Indicia sensor apparatus
OwnerHarold J. Weberinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Indicia sensor apparatus which provides for a ready, low cost, electrical sensing of an indicia, supported on a readily interchangeable membrane, and provided as a coded pattern of aperture through the membrane. An elastomer electrode element, such as a conductive foam rubber, is pressed against the face of the membrane with sufficient pressure so as to induce a protuberance of some part of the relatively adaptive elastomer through each membrane aperture. This protuberance brings about contactual intercourse with a correspondent receptor electrode for each aperture position. The result is an electrical circuit change which may be utilized in a current seeking path to produce different binary logic values in accord with the coded aperture pattern carried by the membrane.
Claims14
Indicia sensor apparatus adapted in an electric circuit for the effective translation of an indicia form into electrical value signals, comprising in combination:
- a. a plurality of interchangeable membrane element means of substantially insulative composition, providing a first surface and a second surface and having an indicia thereon represented as a coded plurality of apertures between the said surfaces;
- b. an adaptive electrode element means, comprising an electrically conductive elastomer means having a substantially flat resilient contacting surface effectively free of any protrusion above the surface plane thereof, oriented in compressive juxtaposition relative to the said membrane element first surface whereby the said elastomer electrode element flat conducting surface will effectively conform with sufficient protuberant extension through any indicia apertures to intersect with the plane of the second surface;
- c. a plurality of receptor electrode elements oriented on about the same plane as the said membrane element second surface, whereby each receptor electrode element is contactually correspondent with any one of the several possible adaptive electrode protuberances;
- d. a plurality of electric signal sources having a first terminal means effectively coupled to the said adaptive electrode element means, whilst a second terminal means is effectively coupled, in a separate way, to each of the plural said receptor electrode elements;
- and,
- e. a translator means having a plurality of electric signal responsive inputs, each coupled in an effectively separate way to each said electric signal source, and having an effectively plural output terminus which provides:
- ea. substantially separate first signal value for any said receptor electrode element which is in contactual correspondence with an adaptive electrode protuberance as usually produced by each aperture in the membrane element;
- eb. a substantially separate second signal value for any said receptor electrode element which is blocked contact with the adaptive electrode element, as usually produced by membrane element continuance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.