US4958145A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Back incline indicator
Assignee: Safety Operating Systems Inc
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Filing: 1989-05-05
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Granted: 1990-09-18
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Expires: 2009-05-05
Abstract
Abstract A back incline indicator (10) employs a mercury switch (44) and a beeper (72) to indicate to a user (24) whenever the back of the user (24) is bent beyond an acceptable limit, λcrit. The mercury switch (44) and beeper (72) are attached to a casing (38) including a plate (28A) that is parallel to the back of the user (24). The casing (38) is connected by a connector (14) to the shirt collar of the user (24). The mercury switch (44) is set to an angle θ from the plate (28A). The value of θ determines how much the user's back may be bent before λcrit is reached. The value of θ may be set to different amounts as the desired value of λcrit may vary with different uses of the back incline indicator (10).
Inventors
- 👤 James A. Morris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:40
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B21/00; G08B21/02; G08B21/04; G08B21/0438; G08B21/0446; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/103; A61B5/11; A61B5/1116; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S482/00; Y10S482/909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A back incline indicator for indicating whenever the back of a user is bent beyond an acceptable limit, comprising: (a) a hollow casing having a side plate, (b) attaching means on the casing for securing the casing to the back of a shirt collar of a user with the side plate resting against the back of the user, (c) electric audio signal means in the casing having an electric circuit including a source of electric potential, and (d) electric tilt switch means in said electric circuit and mounted in said casing for closing said electric circuit and activating said signal means when said casing side plate is disposed in a plane which forms with a vertical line an included angle of a predetermined magnitude and for opening said circuit and deactivating said signal means when said casing side plate is disposed in a plane which forms with a vertical line an included angle of less than said predetermined magnitude.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
A back incline indicator for indicating whenever the back of a user is bent beyond an acceptable limit, comprising: (a) a hollow casing having a side plate, (b) attaching means on the casing for securing the casing to the back of a shirt collar of a user with the side plate resting against the back of the user, (c) electric audio signal means in the casing having an electric circuit including a source of electric potential, and (d) electric tilt switch means in said electric circuit and mounted in said casing for closing said electric circuit and activating said signal means when said casing side plate is disposed in a plane which forms with a vertical line an included angle of a predetermined magnitude and for opening said circuit and deactivating said signal means when said casing side plate is disposed in a plane which forms with a vertical line an included angle of less than said predetermined magnitude.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The back incline indicator of claim 1 wherein the attaching means comprises a clip configured for releasable attachment to a back portion of a shirt collar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The back incline indicator of claim 1 wherein the electric tilt switch means comprises a mercury switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The back incline indicator of claim 1 including adjustment means interengaging the tilt switch means and casing for adjusting the angular disposition of the tilt switch means relative to the casing side plate, whereby to vary the angle of incline of the back of a user required to activate the signal means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
79 words
The back incline indicator of claim 1 wherein the electric signal means comprises audio signal producing means, the attaching means is configured for attachment of the casing to the back portion of a shirt collar for effective hearing of the audio signal by the user, and the electric tilt switch means comprises a mercury switch mounted for angular adjustment for varying the angle of incline of the back of a user required to activate the audio signal producing means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-09-17 | 1994-03-19 | 1994-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-09-17 | 1998-03-19 | 1998-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-09-17 | 2002-03-19 | 2002-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |