Switch controller
AssigneeA-dec, Inc.
InventorsPaul B. Krebs, Shawn R. Irwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A switch controller having a housing cover with a central ridge and opposed top surfaces which incline downwardly away from the central ridge. The top surfaces also incline on progressing from one end of the housing to the opposite end. A pair of footpads are mounted on the upper surface of the housing and incline consistently with their associated portions of the housing surfaces. The under surfaces of the footpads have spaced apart contact points thereon. Underlying the contact points are associated switches which are actuated by pressing downwardly on selected regions of the footpads. Fulcrum means are disposed between the associated pairs of contact points and switches to inhibit simultaneous actuation of adjacent switches.
Claims28
A foot switch controller for a multiposition chair having powered mechanism operable to move the chair between selected positions, said controller comprising
- a base,
- a first set of spaced-apart pressuresensitive switches supported on said base, each switch being adapted for being operatively connected to the powered mechanism to produce selected movement of the chair,
- a second set of spaced-apart pressure-sensitive switches supported on said base, each switch being adapted for being operatively connected to the powered mechanism to produce selected movement of the chair,
- a first footpad overlying said base and said first set of switches and a second footpad overlying said base and said second set of switches, each of said first and second footpads having an upper user-engaging surface and a plurality of spacedapart contact points thereon each of which faces an associated one of said switches, and
- support means for supporting said footpads in normally nonactuating positions in which said contact points are spaced from said switches and permitting selected movement of a footpad toward the base whereby selected contact points engage their associated switches, said support means comprising a housing cover having a central ridge region and oppositely disposed substantially planar first and second support regions which incline downwardly substantially continuously from opposite sides of said ridge region, said first-mentioned footpad being mounted on and inclined with said first support region and said second footpad being mounted on and inclined with said second support region.
A foot switch comprising
- a base,
- a first set of spaced-apart pressure-sensitive switches arrayed about a first region of said base and a second set of spaced-apart pressure-sensitive switches spaced from said first set and arrayed about a second region of said base,
- a housing cover overlying said base and sets of switches, said cover having an upper surface formed with a ridge region overlying the space between said first and second sets of switches and having first and second support regions which substantially continuously downwardly from opposite sides of said ridge region over said first and second sets of switches, and
- first and second footpads mounted on said first and second support regions, respectively, inclined at the same angle as their respective support surfaces, each footpad having spaced-apart contact points thereon, with said first footpad overlying said first set of switches with each of its contact points facing an associated switch in said first set and said second footpad overlying said second set of switches with each of its contact points facing an associated switch in said second set, and
- support means supporting said footpads in normally nonactuating positions in which their contact points are spaced from said switches and permitting selected movement of each footpad independently of the other whereby selected contact points engage their associated switches.
A foot switch controller comprising
- a base,
- a first set of spaced-apart pressure-sensitive switches supported on said base,
- a second set of spaced-apart pressure-sensitive switches supported on said base in a region spaced from said first set of switches,
- a first footpad overlying said base and said first set of switches and a second footpad overlying said base and said second set of switches, each of said first and second footpads having an upper user-engaging surface and a plurality of spacedapart contact points thereon each of which faces an associated one of said switches, and
- support means for supporting said footpads in normally nonactuating positions in which said contact points are spaced from said switches and permitting selected movement of a footpad toward the base whereby selected contact points engage their associated switches, said support means comprising a housing cover having a central ridge region and oppositely disposed substantially planar first and second support regions which incline downwardly substantially continuously in opposite directions from opposite sides of said ridge region, said first footpad being mounted on and inclined with said first support region and said second footpad being mounted on and inclined with said second support region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.