EP0339968B1 - Procédé de production d'un potentiomètre - Google Patents

Procédé de production d'un potentiomètre Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0339968B1
EP0339968B1 EP19890304156 EP89304156A EP0339968B1 EP 0339968 B1 EP0339968 B1 EP 0339968B1 EP 19890304156 EP19890304156 EP 19890304156 EP 89304156 A EP89304156 A EP 89304156A EP 0339968 B1 EP0339968 B1 EP 0339968B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
spindle
housing
parts
secured
wiper
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19890304156
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0339968A3 (en
EP0339968A2 (fr
Inventor
Harold Victor Swindell
David William Norburn
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Crystalate Electronics Ltd
Original Assignee
Crystalate Electronics Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Crystalate Electronics Ltd filed Critical Crystalate Electronics Ltd
Publication of EP0339968A2 publication Critical patent/EP0339968A2/fr
Publication of EP0339968A3 publication Critical patent/EP0339968A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0339968B1 publication Critical patent/EP0339968B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01C—RESISTORS
    • H01C10/00—Adjustable resistors
    • H01C10/30—Adjustable resistors the contact sliding along resistive element
    • H01C10/32—Adjustable resistors the contact sliding along resistive element the contact moving in an arcuate path
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01C—RESISTORS
    • H01C10/00—Adjustable resistors
    • H01C10/14—Adjustable resistors adjustable by auxiliary driving means

Definitions

  • This invention relates to rotary electrical potentiometers and more particularly to a process for the production of a rotary potentiometer in which an accurately predetermined output voltage may be achieved in relation to a specified angular position of an actuating spindle.
  • the invention finds particular, but not exclusive, application to potentiometers for use as engine throttle position sensors in automotive vehicles.
  • Potentiometers are finding increasing application in automotive electronics as engine throttle position sensors. In such sensors it is required for an accurately predetermined voltage output to be provided when the throttle is in a particular angular position. Normal production tolerances in potentiometer manufacture make it difficult to achieve the required accuracy and some means is required to pre-set each individual potentiometer during manufacture.
  • Various methods have already been proposed for this. These have included adjusting the position of an external actuating lever relative to a rotatable spindle which carries the wiper which traverses the resistance track in the potentiometer. Alternatively, the position of a substrate carrying the resistance track has been adjusted in the housing to give the required output at a particular position of rotation of the wiper operating spindle.
  • the present invention provides a process for the production of a rotary electrical potentiometer comprising: a housing (1A, 1B); an arcuate electrical resistance track (2) supported in the housing; a spindle (10, 11) supported for rotation in the housing and adapted to be rotated by means external to the housing; an electrically-conductive wiper (15) secured to the spindle and adapted to traverse the resistance track when the spindle is rotated; electrically conductive terminals (7, 8) supported in the housing and electrically connected to the ends of the resistance track and to the wiper; the process comprising:
  • first and second parts of the spindle are each provided with a cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portions being mutually engageable such that one fits inside the other.
  • the first and second parts of the spindle may be secured together by any suitable means, e.g., by ultrasonic welding or heat sealing, when the parts are provided of appropriate thermoplastics material, or by means of an adhesive or by one or more screws.
  • the housing is conveniently provided as two parts to facilitate assembly.
  • a spring means may be provided, cooperating between the housing and the spindle means and adapted and arranged to return the wiper means to a predetermined rest position when the spindle means is released after being rotated.
  • the spindle means may incorporate a third part which is adapted to be combined with the first and second parts and relatively rotatable with one or both thereof during assembly, the third part being subsequently secured against further movement relative to the first and/or second parts after being set to a desired position and arranged to cooperate with the housing to provide an end stop for the wiper means relative to the resistance track.
  • the third part is conveniently secured by the same means as is used to secure together the first and second parts of the spindle.
  • two resistance tracks and two associated wiper means may be provided and the second part of the spindle means may comprise two relatively rotatable sections, each section having a wiper means secured thereto, the two sections being rotated relative to one another and to the first part of the spindle means, when the mutually engaged first and second parts are located in the housing, until both wiper means are in required positions with respect to their associated resistance tracks, the two sections then being secured against further relative rotation and the second part of the spindle means, which they constitute, is secured together with the first part of the spindle means.
  • a voltage may be applied to the terminals connected to the ends of the track and an output voltage measured at the terminal connected to the wiper means while the relative rotational position of the first and second parts of the spindle is being set the two parts being secured against further rotation relative to one another when a desired output voltage is obtained at a predetermined position of rotation of the first part of the spindle relative to the housing.
  • a housing for a potentiometer is constructed of two parts 1A and 1B which are suitably moulded in a thermoplastics material.
  • An arcuate film resistance track 2 of known form is provided on an electrically insulating substrate 3 and electrically conducting terminations 4, 5 of film form are provided connected to opposite ends of the track 2.
  • An electricallly conducting collector track 6, also of film form, is provided on the substrate 3.
  • the substrate 3 is located on part 1B of the housing and electrically conducting terminal pins 7, 8, 9, secured to the part 1B of the housing, pass through holes in the substrate 3 and are electrically connected, e.g. by soldering, to the terminations 4, 5 and 6 on the substrate 3.
  • An operating spindle for the potentiometer is provided initially of separate first and second parts 10 and 11.
  • the first part 10 is hollow and has a cylindrical end 10A which is rotatably inserted into a hole 12 provided through the part 1B of the housing.
  • the part 10 is suitably shaped internally, e.g., of D-shaped cross-section, to receive an external shaft (not shown) of appropriately matching cross section by means of which the potentiometer will be operated.
  • the part 10 of the spindle has a cylindrical end 10B which is slotted and over which fits a spring collar 13. The combination of the spring collar 13 and the slots in the end 10B of the part 10 provide a means to grip an external operating shaft when the latter is inserted into the part 10 from the exterior of the potentiometer.
  • the second part 11 of the spindle has a hollow bore arranged to rotatably receive the end 10B of the first part 10 of the spindle.
  • Part 11 of the spindle also has a cylindrical end portion 11A which is arranged for rotatable insertion in a cylindrical aperture 14 moulded into the second part 1A of the housing.
  • Part 11 of the spindle also has a portion 11B to which is secured an electrically conducting wiper assembly 15 which is adapted to traverse the resistance track 2 and the collector 6.
  • the end 10A of the part 10 of the spindle located in the hole 12 in the housing 1B and maintained in a precisely set position of rotation, suitably relative to mounting holes 17, 18 of the potentiometer, a voltage is applied to the terminals 7, 9 and an output voltage is monitored at terminal 8.
  • the part 11 of the spindle is then rotated about the part 10 until a precisely required output voltage is obtained at the terminal 8.
  • the two parts 10 and 11 are secured together to prevent further relative rotation.
  • the two parts 10 and 11 are suitably formed of thermoplastics material and are conveniently secured together by an ultrasonic welding or heat sealing process. Other techniques, such as an applied adhesive or one or more inserted screws, may be used to secure the two parts of the spindle together.
  • Assembly of the potentiometer is then completed by applying and securing the part 1A of the housing to the part 1B of the housing, the two parts being suitably secured together by ultrasonic welding or heat sealing.
  • the terminals 7, 8, 9 emerge through slots in a plug arrangement 19.
  • a return spring 16 is provided cooperating between the part 11 of the spindle and the housing 1A, 1B and operating to return the wiper 15 to a rest position at an end of the track 2 when the spindle 10, 11 is released after being rotated by an external means.
  • Fig. 2 shows an alternative construction of the two parts 10, 11 of the spindle in Fig. 1.
  • the equivalent part 10 of the spindle has a cylindrical portion 10C at one end which rotatably fits into the aperture 14 in the part 1A of the housing and has a further cylindrical portion 10D of smaller diameter at the other end which passes thrugh a cylindrical hole in the other part 11 of the spindle and into the cylindrical hole 12 in the part 1B of the housing.
  • the two parts of the spindle are rotated relative to one another and subsequently secured together in exactly the same manner as previously described for the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • the spindle 10, 11 may be provided with a third part 20 capable of relative rotation with respect to one or both of the other parts 10, 11.
  • This third part 20 may be arranged to be secured in like manner as the parts 10 and 11 after being set to a predetermined position and has a region 21 arranged to cooperate with a portion (not shown) of the housing 1A, 1B to serve as a pre-set end stop for the wiper 15 on the track 2.
  • the second part 11 of the spindle of Figure 1 comprises two sections 11C and 11D arranged to fit one inside the other with a degree of permitted relative rotation. Each section has a wiper 15A, 15B secured thereto for contacting its associated resistance track.
  • the sections 11C and 11D are assembled together with the first part 10 of the spindle in the same way as shown for the embodiment of Fig. 1.
  • the two sections 11C and 11D of the part 11 of the spindle are rotated relative to one another and about the part 10 of the spindle until the wipers 15A and 15B are in precisely required positions relative to one another on their associated resistance tracks.
  • the two sections 11C and 11D are then secured together against further relative rotation and are also secured to the part 10 of the spindle.
  • the securing operation is again suitably carried out by means of an adhesive or an ultrasonic welding or a heat-sealing process.
  • Part 1A of the housing is then applied and secured to part 1B of the housing.
  • the end portion 11A of part 11 of the spindle of Fig. 4 rotatably fits into the cylindrical aperture 14 moulded into the part 1A of the housing.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Adjustable Resistors (AREA)
  • Transmission And Conversion Of Sensor Element Output (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Un procédé de production d'un potentiomètre électrique rotatif comprenant: un boîtier (1A, 1B); une piste incurvée de résistance électrique (2) supportée dans le boîtier; une broche (10, 11) supportée à rotation dans le boîtier et apte à être tournée par un moyen externe au boîtier; un frotteur électriquement conducteur (15) fixé à la broche et apte à balayer la piste de résistance lorsque la broche est tournée; des bornes électriquement conductrices (7, 8) supportées dans le boîtier et reliées électriquement aux extrémités de la piste de résistance et au frotteur; le procédé comprenant les étapes consistant à:
    (a) réaliser la broche sous la forme d'un premier élément (10) qui est apte à être tournée par le moyen externe de boîtier, et une deuxième partie (11) à laquelle le frotteur (15) est fixé, la première et la deuxième parties pouvant venir en prise entre elles d'une manière telle qu'une partie puisse tourner l'une par rapport à l'autre;
    (b) positionner dans le boîtier les première et deuxième parties, en prise entre elles, de la broche;
    (c) appliquer une tension aux bornes des broches reliées aux extrémités de la piste;
    (d) mesurer la tension de sortie à la borne reliée au frotteur tout en faisant tourner les deux parties de la broche l'une par rapport à l'autre, et
    (e) fixer entre elles les deux parties de la broche pour s'opposer à une poursuite d'une rotation relative lorsqu'une tension de sortie souhaitée est obtenue à une position prédéterminée de rotation de la première partie de la broche par rapport au boîtier.
  2. Un procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la première et la deuxième parties de la broche comportent chacune une partie cylindrique (10B, 11A), les parties cylindriques pouvant venir en prise entre elles d'une manière telle que l'une s'ajuste à l'intérieur de l'autre.
  3. Un procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que la première et la deuxième parties de la broche sont en matière thermoplastique et doivent être fixées entre elles par soudage ultrasonique ou par scellement à chaud.
  4. Un procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que la première et la deuxième parties de la broche sont fixées entre elles au moyen d'un adhésif ou par une ou plusieurs vis.
  5. Un procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes quelconque, caractérisé en ce que le boîtier est disposé en deux parties (1A, 1B) afin de faciliter le montage.
  6. Un procédé selon une revendication précédente quelconque, caractérisé en ce qu'un ressort (16) est disposé entre le boîtier et la broche et est adapté et agencé de façon à ramener le frotteur à une position de repos prédéterminée lorsque la broche est libérée après avoir été tournée.
  7. Un procédé selon une revendication précédente quelconque, caractérisé en ce que la broche incorpore une troisième partie (20) qui est apte à être combinée avec la première et la deuxième parties, et qui peut tourner au cours du montage par rapport à l'une des parties ou par rapport à l'une et l'autre, la troisième partie (20) étant ensuite fixée pour empêcher une poursuite d'un mouvement relatif vis-à-vis de la première et/ou de la deuxième parties lorsqu'elle a été positionnée à une position souhaitée, et étant agencée pour coopérer avec le boîtier de façon à constituer un arrêt final du frotteur vis-à-vis de la piste de résistance.
  8. Un procédé selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que la troisième partie est fixée par un moyen semblable à ceux qui sont utilisés pour fixer l'une à l'autre la première et la deuxième parties de la broche.
  9. Un procédé selon une revendication précédente quelconque, caractérisé en ce que deux pistes de résistance et deux frotteurs associés (15A, 15B) sont prévus, et en ce que la deuxième partie de la broche comprend deux sections qui peuvent tourner l'une par rapport à l'autre (11C, 11D), un frotteur étant fixé à chacune des sections, les deux sections pouvant tourner l'une par rapport à l'autre et par rapport à la première partie de la broche, lorsque la première et la deuxième parties en prise entre elles sont positionnées dans le boîtier, jusqu'à ce que les deux frotteurs soient dans les positions nécessaires vis-à-vis de leurs pistes associées de résistance, les deux sections étant ensuite fixées pour empêcher une poursuite d'une rotation relative, et la deuxième partie de la broche, qu'elles constituent, est fixée à la première partie de la broche.
EP19890304156 1988-04-29 1989-04-26 Procédé de production d'un potentiomètre Expired - Lifetime EP0339968B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8810323A GB2217920A (en) 1988-04-29 1988-04-29 Calibrated potentiometer
GB8810323 1988-04-29

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0339968A2 EP0339968A2 (fr) 1989-11-02
EP0339968A3 EP0339968A3 (en) 1990-04-25
EP0339968B1 true EP0339968B1 (fr) 1994-04-13

Family

ID=10636192

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19890304156 Expired - Lifetime EP0339968B1 (fr) 1988-04-29 1989-04-26 Procédé de production d'un potentiomètre

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0339968B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE68914501T2 (fr)
GB (1) GB2217920A (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3141647B2 (ja) * 1993-04-15 2001-03-05 松下電器産業株式会社 回転型電子部品

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
LU42896A1 (fr) * 1962-12-19 1963-02-19
GB1320762A (en) * 1970-03-12 1973-06-20 Erie Technological Prod Inc Potentiometers
GB2122033A (en) * 1982-06-11 1984-01-04 Welwyn Electronics Ltd Rotary potentiometer
US4523373A (en) * 1982-07-19 1985-06-18 Allied Corporation Method of assembling an actuating lever to a potentiometer
GB2180699B (en) * 1985-09-17 1988-12-07 Crystalate Electronics Potentiometer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0339968A3 (en) 1990-04-25
GB8810323D0 (en) 1988-06-02
GB2217920A (en) 1989-11-01
DE68914501D1 (de) 1994-05-19
DE68914501T2 (de) 1994-10-27
EP0339968A2 (fr) 1989-11-02

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