5906594 | Scarfone | May 1999 | A |
5910130 | Caizza | Jun 1999 | A |
5910132 | Schultz | Jun 1999 | A |
5911705 | Howell | Jun 1999 | A |
5913859 | Shapira | Jun 1999 | A |
5916175 | Bauer | Jun 1999 | A |
5928162 | Giurtino et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
5928163 | Roberts | Jul 1999 | A |
5928200 | Thorne et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
5935109 | Donnan | Aug 1999 | A |
5947930 | Schwemberger et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5951489 | Bauer | Sep 1999 | A |
5951525 | Thorne | Sep 1999 | A |
5951582 | Thorne et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5954696 | Ryan | Sep 1999 | A |
5954698 | Pike | Sep 1999 | A |
5957863 | Koblish et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5957887 | Osterlind et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5957892 | Thorne | Sep 1999 | A |
5961526 | Chu | Oct 1999 | A |
5961534 | Banik | Oct 1999 | A |
5964717 | Gottlieb et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
5967490 | Pike | Oct 1999 | A |
5976115 | Parris et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
5979840 | Hollister | Nov 1999 | A |
5980488 | Thorne | Nov 1999 | A |
5989196 | Chu et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
5989229 | Chiappetta | Nov 1999 | A |
5989241 | Plishka | Nov 1999 | A |
5993426 | Hollister | Nov 1999 | A |
6000846 | Gregory et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6001080 | Kuracina et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6004294 | Brimhall et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6007560 | Gottlieb et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6015391 | Rishton et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6022324 | Skinner | Feb 2000 | A |
6024708 | Bales et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6024727 | Thorne et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6033369 | Goldenberg | Mar 2000 | A |
6036361 | Gregory et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
6036675 | Thorne | Mar 2000 | A |
6047729 | Hollister | Apr 2000 | A |
6050954 | Mittermeier | Apr 2000 | A |
6050976 | Thorne et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6053877 | Banik et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6063037 | Mittermeier | May 2000 | A |
6063040 | Owen et al. | May 2000 | A |
6071284 | Fox | Jun 2000 | A |
6080115 | Rubinstein | Jun 2000 | A |
6083176 | Terwilliger | Jul 2000 | A |
6083202 | Smith | Jul 2000 | A |
6086563 | Moulton | Jul 2000 | A |
6090078 | Erskine | Jul 2000 | A |
6090108 | McBrayer et al. | Jul 2000 | A |
6095967 | Black | Aug 2000 | A |
6096005 | Botich | Aug 2000 | A |
6102920 | Sullivan | Aug 2000 | A |
6106484 | Terwilliger | Aug 2000 | A |
6110128 | Andelin | Aug 2000 | A |
6110129 | Terwilliger | Aug 2000 | A |
6110176 | Shapira | Aug 2000 | A |
RE36885 | Blecher et al. | Sep 2000 | E |
6117108 | Woehr et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
6117112 | Mahurkar | Sep 2000 | A |
6117115 | Hill et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
6132401 | Van Der Meyden | Oct 2000 | A |
6135110 | Roy | Oct 2000 | A |
6142956 | Kortenbach | Nov 2000 | A |
6142957 | Diamond et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6149629 | Wilson | Nov 2000 | A |
6171284 | Kao | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6174292 | Kortenbach et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6193671 | Turturro et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6197007 | Thorne et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6203527 | Zadini | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6210373 | Allmon | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6217556 | Ellingson et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6221029 | Mathis et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6221047 | Greene | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6224569 | Brimhall | May 2001 | B1 |
6224576 | Thorne | May 2001 | B1 |
6234773 | Hill et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6254575 | Thorne, Jr. et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6261242 | Roberts | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6264617 | Bales et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
D446135 | Chen | Aug 2001 | S |
6280399 | Rossin et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6280401 | Mahurkar | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6280419 | Vojtasek | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6280420 | Ferguson et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
D448314 | Chen | Sep 2001 | S |
6283925 | Terwilliger | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6287278 | Woehr et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6293700 | Lund et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6302852 | Fleming, III | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6309376 | Alesi | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6312394 | Fleming, III | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6315737 | Skinner | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6321782 | Hollister | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6322537 | Chang | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6328701 | Terwilliger | Dec 2001 | B1 |
6328713 | Hollister | Dec 2001 | B1 |
6334857 | Hollister | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6336915 | Scarfone | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6340351 | Goldenberg | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6358252 | Shapira | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6358265 | Thorne, Jr. et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6361525 | Capes et al. | Mar 2002 | B2 |
6379333 | Brimhall et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6379338 | Garvin | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6383144 | Mooney et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
6406459 | Allmon | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6409701 | Cohn et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6416484 | Miller | Jul 2002 | B1 |
6423034 | Scarfone | Jul 2002 | B2 |
6439768 | Wu et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6443910 | Krueger | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6443927 | Cook | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6443929 | Kuracina et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6478751 | Krueger et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6485468 | Vojtasek | Nov 2002 | B2 |
6485473 | Lynn | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6488663 | Steg | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6500129 | Mahurkar | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6501384 | Chapman et al. | Dec 2002 | B2 |
6517516 | Caizza | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6519569 | White et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6520938 | Funderburk | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6537255 | Raines | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6537259 | Niermann | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6544194 | Kortenbach | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6551287 | Hollister | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6551328 | Kortenbach | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6554778 | Fleming, III | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6569125 | Jepson et al. | May 2003 | B2 |
6575919 | Reiley et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6582402 | Erskine | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6582446 | Marchosky | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6585704 | Luther | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6592556 | Thorne | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6595954 | Luther | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6595955 | Ferguson et al. | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6613018 | Bagga et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6616604 | Bass | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6616630 | Woehr et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6623458 | Woehr et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6626850 | Chau et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
D480977 | Wawro et al. | Oct 2003 | S |
D481321 | Knieriem et al. | Oct 2003 | S |
6629959 | Kuracina et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6634789 | Babkes | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6635003 | Marchant | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6638252 | Moulton | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6638254 | Nakagami | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6641562 | Peterson | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6652486 | Bialecki et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6652490 | Howell | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6663592 | Rhad et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
6673047 | Crawford | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6673060 | Fleming, III | Jan 2004 | B1 |
6682510 | Niermann | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6689102 | Greene | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6692471 | Boudreaux | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6695814 | Greene | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6698921 | Siefert | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6699221 | Vaillancourt | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6702786 | Olovson | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6709419 | Woehr | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6719732 | Courteix | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6723075 | Davey | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6727805 | Hollister | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6730043 | Krueger | May 2004 | B2 |
6731216 | Ho et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
6740063 | Lynn | May 2004 | B2 |
6749576 | Bauer | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6749588 | Howell et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
6749595 | Murphy | Jun 2004 | B1 |
6755793 | Lamoureux | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6761704 | Crawford | Jul 2004 | B2 |
6761706 | Vaillancourt | Jul 2004 | B2 |
6764567 | Sperko et al. | Jul 2004 | B2 |
6767336 | Kaplan | Jul 2004 | B1 |
6770050 | Epstein | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6770053 | Scarfone | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6796962 | Ferguson et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6796968 | Ferguson et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6798348 | Wilker et al. | Sep 2004 | B1 |
6821267 | Veillon, Jr. et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6832990 | Kortenbach | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6832992 | Wilkinson | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6839651 | Lantz et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6846314 | Shapira | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6849051 | Sramek | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6855128 | Swenson | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6855130 | Saulenas et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6860871 | Kuracina et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
6875183 | Cervi | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6890308 | Islam | May 2005 | B2 |
6902546 | Ferguson | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6916292 | Morawski | Jul 2005 | B2 |
6916311 | Vojtasek | Jul 2005 | B2 |
6916314 | Schneider | Jul 2005 | B2 |
6923813 | Phillips et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
6936036 | Wilkinson | Aug 2005 | B2 |
D512506 | Layne et al. | Dec 2005 | S |
D512924 | Ikeda | Dec 2005 | S |
6981948 | Pellegrino | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6983062 | Smith | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6984213 | Horner et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6984216 | Sendijarevic et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
6989003 | Wing et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
7001363 | Ferguson | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7004927 | Ferguson et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7008402 | Ferguson et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7018343 | Plishka | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7033324 | Giusti et al. | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7063703 | Reo | Jun 2006 | B2 |
7108679 | Alchas | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7112191 | Daga | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7118552 | Shaw | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7147607 | Wang | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7179244 | Smith et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7204812 | Wang | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7207973 | Barrelle | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7214208 | Vaillancourt | May 2007 | B2 |
7226434 | Carlyon et al. | Jun 2007 | B2 |
7238169 | Takagi et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7247148 | Murashita | Jul 2007 | B2 |
7264613 | Woehr et al. | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7300420 | Doyle | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7303548 | Rhad et al. | Dec 2007 | B2 |
7341573 | Ferguson et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
7357784 | Ferguson | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7377908 | Buetikofer et al. | May 2008 | B2 |
7413562 | Ferguson et al. | Aug 2008 | B2 |
7458954 | Ferguson et al. | Dec 2008 | B2 |
7488306 | Nguyen | Feb 2009 | B2 |
7500965 | Menzi et al. | Mar 2009 | B2 |
7513888 | Sircom | Apr 2009 | B2 |
20020003832 | Siefert | Jan 2002 | A1 |
20020181545 | Babkes | Dec 2002 | A1 |
20030002562 | Yerlikaya et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030023398 | Lantz et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030114797 | Vaillancourt et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030144627 | Woehr et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20030176810 | Maahs et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030214999 | Chapman et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20030220617 | Dickerson | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20040071182 | Quinn et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040071188 | Knieriem et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040077973 | Groenke et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040078007 | Nguyen | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040105487 | Chen | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040146087 | Penney et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040153005 | Krueger | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20040186434 | Harding et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040225260 | Danilo et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20040236288 | Howell et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20050027263 | Woehr et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050043691 | Ferguson | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050054987 | Perez et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050070850 | Albrecht | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050070855 | Ferguson et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050075609 | Latona | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050083994 | Wawro et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050113716 | Mueller, Jr. et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050119652 | Vetter et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050131345 | Miller | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050137500 | Wingler | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050165404 | Miller | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20050192536 | Takagi et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050249263 | Yerlikaya et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050267383 | Groenke et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050273057 | Popov | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050277845 | Cooke et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050288605 | Pellegrino et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060052721 | Dunker et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060064101 | Arramon | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060072645 | Quinn et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060116603 | Shibazaki et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20060178625 | Lim et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060189934 | Kuracina et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060189936 | Carlyon et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060200195 | Yang | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20060276772 | Moos et al. | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20070098040 | Sisk et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070110122 | Sisk et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070116089 | Bisch et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20080097345 | Ferguson | Apr 2008 | A1 |
20080112461 | Bisch et al. | May 2008 | A1 |
20080294065 | Waldhoff et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
3805567 | Aug 1989 | DE |
0064127 | Oct 1982 | EP |
1358846 | Nov 2003 | EP |
1788370 | May 2007 | EP |
56117131 | Sep 1981 | JP |
61144526 | Jul 1986 | JP |
6241914 | Sep 1994 | JP |
96-22800 | Aug 1996 | WO |
97-42989 | Nov 1997 | WO |
2004060138 | Jul 2004 | WO |
2004091687 | Oct 2004 | WO |
2005009246 | Feb 2005 | WO |
2005053774 | Jun 2005 | WO |
2005060679 | Jul 2005 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070110122 A1 | May 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 29241955 | Nov 2005 | US |
Child | 11539516 | US |