公开(公告)号：US4796000A

公开(公告)日：1989-01-03

申请号：US856462

申请日：1986-04-28

Applicant: John T. Mondl

Inventor： John T. Mondl

IPC: G02B6/26 ,  G02B6/42 ,  H01L31/16 ,  H01L31/167 ,  H01L31/08 ,  H01C10/10

CPC classification number: G02B6/4295 ,  G02B6/266 ,  G02B6/4249 ,  H01L31/164 ,  H01L31/167

Abstract: Optical and digital potentiometers and controllers. In one embodiment of the invention, a paddle slider is maintained within a housing along with a light source and sensor. The amount of light received by the sensor is a function of the position of the slider and, accordingly, a control signal output may be developed corresponding to the mechanical position of the slider. In other embodiments, light sources are caused to impinge on reflective surfaces which reflect the light through a film onto additional reflective surfaces which direct the light to a sensor. The film may be of varying optical density along the length thereof such that the amount of light received corresponds to the position of the slider, or the film may be digitally encoded such that separate light beams received by the sensor will correspond to a digital position of the slider. In another embodiment, a cylindrical digitally encoded film is rotated between a light source and sensor, thereby varying the output of the sensor. In still another embodiment, a pressure bar is maintained upon a slide and transverses a switch pad which is connected to an electronic decoding circuit. As the slide is moved, the output of the switch pad changes as a digital function of the position of the slide.

Abstract translation: 光学和数字电位器和控制器。 在本发明的一个实施例中，桨式滑块与光源和传感器一起保持在壳体内。 由传感器接收的光量是滑块的位置的函数，因此可以根据滑块的机械位置来显现控制信号输出。 在其他实施例中，引起光源撞击反射表面，反射表面将光反射通过膜到另外的反射表面，其将光引导至传感器。 胶片沿其长度可以具有变化的光密度，使得接收的光量对应于滑块的​​位置，或者胶片可以被数字编码，使得由传感器接收的分开的光束将对应于 滑块。 在另一个实施例中，圆柱形数字编码膜在光源和传感器之间旋转，从而改变传感器的输出。 在另一个实施例中，压力条保持在滑动件上并且横穿连接到电子解码电路的开关垫。 当滑块移动时，开关板的输出作为滑块位置的数字功能而变化。