A variable resistor wherein the arm portion of a rotatable slider is in contact against an approximately circular arc-shaped resistor provided on a base plate with the central portion of the resistor, and the slider is provided with a driver plate having an approximately dish-shaped projection portion at its center, and an approximately ring-shaped arm portion having a contact portion, which are coupled to each other, are punched out from one sheet of conductive sheet metal, are turned up by 180° at the coupling portion, with the projection portion being projected from the arm portion.
|
1. A variable resistor comprising a base plate having a hole at its center and a resistor around the hole, a slider provided with, at its one end, a driver plate having an approximately dish-shaped projection at its center, and an approximately ring-shaped arm portion having a contact point portion, which are coupled to each other at a coupling portion of the both ends, are punched out from one piece of conductive sheet metal and are turned up by 180° at the coupling portion with the projection portion being projected from an arm portion, and a terminal plate having a cylindrical portion inserted through the hole of the base plate and engaged into the hole of the projection portion of the driver plate, the driver plate being rotatably mounted onto the base plate through the terminal plate.
2. The variable resistor as claimed in
3. The variable resistor as claimed in
4. The variable resistor as claimed in
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
The present invention relates to a variable resistor with a slider, and more particularly, to the shape of its slider.
Conventionally, there has been proposed, for instance, a variable resistor shown in FIG. 7 through FIG. 9, wherein an approximately circular arc-shaped resistor 2 corresponding to the portions of dotted lines in FIG. 7 is provided on the base plate 1, the cylindrical portion 8a of a terminal 8 positioned in a central hole 1a of the base plate 1 is caulked so that a slider 3 is rotated mounted on the base plate 1. The slider 3 has a projection 4a of an arm portion 4 formed in a circular arc shape in one portion of the outer periphery contacted against the resistor 2, and has a groove portion 5 which is adjustable to move by a minus driver. Also, outer electrodes 2a, 2a are respectively connected with both ends of the resistor 2.
However, this has a problem that the deformation of the arm portion 4 is likely to occur through the application of an outer force at the engagement with counterpart such as a circuit base plate or in the adjustment of the slider, thus causing inferior contact of the projection 4a, because there is nothing to guard the arm portion 4. In addition, there is a problem about the reliability of press being low with respect to the slider 3 since an area to be sucked by a chip-pressor is relatively small.
As to another example, a variable resistor has also been known, as shown in FIG. 10 through FIG. 12, wherein a rotor 6 retained on the cylindrical portion 8a of the terminal 8 is rotatably disposed integrally with the slider 3. It is to be noted that in FIG. 10 through FIG. 12 the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the conventional variable resistor of FIG. 7 through FIG. 9. This variable resistor has advantages that the deformation of the arm portion 4 is rarely to occur because the arm portion 4 is guarded by the rotor 6, and the adjustment is easier to perform because the groove 7 formed in the rotor 6 is adjustable by the pulse driver. However, this variable resistor has new problems that the height of this variable resistor is increased by the portion of the rotor 6 provided, and furthermore the number of the parts increases to make it difficult to position the rotor 6, with a new problem that the cost is absolutely increased on the whole, thus causing the increase of the cost on the whole.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a variable resistor which can eliminate the disadvantages inherent in the conventional ones, and wherein a slider is provided with a driver plate having an approximately dish-shaped projection portion at is center and an approximately ring-shaped arm portion having a contact portion, which are coupled to each other, are punched out from one sheet of conductive sheet metal, are turned up by 180° at the coupling portion, to project the projection portion from the arm portion.
With the above-described construction in the variable resistor of the present invention, the slider is rotatably retained on a base plate by the dish-shaped projection portion of the driver plate, which is located outwardly of the arm portion, so that the possibility of the arm portion being deformed through the application of the outer force thereon can be removed. Also, the height of the variable resistor is low because the driver plate portion and the arm portion are turned up to be lapped, and the conventional rotor is not used. In addition, as the driver plate is independent of the arm portion, the groove portion for plus driver use may be formed, while, as the arm portion becomes about two times as long as the conventional one, the spring characteristics are improved, the contact point pressure against the resistor is stable and the reliability of the resistor is higher than the conventional one.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plane view of a variable resistor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a slider to be assembled into the variable resistor of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing one conventional variable resistor (already referred to);
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectinal view of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another conventional variable resistor (already referred to);
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10; and
FIG. 12 is a bottom view of FIG. 10.
, as shown in FIG. 13, in comparison with the case of forming a groove for a plus driver.
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom.
Ueda, Yukinori, Nishizawa, Hideo
| Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
| 5315283, | Jun 24 1992 | Rohm Co., Ltd. | Structure for variable electronic component |
| 6317022, | Nov 30 1999 | MURATA MANUFACTURING CO , LTD | Variable resistor |
| Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
| 4721940, | Sep 19 1985 | ALPS Electric Co., Ltd. | Thin type variable resistor |
| 4736184, | Nov 20 1985 | PIHER NAVARRA, S A | Direct connection potentiometer |
| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| May 12 1989 | Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
| Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
| Apr 20 1992 | M183: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Year, Large Entity. |
| May 28 1992 | ASPN: Payor Number Assigned. |
| Apr 19 1996 | M184: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 8th Year, Large Entity. |
| Nov 26 1996 | ASPN: Payor Number Assigned. |
| Nov 26 1996 | RMPN: Payer Number De-assigned. |
| May 08 2000 | M185: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 12th Year, Large Entity. |
| Date | Maintenance Schedule |
| Jul 02 1994 | 4 years fee payment window open |
| Jan 02 1995 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| Jul 02 1995 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
| Jul 02 1997 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
| Jul 02 1998 | 8 years fee payment window open |
| Jan 02 1999 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| Jul 02 1999 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
| Jul 02 2001 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
| Jul 02 2002 | 12 years fee payment window open |
| Jan 02 2003 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
| Jul 02 2003 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
| Jul 02 2005 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |