Variable resistor

Claim 2

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals; b. a conductive slide means mounted for slide contact with said resistor element and said first and second terminals; and c. switch means controlled by the position of said slide means and operative to ground one of said first and second terminals of said resistor element when said slide means engages the other one of said first and second terminals of said resistor element.

Claim 3

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals; b. an electrical conductive slide means mounted for slide contact with said resistor element and said first and second terminals; and c. switch means controlled by the position of said slide means and operable to open the connection between one of said first and second terminals and said resistor element when said slide means engages the other one of said first and second terminals.

Claim 4

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals; b. an electrical conductive slide means mounted for slide contact with said resistor element and said first and second terminals; and c. switch means controlled by the position of said slide means and operable to open the connection between one of said first and second terminals and said resistor element when said slide means engages the other one of said first and second terminals.

Claim 5

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals, a first input signal source applied to said first terminal, a second input signal source applied to said second terminal; b. electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals, an output terminal for delivering at least one of said first and second signal or a mixed signal of said input signals connected to said slide means; and c. switch means controlled by the position of said slide means and operative to ground one of said first and second input signals when said slide means engages one of said first and second terminals and to ground the other one of said first and second input signals when said slide means engages the other one of said first and second terminals.

Claim 6

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals, a first input signal source applied to said first terminal, a second input signal source applied to said second terminal; b. electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals, an output terminal for delivering at least one of said first and second signal or a mixed signal of said input signals connected to said slide means; and c. switch means controlled by the position of said slide means and operative to ground one of said first and second input signals when said slide means engages one of said first and second terminals and to ground the other one of said first and second input signals when said slide means engages the other one of said first and second terminals.

Claim 7

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals, a first input signal applied to said first terminal, a second input signal applied to said second terminal; b. an electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals, said slide means supplied at least one of said first and second input signals or a mixture thereof from said resistor element depending on the position of said slide means; and c. switch means controlled by the movement of said slide means and operative to disconnect one of said first and second input signals from said slide means when said slide means engages one of said first or second terminals.

Claim 8

A variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals, a first input signal applied to said first terminal, a second input signal applied to said second terminal; b. an electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals, said slide means supplied at least one of said first and second input signals or a mixture thereof from said resistor element depending on the position of said slide means; and c. switch means controlled by the movement of said slide means and operative to disconnect one of said first and second input signals from said slide means when said slide means engages one of said first or second terminals.

Claim 9

A variable resistor comprising: a. a first resistor element having first and second terminals; b. a first electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals; c. a second resistor element having third and fourth terminals; d. a second electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said second resistor element between said third and fourth terminals; e. first input signal means connected to said first terminal of said first resistor elemenT; f. second input signal means connected to said fourth terminal of said second resistor body; g. third input signal means connected to said second and third terminals; h. a first output signal terminal connected to said first slide means and receiving at least one of said input signals from said first and third input signal means or a mixture depending upon the position of said first slide means; i. a second output signal terminal means connected to said second slide means and receiving at least one of input signals from said third and fourth input signal means or a mixture depending upon the position of said second slide means; j. first switch means controlled by movement of said first slide means and operative to ground one of said first and second terminals of said first resistor element when said first slide means engages the other of said first and second terminals; and k. second switch means controlled by movement of said second slide means and operative to ground one of said third and fourth terminals of said second resistor element when said second slide means engages the other of said third and fourth terminals.

Claim 10

A variable resistor comprising: a. a first resistor element having first and second terminals; b. a first electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said resistor element between said first and second terminals; c. a second resistor element having third and fourth terminals; d. a second electrical conductive slide means mounted to slide on said second resistor element between said third and fourth terminals; e. first input signal means connected to said first terminal of said first resistor elemenT; f. second input signal means connected to said fourth terminal of said second resistor body; g. third input signal means connected to said second and third terminals; h. a first output signal terminal connected to said first slide means and receiving at least one of said input signals from said first and third input signal means or a mixture depending upon the position of said first slide means; i. a second output signal terminal means connected to said second slide means and receiving at least one of input signals from said third and fourth input signal means or a mixture depending upon the position of said second slide means; j. first switch means controlled by movement of said first slide means and operative to ground one of said first and second terminals of said first resistor element when said first slide means engages the other of said first and second terminals; and k. second switch means controlled by movement of said second slide means and operative to ground one of said third and fourth terminals of said second resistor element when said second slide means engages the other of said third and fourth terminals.

Claim 11

A variable resistor comprising: a. a first substrate; b. a rotary shaft rotatably supported by said first substrate; c. a resistor element generally ring-shaped formed with a gap mounted on said first substrate around said rotary shaft, said resistor element having first and second contact points at opposite ends; d. a first slide means with one end attached to said rotary shaft and slidable on said resistor element between said first and second contact points; e. a second substrate rotatably supporting said rotary shaft; f. a first connecting member generally ring-shaped with a gap mounted on said second substrate around said rotary shaft, said first connecting member having a third contact point at one end thereof; g. a fourth grounded contact point mounted on said second substrate adjacent the other end of said first connecting member and electrically isolated from said first connecting member; h. second slide means with one end attached to said rotary shaft and slidable on said first connecting member between said third and fourth contact points, i. a third substrate rotatably supporting said rotary shaft; j. a second connecting member generally ring-shaped with a gap mounted on said third substrate around said rotary shaft, said second connecting member having a fifth contact on one end corresponding to the position of said third contact relative to rotation of said rotary shaft; k. a sixth grounded contact point mounted on said second substrate adjacent the other end of said second connecting member and electrically isolated from said second connecting member; l. third slide means with one end fixed to said rotary shaft and slidable on said second connecting member between said fifth and sixth contact points; and m. means connecting said first contact point with said third contact point and said second contact point with said sixth contact point.

Claim 12

A variable resistor comprising: a. a first substrate; b. a rotary shaft rotatably supported by said first substrate; c. a resistor element generally ring-shaped formed with a gap mounted on said first substrate around said rotary shaft, said resistor element having first and second contact points at opposite ends; d. a first slide means with one end attached to said rotary shaft and slidable on said resistor element between said first and second contact points; e. a second substrate rotatably supporting said rotary shaft; f. a first connecting member generally ring-shaped with a gap mounted on said second substrate around said rotary shaft, said first connecting member having a third contact point at one end thereof; g. a fourth grounded contact point mounted on said second substrate adjacent the other end of said first connecting member and electrically isolated from said first connecting member; h. second slide means with one end attached to said rotary shaft and slidable on said first connecting member between said third and fourth contact points, i. a third substrate rotatably supporting said rotary shaft; j. a second connecting member generally ring-shaped with a gap mounted on said third substrate around said rotary shaft, said second connecting member having a fifth contact on one end corresponding to the position of said third contact relative to rotation of said rotary shaft; k. a sixth grounded contact point mounted on said second substrate adjacent the other end of said second connecting member and electrically isolated from said second connecting member; l. third slide means with one end fixed to said rotary shaft and slidable on said second connecting member between said fifth and sixth contact points; and m. means connecting said first contact point with said third contact point and said second contact point with said sixth contact point.

Claim 13

A variable resistor according to claim 3, wherein said switch means is a cam switch having at least three contact points one of which is grounded, and said cam switch controlled by the position of said slide means.