Resilient material variable resistor
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A variable resistance device comprises a resistive member having a resistive resilient material. A first conductor is configured to be electrically coupled with the resistive member at a first contact location over a first contact area. A second conductor is configured to be electrically coupled with the resistance member at a second contact location over a second contact area. The first contact location and second contact location are spaced from one another by a distance. The resistance between the first conductor at the first contact location and the second conductor at the second contact location is equal to the sum of a straight resistance component and a parallel path resistance component. At least one of the first location, the second location, the first contact area, and the second contact area is changed to produce a change in resistance between the first conductor and the second conductor. The straight resistance component increases or decreases as the distance between the first contact location and the second contact location increases or decrease, respectively. The parallel path resistance component has preset desired characteristics based on selected first and second contact locations and selected first and second contact areas. The first and second contact locations and first and second contact areas can be selected such that the change in the resistance between the first and second contact locations is at least substantially equal to the change in the straight resistance component or the change in the parallel path resistance component.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1-40. -40. (canceled)
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41. A variable resistor apparatus comprising:
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a. a first conductor and a second conductor separated by a gap; and
b. a resistive member, wherein the resistive member comprises a resistive resilient material for bridging the first conductor and the second conductor over a range of positions along the gap and thereby forming a resistive path with a resistance, the resistive member slidably coupled to the first and the second conductor bridging at least a portion of the gap wherein a position of the resistive member along the gap is a function of a contact area between the resistive member and the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein a substantial linear change in contact area results in a substantially linear change in the resistance. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of providing a variable resistance from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, the method comprising:
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a. forming a contact footprint bridging a first conductor and a second conductor over a range of positions along the gap and thereby forming a resistive path with a resistance, the resistive member slidably coupled to the first and the second conductor bridging at least a portion of the gap wherein a position of the resistive member along the gap is a function of a contact area between the resistive member and the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein a substantial linear change in contact area results in a substantially linear change in the resistance; and
b. changing the position of the resistive member contact footprint thereby changing the resistance. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of manufacturing a variable resistor from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, comprising the steps of:
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a. forming a first conductor and a second conductor separated by a gap; and
b. forming the resistive member configured to bridge the first conductor and the second conductor over a range of positions along the gap and thereby forming a resistive path with a resistance, the resistive member slidably coupled to the first and the second conductor bridging at least a portion of the gap wherein a position of the resistive member along the gap is a function of a contact area between the resistive member and the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein a substantial linear change in the contact area results in a substantially linear change in resistance. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. The method as claimed in claim 72, wherein the contact area is substantially a logarithmic function of the contact distance and the resistance is substantially logarithmic function of the contact distance.
Specification