Commutator for sequentially sampling a plurality of input signals

Claim 1

A DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER OF THE TYPE WHOSE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT CHANGES WHEN SUBJECTED TO MECHANICAL STRESS, THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER HAVING TWO OPPOSED SURFACES OF LARGE AREA, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM ADHERENT TO AND COVERING SUBSTANTAILLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF ONE OF THE TWO LARGE AREA SURFACES, BANDS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE COATINGS ADHERENT TO THE OTHER OF THE TWO LARGE AREA SURFACES, THE BANDS BEING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, EACH BAND AND THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM CONSTITUTING A CAPACITOR WHOSE DIELECTRIC IS THE INTERPOSED PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, MEANS FOR LAUNCHING AN ELECTRIC TRAVELLING SHOCK WAVE INTO THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER FOR ABSORBING THE INCIDENT ELASTIC WAVE, AND OUTPUT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM AND A COMMON REFERENCE POINT, A LOAD CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLIM AND SAID COMMON REFERENCE POINT, A PLURALITY OF VOLTAGE SOURCES CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID BANDS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE COATINGS AND SAID COMMON REFERENCE POINT, SAID ELASTIC TRAVELLING SHOCK WAVE CAUSING A CHANGE IN THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT RESULTING IN A VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID LOAD, SAID VOLTAGE BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID RESPECTIVE VOLTAGE SOURCES APPLIED TO SAID CAPACITORS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER OF THE TYPE WHOSE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT CHANGES WHEN SUBJECTED TO MECHANICAL STRESS, THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER HAVING TWO OPPOSED SURFACES OF LARGE AREA, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM ADHERENT TO AND COVERING SUBSTANTAILLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF ONE OF THE TWO LARGE AREA SURFACES, BANDS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE COATINGS ADHERENT TO THE OTHER OF THE TWO LARGE AREA SURFACES, THE BANDS BEING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, EACH BAND AND THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM CONSTITUTING A CAPACITOR WHOSE DIELECTRIC IS THE INTERPOSED PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, MEANS FOR LAUNCHING AN ELECTRIC TRAVELLING SHOCK WAVE INTO THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER, MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE PIEZOELECTRIC MEMBER FOR ABSORBING THE INCIDENT ELASTIC WAVE, AND OUTPUT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM AND A COMMON REFERENCE POINT, A LOAD CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLIM AND SAID COMMON REFERENCE POINT, A PLURALITY OF VOLTAGE SOURCES CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID BANDS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE COATINGS AND SAID COMMON REFERENCE POINT, SAID ELASTIC TRAVELLING SHOCK WAVE CAUSING A CHANGE IN THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT RESULTING IN A VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID LOAD, SAID VOLTAGE BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID RESPECTIVE VOLTAGE SOURCES APPLIED TO SAID CAPACITORS.