Variable resistor

1. A variable resistor comprising:

an operating member rotatably supported by a case and having a gear;

a reduction rotation transmission mechanism including a plurality of gears for transmitting rotation of the operating member;

a resistance member having a rotary member for varying resistance; and

a rotation transmission member for rotating the rotary member,

wherein a plate-shaped clutch which resiliently contacts a geared wheel and the rotation transmission member is disposed between the geared wheel and the rotation transmission member, so that a clutch mechanism is formed, the geared wheel being disposed at a termination end of the reduction rotation transmission mechanism,

wherein the rotation from the operating member is transmitted to the rotary member through the reduction rotation transmission mechanism, the clutch mechanism, and the rotation transmission member to vary resistance,

wherein when the rotation of the rotation transmission member is stopped, the clutch mechanism slips to stop varying the resistance,

wherein the plate-shaped clutch and the rotation transmission member are made of separate members,

wherein the clutch comprises a wave washer formed of a metallic plate having a spring characteristic,

wherein the geared wheel has a through hole in a central portion, the rotation transmission member has a plurality of stopping portions which are stopped by the geared wheel as a result of inserting the stopping portions in the through hole, and the rotation transmission member is combined with the geared wheel by the stopping portions,

wherein the clutch has an annular portion having an opening in a central portion, and is interposed between the rotation transmission member and the geared wheel by inserting the stopping portions in the opening, and

wherein the case has a protrusion, and the stopping portions are prevented from being dislodged from the geared wheel by positioning the protrusion in the through hole of the geared wheel.

2. The variable resistor according to claim 1 , further comprising a holding member for holding the resistance member, wherein a stopper for stopping the rotation of the rotation transmission member is disposed between the rotation transmission member and the holding member.

3. The variable resistor according to claim 2 , wherein the holding member has a connection conductor for connecting a terminal disposed at the resistance member, and a resistance value of the resistance member is provided to the outside of the case through the connection conductor.

4. The variable resistor according to claim 2 , wherein the holding member is caught and stopped by the case by a stopper protrusion of the case.

5. The variable resistor according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary member has a hole in a central portion, and the rotation transmission member has a shaft inserted in the hole of the rotary member to transmit the rotation to the rotary member.

6. The variable resistor according to claim 1 , wherein the case comprises first and second case portions, a protrusion disposed at one of the first and second case portions, and a stopper arm disposed at the other of the first and second case portions, the case is a box case obtained by catching and stopping the protrusion and the stopper arm with respect to each other, and the case accommodates at least the reduction rotation transmission mechanism, the rotation transmission member, the clutch mechanism, and the resistance member.

7. The variable resistor according to claim 6 , wherein the operating member is held between the first and second case portions, and at least one of the gears of the reduction rotation transmission mechanism is rotatably supported by a shaft formed by a protrusion disposed at either one of the first and second case portions.

8. The variable resistor according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the gears of the reduction rotation transmission mechanism is rotatably supported by the operating member.