Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Abstract
A position verification sensor produces a discrete output for determining an accuracy of mutual mechanical positioning with a key and includes: a substratum; a housing; a receiver pad that: receives contact with the key; produces a target output in contact with the key; and produces a null output in absence of contact with the key; an aperture cap having: a cap surface; and the keyway aperture that selectively communicates the key; and a compliant member that: rests in a primary position in an absence of the key disposed on the cap surface; receives the depression force from the aperture cap; reciprocatively depresses, from the primary position to a depressed position, in response to receiving the depression force and being pushed by the depression force from the key; and reciprocatively returns, from the depressed position to the primary position, when the key is removed from contact with the aperture cap.
patent description
(1) Disclosed is a position verification sensor that produces a discrete output for determining an accuracy of mutual mechanical positioning with a key, the position verification sensor comprising: a substratum; a housing disposed on the substratum; a receiver pad disposed in the housing and that: receives contact with the key when the key is communicated through a keyway aperture; produces a target output in response to contact with the key; and produces a null output in absence of contact with the key; an aperture cap disposed on the housing and comprising: a cap surface; and the keyway aperture disposed in the aperture cap and bounded by a wall of the aperture cap, the keyway aperture comprising a shape and size selected to receive and selectively communicate the key through the keyway aperture, such that the aperture cap: selectively communicates the key through the keyway aperture to the receiver pad when the key and the keyway aperture are compatibly aligned; and receives the key on the cap surface when the key and the keyway aperture are incompatibly aligned so that: the key contacts the cap surface instead of being communicated through the keyway aperture; and receives a depression force from the key, the receiver pad being interposed between the substratum and the aperture cap; and a compliant member interposed between the substratum and the housing through which the substratum and the housing are in mechanical communication and that: rests in a primary position in an absence of the key disposed on the cap surface of the aperture cap; receives the depression force from the aperture cap; reciprocatively depresses, from the primary position to a depressed position, in response to receiving the depression force and being pushed by the depression force from the key; and reciprocatively returns, from the depressed position to the primary position, when the key is removed from contact with the aperture cap.
(2) A process for determining an accuracy of mutual mechanical positioning of a key and position verification sensor, the process comprising: moving the key relative to the position verification sensor; contacting position verification sensor with the key; producing the null output if the key does not contact the receiver pad; and producing the target output if the key contacts the receiver pad.
(3) A process for determining an accuracy of mutual mechanical positioning of a key and position verification sensor, the process comprising: moving the key relative to the position verification sensor; contacting position verification sensor with the key; producing the null output if the key does not contact the receiver pad; and producing the second target output if the key contacts the second receiver pad.