Lever switch

Details Lever switch Lever switch

1999-12-15

2001-01-09

Gellner, Michael L. (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Special application

Turn indicator type switches

C200S061540, C200S061280

Reexamination Certificate

active

06172311

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a lever switch assembly which integrally includes both angle adjusting mechanisms for respectively imparting angular adjustments to rotations of an operating lever in a first direction and a second direction.
2. Related Art
Heretofore, as a lever switch assembly for vehicles, for example, there has been provided an assembly so constructed as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
.
In the conventional structure, a case
1
includes a first unit case
1
a
positioned in the upper part of the drawings and a second unit case
1
b
positioned in the lower part of the drawings and connected to the first unit case
1
a
. The first unit case
1
a
is provided with a bracket
2
so as to rotate around a first pivotal shaft
3
in a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction in the drawings where the unit cases
1
a
and
1
b
are fastened together (in a direction as shown by arrows A
1
, A
2
in FIG.
7
).
The bracket
2
is provided with a hollow operating lever
4
so as to rotate around a second pivotal shaft
5
in a direction where the unit cases
1
a
,
1
b
are fastened (in a direction as shown by arrows B
1
, B
2
respectively in FIGS.
6
and
7
). This operating lever
4
is so adapted as to rotate also in the direction as shown by the arrows A
1
, A
2
together with the bracket
2
.
An operating shaft
6
is inserted into the operating lever
4
rotatably around its own axis (in a direction as shown by arrows C
1
, C
2
in FIG.
6
). The operating shaft
6
is so adapted as to be rotatably operated by means of an operating button
6
a
(Refer to
FIG. 7
) fitted to its tip end at an opposite side to the case
1
(remote from the case
1
).
At one end of the operating lever
4
located inside the first unit case
1
a
is provided an angle adjusting piece
7
which is outwardly forced by a spring
8
. A first angle adjusting face
9
and a second angle adjusting face
10
are formed inside the first unit case
1
a
so as to mate with the angle adjusting piece
7
. The first angle adjusting face
9
is so adapted as to contact the angle adjusting piece
7
when the operating lever
4
is rotated in the direction of the arrows A
1
, A
2
to give an angular adjustment to the rotation of the operating lever
4
in the direction of the arrows A
1
, A
2
, and is corrugated having concave portions and convex portions in the direction of the arrows A
1
, A
2
(in a direction perpendicular to a paper face in FIG.
6
).
The second adjusting face
10
is so adapted as to contact the angle adjusting piece
7
when the operating lever
4
is rotated in the direction of the arrows B
1
, B
2
to give an angular adjustment to the rotation of the operating lever
4
in the direction of the arrows B
1
, B
2
, and is corrugated having concave portions and convex portions in the direction of the arrows B
1
, B
2
(in a vertical direction in FIG.
6
).
The operating lever
4
is further provided with rocking projections
11
which project from both sides at its one end located inside the first unit case
1
a
. The operating shaft
6
is provided with a rocking projection
12
which projects downwardly at its one end located inside the first unit case
1
a.
On an upper face of the bracket
2
in
FIG. 6
are arranged various components which compose a lever canceling mechanism
13
. This lever canceling mechanism
13
is so adapted as to restore the operating lever
4
which has been rotated in the direction of the arrows A
1
, A
2
and held by the first angle adjusting face
9
, by means of a rotary restoring operation of a steering wheel which is not shown. The lever canceling mechanism
13
includes the various components, such as a ratchet
14
, a spring
15
for urging the ratchet
14
toward the steering wheel, a back plate
16
with which the ratchet
14
engages at the restoration, a spring
17
for resiliently holding the back plate
16
, etc.
On the other hand, the second unit case
1
b
is provided with a wiring board
18
at its back face. Between the wiring board
18
and the second unit case
1
b
are provided a first contact holder
19
and a second contact holder
20
in a slidable manner. The first contact holder
19
is movable in the same direction (in a direction as shown by arrows D
1
, D
2
in
FIG. 7
) as the rotation direction A
1
, A
2
of the operating lever
4
and also movable in a direction perpendicular (in a direction as shown by arrows E
1
, E
2
in FIG.
7
) to the direction A
1
, A
2
. The second contact holder
20
is movable in a direction perpendicular (in a direction as shown by arrows F
1
, F
2
in
FIG. 7
) to the moving direction E
1
, E
2
of the first contact holder
19
.
Moreover, the first contact holder
19
and the wiring board
18
constitute a first switch
21
and a second switch
22
therebetween. On the back face of the first contact holder
19
is attached a movable contact
23
which is common for both the first and second switches
21
,
22
. On the wiring board
18
are provided a fixed contact (not shown) for the first switch
21
which the movable contact
23
is engaged with and disengaged from along with the movement of the contact holder
19
in the direction of the arrows D
1
, D
2
, and a fixed contact (also not shown) for the second switch
22
which the movable contact
23
is engaged with and disengaged from along with the movement of the contact holder
19
in the direction of the arrows E
1
, E
2
.
The second contact holder
20
and the wiring board
18
constitute a third switch
24
therebetween. On the back face of the second contact holder
20
is attached a movable contact
25
for the third switch
24
. On the wiring board
18
are provided a fixed contact (also not shown) for the third switch
24
which the movable contact
25
is engaged with and disengaged from along with the movement of the contact holder
20
in the direction of the arrows F
1
, F
2
.
In this state, the second unit case
1
b
is fastened to the first unit case
1
a
. On this occasion, a face
26
of the second unit case
1
b
adjacent to the first unit case
1
a
(an upper face in
FIG. 6
) is made contact with a projection
2
a
which is formed at a tip end of the bracket
2
located in the first unit case
1
a
thereby to press and hold the bracket
2
.
The first contact holder
19
has a pair of arm portions
19
a
(only one is shown) which project out of the second unit case
1
b
(into the first unit case
1
a
). Between the arm portions
19
a
is positioned the end of the operating lever
4
located inside the first unit case
1
a
, while the rocking projections
11
are slidably inserted into diagonal grooves
27
which are formed at respective inner faces of the arm portions
19
a.
The second contact holder
20
also has a pair of arm portions
20
a
(only one is shown) which project out of the second unit case
1
b
(into the first unit case
1
a
). Between the arm portions
20
a
is positioned a rocking projection
12
of the operating shaft
6
in a slidable manner. The back face of the wiring board
18
is protected with a cover
28
.
With the above described arrangement, when the operating lever
4
is rotated in the direction of the arrows A
1
, A
2
, one end of the operating lever
4
located inside the first unit case
1
a
presses the arm portions
19
a
of the first contact holder
19
in the direction of the arrows D
1
, D
2
, thereby to move the first contact holder
19
in the direction of the arrows D
1
, D
2
together with the movable contact
23
. Then, the first switch
21
responds to give a turn signal, for example.
On this occasion, the projection
2
a
at the tip end of the bracket
2
located in the first unit case
1
a
slides along the face
26
of the second unit case
1
b
adjacent to the first unit case
1
a
. Rotary positions of the operating lever
4
rotated in the directions of the arrows A
1
and A
2
, and the neutral position are maintained by the first angle adjusting face
9
in engagement with the angle adjusting piece
7
.
When the operating lev

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