Touch control potentiometer

• US 5,945,929 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Challenge Machinery Company
• Original Assignee: The Challenge Machinery Company
• Inventors: Westra, Michael Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/940,071
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 341/34, 338/114, 338/115, 338/176, 338/92, 338/99, 338/95, 200/5 A, 84/690, 345/173
• US Class Current: 341/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 Decoding impedances

Abstract

A touch control potentiometer is formed of a lower lamina bearing on its upper surface a conductive trace of elongate outline, an upper lamina being flexible under digital pressure and bearing on its lower surface a second conductive trace aligned with the first trace and having the outline thereof, a central lamina being interposed between the upper and lower laminae and formed with an aperture aligned with the first and second traces and having an outline complementary to the outline common to them, one of the traces being formed of a material having relatively high electrical resistance, the other of the traces being formed of a material having relatively low electrical resistance, and a plurality of electrically conductive leads extending outwardly from the laminate and comprising first and second leads in contact with the said one trace at its ends, and a third lead in contact with said other trace at one end one of its ends. A cover lamina is superimposed upon the upper lamina, a static shield layer being carried by the cover lamina at its lower surface to draw off static charges, a graphic layer being carried by the cover lamina at its upper surface thereof and bearing printed indicia. Also disclosed is apparatus incorporating the potentiometer in a control system.

Claims

1. A touch control potentiometer comprising a plurality of laminae joined to form a laminate, each of the laminae being formed of electrically nonconductive material and having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite from the upper surface, a lower one of the laminae bearing on the upper surface thereof a first electrically conductive trace of elongate outline, an upper one of the laminae being flexible under digital pressure and bearing on the lower surface thereof a second electrically conductive trace aligned with the first trace and having the outline thereof, a central one of the laminae being interposed between the upper and lower laminae and formed with an aperture aligned with the first and second traces and having an outline complementary to the outline common thereto, one of the traces being formed of a material having relatively high electrical resistance, the other of the traces being formed of a material having relatively low electrical resistance, and a plurality of electrically conductive leads extending outwardly from the laminate and comprising first and second leads in contact with said one trace at respective ends thereof, and a third lead in contact with said other trace at one end thereof.

2. A touch control potentiometer according to claim 1, wherein a further one of the laminae comprises a cover lamina superimposed upon the upper lamina, a static shield layer being carried by the cover lamina at the lower surface thereof and formed of a conductive material, the static shield layer being adapted to be connected to ground to draw off static charges.

3. A touch control potentiometer according to claim 1, wherein a further one of the laminae comprises a cover lamina superimposed upon the upper lamina, a graphic layer being carried by the cover lamina at the upper surface thereof and bearing printed indicia thereon.

4. A touch control potentiometer according to claim 1, wherein said one trace is formed of carbon and said other trace is formed of silver.

5. A touch control potentiometer according to claim 1, wherein the first trace is formed of carbon and the second trace is formed of silver.

6. An apparatus having a movable member and a control system for positioning the movable member, the control system including a touch control potentiometer, a controller board having an analog-to-digital converter, an electric motor connected to drive the movable member, and a pair of controller outlet leads extending from the controller board to the motor to conduct drive signals from the controller board to the motor, the potentiometer comprising a plurality of laminae joined to form a laminate, each of the laminae being formed of electrically nonconductive material and having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite from the upper surface, a lower one of the laminae bearing on the upper surface thereof a first electrically conductive trace of elongate outline, an upper one of the laminae being flexible under digital pressure and bearing on the lower surface thereof a second electrically conductive trace aligned with the first trace and having the outline thereof, a central one of the laminae being interposed between the upper and lower laminae and formed with an aperture aligned with the first and second traces and having an outline complementary to the outline common thereto, one of the traces being formed of a material having relatively high electrical resistance, the other of the traces being formed of a material having relatively low electrical resistance, and a plurality of electrically conductive leads extending from the laminate to the controller board to provide input signals to the controller board, said plurality of leads comprising first and second leads in contact with said one trace at respective ends thereof, and a third lead in contact with said other trace at one end thereof.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, including a motor encoder connected to receive output signals from the motor, and means for providing feedback data from the motor encoder to the controller board.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a further one of the laminae comprises a cover lamina superimposed upon the upper lamina, a static shield layer being carried by the cover lamina at the lower surface thereof and formed of a conductive material, the static shield layer being adapted to be connected to ground to draw off static charges.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a further one of the laminae comprises a cover lamina superimposed upon the upper lamina, a graphic layer being carried by the cover lamina at the upper surface thereof and bearing printed indicia thereon.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the movable member comprises a backgage for a paper cutter.