Actuating mechanism and multiposition rubber or membrane switch device

A switching device comprising:

• (a) a supporting structure;
• (b) a substrate including at least one conductive element, said conductive element being provided on at least one side of said substrate;
• (c) at least one switch corresponding to said at least one conductive element, said switch including a resilient member and a contact operatively connected to said resilient member, said contact being normally held out of engagement with said conductive element by the resilience of said resilient member;
• (d) an operating member being mounted for movement with respect to said supporting structure between at least one operative position and a neutral position, said substrate being located substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said operating member;
• and
• (e) a cooperating member being mounted for movement with respect to said supporting structure, said cooperating member being substantially inverted and U-shaped, and being located across said substrate so that a leg of said cooperating member depresses the corresponding at least one switch in response to the movement of said operating member so as to engage said contact with the corresponding conductive element;
• wherein said operating member and said cooperating member are held in said neutral position by the resilience of said resilient member, and said contact is brought into engagement with said conductive element when said cooperating member is moved in response to the movement of said operating member to said at least one operative position against the resilience of said resilient member.

A switching device comprising:

• (a) a supporting structure;
• (b) a substantially U-shaped substrate including opposed legs and conductive elements being provided on the opposed legs of said substrate;
• (c) a switch corresponding to each of said conductive elements, each switch including a resilient member, each resilient member carrying a contact and covering each of said conductive elements, said contacts being normally held out of engagement with said conductive elements by the resilience of said resilient members;
• (d) an operating member being mounted for movement with respect to said supporting structure between at least two operative positions and a neutral position;
• and
• (e) a cooperating member being mounted for movement with respect to said supporting structure, wherein said cooperating member depresses one of said resilient members in response to movement of said operating member so as to engage one of said contacts with the corresponding one of said conductive elements;
• wherein said operating member and said cooperating member are held in said neutral position by the resilience of said resilient member, and one of said contacts is brought into engagement with one of said conductive elements when said cooperating member is moved in response to the movement of said operating member to one of said operative positions against the resilience of said resilient member.

A switching device comprising:

• (a) a supporting structure;
• (b) a substrate being spaced from said supporting structure and including at least one conductive element;
• (c) a switch including a resilient member and at least one contact operatively connected to said resilient member, said contact being normally held out of engagement with said conductive element by the resilience of said resilient member;
• (d) an operating member being rotatably mounted with respect to said supporting structure in a first plane for movement between at least one operative position and a neutral position;
• and
• (e) a cooperating member being mounted for rotary movement with respect to said supporting structure in a second plane for movement between at least one cooperative position and a neutral position in response to the movement of said operating member, said first plane and said second plane being offset from each other;
• wherein said operating member and said cooperating member are held in said neutral positions by the resilience of said resilient member, said contact being brought into engagement with said conductive element when said cooperating member is moved to said cooperative position in response to the movement of said operating member to said operative position against the resilience of said resilient member.