Capacitive touch control
First Claim
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1. A capacitive touch control for fabrication upon a panel of insulative material, comprising:
- a multiplicity of electrodes fabricated upon a first surface of said panel, said multiplicity of electrodes being electrically isolated from one another and arranged at substantially equal distances from a common center forming a central axis of said control;
a disk fastened to a second surface, opposite said first surface, of said panel, said disk having its axis of rotation substantially aligned with said central axis;
a control knob having a rear surface, said surface having a recess formed centrally therein;
a member fastened to said control knob at the bottom of said recess; and
a sheet electrode fastened to said control knob rear surface;
said disk and said member being fabricated of magnetically attractive materials, said control knob being held adjacent to said panel first surface by the magnetic attraction between said disk and said member when said disk is positioned within said recess;
said control knob being rotatable about said central axis to rotate said sheet electrode in the plane of and adjacent to said panel second surface to cause a variation in the capacitance associated with at least one of said multiplicity of electrodes upon said panel first surface.
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Abstract
A control for use upon a solid panel, devoid of control shaft apertures, allows data entry by rotational positioning of an electrode to vary the capacitance to at least one of a multiplicity of electrodes formed upon an interior surface of the panel. A magnetizable disk is attached to the exterior of the panel, with the control knob having a magnetized member attracted to the disk for maintaining the control knob in proper position while allowing control knob rotational adjustments. A light-emitting display is positioned behind the panel to indicate the index of the control knob by means of a variable-length, circular bar of light.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A capacitive touch control for fabrication upon a panel of insulative material, comprising:
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a multiplicity of electrodes fabricated upon a first surface of said panel, said multiplicity of electrodes being electrically isolated from one another and arranged at substantially equal distances from a common center forming a central axis of said control; a disk fastened to a second surface, opposite said first surface, of said panel, said disk having its axis of rotation substantially aligned with said central axis; a control knob having a rear surface, said surface having a recess formed centrally therein; a member fastened to said control knob at the bottom of said recess; and a sheet electrode fastened to said control knob rear surface; said disk and said member being fabricated of magnetically attractive materials, said control knob being held adjacent to said panel first surface by the magnetic attraction between said disk and said member when said disk is positioned within said recess; said control knob being rotatable about said central axis to rotate said sheet electrode in the plane of and adjacent to said panel second surface to cause a variation in the capacitance associated with at least one of said multiplicity of electrodes upon said panel first surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification