Rotary switch construction and method of making the same
AssigneeRobertshaw Controls Company
InventorsDaniel L. Fowler, John W. Froeb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary switch construction and method of making the same are provided, the switch construction comprising a surface unit having a substantially circular electrically conductive code pattern thereon, an electrically conductive wiper contact unit cooperating with the surface unit for making contact with a selected part of the pattern, and a rotary selector operatively associated with the units for selecting the desired part of the pattern that is to be contacted by the wiper contact unit, the wiper contact unit comprising a first pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact the pattern on a first substantially circular path thereof at points thereon that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other.
Claims16
In a rotary switch construction comprising a surface means having a substantially circular electrically conductive code pattern thereon, an electrically conductive wiper contact means cooperating with said surface means for making contact with a selected part of said pattern, and a rotary selector operatively associated with said surface means and said wiper contact means for selecting the desired part of said pattern that is to be contacted by said wiper contact means, the improvement wherein said wiper contact means comprises a first pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a first substantially circular path thereof at points thereon that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, a second pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a second substantially circular path thereof at points thereon that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, and a third pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a third circular path thereof at points that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, said wiper contact means comprising a body portion, each wiper contact having opposed ends one of which is connected to said body portion and the other of which engages said code pattern, each wiper contact of the respective pair thereof extending from said body portion in a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of the other wiper contact of that respective pair thereof, said other ends of said wiper contacts being substantially aligned on a diameter of said circular code pattern with one of the pairs of wiper contacts having each wiper contact thereof extending in a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of said wiper contacts of the other pairs thereof that are disposed on the same side of said diameter of said circular code pattern therewith, said surface means comprising part of a circuit board means that extends beyond said circular code pattern and having a plurality of conductive paths thereon that are respectively electrically connected to said circular code pattern and lead away from the same.
In a method of making a rotary switch construction comprising the steps of forming a surface means having a substantially circular electrically conductive code pattern thereon, forming an electrically conductive wiper contact means to cooperate with said surface means so as to make contact with a selected part of said pattern, and operatively associating a rotary selector with said surface means and said wiper contact means for selecting the desired part of said pattern that is to be contacted by said wiper contact means, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said wiper contact means to comprise a first pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a first substantially circular path thereof at points thereon that are diposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, forming said wiper contact means to comprise a second pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a second substantially circular path thereof at point thereon that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, forming said wiper contact means to comprise a third pair of electrically connected wiper contacts disposed to respectively contact said pattern on a third circular path thereof at points that are disposed approximately 180.degree. from each other, forming said wiper contact means to comprise a body portion, forming each wiper contact to have opposed ends one of which is connected to said body portion and the other of which engages said code pattern, forming each wiper contact of the respective pair thereof to extend from said body portion in a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of the other wiper contact of that respective pair thereof, said steps of forming said wiper contacts forming said other ends of said wiper contacts to be substantially aligned on a dimaeter of said circular code pattern with one of the pairs of wiper contacts having each wiper contact thereof extending in a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of said wiper contacts of the other pairs thereof that are disposed on the same side of said diameter of said circular code pattern therewith, and forming said surface means to comprise part of a circuit board means that extends beyond said circular code pattern and having a plurality of conductive paths thereon that are respectively electrically connected to said circular code pattern and lead away from the same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.