Variable capacitor

Abstract

A capacitor having an elongated, generally tubular shape includes a metal clad dielectric sheet formed into an elongated, generally tubularly shaped core that is mounted between two conductive terminals and receives an elongated conductive member electrically connected to one of the conductive terminals. The axial position of the elongated conductive member within the core is variable to vary the capacitance of the capacitor. The method of making or assembling the capacitor includes the steps of forming first and second desired configurations of conductive material on one side of a substantially flat dielectric sheet, forming the dielectric sheet into an elongated, substantially tubularly shaped dielectric core with the first and second configurations of conductive material on the outer surface of the core, placing a first conductive terminal in a telescoping relationship over the first configuration of conductive material, placing a second conductive terminal in a telescoping relationship over the second configuration of conductive material and expanding the core radially outwardly by inserting an axially variably movable, elongated conductive member electrically connected with the first conductive terminal within the core to achieve a conforming contact between the elongated conductive member and the inner surface of the core, thereby providing a highly accurate, inexpensive and reliable variable capacitor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.