Switch system for motor vehicle transmissions

A switch system for use with motor vehicle transmission apparatus having a pivotably mounted manual lever shaft mounted in a transmission housing comprising a switch housing, the switch housing formed with an aperture and with a connector portion having a generally cylindrical connector shroud extending from the housing, a terminal recess formed in the connector portion, terminal pins mounted in the connector portion and extending into the terminal recess,

• an actuator arm having a hub, the hub received in the switch housing aperture with first and second annular seal element seating surfaces on opposed upper and lower sides of the arm around the hub, each surface lying in a respective first and second plane, the housing having third and fourth annular seal element seating surfaces each lying in a respective third and fourth plane, the first and third planes being parallel with one another and the first and third seating surfaces being in alignment with one another and spaced apart a selected distance, the second and fourth planes being parallel with one another and the second and fourth seating surfaces being aligned with one another and spaced apart a selected distance, a manual lever shaft receiving bore formed through the hub, and means to maintain a given angular orientation of the actuator arm relative to the manual level shaft when the manual lever shaft is received in the manual lever shaft receiving bore,
• a first annular belleville type spring seal element formed of material having a given thickness received between the first and third seating surfaces and a second belleville type annular spring seal element formed of material having a given thickness received between the second and fourth seating surfaces, each annular spring seal element having an inner and an outer peripheral edge, at least one peripheral edge lying in a plane, each annular spring seal element having a surface portion curved in a radial direction and having a crown height measured from the surface portion furthest removed from the plane in which the at least one edge lies in the at rest condition, the selected distance between the first and third seating surfaces and the second and fourth seating surfaces being more than the given thickness and less than the crown height of the respective first and second annular spring seal elements thereby forming a pressure contact seal between respective seat surfaces,
• a plurality of electrical contact segments mounted in the housing, and
• spring biased contact members mounted on the actuator arm and being slidable into and out of electrical engagement with selected contact segments of the plurality of electrical contact segments as the manual lever shaft is pivoted, the contact segments being electrically connected to respective terminal pins.