Patent ID: 6437682
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A pressure sensitive direction device comprising:a first member including a plurality of circumferentially displaced signal contact regions and a plurality of output contact regions interspersed with the plurality of signal contact regions; a second member having a connection region positioned adjacent the signal contact regions and output contact regions of the first member, the connection region of the second member comprising a deformable material having an associated conductivity that is responsive to pressure applied to the second member; and wherein the plurality of signal contact regions includes a first group associated with a first direction and a second group associated with a second direction and a larger number of the first group are positioned in a region of the first member associated with the first direction than in other regions of the first member and a larger number of the second group are positioned in a region of the first member associated with the second direction than in other regions of the first member to provide an increased conductivity electrical path between the first group and the output contact regions responsive to pressure applied to the second member adjacent the region of the first member associated with the first direction and an increased conductivity electrical path between the second group and the output contact regions responsive to pressure applied to the second member adjacent the region of the first member associated with the second direction, the increased conductivity being a function of the pressure applied to the second member.