Hermetic switch

A hermetically sealed switch having one or more operational settings, the switch comprising:

• a flexible diaphragm;
• an actuator hermetically attached to said diaphragm at a location on said diaphragm;
• a switch housing, said switch housing defining a chamber having an interior wall, wherein said flexible diaphragm is hermetically attached to said interior wall to divide said chamber into at least two parts, one of said at least two parts being hermetically separated from the environment of the other of said parts;
• electrical connection means coupled to said actuator means for moving said electrical connection means to each of the operational settings to be activated, wherein said electrical connection means comprises:
• a rotor coupled to said actuator;
• said rotor located within said part of said chamber which is hermetically sealed from the environment of said other parts;
• said actuator rotating said rotor as said actuator is pivoted about the location of the attachment of said actuator and said diaphragm;
• and
• said rotor selectively activating the operational settings as said rotor rotates.

A hermetically sealed switch comprising:

• a housing having a wall;
• a plurality of electrical contacts;
• a common electrode secured in close proximity to said plurality of electrical contacts;
• rotatable electrical connection means for coupling said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode, said rotatable electrical connection means electrically coupling at least one of said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode when in a predetermined rotational position;
• actuator means for moving said rotatable electrical connection means into said predetermined rotational position;
• and
• flexible diaphragm means hermetically sealed to said actuator means and to said wall of the hermetically sealed switch to form at least two chambers within said switch, thereby sealing one of said at least two chambers from another of said at least two chambers.

A hermetically sealed switch comprising:

• a plurality of electrical contacts;
• a common electrode;
• a support;
• said plurality of electrical contacts and said common electrode secured in close proximity to each other on said support;
• coupler means for coupling said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode, said coupler means coupling at least one of said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode at a given moment;
• actuator means for moving said coupler means into position to couple one or more of said plurality of electrical contacts with said common electrode;
• flexible diaphragm means hermetically sealed to said actuator means, said flexible diaphragm means hermetically sealed to a wall of the hermetically sealed switch to form at least two chambers within said switch;
• said flexible diaphragm means hermetically sealing one of said at least two chambers from another of said at least two chambers;
• wherein said coupler means comprises:
• a rotor coupled to said actuator means;
• said rotor located within said one chamber which is hermetically sealed;
• said actuator means rotating said rotor;
• and
• said rotor selectively coupling said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode to allow current flow from at least one of said plurality of electrical contacts to said common electrode.