Variable voltage divider

Claim 2

A variable voltage divider comprising a dielectric substrate, a plurality of conductive terminations, including one relatively high voltage termination, supported on said substrate, resistance means comprising first, second and third resistive paths supported on said substrate, one end of said second resistive path being connected to said first resistive path and the other end of said second resistive path being connected to said high voltage termination, one end of the third resistive path being connected to a second one of the terminations and the other end of the third resistive path being connected to said first resistive path, a collector supported on said substrate, adjusting means supported for movement relative to said substrate, and a conductive contactor constrained to move with said adjusting means and wipably engaging the first resistive path and the collector, said substrate comprising registration means for locating the substrate in a housing, said registration means comprising a first registration means and a second registration means spaced apart from said first registration means, said second resistive path being arcuately disposed about one of said registration means and said third resistive path being arcuately disposed about the other of said registration means.

Claim 3

The voltage divider of claim 1, wherein said first resistive path is circularly disposed about an aperture provided in said substrate and said adjusting means contains a contactor driver supported in said aperture and overlying said first resistive path, said contactor driver overlying a significant portion of the area of said substrate, said second and third resistive paths being disposed on the remaining area of said substrate.

Claim 4

The voltage divider of claim 2, comprising a housing containing locator means and provided with an opening and a receptacle communicating with said opening, wherein said substrate contains registration means engageable with said locator means to locate the substrate in the housing, and wherein said adjusting means contains a contactor driver disposed in said receptacle, said driver containing a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from said first surface and substantially parallel thereto, said first surface containing an integral knob portion extending through said opening and said second surface containing an integral shaft portion secured in said aperture.

Claim 5

The voltage divider of claim 1, comprising a housing and locator pins secured to said housing, wherein said first registration means is a first hole at one end of the substrate and said second registration means is a second hole at the other end of said substrate, one of said locator pins extending through each of said holes.

Claim 6

The voltage divider of claim 4, wherein said housing is provided with an opening and said substrate is provided with an aperture, said locator pins being disposed in a line with said opening and said locator holes being disposed in a line with said aperture, portions of said locator pins being swaged to the substrate and securing the substrate to the housing, a portion of said adjustment means extending through said opening.

Claim 7

The voltage divider of claim 5, wherein said housing comprises an integral bushing and is provided with an annular bearing, said bearing and said bushing being concentrically disposed about said opening.

Claim 8

A variable voltage divider comprising a housing containing locator means and a receptacle, a dielectric substrate containing registration means engaging said locator means and locating substrate in the housing, a center aperture, a plurality of conductive terminations supported on said substrate, resistance means comprising a first, a second, and a third resistive path supported on said substrate, one end of said second resistive path being connected to one end of said first resistive path, one end of said third resistive path being connected to the other end of said first resistive path, the other end of said second resistive path being connected to a first one of the conductive terminations, and the other end of said third resistive path being connected to a second one of the conductive terminations, a collector supported on said substrate, and adjusting means extending into said center aperture and supported for movement relative to said substrate, said adjusting means containing a contactor driver overlying said first resistive path, said driver disposed in the receptacle of said housing, and a conductive contactor constrained to move with said contactor driver and wipingly engaging the first resistive path and the collector, said first resistive path being circularly disposed about said center aperture in the substrate, said registration means comprising a first registration means and a second registration means spaced apart from said first registration means, said second resistive path being arcuately disposed about one of said registration means and said third resistive path being arcuately disposed about the other of said registration means.

Claim 9

A variable voltage divider comprising a housing containing locator means and a receptacle, a dielectric substrate containing registration means engaging said locator means and locating substrate in the housing, a center aperture, a plurality of conductive terminations supported on said substrate, resistance means comprising a first, a second, and a third resistive path supported on said substrate, one end of said second resistive path being connected to one end of said first resistive path, one end of said third resistive path being connected to the other end of said first resistive path, the other end of said second resistive path being connected to a first one of the conductive terminations, and the other end of said third resistive path being connected to a second one of the conductive terminations, a collector supported on said substrate, and adjusting means extending into said center aperture and supported for movement relative to said substrate, said adjusting means containing a contactor driver overlying said first resistive path, said driver disposed in the receptacle of said housing, and a conductive contactor constrained to move with said contactor driver and wipingly engaging the first resistive path and the collector, said first resistive path being circularly disposed about said center aperture in the substrate, said registration means comprising a first registration means and a second registration means spaced apart from said first registration means, said second resistive path being arcuately disposed about one of said registration means and said third resistive path being arcuately disposed about the other of said registration means.

Claim 10

The voltage divider of claim 7 wherein said contactor driver contains a first surface, said first surface containing an integral shaft portion secured in the center aperture of said substrate, said driver overlying approximately one-half of the area of the substrate, said second and third resistive paths being disposed on the remaining area of said substrate.

Claim 11

A variable voltage divider for use in circuits having a DC voltage in the range of 6,000 volts and higher, the divider comprising a substantially rectangular dielectric substrate containing an aperture centrally located as to one of the width or the length of the substrate, the substrate being provided with a pair of locating holes on opposite end of the substrate, for locating the substrate in a housing, the centers of the aperture and the locating holes lying substantially in a straight line, a plurality of conductive terminations supported on the substrate, an arcuate resistor and first and second fixed resistors secured on a surface on one side of the substrate, one end of the first fixed resistor being electrically connected to one end of the arcuate resistor and the other end of the first fixed resistor being electrically connected to a first one of the terminations, the other end of the arcuate resistor being electrically connected to one end of the second fixed resistor and the other end of the second fixed resistor being electrically connected to a second one of the terminations, the arcuate resistor being disposed between the first and second fixed resistors, the first fixed resistor and the second fixed resistor defining a designated resistance ratio, the resistance ratio between the first fixed resistor and the second fixed resistor being dependent upon the resistance of the arcuate resistor, a collector supported on the substrate and circumposing at least a portion of the aperture and electrically connected to a third one of the terminations, a driver, a shaft connected to the driver and extending into the aperture and rotatably supporting the driver for movement relative to the substrate, the diameter of the driver being substantially equal to the maximum width of the substrate, a contactor constrained for movement with the driver and wipably engaging the arcuate resistor and the collector for altering the voltage between the first one and the third one of the terminations.

Claim 12

A variable voltage divider for use in circuits having a DC voltage in the range of 6,000 volts and higher, the divider comprising a substantially rectangular dielectric substrate containing an aperture centrally located as to one of the width or the length of the substrate, the substrate being provided with a pair of locating holes on opposite end of the substrate, for locating the substrate in a housing, the centers of the aperture and the locating holes lying substantially in a straight line, a plurality of conductive terminations supported on the substrate, an arcuate resistor and first and second fixed resistors secured on a surface on one side of the substrate, one end of the first fixed resistor being electrically connected to one end of the arcuate resistor and the other end of the first fixed resistor being electrically connected to a first one of the terminations, the other end of the arcuate resistor being electrically connected to one end of the second fixed resistor and the other end of the second fixed resistor being electrically connected to a second one of the terminations, the arcuate resistor being disposed between the first and second fixed resistors, the first fixed resistor and the second fixed resistor defining a designated resistance ratio, the resistance ratio between the first fixed resistor and the second fixed resistor being dependent upon the resistance of the arcuate resistor, a collector supported on the substrate and circumposing at least a portion of the aperture and electrically connected to a third one of the terminations, a driver, a shaft connected to the driver and extending into the aperture and rotatably supporting the driver for movement relative to the substrate, the diameter of the driver being substantially equal to the maximum width of the substrate, a contactor constrained for movement with the driver and wipably engaging the arcuate resistor and the collector for altering the voltage between the first one and the third one of the terminations.

Claim 13

The voltage divider of claim 9, wherein a third fixed resistor is disposed between the collector and the third one of the terminations.