Metal oxide switching elements

Claim 2

AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHING CIRCUIT, COMPRISING AN ALUMINUM ELEMENT HAVING THEREON AN ALUMINUM OXIDE FILM NORMALLY HAVING A HIGH RESISTANCE TO CURRENT FLOW, A PLURALITY OF SPACED ELECTRODES MOUNTED AT THE SIDE OF SAID FILM OPPOSITE SAID ALUMINUM ELEMENT, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ALUMINUM ELEMENT AND A SELECTED ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES ACROSS A PULSATING VOLTAGE SUPPLY, SAID FILM CHANGING ITS RESISTANCE, WHEN SAID PULSATING VOLTAGE REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE ABOVE ZERO, FROM A HIGH TO A LOW VALUE ONLY IN THE AREA THEREOF WHICH IS IN CONTACT WITH SAID SELECTED ELECTRODE, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING A RESET VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID ELEMENT AND SAID SELECTED ELECTRODE TO SWITCH SAID SELECTED AREA OF AND FILM BACK FROM SAID LOW TO SAID HIGH VALUE OF RESISTANCE WHEN SAID PULSATING VOLTAGE FALLS BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE, SAID SELECTED AREA OF SAID FILM REMAINING IN ITS LOW RESISTANCE MODE, REGARDLESS OF THE VALUE OF SAID PULSATING VOLTAGE, UNTIL SWITCHED BACK TO ITS HIGH RESISTANCE MODE BY SAID RESET VOLTAGE, AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO SAID PULSATING VOLTAGE SUPPLY AND HAVING ONE END CONFRONTING THE OXIDE FILM ON SAID ELEMENT AND POSITIONED TO REGISTER SELECTIVELY WITH SAID ELECTRODES, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ELEMENT AND SAID CONDUCTOR SELECTIVELY TO CAUSE SAID ONE END OF SAID CONDUCTOR TO REGISTER WITH A SELECTED ELECTRODE TO APPLY THE PULSATING VOLTAGE THEREACROSS.

Claim 3

An electrical switching circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein said film increases slightly in thickness from one end to the other of said element, and said electrodes are arranged in a line extending between oppoSite ends of said element.

Claim 4

An electrical switching circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein said probe comprises a light pipe having on said operating end thereof a transparent, electrically conductive plate connected to said voltage supply.

Claim 5

An electrical switching circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrodes comprise a plurality of metal grids seated on said film above said element and coated with electroluminescent material, and said connecting means connects said pulsating voltage across one of said grids and said element to cause said electroluminescent material on said one grid to luminesce, when said one grid and said element have been switched to their conductive modes relative to each other by said pulsating voltage.

Claim 6

An electrical switching circuit, comprising an electrically conductive element having an oxide film on at least one surface thereof, a plurality of spaced electrodes in contact with spaced portions of said oxide film normally to be maintained thereby in a non-conductive mode relative to said element, an electrical load, means for connecting said load and said element in a series circuit selectively with one of said spaced electrodes across an alternating current power source, the AC voltage from said source being operative, upon reaching a predetermined threshold value, to cause only said element and the selected one of said spaced electrodes to be switched to electrically conductive modes relative to each other to allow current flow in said circuit, said element and said selected electrode being operative thereafter to remain in conductive modes until a direct current voltage is applied thereacross, and means operable when said AC current power source is disconnected from said circuit, to apply a DC signal across said element and said selected electrode to switch the element and electrode back to their non-conductive modes, said conductive element comprising one of a plurality of anodized aluminum strips disposed parallel to each other in a common plane, a metal grid coated with electroluminescent material positioned above said strips, a plurality of spaced, electrically conductive back electrodes secured in spaced rows and columns beneath said grid with each column thereof electrically connected with the oxide film on one of said strips, means including a second plurality of said strips extending beneath and at right angles to the first-named plurality of strips to register with said rows of back electrodes, means for applying said AC threshold voltage across said grid and said strips selectively at intersections of said first and second-named pluralities of strips selectively to place said back electrodes in conductive relation to the registering portions of said strips, and means for applying an exciting AC voltage across said grid and second plurality of strips to illuminate the portions of said electroluminescent material that register with the selected back electrodes.

Claim 7

An electrical switching circuit, comprising an electrically conductive element having an oxide film on at least one surface thereof, a plurality of spaced electrodes in contact with spaced portions of said oxide film normally to be maintained thereby in a non-conductive mode relative to said element, an electrical load, means for connecting said load and said element in a series circuit selectively with one of said spaced electrodes across an alternating current power source, the AC voltage from said source being operative, upon reaching a predetermined threshold value, to cause only said element and the selected one of said spaced electrodes to be switched to electrically conductive modes relative to each other to allow current flow in said circuit, said element and said selected electrode being operative thereafter to remain in conductive modes until a direct current voltage is applied thereacross, and means operable when said AC current power source is disconnected from said circuit, to apply a DC signal across said element and said selected electrode to switch the element and electrode back to their non-conductive modes, said conductive element comprising one of a plurality of anodized aluminum strips disposed parallel to each other in a common plane, a metal grid coated with electroluminescent material positioned above said strips, a plurality of spaced, electrically conductive back electrodes secured in spaced rows and columns beneath said grid with each column thereof electrically connected with the oxide film on one of said strips, means including a second plurality of said strips extending beneath and at right angles to the first-named plurality of strips to register with said rows of back electrodes, means for applying said AC threshold voltage across said grid and said strips selectively at intersections of said first and second-named pluralities of strips selectively to place said back electrodes in conductive relation to the registering portions of said strips, and means for applying an exciting AC voltage across said grid and second plurality of strips to illuminate the portions of said electroluminescent material that register with the selected back electrodes.