A micro or nano electromechanical relay device (10) comprising a source electrode (204) an electrically conductive beam (202) comprising an arcuate portion (12a) coupled to the source electrode by an arm portion, first and second drain electrodes (DE1, DE2) and first and second actuator electrodes (AE1, AE2). The arc of the arcuate portion defines a beam axis (BA). The arcuate portion is mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis (PA) which is coaxial or generally coaxial with the beam axis.

A switchgear includes an optical monitoring system for examining switchgear switching positions. At least one isolating switch is accommodated in an encapsulated housing. The encapsulated housing is disposed in an installation housing. The encapsulated housing has a first transparent window in one region. A fiber-optic system leads from an outer side of the installation housing to the first transparent window.

A safety monitoring device monitoring safety-related states in a passenger conveyor system has first and second double contact relays each controlled by a control voltage to switch first and second normally open contacts and a feedback contact synchronously between an open and closed relay states. First and second controllers each determine properties of the system correlated with safety-related states and in dependence generate the control voltages. The controllers and two double contact relays form first and second safety monitoring switch arrangements for monitoring first and second safety-related states and correspondingly switch first and second switching states within a safety monitoring chain of the system. The first arrangement includes the first contact of the first connected in series with the first contact of the second relay. The second arrangement includes the second contact of the first relay connected in parallel with the second contact of the second relay.

A safety monitoring device monitoring safety-related states in a passenger conveyor system has first and second double contact relays each controlled by a control voltage to switch first and second normally open contacts and a feedback contact synchronously between an open and closed relay states. First and second controllers each determine properties of the system correlated with safety-related states and in dependence generate the control voltages. The controllers and two double contact relays form first and second safety monitoring switch arrangements for monitoring first and second safety-related states and correspondingly switch first and second switching states within a safety monitoring chain of the system. The first arrangement includes the first contact of the first connected in series with the first contact of the second relay. The second arrangement includes the second contact of the first relay connected in parallel with the second contact of the second relay.

The present disclosure provides scalable nanotube fabrics and methods for controlling or otherwise adjusting the nanotube length distribution of a nanotube application solution in order to realize scalable nanotube fabrics. In one aspect of the present disclosure, one or more filtering operations are used to remove relatively long nanotube elements from a nanotube solution until nanotube length distribution of the nanotube solution conforms to a preselected or desired nanotube length distribution profile. In another aspect of the present disclosure, a sono-chemical cutting process is used to break up relatively long nanotube elements within a nanotube application solution into relatively short nanotube elements to realize a pre-selected or desired nanotube length distribution profile.

According to one embodiment, a MEMS element includes a first member, and an element part. The element part includes a first fixed electrode fixed to the first member, a first movable electrode facing the first fixed electrode, a first conductive member electrically connected to the first movable electrode, and a second conductive member electrically connected to the first movable electrode. The first movable electrode is supported by the first and second conductive members to be separated from the first fixed electrode. The first conductive member has a meandering structure. The second conductive member includes a first conductive region and a second conductive region. The second conductive region is between the first movable electrode and the first conductive region. A second width of the second conductive region along a second direction is less than a first width of the first conductive region along the second direction.

A method of monitoring a contact force between electrical contacts in a mechanical contactor. The method includes receiving, from a force sensor, a signal including information about a base force sensed by the force sensor between a stationary core and a base; determining a magnitude of the contact force based on the received information; and outputting information based on the determined magnitude to an operator.

A sliding power contact and method includes a mobile load device connector and a socket. The mobile load device connector includes a non-current power pin having a first length, a current power pin having a second length less than the first length, a neutral pin, and a ground pin. The socket includes a non-current power contact configured to electrically couple with the non-current power pin, a current power contact configured to electrically couple with the current power pin, a neutral contact configured to electrically couple with the neutral pin, and a ground pin configured to electrically couple with the ground pin. An arc suppressor is directly coupled to at least one of the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact, wherein the arc suppressor, the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact form a current path between the current power pin and the current power contact.

An electrical snap on switch includes a pair of associated contact elements, the contact elements include a fixed contact element and a movable contact element arranged facing the fixed contact element and that may come into contact with the fixed contact element for establishing a first conductive path. The snap on switch may also include a snap-action switching device that includes a tilting driving member pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis between an upper position and a lower position. The movable contact element is a movable portion of an elastically deformable conductive blade. The driving member includes a cam, which cooperates with a cam follower portion of the blade to deform or relax the blade, to cause the movable contact to come into contact, or out of contact, with the fixed contact element, therefore to realize switching.

The invention provides a hydrogel network comprising a plurality of hydrogel objects, wherein each of said hydrogel objects comprises: a hydrogel body, and an outer layer of amphipathic molecules, on at least part of the surface of the hydrogel body, wherein each of said hydrogel objects contacts another of said hydrogel objects to form an interface between the contacting hydrogel objects. A process for producing the hydrogel networks is also provided. The invention also provides an electrochemical circuit and hydrogel component for mechanical devices comprising a hydrogel network. Various uses of the hydrogel network are also described, including their use in synthetic biology and as components in electrochemical circuits and mechanical devices.