GB2292014A - Motor driven potentiometer for analog signal controller - Google Patents
Motor driven potentiometer for analog signal controller Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2292014A GB2292014A GB9514100A GB9514100A GB2292014A GB 2292014 A GB2292014 A GB 2292014A GB 9514100 A GB9514100 A GB 9514100A GB 9514100 A GB9514100 A GB 9514100A GB 2292014 A GB2292014 A GB 2292014A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- shaft
- wiper
- motor
- analog signal
- potentiometer
- Prior art date
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims 2
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000007935 neutral effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002401 inhibitory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007645 offset printing Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F31/00—Inking arrangements or devices
- B41F31/02—Ducts, containers, supply or metering devices
- B41F31/04—Ducts, containers, supply or metering devices with duct-blades or like metering devices
- B41F31/045—Remote control of the duct keys
Landscapes
- Connection Of Motors, Electrical Generators, Mechanical Devices, And The Like (AREA)
- Adjustable Resistors (AREA)
Description
t ANALOG SIGNAL CONTROLLER 2292014
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of analog signal controllers, and, more particularly, to analog signal controllers which can be pontrolled from a remote location.
Backaround of the Invention
In large-scale industrial equipment, there is often a need to provide low cost, accurate control of analog signals from a remote location.
For example, in an offset printing press, there is a need to control the analog reference signals to ink and water drives of relay presses from a console and power supply located at a remote location. Since the power supply and console for the reference signals may, for example, be twenty or thirty feet from the ink and water drives, it is not feasible to adjust the reference signals with a potentiometer at the console because of the resultant voltage drop over the twenty or thirty feet of cable between the console and the ir,and water drives.
In order to solve such problems in large scale industrial equipment, it is known to transmit digital control information from the console to a Digital-to-Analog converter located close to the destination of the reference signal, e.g., close to the water and ink drive.
The cost of such a solution, however, is inhibitive.
2 Motorized potentiometers are commercially available which include a D.C. motor coupled to a potentiometer. The motor synchronously drives both a load coupled to its output shaft and a potentiometer. As the motor drives the load, the potentiometer, which is coupled to a reference voltage, acts as a sensing device indicating the position of the output shaft of the motor. While such a device can, in effect, adjust the analog output of the potentiometer by controlling the motor, these devices have several significant drawbacks when used as signal controllers. First, since these motorized potentiometers are designed to drive a load, they generally incorporate large motors which increase the size and cost of the device. Moreover, the gearing employed by such devices further adds to the size of the unit. In addition, these devices are constructed in a cylindrical configuration with the potentiometer and the motor mounted in- an inline manner, thereby making it difficult to mount several motorized potentiometers together. Finally, these devices have no provision for a manual adjustment of the potentiometer.
As a result, a need exists for a low cost, --ammact, modular analog signal controller which can be controlled from a remote location.
Summarv of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, a compact, low cost analog signal controller is provided which includes at least one potentiometer electrically coupled to a respective input reference signal. A drive shaft for the potentiometer is mechanically coupled to an output of a motor, the motor being electrically controlled from a remote location via its input lines to adjust the potentiometer, thereby providing a controlled signal output at a wiper terminal of the potentiometer.
3 A manual adjustment member may be coupled to the drive shaft to allow manual adjustment of the output signal. In addition, a clutch mechanism may be coupled to the drive shaft, the clutch mechanism disengaging the motor from the drive shaft when the manual adjustment member is rotated, thereby preventing damage to the motor. The clutch mechanism may also disengage the wiper gear from the drive shaft when the drive shaft has reached an outer boundary of the potentiometer.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of potentiometers are coupled to the drive shaft, each of the plurality of potentiometers having a respective input coupled to one of one or more input reference signals, and having a respective wiper terminal for providing a respective signal output.
in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the drive shaft is mechanically coupled to the motor in a parallel arrangement via a compact gear arrangement, thereby reducing the size of the analog signal controller. In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, an output gear of the motor is engaged with a wiper gear mounted directly upon the drive shaft, the wiper gear mounted perpendicularly with respect to the length of the drive shaft. A rotational movement of the output gear of the motor thereby causes a corresponding rotational movement of the wiper gear, which in turn causes a corresponding rotational movement of the drive shaft, thereby adjii sting the impedance of the potentiometer and changing the output signal accordingly.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the analog signal controller is mounted in a modular housing, thereby enabling a plurality of analog signal controllers to be mounted side by side in a 4 compact configuration.
Brief Description of the Drawinas Figure 1 is an illustrative electrical schematic for the Analog signal controller according to the present invention.
Figure 2 (a-c) shows the mechanical components of the analog signal controller according to the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a plurality of analog signal controllers mounted side by side.
Detailed DescriDtion of the Invention Figure 1 shows the electrical connections for an illustrative analog signal controller according-to the present invention. A motor 10 has respective inputs coupled to an increase impedance line 11, a decrease impedance line 12, and a return line 13. A caDacitor 14 is coupled across the increase impedance l-ne 11 and the decrease signal line 12. In order to drive the motor 10 in a first direction, 115 VAC is applied is applied on line!I and line 12 remains neutral. As a result of the capacitor 14, the motor receives 115 VAC at both of its input lines 10a, 10b, with the AC signal at line 10b lagging the AC signal at line loa by 90 degrees, thereby driving the motor 10 in the first direction. In order to drive the motor 10 in the second direction, 115 VAC is applied at line 12 and line 11 remains neutral.
A dual potentiometer 100 includes potentiometers 20, 30. Potentiometer 20 has a first terminal 22 connected to a first reference input, a second terminal 23 connected to a return line, and a wiper terminal 21 connected to first signal output. Potentiometer 30 has a first terminal 32 connected to a first reference input, a second terminal 33 connected to a return line, and a wiper terminal 31 connected to a second signal output. The output of the motor 10, as described in more detail below, adjusts the wiper arms of the potentiometers 20, 30.
Reference voltages are applied to the first and second reference inputs, and as a result of the respective voltage drops across the potentiometers 20, 30, the output signal at lines 21, 31 is adjusted in accordance with the position of the wiper arms of the potentiometers, the wiper arms being adjusted by the motor 10 (or manual adjustment member) as described below. In this manner, the analog signal controller controls analog output signals at lines 21, 31 based upon is the reference signals input at lines 22, 32 and the position of the respective wiper arms of the potentiometers 20, 30.
Figure 2 illustrates the mechanical connections of an embodiment of the present invention in more detail.
potentiometers 20, 30 of dual potentiometer 100 are encased in a single housing with a single wiper shaft 110. The wiper shaft 110 is coupled to a first end of a friction shaft 120, the friction shaft 120 having a slip clutch assembly 130 mounted thereon in a conventional manner. A manual adjustment member 140 is attached to a second end of the friction shaft to allow manual adjustment of the potentiometers 20, 30. An output gear of the motor 10 is operatively coupled to a wiper gear 150, the wiper gear 150 mounted perpendicularly with respect to the length of the friction shaft 120 such that a rotational movement of the output gear 160 causes a corresponding rotational movement of the wiper gear 150, the friction shaft 120, and the wiper shaft 110. The slip clutch assembly 130 and friction shaft 120 disengage the motor 10 from the dual potentiometer 100 when the wiper shaft 110 has reached its maximum or minimum 6 position thereby preventing damage to the motor or dual potentiometer. The slip clutch assembly 130 and friction shaft 120 also disengage the motor 10 from the dual potentiometer 100 when the manual override member is driving the friction shaft either in an opposite direction from, or at a speed greater than, the motor 10.
A modular housing 200 includes a top side 210, a bottom side 220, and at least two lateral sides 230, 240. The modular housing surrounds the motor 10, the slip clutch assembly 130, the gears 150, 160, and the capacitor 14. The dual potentiometer 100 is mounted to a lateral side 240, with the wiper shaft 110 extending through an aperture of lateral side 240. The friction shaft 120 extends from the wiper shaft 110 through an aperture in lateral side 230, the manual adjustment member 140 being coupled to the friction shaft at a point outside of the modular housing 200. As shown in Figure 4, the modular housing 200 permits a plurality of analog signal controllers to be mounted side by side, thereby saving space.
is 7
Claims (5)
- What is claimed is: 1. An analog signal controller, comprising: apotentiometer having a wiper shaft, a wiper terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, the first terminal for coupling to an input reference signal, the wiper terminal for providing an output reference signal; a motor having an output gear; a gear assembly, the gear assembly coupling the output gear of the motor to the wiper shaft, the motor being electrically controlled from a remote location to drive the wiper shaft of the potentiometer, thereby controlling the output reference signal; a manual adjustment member coupled to the wiper shaft for manually driving the wiper shaft of the potentiometer, thereby manually controlling the output reference signal.
- 2. The analog signal controller according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, the housing having a top side, a bottom side, and at least one lateral side, the manual adjustment member extending outward from one of the at least one side.
- 3. The analog signal controller according to claim 1, further comprising a slip clutch mechanism coupled to the wiper shaft.
- 4. The analog signal controller according to claim 3, further including a friction shaft having a first end coupled to the wiper shaft, a second end of the friction shaft forming at least a portion of the manual adjustment member, the slip clutch mechanism mounted on the friction shaft a point between the first and second ends.
- 5. The analog signal controller according to claim 4, wherein the gear mechanism includes a first gear mounted a on an output shaft of the motor and a second gear mounted on the friction shaft, the first and second gears operatively coupled to one another.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US28188894A | 1994-07-28 | 1994-07-28 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9514100D0 GB9514100D0 (en) | 1995-09-13 |
| GB2292014A true GB2292014A (en) | 1996-02-07 |
Family
ID=23079193
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9514100A Withdrawn GB2292014A (en) | 1994-07-28 | 1995-07-11 | Motor driven potentiometer for analog signal controller |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| DE (1) | DE19515442A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2292014A (en) |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB702307A (en) * | 1951-01-31 | 1954-01-13 | Western Electric Co | Improvements in or relating to electric control systems |
| EP0062592A1 (en) * | 1981-04-08 | 1982-10-13 | Creusot-Loire | Inking device for a printing machine |
| US4385560A (en) * | 1980-04-10 | 1983-05-31 | Veb Kombinat Polygraph "Werner Lamberz" Leipzig | Remote adjustment and measuring unit for ink zoning screw of a doctor blade mechanism in an ink fountain of a printing machine |
| GB2247991A (en) * | 1990-09-11 | 1992-03-18 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Traction for motor driven slide type variable resistor unit using toothed endless belt |
| GB2255677A (en) * | 1991-05-01 | 1992-11-11 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Mounting of motor in motor-driven slide potentiometer |
| EP0589259A2 (en) * | 1992-09-22 | 1994-03-30 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Electromotive adjustable resistor |
-
1995
- 1995-04-27 DE DE1995115442 patent/DE19515442A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1995-07-11 GB GB9514100A patent/GB2292014A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB702307A (en) * | 1951-01-31 | 1954-01-13 | Western Electric Co | Improvements in or relating to electric control systems |
| US4385560A (en) * | 1980-04-10 | 1983-05-31 | Veb Kombinat Polygraph "Werner Lamberz" Leipzig | Remote adjustment and measuring unit for ink zoning screw of a doctor blade mechanism in an ink fountain of a printing machine |
| EP0062592A1 (en) * | 1981-04-08 | 1982-10-13 | Creusot-Loire | Inking device for a printing machine |
| GB2247991A (en) * | 1990-09-11 | 1992-03-18 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Traction for motor driven slide type variable resistor unit using toothed endless belt |
| GB2255677A (en) * | 1991-05-01 | 1992-11-11 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Mounting of motor in motor-driven slide potentiometer |
| EP0589259A2 (en) * | 1992-09-22 | 1994-03-30 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Electromotive adjustable resistor |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| WPI Abstract Acc No 82-H7469E(26)& RD 218025 A (Anon)10.6.82(see abstract) * |
| WPI Abstract Acc No 84-153522(25)& DE 3328810 A (Veb Poly- graph) 14.06.84 (see abstract) * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9514100D0 (en) | 1995-09-13 |
| DE19515442A1 (en) | 1996-02-01 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |