Patent · US Expired

Combined rotary potentiometer and switch

US4081782A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
1References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 1976
Grant dateMar 28, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04R2225/61
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A potentiometer and switch combination including a rotatable control cap positioned over a potentiometer body to form a housing. The cap is provided with an annular flange which abuts an annular shoulder on the body, either the flange or the shoulder being formed from stiffly flexible, resilient material. The body holds the cap in place by means of a post having a chevron at its upper end which mates with a recess in the cap. The cap is positioned to deform the stiffly flexible, resilient material into frictional sealing relation with its abutting member and thereby seal the interior of the housing. The sealing arrangement also introduces a torque which opposes rotation of the cap. The switch includes a conductive strip held by the body, one portion of the strip forming a first contact and another portion forming a spring detent. A cantilever spring blade which holds a second contact adjacent to and radially inward from the first contact urges the contacts together, while a nonconductive blocking member projects downwardly from the cap to separate the contacts when the switch is off. Rotating the cap moves the blocking member out from between the contacts, permitting them to close,…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.