The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 22, 1991
Filed:
Jan. 24, 1990
Ronald E Thomas, Jr, Alta Loma, CA (US);
Bourns, Inc., Riverside, CA (US);
Abstract
In a miniature, single-turn potentiometer, a fluid-tight seal is formed between the rotor and the housing by the interference fit between an annular ridge on the peripheral edge of the rotor and a conforming groove in the interior wall surface of the housing cavity in which the rotor is installed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two parallel ridges and grooves, and they are configured to form a 'chevron' seal, in which the ridges have a substantially saw-tooth shape in axial cross-section, with the grooves having a complementary shape. The chevron seal provides a direct, rotor-to-housing seal that is fluid-tight, without the use of an O-ring, while also restraining the rotor from axial movement with respect to the housing.