Back to results
US 3,970,806 AGranted
Multiple switch
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorJack Edward Distler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorJack Edward Distler
Estimating the term…
A multiple switch in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of pushbuttons that are movable between an extended and a depressed position and are biased toward the extended position. The pushbuttons are paired and each pushbutton pair is associated with an individual lockout, a releasing-latching bar (RL bar) that is common to all of the pairs, and an individual releasing-nonlatching and releasing-latching bar (RNRL bar). Each pushbutton interacts with all three members when it is depressed. The lockout permits either pushbutton of the associated pair to be depressed individually but prevents both pushbuttons from being depressed simultaneously. As any pushbutton is depressed, the RL bar acts to release all pushbuttons previously depressed and latches the activated pushbutton in its depressed position. Finally, the RNRL bar interacts with a first pushbutton of the associated pair to release the second pushbutton of the pair if it was previously depressed and interacts with the second pushbutton of the associated pair to latch it in its depressed position. Each RNRL bar interacts with the associated pushbutton pair in conjunction with the RL bar but independent of any other RNRL bar.
A multiple switch comprising a multiplicity of switch actuators each of which is movable between a first and a second position, the switch actuators being associated in a multiple of pairs, each pair consisting of a first and a second switch actuator, and means for providing interaction between the switch actuators responsive to the movement of the switch actuators, the interaction means permitting all of the first switch actuators that are in the second position to move to the first position responsive to the movement of the second switch actuator of any pair to the second position, the interaction means retaining in the second position all other second switch actuators in the second position.
A multiple switch comprising a multiplicity of switch actuators each of which is movable between a first and a second position and biased toward the first position, the switch actuators being associated in a multiplicity of pairs, each pair consisting of a first and a second switch actuator, and means for providing interaction between the switch actuators responsive to the movement of the switch actuators, the interaction means releasing the first switch actuator of any pair that is in the second position and permitting it to return to the first position when any other switch actuator is moved to the second position, and the interaction means retaining in the second position the second switch actuator of any pair that is in the second position when any switch actuator other than the first switch actuator of its pair is moved to the second position.
A multiple switch comprising a multiplicity of switch actuators each of which is movable between a first and a second position and biased toward a first position, the switch actuators being associated in a multiplicity of pairs, each pair consisting of a first and a second switch actuator, and means for providing interaction between the switch actuators responsive to the movement of the switch actuators, the interacting means comprising a first member that is common to all of the pairs of switch actuators and a plurality of second members that are respectively associated with each individual pair, the common member acting to allow the release of all switch actuators previously moved to the second position and latching any switch actuator in the second position responsive to the movement of that switch actuator to the second position, and each individual member releasing the second switch actuator of its associated pair from the second position responsive to the movement of the first switch actuator of the pair to the second position and latching the second switch actuator of its associated pair in the second position and releasing the first switch actuator of the pair from the second position responsive to the movement of the second switch actuator to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.