Rheostat trimmer
AssigneeAllen-Bradley Company, Inc.
InventorSydney W. Frey, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rheostat (10) has a disk-shaped base (11) that is slidably mounted between a pair of spaced terminal pins (12, 13). A resistance track (14) is disposed on top of the base (11) and is connected to a collector track (15) that is disposed around the circumference of the base (11). A collector terminal pin (12) has contacts (12d) in sliding engagement with the collector track (15), and a wiper terminal pin (13) has an oblique contact surface formed by projections (13g) that slidably engage the resistance track (14). The terminal pins (12, 13) can be mounted on a supporting surface, so that as the base (11) is rotated, the resistance between the terminal pins (12, 13) is varied. The oblique contact surface on the wiper terminal pin (13) aids in maintaining a balanced current distribution in the resistance track (14).
Claims11
A variable resistor control, which comprises:
- a base having top and bottom surfaces and a peripheral side surface extending between and joined to the top and bottom surfaces to form top and bottom peripheral edges, respectively;
- a resistance track disposed on the top surface of the base with an arcuate portion spaced inwardly from the top peripheral edge of the base and with a termination portion extending outwardly from the arcuate portion to the top peripheral edge of the base;
- a collector track disposed on the base along its peripheral side surface, the collector track and the termination portion of the resistance track being electrically connected along the top peripheral edge of the base;
- and
- a pair of spaced terminal pins adapted to slidably support the base for rotation therebetween, the first terminal pin including a first contact that engages the collector track, and the second terminal pin including a second contact that engages the arcuate portion of the resistance track, whereby the base can be rotated relative to the terminal pins to vary the resistance that is electrically connected between the terminal pins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.