Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Indicators
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-07-03
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Indicators
C200S293000, C200S333000, C200S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255610
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a switch system operating by the MID technique. It concerns a three-dimensional injection-molded conductor support in which the wires are inserted directly into a three-dimensional housing.
2. Description of the Art
By this method, several layers of conductors can be encapsulated within the housing. It is also possible to encapsulate conductor track-like plastic structures in a housing which subsequently can be metal-plated and insulated. With this method, the conductor tracks run on the surface of the housing which extends in three directions in space (3D). Further details of said method are described in the magazine “Elektronik,” Vol. 15, of Jul. 20, 1990 (pages 28-31). Further information is provided in an announcement by Forschungsvereinigung räumliche elektronische Baugruppen 3-D MID e.V. [Research organization for three-dimensional electronic components 3-D MID, registered]. The present invention deals with applying these techniques to a switch system, in particular, in the field of automotive engineering.
Because of the steadily growing number of electronic and electrical driving aids used in motor vehicles, the demand for switches has increased accordingly. Conventional switches essentially are comprised of a button, housing, contact system, mechanical detent, base plate, and cable connector. It is the object of the invention to simplify the design of this type of switch, while reducing its spatial dimensions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A possible application of the MID technique to switches is described in DT-OS 44 26 350.3. The invention, therefore, starts out from a switch system. In principle, the present invention thus comprises the switch housing which is so designed that at one side it allows a simple automatic fitting of the switch housing with electronic and/or mechanical components, while making full use of the advantages offered by the MID technique. By this method, a switch system is created which can be flexibly equipped and, having been provided with conductor track supports, can be flexibly connected. This type of system offers special advantages in that the inventive housing offers extremely variable uses, as a result of which the large quantity essential for the MID technique can be achieved, in order to guarantee an efficient production of switches.
In addition, the inventive housing offers the option of operating by the MID technique insofar as, at the same time, the cable connector is developed as a molded plastic component in which the plastic projections serving as cable connectors are metal-plated.
Of course, it is also within the scope of the invention if, in special cases, electrical or mechanically-stressed parts are molded into the plastic housing. This, for example, can be achieved in that the plug section of the housing is provided with molded pins in order to guarantee a permanent contact even if it is necessary to plug in the plug several times, or otherwise, the conductor tracks forming the plug would be subjected to excessive electrical or mechanical stress.
Because the component surfaces are located at the upper side of the housing, while the switch section is arranged at the underside of the housing, the usual feed through connections will, as a rule, be necessary to provide a cable connection from the upper to the lower side of the housing.
This type of feed through connection also allows connection changes in the switch system in that some contact openings are designed to be conductive, while others have no conductive connections.
However, it is possible not only to modify the protective circuits in the housing, but also to form various switch types. Microswitches can be so selected that, when actuated, close or open a circuit or switch to a different circuit or, after having been actuated, execute several of these processes simultaneously. These various microswitch types may be installed simultaneously in multiple locations into the inventive housing and be combined among one another. In addition to a microswitch or instead of a microswitch, it is also possible to use an LED which in automotive engineering informs the driver either of the position of the switch (during darkness) or of the status of the switch (on or off).
Ultimately, the inventive housing can be so equipped that no microswitch is provided and that the housing performs indicator functions only by means of the LED.
It is also possible to actuate the microswitch manually or by mechanical operating devices directly, or to form the indicator surface directly by means of the surface of the inventive housing. In many cases, however, the electric circuit on the surface of the housing is protected or covered for aesthetic reasons. Thus, the housing is placed onto a cover which shields the protective circuits on the housing and prevents mechanical access. For example, by inserting lenses into the cover or by installing windows, which could be provided with symbols, the motor vehicle operator is provided with an aid.
A simple form of operating the microswitch fitted at the upper side of the housing can also be achieved. By this method, the cover serves as a button for the switches, in that the cover can be actuated manually or mechanically. By this method, it is necessary to take into consideration that the contact travel must meet various requirements. If, for example, the cover represents the button of a pushbutton, a comparatively small contact travel is adequate. This also applies if the circuit is to be activated only when the button is pressed. On the other hand, however, it may be desired that the position of the button also indicates the switching status of the switch. With a pushbutton, for example, this may be the down position of the pushbutton, or with a toggle switch it may be the tilt position of the switch. Therefore, this requires considerable contact travel for the motor vehicle operator to clearly identify the position of the button. In order to also meet this requirement with the inventive housing, an attachment is placed onto the housing, which, as a result of a corresponding seating of the cover, ensures an extended push or toggle path. The cover is preferably latched onto the housing. However, there are other options of attaching said cover, such as gluing, welding, or the like.
If the cover is to be tiltable with respect to the adapter and the housing, it is recommended that the point of rotation is placed as high as possible, so that the cover achieves the highest angle of rotation before it is stopped by the housing.
Within the scope of the invention, however, it is also possible that the cover itself be produced by applying the MID technique and thus acts as a movable contact element. Further, said cover can act both as a contact element in a pushbutton and as a toggling element in toggle switch. These switching functions may be selected in addition to actuating the microswitches located on the housing or instead of these microswitches.
In order to achieve a permanent switching status, and to fix the position of the cover corresponding to the switching position of the actuated switch, it is recommended to have the adapter and the cover form a latch configuration as an improvement of the invention. This offers the essential advantage that the latching configuration can simply be adapted by selecting the adapter and the cover for the selected switch. In connection with the button, the adapter ensures that the desired latching positions are provided at the same time. As a result, further means are provided to adapt the inventive housing to the changing requirements of switches.
A particularly simple latching option has a latching curve in the adapter and a detent cam, which both elastically interlock, formed of a stop bolt which is spring-loaded at the cover. At the same time, the latching positions are provided essentially by the adapter, so that by selecting a corresponding adapter it also is possible to obtain the desired latching positions, without having to rep
Botz Jacob
Weber Adam
Friedhofer Michael
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Lewis J. Gordon
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