US Patent 7939992 - Electrical switch relay having CNTs

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7939992.html

This patent is from Tyco Electronics and discloses an electrical relay based on carbon nanotubes in which particularly low lift actuators can be used, without there being the possibility of an uncontrolled spark. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrical switch element comprising:

at least one actuator having at least one driving member having carbon nanotubes; at least one switch contact being movable through driving movement of the actuator; and,

a switch mechanism having at least two swivelling levers connected to each other via the actuator and at least one contact retainer, on which the switch contact is arranged, the contact retainer connecting the two swivelling levers in its longitudinal direction with a lever arm which is larger than the actuator, and constructed so it can be deflected transversely to its longitudinal direction.