Rotary or slide type switch assembly having recessed printed circuit substrate, interposed resilient bridging contact and movable printed circuit disc

An electrical switch assembly which comprises in combination:

• a substantially plate-like substrate made of electrically insulating material and having first and second surfaces opposed to each other;
• a plurality of elongated, fixed contact elements made of electrically conductive material and embedded in said substrate in spaced relation to each other with a plane of each of said fixed contact elements lying substantially intermediately of the thickness of said substrate, each of said fixed contact elements having an outer end extending outwardly from a periphery of said substrate for external electrical connection;
• at least one first socket defined in said substrate and opening on either one of said first and second substrate surfaces, said first socket extending from the opening on said either one of the first and second substrate surfaces into the substrate substantially halfway the thickness of said substrate and terminating at and in alignment with one of respective inner ends of said fixed contact elements thereby exposing said one of the inner ends of the fixed contact elements to the outside of said substrate through the opening on said either one of said first and second substrate surfaces;
• a plurality of second sockets defined in said substrate in spaced relation to each other and also to said first socket and opening on said either one of the first and second substrate surfaces, said second sockets extending from the respective openings on said either one of the first and second substrate surfaces into the substrate substantially halfway the thickness of the substrate and terminating at and in alignment with associated portions ajacent the inner ends of the remaining fixed contact elements thereby exposing the portions adjacent the inner ends of the remaining fixed contact elements to the outside of the substrate through the respective openings on either one of the first and second substrate surfaces;
• removable intermediate contact pieces made of electrically conductive material, one of said intermediate contact pieces being removably accommodated within the first socket and additional contact pieces being removably accommodated within substantially all of the second sockets;
• at least one movable contact element movably supported on said either one of said first and second substrate surfaces;
• means carrying said movable contact element for positioning said movable contact element to any one of a plurality of switching positions;
• and
• said movable contact element being so shaped that, depending upon the position of said movable contact element, said one of said respective inner ends of the fixed contact element is electrically connected to any one of said portions adjacent the inner ends of some or all of the fixed contact elements through said movable contact element by means of said contact piece within said first socket via the additional contact pieces within substantially all of the second sockets.