Resilient material potentiometer
First Claim
1. A method of providing a potentiometer from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, the method comprising:
- a. electrically coupling a first conductor with the resistive member at a first location over a first contact area;
b. electrically coupling a second conductor with the resistive member at a second location over a second contact area; and
c. deforming the resistive member to contact a third conductor at a selectable third location over a third contact area along a first distance between the first conductor and the second conductor, and the resistance between the third conductor and the first conductor varying substantially non-linearly with the position of the third location along the first distance.
11 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.
73 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of providing a potentiometer from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, the method comprising:
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a. electrically coupling a first conductor with the resistive member at a first location over a first contact area; b. electrically coupling a second conductor with the resistive member at a second location over a second contact area; and c. deforming the resistive member to contact a third conductor at a selectable third location over a third contact area along a first distance between the first conductor and the second conductor, and the resistance between the third conductor and the first conductor varying substantially non-linearly with the position of the third location along the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A potentiometer apparatus comprising:
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a. a resistive member wherein the resistive member comprises a resistive resilient material; b. a first conductor electrically coupled to the resistive member at a first location over a first contact area; c. a second conductor electrically coupled to the resistive member at a second location over a second contact area; d. a third conductor spaced apart from the resistive member, wherein the third conductor is configured to contact the resistive member at a selectable third contact from a plurality of locations selected along the first distance, the third contact having a third contact length, wherein the contact length varies linearly with the selected third contact location along the first distance; and e. deformation means to deform the resistive member into contact with the third conductor forming a third contact area. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of manufacturing a potentiometer from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, comprising the steps of:
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a. electrically coupling a first conductor with the resistive member at a first location over a first contact area; b. electrically coupling a second conductor with the resistive member at a second location over a second contact area, wherein the distance between the first contact and the second contact defines a first distance; c. placing a third conductor spaced apart from the resistive member, wherein the third conductor is formed with a first width that substantially linearly increases to a second width along the first distance; and d. coupling a deformation means to the resistive member. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification