Mode-indicating mechanisms for push-button operated devices
AssigneeWestern Electric Company, Inc.
InventorWilliam R. Rohrbach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicating button 10 for a push-push actuated device 11 (e.g., a switch) is mountable on the device's plunger 20 which controls the "on" and "off" states of the device. Button 20 comprises a hollow casing 25 in which is rotatably mounted a quasi-spherical indicator 50 having two surface portions 101, 102 of different appearance which are selectively viewable through a plano-convex lens 90 in the top of the casing at different angular positions of the indicator. The indicator is driven to these different positions at "in" and "out" positions of plunger 20 by a resilient crank arm 70 coupling indicator 50 and device 11 and adapted by resilient bending to convert linear "in" and "out" movements of button 10 and plunger 20 into rotary movements of the indicator.
Claims16
In combination with a mode-indicating mechanism for a two-position, push-button operated device of the type having a reciprocable operating plunger linearly movable by the push button from an outer position to an inner position and back, the push button including a housing mounted to the plunger for operating the plunger and having an open outer end;
- an end cap fastened to the open end of the housing and having a transparent viewing area through which an operator can inspect interior portions of the housing adjacent to the viewing area;
- a mechanical indicator mounted in the housing for linear movement therewith and for rotation about an axis transverse to the line of button movement, the indicator having a curved outer surface positioned adjacent to the viewing area that can be rotated past the viewing area to either of two stable positions I and II, depending on the mode of operation of the device, said outer curved surface having portions that are differently colored or otherwise marked such that the operator can determine at a glance the mode of operation of the device by looking into the viewing window;
- and linkage means, connected to the indicator and operated by linear movement of the button, for rotating the indicator from position I to position II, and back, in response to movement of the button, the improvement wherein the linkage means comprises:
- (a) an elongated connector arm mounted in the housing generally parallel to the line of movement of the button and along an axis spaced from the axis of rotation of the indicator so that an inner segment of the arm is positioned within the housing and an outer segment of the arm projects outwardly from the housing, the inner segment of the arm being resiliently bendable compared to the outer segment;
- (b) a fixed base member externally located with respect to the button and adjacent thereto;
- (c) means for fixedly securing the outer segment of the arm to the base member so that the outer segment is fixed against movement with the button, the housing having a guideway for slideably receiving an intermediate portion of the arm so that the housing can reciprocate in and out with respect to the arm;
- and
- (d) means for mechanically attaching the inner segment of the arm to a peripheral region of the indicator radially offset from the axis of rotation, so that linear movement of the button and indicator therewith with respect to the arm causes the inner segment of the arm to flex and to operate as a resilient crank arm for rotating the indicator from position I to position II, and vice versa.
A mode-indicating mechanism for a device of the type that is operated by linear reciprocating movement of a hollow push button to at least two different positions, which comprises:
- an optical lens having at least one curved lens surface and located along an outer surface of the button so that an operator can inspect adjacent portions of the interior of the button;
- mechanical indicator means mounted for rotation within the button adjacent to the lens to at least two different angular positions depending on the linear position of the button;
- indicia means marked on the surfaces of the indicator that move adjacent to the lens, so that the operator can determine the state of operation of the device by locking into the lens;
- and
- resilient crank means for rotating the indicator within the button in response to linear movement of the button, the crank means including an elongated arm member having an outer end segment secured to a fixed reference point and having an inner end segment mechanically attached to a peripheral portion of the indicator in crank-arm relationship, the inner segment of the arm being resiliently bendable upon movement of the button with respect to the arm so as to provide a resilient flexible crank arm for rotating the indicator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.