US3845447A - Variable resistor - Google Patents

Variable resistor Download PDF

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Publication number
US3845447A
US3845447A US00408105A US40810573A US3845447A US 3845447 A US3845447 A US 3845447A US 00408105 A US00408105 A US 00408105A US 40810573 A US40810573 A US 40810573A US 3845447 A US3845447 A US 3845447A
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United States
Prior art keywords
slide
terminals
resistor element
slide means
contact
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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
US00408105A
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English (en)
Inventor
T Ashiya
M Nagami
Y Watanabe
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Sony Corp
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Sony Corp
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Publication date
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    • 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
    • H01C10/36—Adjustable resistors the contact sliding along resistive element the contact moving in an arcuate path structurally combined with switching arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01C—RESISTORS
    • H01C10/00—Adjustable resistors
    • H01C10/16—Adjustable resistors including plural resistive elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01C—RESISTORS
    • H01C10/00—Adjustable resistors
    • H01C10/30—Adjustable resistors the contact sliding along resistive element
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04S—STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS 
    • H04S3/00—Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic
    • H04S3/002—Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A variable resistor comprising a resistor element, a slide contact member in sliding engagement with said resistor element, and switch means actuated by said slide contact member.
  • the switching means connects one end of the resistor element to ground or to an open circuit terminal when slide contact engages the other end of the resistor element.
  • the present invention relates generally to a variable resistor, and more particularly to a variable resistor with a slide contact member engageable with a resistor element which receives two different signals applied to opposite ends of the resistor element so as to derive from the slide contact member either of the two different signals or alternatively a mixture of the two signals.
  • FIG. 1 shows a mixing circuit in which a conventional variable resistor 1 is employed.
  • the variable resistor 1 consists of a resistor element In and a slide contact member 6.
  • Contact points 11 and 1.2 are provided at opposite ends of the resistor element la and a microphone amplifier 2 is connected to contact 11 and an equalizer amplifier 3 (which will be hereinafter referred as to an E amplifier) is connected to contact 12.
  • the amplifiers may be supplied with audio signals, respectively.
  • signals from a microphone or other device are applied to the amplifiers 2 and 3 for amplification, delivery to an output terminal 4 through slide contact member 6, as a selected single signal or a mixed signal.
  • the output signal is adjusted.
  • the signal from the microphone amplifier 2 is delivered directly unattenuated to the output terminal 4 without passing through the resistor element 1a.
  • the signal from E0 amplifier 3 is passed unattenuated to output terminal 4.
  • slide contact 6 is at an intermediate point e between contact points 11 and 12, a mixture of the two input signals is supplied to output terminal 4.
  • the slide contact member 6 when the slide contact member 6 is positioned at intermediate or mid-point c, it is necessary that the resistance value of the resistor element la be small as compared with the input impedance of a device which may be connected to the output terminal 4 so as to avoid the attenuation waveguide the output signal; otherwise, the separation characteristics between the two signals, when the slide contact member 6 is positioned at the contact point 11 or 12, will be deteriorated.
  • An object of this invention is to provide an improved variable resistor with a switching means.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide an improved variable resistor which comprises a resistor element, a slide contact means movable on the resistor element, and a switch means which is controlled by movement of the slide contact means relative to the resistor elements so as to ground or open circuit, one end of the resistor element when the slide contact means reaches the other end of the resistor element, whereby the signal separation characteristic between two applied signals is improved.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a variable resistor for use as a mixing circuit which mixes two different signals.
  • a yet further object of this invention is to provide a variable resistor for use as a mixing circuit which mixes a two-channel signal with a signal from a microphone.
  • FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a mixing circuit using prior art variable resistor
  • FIG. 2 is a side plan view showing an embodiment of the variable resistor according to this invention.
  • FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are respectively plan views of parts used in the variable resistor depicted in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a mixing circuit in which the variable resistor of this invention is used
  • FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a two-channel stereophonic reproducing apparatus in which the variable resistor of this invention is used;
  • FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing another example of a mixing circuit in which the variable resistor of this invention is employed.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another example of the variable resistor according to this invention.
  • FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are respectively schematic diagrams for explaining the variable resistor shown in FIG.
  • FIGS. 2-l2 An embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 2-l2 in which the same reference numerals used in FIG. 1 designate similar elements.
  • the variable resistor I of this invention consists of the resistor element la and a slide contact member 6 engageable with the resistor element la as in the case of FIG. 1.
  • the slide contact member 6 approaches or contacts the contact point 11 of the resistor element 1a
  • its other contact point 12 will be opened or grounded by a switching means
  • the slide contact member 6 approaches or contacts the other contact point 12 of the resistor element la
  • the other contact point 11 will be opened or grounded by a switching means.
  • reference numeral 7 indicates a rotary shaft made of insulating material which has attached thereto at its one end a knob 7a and is rotatably supported by disc-like substrates 8, 9 and 10.
  • the resistor element la is ring-shaped with a gap and is coaxially mounted on the substrate 8.
  • the contact points 11 and 12 are provided at the opposite ends of the resistor element la and are in electrical contact therewith.
  • the output terminals of the microphone amplifier 2 and EQ amplifier 3 are connected to the contact points 11 and 12, respectively.
  • the conductive slide member 6 has one end fixed to the rotary shaft 7 and its other end is in slide contact with resistor element la.
  • Member 6 also engages the contact points 11 and 12 at its end travel to produce a composite signal from the outputs of the microphone and EQ amplifiers 2 and 3 or alternatively their signals separately if the position of the slide contact member 6 engages contact points 11 and 12.
  • a flexible lead can be connected between contact member 6 and output terminal 4.
  • a connecting member is made of conductive material and is similar to the resistor body la in shape being ring-shaped with a gap.
  • Member 15 is mounted on the disc-shaped substrate 9 coaxially with the rotary shaft 7.
  • a contact point 17 is electrically connected to one end of the connecting member 15.
  • a contact point 18 is mounted adjacent the other end of the connecting member 15 but is electrically insulated from member 15.
  • Contact point 18 is connected to ground by a suitable conductor and the contact point 17 is connected to the contact point 11 by a suitable conductor.
  • a slide member 23 made of conductive material has one end fixed to the rotary shaft 7 and its other end slides on the connecting member 15 and at its end travel bridges connecting points 17 and 18 through connecting member 15.
  • a connecting member 16 of ring-shaped with a gap and which is made of conductive material is mounted on the substrate 10 coaxially with the rotary shaft 7.
  • a contact point is connected to the connecting member 16 at one end and is positioned to be opposite to contact point 17.
  • Contact point 20 is connected to contact point 12 by a suitable conductor.
  • a slide contact member 24made of conductive material has one end fixed to the rotary shaft 7 and its other end bridges the connecting member 16 and contact points 19 and 20 through connecting member 16.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example of a mixing circuit in which the variable resistor 1 according to the present invention is employed.
  • the slide contact member 6 is connected to the output terminal and the contact points 11 and 12 are connected to the microphone and EQ amplifiers 2 and 3, respectively.
  • slide contact members 6, 23 and 24 will rotate together and at the end position slide contact member 6 contacts contact point 12 which connects the EQ amplifier 3 to the output terminal 4 directly only through the slide contact member 6; Also at this position, slide contact member 23 short-circuits connecting member 15 and the grounded contact point 18. This grounds the microphone amplifier 2.
  • knob 7a If the knob 7a is rotated to a position intermediate such as mid-point c on the resistor element 1a as shown in FIG. 4, the slide contact members 6, 23 and 24 will be positioned intermediate or at the mid-point on members la, 15 and 16, and the output signals from the microphone and EQ amplifiers 2 and 3 will be mixed and furnished to the output erminal 4.
  • the signal from the microphone amplifier 2 or the EQ amplifier 3 will be, respectively, delivered to the output terminal 4 without attenuation.
  • separation of the two signals is obtained.
  • the output signals from the amplifiers 2 and 3 will be mixed through the resistor body la and delivered to the output terminal 4 in amounts proportional to the position of contact 6.
  • the resistance value of the variable resistor la is selected based only on the objective to obtain desired mixture of the two signals and its resistance value can be reduced as compared with resistors of the prior art.
  • the substrates 8, 9 and 10 are illustrated as separate elements, but it is apparent that they can be integrally formed if desired.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which the variable resistor of this invention is used in a two-channel stereophonic reproduction apparatus.
  • the output signal from an E0 amplifier 2L which amplifies the L-channel phono signal is applied to a contact point 11L which is connected to one end of a resistor element 1L of a variable resistor according to this invention.
  • the output from a microphone amplifier 3 is applied to a contact point 12L at the other end of the resistor element lLa.
  • a slide contact member 6L makes wiper contact with resistor 1L and is connected to an L-channel output terminal 4L.
  • contact points 17L, 18L, 19L, 20L and slide contact members 23L, 24L correspond with contact points 17, 18, 19, and 20 and the slide members 23, 24 shown in FIG. 4 and operate similarly. That is, when the slide contact member 6L moves upward in FIG. 5 to contact point 11L, the output signal from the microphone amplifier 3 is connected to ground because it is short-circuited by slide contact member 24L which engages contact point 19L and hence only the output signal from the L-channel EQ amplifier 2L is delivered to the output terminal 4L. However, when the slide contact member 6L moves downward in FIG.
  • the right channel (R-channel) is constructed and operates substantially the same as the L-channel, and the description is omitted for the sake of brevity.
  • the corresponding elements shown in FIG. 5 are identified by the same reference numerals as for the left channel except L is changed to R.
  • variable resistor la of the present invention is connected as shown in FIG. 6.
  • the output terminal of the microphone amplifier 2 is connected to the slide contact member 23.
  • Contact point 17 is connected to the contact point 11.
  • Contact point 18 is left opened and is not grounded as in FIG. 4.
  • the output terminal of EO amplifier 3 is connected to the slide contact member 24.
  • Contact point 20 is connected to contact point 12.
  • Contact point 19 is left open and is not grounded as in FIG. 4.
  • Slide contact member 6 is connected to the output terminal 4.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 A further example of this invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in which the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 are designated by the same numerals.
  • a cam 31 which has a projection 31a is fixed to one end of the rotary shaft 7 which passes through the substrate 8.
  • a switch 32 consists of a movable contact 32a and fixed contacts 32b and 32c is mounted so that the movable contact can be actuated by the cam 31.
  • the movable contact 32a of the switch 32 is grounded.
  • FIGS. 8A -8C show the connections of the FIG. 7 structure. When the knob 7a is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise, the movable contact 32a of the switch 32 is moved by cam 31a to contact a first fixed contact 32b (refer to FIG. 8A) or another fixed contact 320 (refer to FIG. 8C). At these limits of travel. the slide contact member 6 engages either contact point 11 or 12.
  • the slide contact member 6 engages resistor element la between the contact points 11 and 12 (refer to FIG. 8B).
  • the output signal from a particular amplifier connected to one of the contact points 11 and 12 is grounded.
  • the slide contact member 6 is intermediate on the resistor element 1a, the movable contact 32a does not contact either of the fixed contacts 32b and 320, and an output signal which is from both the amplifiers 2 and 3 (not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8) will be produced and delivered to the output terminal 4.
  • a variable resistor comprising:
  • a resistor element having first and second terminals
  • 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.
  • a variable resistor comprising: a. a resistor element having first and second terminals;
  • 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.
  • a variable resistor comprising:
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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.
  • a variable resistor comprising:
  • 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;
  • 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.
  • a variable resistor comprising:
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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.
  • a variable resistor comprising:
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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;
  • 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.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Adjustable Resistors (AREA)
  • Control Of Amplification And Gain Control (AREA)
  • Amplifiers (AREA)
  • Signal Processing Not Specific To The Method Of Recording And Reproducing (AREA)
US00408105A 1972-10-24 1973-10-19 Variable resistor Expired - Lifetime US3845447A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1972122924U JPS5313002Y2 (xx) 1972-10-24 1972-10-24

Publications (1)

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US3845447A true US3845447A (en) 1974-10-29

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ID=14847963

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00408105A Expired - Lifetime US3845447A (en) 1972-10-24 1973-10-19 Variable resistor

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US (1) US3845447A (xx)
JP (1) JPS5313002Y2 (xx)
BR (1) BR7308319D0 (xx)
CA (1) CA989030A (xx)
DE (1) DE2353083C2 (xx)
FR (1) FR2204019B1 (xx)
GB (1) GB1415805A (xx)
IT (1) IT998932B (xx)
NL (1) NL178285C (xx)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3952278A (en) * 1972-10-28 1976-04-20 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Combination of a switch and variable resistor
US4052428A (en) * 1975-12-15 1977-10-04 Stauffer Chemical Company Stable aluminum alkoxide solutions
US8253007B1 (en) * 2009-11-18 2012-08-28 Richard Ned Steinberger Potentiometer control for musical instruments

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES8500503A1 (es) * 1984-01-24 1984-10-01 Piher Navarra Sa Perfeccionamientos en los aparatos variadores de la resistencia y la conduccion de corriente de los circuitos electricos
GB2269056B (en) * 1992-07-20 1996-06-05 Sony Corp Linear control arrangements

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1931799A (en) * 1932-03-03 1933-10-24 Cutler Hammer Inc Method of and apparatus for controlling electric circuits
US2783397A (en) * 1953-07-27 1957-02-26 Switchcraft Mixer unit for a plurality of incoming signals
US2942221A (en) * 1957-07-11 1960-06-21 Cts Corp Sub-miniature concentric tandem variable resistor and switch control
US3047825A (en) * 1961-10-23 1962-07-31 Electro Solid Controls Inc Combination variable resistor and switch
US3375446A (en) * 1964-09-10 1968-03-26 Gen Motors Corp Combination radio receiver volume and squelch control
US3587027A (en) * 1969-05-28 1971-06-22 Spectrol Electronics Corp Combined potentiometer and switching structure
US3629775A (en) * 1970-06-19 1971-12-21 Gulf & Western Industries Stereo balance and fader potentiometer
US3633146A (en) * 1969-06-27 1972-01-04 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Variable resistor of sliding type

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1680975U (de) * 1953-05-28 1954-08-05 Siemens Ag Drehwiderstand mit kontaktsatz fuer zusatzliche schaltzwecke.
DE1833671U (de) * 1961-05-12 1961-06-29 Gossen & Co Gmbh P Schaltpotentiometer.

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1931799A (en) * 1932-03-03 1933-10-24 Cutler Hammer Inc Method of and apparatus for controlling electric circuits
US2783397A (en) * 1953-07-27 1957-02-26 Switchcraft Mixer unit for a plurality of incoming signals
US2942221A (en) * 1957-07-11 1960-06-21 Cts Corp Sub-miniature concentric tandem variable resistor and switch control
US3047825A (en) * 1961-10-23 1962-07-31 Electro Solid Controls Inc Combination variable resistor and switch
US3375446A (en) * 1964-09-10 1968-03-26 Gen Motors Corp Combination radio receiver volume and squelch control
US3587027A (en) * 1969-05-28 1971-06-22 Spectrol Electronics Corp Combined potentiometer and switching structure
US3633146A (en) * 1969-06-27 1972-01-04 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Variable resistor of sliding type
US3629775A (en) * 1970-06-19 1971-12-21 Gulf & Western Industries Stereo balance and fader potentiometer

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3952278A (en) * 1972-10-28 1976-04-20 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Combination of a switch and variable resistor
US4052428A (en) * 1975-12-15 1977-10-04 Stauffer Chemical Company Stable aluminum alkoxide solutions
US8253007B1 (en) * 2009-11-18 2012-08-28 Richard Ned Steinberger Potentiometer control for musical instruments

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BR7308319D0 (pt) 1974-08-22
NL178285B (nl) 1985-09-16
GB1415805A (en) 1975-11-26
FR2204019B1 (xx) 1977-06-24
DE2353083A1 (de) 1974-05-09
NL7314630A (xx) 1974-04-26
NL178285C (nl) 1986-02-17
DE2353083C2 (de) 1983-04-28
IT998932B (it) 1976-02-20
FR2204019A1 (xx) 1974-05-17
JPS5313002Y2 (xx) 1978-04-08
JPS4977445U (xx) 1974-07-04
CA989030A (en) 1976-05-11

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