Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Steering wheel – shaft or column mounted
Patent
1988-05-17
1989-11-21
Pellinen, A. D.
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Steering wheel, shaft or column mounted
200 16C, 200 6127, H01H 316
Patent
active
048824577
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a switch, especially to a steering column switch for motor vehicles having a rotatable operating lever controlling a bridging contact resiliently urged toward different stationary contacts in different switching positions.
A switch of this kind is known from the German specification DE-GM 7 326 836. In this known embodiment the bridging contact is immediately guided by the swivellable switch member, whereby the bridging contact is to a certain extent radially movable and is pressed against the contact areas of stationary contacts by a pressure spring, which stationary contacts are lying on an orbit around the axis of rotation of the switch member. The pressure spring provides for the necessary contact pressure between the bridging contact and the stationary contacts. In addition, by means of this pressure spring the tolerance is evened out, if the bridging contacts are not exactly arranged on an orbit around the axis of rotation of the switch member. Such compensation of tolerances is only possible to a certain extent because in case of bigger deviations there is danger of canting of the bridging contact in the switch member. So such a construction including a bridging contact immediately guided by the switch member stable in form can only be used, if the path of motion of the bridging contact corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the stationary contacts acted upon by this bridging contact. So if the switch member is swivelled around an axis of rotation, the corresponding stationary contacts should also be positioned on an orbit. If the switch member is moved straight onwards, the stationary contacts must also be arranged along a straight line. This correspondence of the direction of motion of the switch member and of the arrangement of the stationary contacts having been necessary so far requires more time and work as to the construction and production of some switches.
Therefore the object of the invention is to develop a switch of this kind by simplest means in such a way that--to a large extent--the position of the stationary contacts can be fixed regardless of the predetermined direction of motion of the switch member in the switch housing without reducing the contact between the bridging contact and these stationary contacts. In particular, a switch shall be produced that comprises contacts arranged along a straight line, whereas the switch member is still swivellably located around an axis of rotation.
According to the invention this object is achieved by guiding the bridging contact by a switching arm which is so attached to the switch member that it may rotate radially in relation to the switch member.
The present invention is thereby based on the idea that immediate guiding of the bridging contact on the switch member stable in form is not needed. By guiding the switch member--according to the invention--on a switching arm that is substantially radially swivellable in relation to the switch member, the direction of motion of the switch member and the arrangement of the separate stationary contacts can easily be evened out. So the constructor of switches can arrange the stationary contacts in a switch housing regardless of the direction of motion of the switch member according to other criteria, as for instance, according to the space available.
In a preferred embodiment the switching arm itself is springily tensioned in the direction of the contact areas of the stationary contacts. For this purpose an additional pressure spring is used in a first embodiment. The present pressure spring between the switch member and the bridging contact is thereby replaced by this pressure spring between the switch member and the switching arm so that no more time or work is added for this construction in comparison with the known construction. The bridging contact itself can then be guided by the switching arm without any spring support. As to such an embodiment there is no danger of canting between the bridging contact and the guidance on the switching arm.
Principally speaking, the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3534189 (1970-10-01), Wilkinson
Erdelitsch Herbert
Machalitzky Otto
Rachner Horst
Ginsburg Morris
Pellinen A. D.
Seitter Robert P.
SWF Auto-Electric GmbH
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