Resilient material potentiometer

• US 7,391,296 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Varatouch Technology Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Michael D., Schrum, Allan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US11/701,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 338/92, 338/96, 338/68, 338/99, 338/114, 338/130, 338/158, 338183-185
• US Class Current: 338/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/06 adjustable by short-circuiting different amounts of the resistive element
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/12 by changing surface pressure between resistive masses or resistive and conductive masses, e.g. pile type
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/305 consisting of a thick film
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/38 the contact moving along a straight path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49082 Resistor making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49085 Thermally variable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49101 Applying terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

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.

Claims

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.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistive member has a substantially uniform resistance along the first distance.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the resistance between the third conductor and the first conductor varies substantially logarithmically with the third location along the first distance.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resistive member is a substantially rectangular structure and the first contact area substantially covers an end of the rectangular structure and the second contact area substantially covers the opposing end of the resistive member, and the third contact area has a first width that increases substantially linearly to a second width along the first distance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third conductor is substantially triangular.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resistive member is substantially parallel and in close proximity to the third conductor.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the third contact area is substantially parallel to the first contact area and the second contact area.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a roller wheel is used for deforming the resistive element.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the roller wheel has a finite number of positions for deforming the resistive member into contact with the third conductor at a finite set of third locations.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a flexible indented layer coupled to the resistive member wherein the flexible indented layer is configure to position the roller wheel into a finite set of positions which deform the resistive member into a finite set of third contacts.

11. A potentiometer apparatus comprising:

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.

12. The potentiometer of claim 11, wherein a resistance between the first and third contact varies non-linearly with the selected contact location along the first distance.

13. The potentiometer of claim 12, wherein the resistive member is a substantially rectangular structure, the first contact area substantially covers one edge of the rectangular structure, the second contact area substantially covers the opposing edge, and the third conductor has a first width that linearly increases to a second width along the first distance.

14. The potentiometer of claim 13, wherein the resistive member is substantially parallel and in close proximity to the third conductor.

15. The potentiometer of claim 14, wherein the third conductor is a triangular shape.

16. The potentiometer of claim 15, wherein the resistive member has substantially uniform resistance along the first distance.

17. The potentiometer of claim 16, wherein the third contact point transverses the resistive member substantially parallel to the first and second contacts.

18. The potentiometer of claim 17, wherein the deforming means is a roller wheel.

19. The potentiometer of claim 18, wherein the roller wheel has a finite number of positions for deforming the resistive member into contact with the third conductor.

20. The potentiometer of claim 19, further comprising a flexible indented layer coupled to the resistive member wherein the flexible indented layer is configure to position the roller wheel into a finite set of positions which deform the resistive member into a finite set of third contacts.

21. A method of manufacturing a potentiometer from a resistive member including a resistive resilient material, comprising the steps of:

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.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of positioning the resistive member substantially parallel and in close proximity to the third conductor.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the resistive member is substantially rectangular, the first contact substantially contacts a first edge of the resistive member, and the second contact substantially contacts a second edge wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the resistive member has substantially uniform resistance along the first distance.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the third conductor has a substantially triangular shape.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the deformation means is a roller wheel.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of coupling a flexible indented layer to the resistive member wherein the flexible indented layer is configure to position the roller wheel into a set of positions which deform the resistive member into a set of contact points with the third conductor.