SEMICONDUCTOR TYPE POTENTIOMETER DEVICE

• US 3,691,502 A
• Filed: 04/21/1969
• Issued: 09/12/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shoei Kataoka
• Original Assignee: Shoei Kataoka
• Inventors: Kataoka, Shoei
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kinberg, R.
• Application Number:
  US04/817,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 338/32,32H,15,17,18,217,283 323/94H 324/34,45,46
• US Class Current: 338/32.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/00 Adjustable resistors

Abstract

Various improvements of a semiconductor type potentiometer device comprising one or more three electrode semiconductor elements each having two end electrodes and an intermediate electrode provided at its intermediate portion, and a magnetic field applying device for applying a magnetic field to the semiconductor element while being moved along the element; these improvements being made to extend greatly the variable range of the output voltage of the device and to obtain an output voltage corresponding to one-dimensional variation as well as twodimensional variation of the magnetic field.

Claims

1. A semiconductor potentiometer device comprising an assembly of at least two three-terminal semiconductor elements each with a different resistance, each element having first and second end electrodes and an intermediate electrode, all first end electrodes of said elements being connected to a common input terminal, the intermediate electrode of said element with the least resistance being connected to the second end electrode of said element with the second least resistance, the intermediate electrode of said element with the second least resistance being connecting to the second end electrode of any existing element with the third least resistance, the intermediate electrode of any existing element with the third least resistance being connecting to the intermediate electrode of any existing element with the fourth least resistance, and so on in cascade fashion, and wherein the intermediate electrode of said element with the largest resistance is connected to an output terminal;

magnetic field applying means for applying a common magnetic field to said semiconductor element assembly; and

means for changing the relative position of said magnetic field on said semiconductor assembly.

2. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 1, in which the semiconductor elements of the assembly are of arcuate shape and arranged concentrically to one another.

3. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the semiconductor elements of the assembly decreases in cross-section gradually toward the common electrode.

4. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the semiconductor eLements of the assembly has a magneto-resistance characteristic which is made larger according as it approaches to the common electrode.

5. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 4, in which each of the semiconductor elements is provided with many metal members provided transversely on the surface so that distance between adjacent metal members is successively decreased toward the common electrode.

6. A semiconductor type potential device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the semiconductor elements of the assembly has a shape obtained by bending it in a zigzag state along its length.

7. A semiconductor element adapted to a semiconductor type potentiometer device comprising a three-terminal semiconductor element having first and second end electrodes and an intermediate electrode and a magnetic field applying means for applying a magnetic field to said semiconductor element while causing relative movement of said element and magnetic field;

said element being provided with at least one slant metal piece inserted therein so as to be inclined at a constant angle with respect to the side edges of the element along the length thereof.

8. A semiconductor element adapted to a semiconductor type potentiometer device comprising a three-terminal semiconductor element having first and second end electrodes and an intermediate electrode and a magnetic field applying means for applying a magnetic field to said semiconductor element while causing relative movement of said element and magnetic field;

said element being provided with at least one metal piece inserted therein and having an angled shape.

9. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 1, in which, the intermediate electrode of each of the semiconductor elements is made to be electrically asymmetric with respect to both ends of said element.

10. In a semiconductor type potentiometer device comprising a three-terminal semiconductor element having first and second end electrodes and an intermediate electrode and a magnetic field applying means for applying a magnetic field to said semiconductor element while causing relative movement of said element and magnetic field;

an improvement of said device, in which said element is provided with a magneto-resistance element connected in series thereto, the free end electrodes of said elements being input terminals and the free end electrode and intermediate electrode of said semiconductor element being output terminals, and the magnetic field applying means comprising means adapted to apply the magnetic field to said magneto-resistance element only when the magnetic field is directed to a certain direction.

11. A semiconductor type potentiometer device as claimed in claim 10, in which the three-electrode semiconductor element and the magneto-resistance element which are connected in series are unified as one body.

12. A semiconductor type potentiometer comprising an angle-shaped semiconductor element provided with electrodes at both ends, at the corner, and at intermediate portions between said corner and each of said both ends, and means for applying to said element a magnetic field having the same shape as that of said element and being set at a position rotated by 180* from the position of said element while causing relative movement of said element and means, a pair of electrodes at one end and the corner of the element forming one side input terminal pair, another pair of electrodes at another end and the corner of the element forming another side input terminal pair, and the two intermediate electrodes forming output terminals, thereby to make the device responsive to two-dimensional physical variation.

13. A semiconductor type potentiometer as claimed in claim 12, in which the semiconductor element is provided with metal members inserted therein disposed in parallel to the surface of the electrodes.

14. A semiconductor type potentiometer as claimed in claim 12, in which each of the vertical and transversal parts of the angle-shaped semiconductor element consists of at least two cascade-connected semiconductor elements.

15. A semiconductor type potentiometer as claimed in claim 12, in which each of the vertical and transversal parts of the angle-shaped semiconductor element consists of zigzag-shaped semiconductor element.

16. A semiconductor type potentiometer, comprising a semiconductor element having a magneto-resistance characteristic and provided with two end electrodes, a central electrode and additional intermediate electrodes which are respectively provided between said end electrodes and said central electrode, and comprising two magnetic field applying means which are mechanically coupled so as to be simultaneously moved along said element and a voltage source which is connected at its one terminal to said central electrode and at its other terminal to said both end electrodes, thereby to derive a variable voltage from said intermediate electrodes.

17. A semiconductor type potentiometer as claimed in claim 16, in which the semiconductor element has a ring-shaped configuration.

18. A semiconductor type potentiometer as claimed in claim 16, in which the two magnetic field applying means are made of magnets having respective polarities selected from combinations of N, N;

S, S; and

N, S.

19. A semiconductor type potentiometer comprising a cross-shaped semiconductor element provided with four end electrodes, a central electrode, and intermediate electrodes which are respectively provided between said end electrode and central electrode, and means for applying a square-frame-shaped magnetic field to said semiconductor element while causing relative movement of said element and magnetic field, all end electrodes forming a common terminal of input terminals and said central electrode forming another terminal of said input terminals and said central electrode forming another terminal of said input terminals, and intermediate electrodes in each vertical part and transversal part of the semiconductor element forming output terminals.

20. A semiconductor type potentiometer comprising a semiconductor element having two end electrodes, a central electrode, an intermediate electrode provided between said central electrode and one of said end electrodes, and another intermediate electrode provided between said central electrode and another end electrode, and comprising means adapted to apply a magnetic field to said element while causing relative movement of said element and magnetic field along said element, said end electrodes forming input terminals and said intermediate electrodes forming output terminals.

21. A contactless potentiometer;

comprising at least two three-terminal semiconductor elements having electrodes provided at two ends and intermediate thereof and arranged in parallel in the same plane, one end electrode of each element being connected electrically in common and an intermediate electrode of said each element being connected to the other end electrode of the next-placed element in one direction; and

means for applying a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to said plane to only a part of each said semiconductor elements along the length and for moving said magnetic field simultaneously along said elements;

whereby a variable output voltage is obtained across said common electrode and said intermediate electrode of said element placed at the far side when an input voltage is applied across both end electrodes of said element placed at the other far side on the said plane.

22. A contactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 21, said semiconductor elements being arranged in a concentric form and said magnetic field being of fan shape.

23. A contactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 21, zero-field resistance of said elements being made succeedingly higher.

24. A contactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 21, the cross-section of each said element being made varied along the length of said element.

25. A conTactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 21, in which at least one metal piece is provided on each of said elements disposed at a slanted constant angle to the side of said element.

26. A contactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 25, in which the interval of said metal pieces is made varied along the lengths of said elements.

27. A contactless potentiometer as claimed in claim 25, the shape of said element being made angled.