Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Turn indicator type switches
Patent
1999-04-15
2000-08-15
Friedhofer, Michael
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Turn indicator type switches
200 6154, H01H 2500
Patent
active
061039802
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electrical switches. It applies, in particular, to switches used for controlling lights and lighting means for motor vehicles.
More precisely, the present invention relates to a switch controlled by a lever that is capable of three different kinds of displacement or motion in order to control respective corresponding switch means, e.g. by pivoting in two planes perpendicular to each other about axes which extend substantially across the longitudinal axis of the lever, and by rotating about said longitudinal axis.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Many electrical switches which meet the general definition given above have already been proposed. Such known switches comprise three contacting slides which are actuated by respective ones of the kinds of lever motion.
The object of the present invention is thus to improve known switches.
The object of the present invention is achieved by means of an electrical switch, in particular for controlling the lighting and signalling means of a motor vehicle, the switch comprising a housing which houses switch means, and a lever which includes control means that are mounted to be displaced relative to the housing in at least two pivoting motions which are generally mutually crossed and in rotary motion about the axis of the lever in order to control respective ones of at least three basic electrical functions, the switch being characterized by the fact that the switch means comprise a single slide which is mounted to be displaced in a plane, and functional connection means ensuring functional connection between the control means of the lever and the slide, so that the slide is subjected to a specific kind of displacement for each of the three kinds of displacement of the lever, and is capable of ensuring respective electrical functions without disturbing control of the other two potential functions.
Other characteristics, objects and advantages of the present invention appear on reading the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings that are given as non-limiting examples and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an outside, diagrammatic view in perspective of a switch of the present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are two exploded perspective views of a switch constituting a first variant embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are two similar exploded perspective views of a switch constituting a second variant embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of electrical contacting means of the present invention;
FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views in perspective of a switch of the present invention;
FIGS. 9 to 19 diagrammatically show various relative positions of contact blades and contact areas; and
FIGS. 20 to 25 show contacting positions of a switch of the present invention, and for each figure number: index A is a fragmentary view in perspective; index B is a view in longitudinal section; index C is a view in cross section; and index D is a plan view.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A switch of the present invention can be seen in the accompanying figures, the switch comprising a housing 10 which houses switch means 200 and includes a control lever 100.
The lever 100 is capable of being displaced in two orthogonal pivot planes and being rotated about its own longitudinal axis. A first pivot plane corresponds for example, to controlling a direction-indicator, and is referenced I in FIG. 1; the position of the lever 100 for actuating the right indicators is referenced Ia, and the position for actuating the left indicators is referenced Ib. The first pivot plane I corresponds to the lever 100 pivoting about an axis Ic. A second pivot plane, which is orthogonal to the first, is referenced II in FIG. 2, and corresponds, for example, to a headlight switch for low-beam/high-beam control of headlights or for unstable headlight-flasher control; the high-beam position o
REFERENCES:
patent: 4293743 (1981-10-01), Iwata et al.
patent: 4942273 (1990-07-01), Furuhashi et al.
patent: 5047600 (1991-09-01), Enari et al.
patent: 5272290 (1993-12-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5283403 (1994-02-01), Machalitzky et al.
patent: 5780794 (1998-07-01), Uchiyama et al.
Friedhofer Michael
SC2N
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