US3576510A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Simple high-performance single-turn potentiometer
Assignee: BOWINS Inc
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Filing: 1970-04-06
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Granted: 1971-04-27
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Expires: 1990-04-06
Abstract
Abstract A simple one-turn potentiometer having a housing, an adjustment shaft molded in place in the housing, a rotary ceramic chip element on the interior end of the shaft to give high heat dissipation, and integral contact and terminal members molded in place in the end cap with contacts on the interior of the housing and juxtaposed to brush on a shaft-carried disc and with terminals exposed on the rear exterior.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank J Bruder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 15:38
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01C; H01C10/00; H01C10/30; H01C10/32; H01C10/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A potentiometer comprising: first means, including housing means including first and second insulation housing members; second means, including an actuating shaft rotatably mounted in said first housing member; third means, including an arcuate resistance element and return conductor means therefor and means supporting said element and conductor means on said shaft for rotation therewith; and fourth means, including a plurality of sets of resilient contact fingers supported by said housing means, one of said sets having contact points contacting said resistance element and another of said sets having contact points contacting said return conductor means, whereby upon rotation of said shaft said resistance element is rotated past said one of said sets of spring contact fingers and the points thereof and varies the electrical resistance exhibited between said one set and said other set of contact fingers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
A potentiometer comprising: first means, including housing means including first and second insulation housing members; second means, including an actuating shaft rotatably mounted in said first housing member; third means, including an arcuate resistance element and return conductor means therefor and means supporting said element and conductor means on said shaft for rotation therewith; and fourth means, including a plurality of sets of resilient contact fingers supported by said housing means, one of said sets having contact points contacting said resistance element and another of said sets having contact points contacting said return conductor means, whereby upon rotation of said shaft said resistance element is rotated past said one of said sets of spring contact fingers and the points thereof and varies the electrical resistance exhibited between said one set and said other set of contact fingers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A potentiometer as defined in claim 1, in which said first housing member is of molded construction and said shaft has an intermediate portion rotatable in and retained in said first housing member by the latter being molded therearound, whereby usual parts and assembly operations are unnecessary.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A potentiometer as defined in claim 1, in which each of said sets of resilient contact fingers is integral with a respective conductive terminal member secured to and protruding from said second housing member by having an intermediate portion thereof molded in place in said second housing member, whereby usual parts and assembly operations are obviated and made unnecessary.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A potentiometer according to claim 3, in which at least one of said sets of resilient contact fingers is formed of work-hardening alloy whereby required resilience of said fingers is attained by operations inexpensively performed upon a soft easily worked alloy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
A potentiometer according to claim 1, in which said means supporting said resistance element is a ceramic wafer, and in which said wafer is secured to said shaft in good heat-conductive relation thereto, whereby optimum heat dissipation from said element is attained.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A potentiometer according to claim 5, in which said sets of resilient contact fingers are integral with respective conductive terminals of soft work-hardenable alloy and in which each of said terminals is permanently embedded in said second housing member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A potentiometer according to claim 6, in which said wafer and said housing means comprise respective ones of movable and fixed stop means for restricting rotation of said wafer to the extent necessary to prevent rotation of either end of said resistance element past the contact points brushing thereon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2480218A
Cited
US2862088A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-04-26 | 1974-10-26 | 1975-04-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-04-26 | 1978-10-26 | 1979-04-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-04-26 | 1982-10-26 | 1983-04-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |