Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Cases and bases
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2001-08-07
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Cases and bases
C200S302300, C200S335000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06271490
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a waterproof lever switch, mainly for use in various kinds of electrical systems of automobiles, such as engines, doors, etc. and more particularly, to a waterproof lever switch including a waterproof ring, which is made of synthetic rubber and is attached in first and second circumferential grooves formed opposite each other in a base and in a disk part of a lever, respectively, the lever being rotatably mounted at a set angle on the base, to form a watertight space between first and third recesses formed inside of the first and second circumferential grooves, wherein an appropriate switch mechanism is mounted in the watertight space so that a switch of the switch mechanism is operated by rotation at the set angle and restoration of the lever.
2. Discussion of Background
It has been desired that a switch, for use in various kinds of electrical systems of an automobile, not only be miniaturized because of a confined space setting, but also have a high-precision waterproofness.
A switch of the above-described kind has been conventionally used, mainly the so-called micro-switch. However, there is a limitation in the miniaturization of a micro-switch and the micro-switch has a problem in that the smaller it becomes, the more expensive it is to manufacture. Another problem is that the entire body of the micro-switch should be covered with a waterproofing material in order to form a waterproof switch, thereby making it large-sized and more expensive. In such a case, a switch operation would need to be carried out indirectly from outside the waterproofing material. This would undesirably reduce the operability and precision, as compared with a non-waterproof micro-switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems by providing an extremely simple and small-sized (i.e., each of length, width, and height is approximately 20 mm) waterproof switch.
The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems by providing a waterproof lever switch including: a first circumferential groove formed in an inner face of a disk part of a lever, wherein the lever includes a lever part and the disk part; a first approximately circularly-shaped recess is formed inside of the first circumferential groove; a second approximately circularly-shaped recess is rotatably engaged at a set angle with the disk part of the lever and is formed in a surface of a base; a second circumferential groove is formed at a position opposite the first circumferential groove of the lever; a third approximately circularly-shaped recess is formed inside of the second circumferential groove opposite the first approximately circularly-shaped recess; the disk part of the lever is engaged with the second approximately circularly-shaped recess of the base; a waterproof ring is inserted and mounted between the first circumferential groove A
1
of the lever and the second circumferential groove of the base; a watertight space is formed between the first and third approximately circularly-shaped recesses which are located opposite each other; an appropriate switch mechanism is mounted in the watertight space; and a projection having a shape projecting outwardly toward an inner face of the first approximately circularly-shaped recess of the lever by virtue of rotation, restoration of the disk part by rotation at the set angle, and restoration of the lever part of the lever projected outside the base, pushes and releases an actuating part of the switch mechanism to operate the switch.
When the lever part of the lever, which projects outside of the base, rotates at a set angle, the projection, in the first approximately circularly-shaped recess, and disk part both rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the lever part. The projection then pushes and operates the actuating part of the switch mechanism mounted in the watertight space, thereby allowing the switch to perform operations, such as opening and closing of a circuit, switching of the circuit, and similar. Finally, when the lever part is rotated and restored to its original position, the switch is restored to the common state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3499127 (1970-03-01), Cherry et al.
patent: 3590176 (1971-06-01), Laserson et al.
patent: 3809833 (1974-05-01), Miller et al.
patent: 4200773 (1980-04-01), Komatsu et al.
patent: 4575592 (1986-03-01), Rose
patent: 4778953 (1988-10-01), Kato
Friedhofer Michael
Mic Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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