Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Turn indicator type switches
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-01-09
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Turn indicator type switches
C200S061540
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172312
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to switches and, more specifically, to vehicle steering column mounted switches for controlling vehicle operating circuits and components.
2. State of the Art
The evolution of steering column switches in motor vehicles has been toward greater integration of functions in a single switch lever. Previously, a plurality of individual switches, each controlling a single vehicle function, i.e., turn signals, windshield wipers, headlights, etc., were mounted on the vehicle dashboard or steering column. Current steering column switch levers are designed to control a variety of functions for vehicle operating circuits or devices, such as turn signals and hazard lights, high beam and low beam headlights with optional flash-to-pass, parking lights, fog lights, windshield wiper and wash functions, including multi-speed wipers with or without intermittent delay.
Typically, a steering column stalk switch includes a single lever or stalk pivotally mounted on one side of a housing attached to the vehicle steering column in an easily accessible position for access by the driver of the vehicle. The lever is gimballed at one end in housing so as to move in one and typically two mutually separate planes. Further, the lever may be provided with a rotatable end cap, and/or a slidable member movable along the longitudinal axis of the lever to control additional vehicle operating circuits. An intermediate member on the lever may also be rotatable to control another vehicle circuit or device.
Actuators are mounted in the housing and, in response to movement of the lever in different directions or planes, rotation of the end cap, or movement of the slidable member, or rotation of the intermediate member on the lever, move a switching member carrying contacts between various switching positions to effect the switching of electrical connections for a particular vehicle operating circuit.
In some vehicles, particularly vehicles manufactured in Europe and/or Japan, two steering column stalk switches are provided, one mounted on the left side of the steering column and one on the right side of the steering column. The various vehicle operating circuits or devices described above are split between the two stalk switches, with the left stalk switch typically controlling vehicle headlight, parking light, fog light, flash-to-pass headlight operation, as well as turn signal operations. The right mounted stalk lever typically operates windshield wiper, mist and wash devices.
Further, transmission gear select levers, have been predominantly mounted on the floor of the vehicle to take advantage of the simplified mechanical linkages with the transmission located beneath the front center of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. However, the trend toward electronic transmissions enables the transmission gear select switch to be moved back on the steering column. This, however, can interfere with the right side mounted stalk switch due to the limited space available on the steering column and the need to provide non-interfering rotation and access to each of the stalk switch and the transmission gear select switch.
It is known to provide column mounted transmission gear shift levers with an end mounted, on/off toggle switch to control a selected vehicle control circuit or device, such as traction control, overdrive, etc. However, this switch provides only a single circuit function and not multiple functions as typically provided by steering column stalk switch levers.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a steering column switch lever which can combine the functions of a transmission gear select lever and a steering column stalk switch containing switchable elements for controlling various vehicle operating circuits and devices into a single lever which provides the functions of the previous two levers at a much lower cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a combination transmission gear select and auxiliary switch lever mountable on a vehicle steering column.
According to one aspect of the invention, the lever has one end adjacent a vehicle steering column and an opposed outer end. An actuator is carried between the one end and the outer end of the lever and is capable of independent movement relative to the lever. Switch means are carried with the actuator for forming a circuit upon movement of the actuator from one position to another position. The circuit is connected to a vehicle operating device to control the activation and deactivation of the vehicle operating device in response to movement of the actuator.
In one aspect of the invention, the actuator is rotatably mounted on the lever. Alternately, the actuator is mounted for coaxial translation on the lever. Preferably, the actuator is mounted for both rotational and coaxial translation on the lever.
According to one aspect of the invention, a detent is formed on one of the actuator and the lever. A detent follower is formed on the other of the actuator and the lever and is movably engagable with the detent to define at least one distinct position of the actuator relative to the lever. Preferably, the detent follower comprises a biased plunger. Further, a plurality of circumferentially spaced detents are provided, each defining a distinct position of the actuator relative to the lever.
A printed circuit board or substrate carrying at least one conductive trace and, preferably, a plurality of conductive traces are fixedly mounted on one of the actuator and the lever. A contactor is carried by the other of the actuator and the lever and has at least one and, preferably, a plurality of electrical contacts mounted for engagement with the one or more conductive traces upon movement of the actuator to form separate circuits capable of controlling different vehicle operating devices or for controlling the operative state of a vehicle operating device.
The combined transmission gear select and auxiliary switch lever of the present invention uniquely provides a steering column stalk switch actuator capable of controlling multiple vehicle circuits or operating devices on a transmission gear select lever thereby combining the functions of a separate steering column stalk switch lever and a transmission lever into a single lever. This reduces manufacturing costs since only one lever is manufactured and mounted on a vehicle steering column as compared to the prior two levers consisting of a transmission gear select lever and a separate stalk switch lever.
The combined transmission gear select lever and auxiliary switch of the present invention also simplifies the steering column design since only one lever need be mounted on the right side of the steering column while still providing stalk switch and transmission gear select functions.
The combined transmission gear select and auxiliary switch lever of the present invention is adaptable for controlling many different vehicle operating circuits or devices. For example, the switch may be devised for controlling the complete windshield wiper drive, wash and mist operations as are typically found on a single steering column stalk switch. Alternately, or in combination with the windshield wiper control, the switch or actuator may be devised for controlling the vehicle headlamp, parking lamp and fog light operation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4414424 (1983-11-01), Takeda et al.
patent: 5099720 (1992-03-01), Raue
patent: 5107243 (1992-04-01), Maeda
patent: 5581058 (1996-12-01), Javery et al.
patent: 5854458 (1998-12-01), Ramamurthy et al.
patent: 5905237 (1999-05-01), Hayakawa et al.
Friedhofer Michael
Lewis J. Gordon
Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc.
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