ROLLER-BAND DEVICE

• US 3,643,049 A
• Filed: 02/06/1970
• Issued: 02/15/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andrew Lu Conic, Gary Raymond Bluem, Patrick Martin Maloney
• Original Assignee: Andrew Lu Conic, Gary Raymond Bluem, Patrick Martin Maloney
• Inventors: Lu Conic, Andrew, Maloney, Patrick Martin, Bluem, Gary Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaefer, Robert K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanderhye, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US05/009,162
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 200/166BB,166BH,153R 308/6,202,209 73/515 74/89.2
• US Class Current: 200/503
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/135 by making use of contacts which are actuated by a movable inertial mass
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/148 making use of a rolamite sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18832 including flexible drive connector [e.g., belt, chain, strand, etc.]

Abstract

A roller-band device which utilizes a roller with a flexible band encircling it. The band has two sections which are electrically insulated from each other and the roller is nonconductive but has one or more conductors extending axially along its surface and disposed so that, in certain positions of the roller and band, the two sections of the band are bridged and an electrical circuit is completed therebetween and, in other positions of the roller, the electrical circuit is broken between the two sections of the band. One section of the band may include a plurality of legs, each electrically insulated from each other, and with each of the legs being bridged by the conductor means in different positions of the roller and band. In another embodiment the conductor means is arranged so that a circuit is completed to all of the legs simultaneously upon the roller and band moving to a predetermined position. A keyboard arrangement is disclosed wherein a plurality of switches of this type are utilized together, each with a different combination of legs connected into the output circuit to provide a coded signal to a device such as used in computer periphery equipment. Also disclosed is a roller-band device of the type described above having a unique actuating means, especially useful in connection with a keyboard switch, which includes a force-amplifying connection between the manual actuator and the roller and band and which provides a breakaway action as the manual actuator is operated.

Claims

1. In a roller-band device including a roller and a flexible band substantially encircling the roller and having end portions extending generally in opposite directions from the roller, the roller and band being rollable together without substantial friction therebetween, the improvement comprising the roller having an electrically nonconductive surface about which the band extends, the band being comprised of two electrically conductive sections, said sections being elecTrically insulated from each other, and conductor means movable with the roller and disposed to electrically connect the two sections of the band in predetermined positions of the band and roller.

2. The device of claim 1 including support means and wherein one section of the band comprises a pair of spaced leg members extending in one direction around said roller and the other section of said band comprises a tongue portion disposed between said leg portions and extending in the other direction around said roller, said tongue and leg sections extending generally in opposite directions from the roller and being connected at their ends to said support means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said conductor means comprises a plurality of conductor members movable with said roller and disposed in a position to bridge between said first and second sections of the band in a plurality of different positions of the roller and band.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said leg portions are electrically insulated from each other and wherein the conductor means movable with the roller comprises means adapted to bridge between said tongue and one of said leg portions in one position of the roller and band and to bridge between the tongue and the other leg portion in another position of said roller and band.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein one of said band sections comprises a plurality of spaced and electrically insulated leg portions connected along the surface of said roller and extending in one direction therearound, the other of said sections includes at least one conductive tongue portion disposed between adjacent ones of said leg portions, connected to said roller and extending in the other direction therearound, said tongue portion being disposed on the roller so that said leg portions are arranged generally symmetrically about it, and wherein the conductor means is disposed for bridging between and electrically connecting said tongue portion to said leg portions in one or more predetermined positions of the roller and band.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said tongue portion acts as a common electrical conductor and said leg portions as separate output conductors, and wherein the conductor means movable with the roller is constructed and disposed so that different ones of said leg portions are electrically connected to said tongue portion in different positions of said roller and band.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein each of said leg portions has an output terminal adapted for connection to a printed circuit board or the like and wherein said conductor means is effective to bridge all of said leg portions and said tongue portion simultaneously in predetermined positions of said roller and band.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a plurality of similar switches are utilized in a keyboard with each switch thereon having a different combination of output terminals connected into the output circuit.

9. The device of claim 2 wherein said conductor means is a conductive member imbedded in the roller along a portion of the surface thereof and substantially continuous with the surface of said roller in a position wherein it is engaged only by said tongue portion in certain positions of said roller and band and simultaneously by said leg portions and said tongue portion in other positions of the said roller and band.

10. The device of claim 2 wherein said conductor means is an electrical conductor member common with said tongue portion and secured to a portion of the surface of the roller in a position where it will be engaged by said leg portions only in certain predetermined positions of said roller and band.

11. The device of claim 1 including support means, the ends of said first and second band sections being fixed to said support means and said roller and band being movable back and forth on said support means, actuating means including a yoke member mounted on said support means for movement generally along the direction of movement of the roller and band, Means connecting said yoke means to said roller, and means yieldably urging said yoke means, said roller and said band to one position, said yoke means being movable by an external force when in opposition thereto and in the other direction.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said band sections are formed of a flexible resilient material and are constructed so that an internal bias urges said roller and band in one direction, said roller is generally cylindrical in shape, said yoke means has a pair of finger members straddling said roller and extending along opposite ends thereof, each of said finger members has elongated slots therein, a pair of pins are disposed in opposite ends of said roller and offset from the axis thereof, and said pins are disposed in the slots in said finger portions of said yoke member to connect said yoke means to said roller, said offset pins and the cooperating slots providing a force amplification means whereby the force exerted upon said roller by said band sections are amplified and said roller and band can be moved against the bias of said band sections only by the application of a greater amount of force to said yoke means by an external force.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said pins and cooperating slots are arranged to give a breakaway action whereby the force applied thereto by the internal bias of said spring decreases as said roller and band are moved against said force.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein one of said band sections comprises a tongue section connected to said roller and extending in one direction around the surface thereof and having its end connected to said support means, the other said band section comprises a plurality of electrically insulated leg members each connected to said roller and extending generally in the opposite direction around the periphery thereof and having their remote ends also connected to said support means, the tongue section providing a common electrical lead and said leg members providing a plurality of electrical output circuits, and said conductor means bridging between and electrically connecting said tongue section and said leg members at predetermined positions of said roller and band.

15. A roller-band device of the single roller type comprising support means, a roller rollable in a generally singular plane, a flexible band substantially encircling said roller said band including a first section having at least two spaced legs and a second section having a tongue member said legs and said tongue extending directly from said roller in substantially opposite directions and in substantially the same plane along which said roller rolls, said legs and tongue connected to said support means whereby said roller and band are movable together back and forth on said support means, actuating means including yoke means movably mounted on said support means for movement generally along the direction of movement of said roller and band thereon, said yoke means having spaced finger portions disposed on opposite ends of said roller, means operably connecting said finger portions and said roller, means yieldingly urging said roller and band and said yoke means in one direction on said support means toward an end position, and said yoke means being externally operable to move it and said roller and band in the opposite direction on said support means toward a second end position, and conductive means responsive to the movement of said roller for completing an electrical circuit when said roller is in one of said end positions.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said band is a resilient flexible band formed so that an internal bias therein urges said roller and band in said one direction toward said end position.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the means connecting said roller and said finger portion means of said yoke means includes force-amplifying means whereby the external force required to operate said yoke means is different than the force applied to said roller by said band.

18. A roller-band device comprising support means, a roller having an electrically insulative surface, a flexible band substantially encircling said roller and having ends extending in substantially opposite directions from said roller and connected to said support means whereby said roller and band are movable together back and forth on said support means, said band including a first section comprising an electrically conductive tongue member, said legs and tongue being connected to said roller and extending in opposite directions therearound, said tongue and said legs being electrically insulated from each other, conductor means including means for completing the circuit between said tongue and said legs in predetermined positions of said roller and band, actuating means including yoke means movably mounted on said support means for movement generally along the direction of movement of said roller and band thereon, said yoke means having spaced finger portions disposed on opposite ends of said roller, means operably connecting said finger portions and said roller, means yieldably urging said roll and band and said yoke means in one direction on said support means toward an end position, and said yoke means being externally operable to move it and said roller and band in the opposite direction on said support means.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said leg and said tongue are formed of resilient flexible material and wherein said legs and tongue have different effective cross-sectional areas and thereby provide an internal bias urging said roller and band in said one direction.

20. The device of claim 19 further including force-amplifying means between said roller and said yoke means whereby the force which must be applied to said yoke means in order to overcome said internal bias is greater than the force applied to said roller by said band.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein said first section of the band includes a plurality of legs each providing an output electrical circuit member, said second section includes at least one tongue member providing a common electrical connection and said conductor means is effective to connect said tongue member and said legs at predetermined positions of said band and said roller.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein said conductor means is disposed so that said legs are all connected simultaneously to said tongue upon movement of said roller and band to a predetermined position.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein said conductor means is disposed and arranged so that different ones of said leg members are connected to said tongue in different predetermined positions on said roller and band.

24. A roller-band device comprising support means, a substantially cylindrical roller, a flexible band substantially encircling said roller and having ends extending in substantially opposite directions from said roller and connected to said support means whereby said roller and band are movable together back and forth on said support means, said band formed so that an internal bias therein urges said roller and band in one direction toward an end position, actuating means including yoke means movably mounted on said support means for movement generally along the direction of movement of said roller and band thereon, said yoke means having spaced finger portions disposed on opposite ends of said roller, said finger portion means including force-amplifying means whereby the external force required to operate said yoke means is different from the force applied to said roller by said band, said spaced finger portions further including aligned slots which are generally normal to the direction of movement of said roller and band and said yoke, means operably connecting said finger portions and said roller including a pair of pins extending from the opposite ends of said roller and disposed in said slots, said pins being offset from the axis of said roller, means yieldably urging said roller and band and said yoke means in onE direction on said support means toward an end position, and said yoke means being externally operable to move it and said roller and band in the opposite direction on said support means.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein said pin and slot connection is arranged so that the offset pins provide a lever arm which varies upon movement of said roller to require a declining force on said actuator as said roller is moved away from said end position, thereby giving breakaway action to said device.

26. A roller-band device comprising support means, a roller having an electrically insulative surface, flexible, electrically conductive, band means encircling said roller with ends extending generally in opposite directions therefrom, said band means including two separate band sections, one of said sections being connected to said roller and extending in one direction therearound, the other of said sections including at least two spaced legs connected to said roller on opposite sides of said one band section and extending in the other direction around said roller, and means connecting the remote ends of said band sections to said support means and maintaining said band sections in tension whereby said roller and band are movable back and forth on said support.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further including conductor means movable with said roller and adapted to electrically connect two band sections in predetermined positions of said roller and band.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said first and second legs are electrically insulated from each other, and the apparatus further includes conductor means movable with said roller and adapted to bridge between said one band section and the first of said legs in one position of said roller and band and to bridge and electrically connect said one band section and the other of said legs in another position of said roller and band.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said first and second leg portions of said other band section are electrically insulated from each other, and the apparatus further includes electrically conductive means movable with said band and adapted to bridge between said one band section and each of said legs simultaneously upon movement of said roller and band to a predetermined position.