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US 3,958,087 AGranted
Switch structure
AssigneeBecton, Dickinson Electronics Company
InventorsHans C. Mol, Martin G. Reade
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical switch is provided with a switch wheel having indicia appearing around the periphery of the switch wheel adapted to be presented to view through an aperture in a switch case as the switch wheel is rotated by a lever that projects through the wall of the switch case. The switch wheel rotates in accordance with the rotation of a lever-actuated switch plate with which the switch wheel is interconnected. Gears are provided interconnecting the switch wheel and the switch plate thereby allowing the switch wheel to be rotated through about 360.degree. when the switch plate is rotated through a much smaller angle, such as about 90.degree..
Claims24
A switch structure comprising:
- a case having an apertured face wall;
- electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in said case behind said aperture in order to present to view a selected indicium;
- switch means mounted in said case adapted to selectively contact said electrical contacts as said means is rotated, thereby completing different electrical circuits in various switch positions;
- a lever protruding through said aperture and being adapted to operate said switch means;
- and
- conversion means for rotating said wheel through a first angle as said lever is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle, said conversion means including means interconnecting said wheel and said lever for rotating said wheel clockwise about its axis when said lever rotates clockwise about its axis and for rotating said wheel counterclockwise about its axis when said lever rotates counterclockwise about its axis.
4 more elements
In a switch structure the combination of:
- a case having first and second apertures in the face wall of the case;
- means defining a sealed electrical parts chamber;
- electrical contacts mounted on the case in the sealed chamber;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in the case behind said first aperture in order to present to view selected indicium;
- switch means mounted on the case in the sealed chamber adapted to selectively contact electrical contacts as said means is rotated, thereby completing any one of a plurality of different electrical circuits;
- a lever protruding through said second aperture and being adapted to operate the switch means;
- and
- conversion means for rotating the wheel through a first angle as the lever is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle.
5 more elements
A switch structure, comprising:
- a case having an apertured face wall;
- first electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in said case behind said aperture and about an axis generally parallel to said face wall in order to present a selected indicium to view through said aperture;
- switch means mounted in said case and comprising a support member that is rotatable about a second axis parallel to the aforesaid axis and second electrical contacts extending laterally from said support member and adapted to selectively contact said first electrical contacts as said support member is rotated, thereby completing different electrical circuits in various switch positions, the radius of movement of said second electrical contacts being smaller than the radius of movement of the outer extremity of said support member about said second axis;
- a lever protruding through said aperture and being adapted to rotate said support member about said second axis;
- and
- conversion means for rotating said wheel through a first angle as said lever is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle.
4 more elements
A switch structure, comprising:
- a case having an apertured face wall;
- a first set of electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in said case behind said aperture in order to present a selected indicium to view;
- switch means mounted in said case on said wheel and adapted to selectively contact said first electrical contacts as said means is rotated, thereby completing different electrical circuits in various switch positions;
- a lever protruding through said aperture and being adapted to operate said switch means;
- conversion means for rotating said wheel through a first angle as said lever is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle;
- a second set of electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- a lever plate rotatably mounted on said case;
- and
- a second switch means mounted on said lever plate adapted to selectively contact said second electrical contacts as it is rotated, thereby completing different electrical circuits in various switch positions.
7 more elements
A switch structure comprising:
- a case having an apertured face wall;
- a first set of electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing on the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in said case behind said aperture in order to present to view selected indicium;
- first switch means mounted on said indicia-carrying wheel and being adapted to selectively contact said first electrical contacts as said first switch means is rotated, thereby completing any one of a plurality of different electrical circuits;
- a second set of electrical contacts mounted on said case;
- a lever plate rotatably mounted on said case;
- second switch means mounted on said lever plate and being adapted to selectively contact said second electrical contacts as said second switch means is rotated, thereby completing any one of a plurality of different electrical circuits;
- a lever protruding through said aperture and being adapted to operate said first and second switch means;
- and
- conversion means for rotating said indicia wheel to a first angle as said lever is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle.
7 more elements
A switch structure, comprising:
- a case having an apertured face wall defining a window area;
- a wiper-carrying lever plate rotatably mounted in the case on a first axis;
- a lever formed integrally with the lever plate, said lever protruding through the window area and being adapted to operate the lever plate;
- stops on the case adapted to limit the rotation of the lever plate;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of the wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in the case behind the window area on a second axis in order to present a selected indicium to view through said window area;
- gear means interconnecting the lever plate and said wheel and adapted to rotate the wheel through an angle greater than about 270.degree. when the lever plate is rotated through a smaller angle;
- stationary electrical contacts mounted on the case;
- and
- an electrically conductive wiper mounted on the lever plate between the outer edge thereof and said first axis, said wiper having electrical contact means adapted to selectively contact various of said stationary electrical contacts for completing a selected one of a plurality of different electrical circuits corresponding to the particular indicium visible through said window area.
6 more elements
A switching system, comprising:
- a plurality of substantially identical modular switch structure units, each switch structure unit comprising;
- a case having an apertured face wall;
- electrical contacts mounted on the case;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of said wheel, said wheel being mounted for rotation in the case behind said aperture in order to present a selected indicium to view;
- switch means mounted in the case adapted to selectively contact electrical contacts as said means is rotated, thereby completing different electrical circuits in various switch positions;
- a lever protruding through said aperture and being adapted to operate the switch means;
- conversion means for rotating the wheel through a first angle as the switch means is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle;
- and means detachably holding said switch structure units assembled in side-by-side position to form compact switching assembly with the apertures of said face walls aligned for in-line viewing of a plurality of indicia.
5 more elements
In a digital switch:
- a. a modular casing of rectangular configuration and having a height greater than its width and having an opening formed in its front wall and providing therein an interior cavity,
- b. a printed circuit plate positioned in said cavity,
- c. an actuator rotatably mounted within the cavity of the switch casing,
- d. means providing an axis about which said actuator is rotatably mounted within the cavity of the switch casing, said axis extending in the direction of said width,
- e. a position indicator for circuit-making contacts mounted within the cavity and movable about a second axis spaced from and parallel to said first mentioned axis, said position indicator having a peripheral portion exposed through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing,
- f. circuit-making contacts mounted within the cavity and movable over the printed circuit plate by rotatable movement of said actuator about its axis,
- g. cooperating means provided by said actuator for rotating the same in either direction about its axis for rotating said circuit-making contacts over the printed circuit plate, and
- h. means provided by said actuator extending out of a portion of the opening formed in the front wall of the casing and movable therethrough for rotating said actuator and said position indicator in either direction, and said circuit-making contacts over the printed circuit plate of the digital switch.
5 more elements
In a digital switch:
- a. a modular casing of rectangular configuration and having a height greater than its width and having an opening formed in its front wall and providing therein an exterior cavity,
- b. a printed circuit plate positioned in said cavity,
- c. an actuator rotatably mounted within the cavity of the switch casing,
- d. means providing an axis about which said actuator is rotatably mounted within the cavity of the switch casing, said axis extending in the direction of said width,
- e. a position indicator for circuit-making contacts mounted within the cavity and movable about an axis spaced from and parallel to said means providing an axis for said actuator, with said position indicator having a peripheral portion exposed through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing,
- f. circuit-making contacts mounted within the cavity and movable over the printed circuit plate by rotatable movement of said actuator, and said position indicator about their axes,
- g. cooperating means provided by said actuator and said position indicator for rotating the same in either direction about their respective axes for rotating said circuit-making contacts over the printed circuit plate, and
- h. means provided by said actuator extending out of a portion of the opening formed in the front wall of the casing and movable therethrough for rotating said actuator and said position indicator in either direction, and said circuit-making contacts over the printed circuit plate of the digital switch.
5 more elements
A switching system, comprising:
- a plurality of substantially identical modular switch structure units, each switch structure unit comprising:
- a case having an apertured face well defining a window area;
- a lever plate rotatably mounted in the case on a first axis;
- a lever secured to the lever plate for operating the lever plate, said lever protruding through the window area;
- a drive gear formed integrally with the lever plate;
- an indicia-carrying wheel having a plurality of indicia appearing around the rim of the wheel, the wheel being mounted for rotation in the case behind the window area on a second axis in order to present selected indicium to view;
- a pinion gear formed integrally with the wheel and having a smaller diameter than the drive gear, said pinion gear being adapted to mesh with the drive gear and being so positioned and proportioned with respect to the drive gear that the wheel is rotated through a first angle as the lever plate is rotated through a second angle, said first angle being substantially larger than said second angle;
- stationary electrical contacts mounted on the case;
- an electrically conductive wiper mounted on the indicia wheel between the rim thereof and said first axis, said wiper having electrical contact means adapted to selectively contact various of said stationary electrical contacts for completing a selected one of a plurality of different electrical circuits corresponding to the particular indicium visible through said window area;
- detent means adapted to position a selected indicium in said window area;
- stops mounted adjacent to each case face wall to limit the rotation of said lever plate;
- and means detachably holding said switch structure units assembled in side-by-side position to form a compact switching assembly with the apertures of said face walls aligned for in-line viewing of a plurality of indicia.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.