Combination switch apparatus equipped with rotary connector
AssigneeNiles Parts Co., Ltd.
InventorsNorio Uchiyama, Yoshio Hattori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A combination switch (1) includes a wiper switch (11) and a lighting switch (12) that are fitted to a main body (10). A connection member (26) is accommodated in an accommodation space (23) defined by the main body (10) of the combination switch (1) and a rotor housing (24), and electrically connects a circuit on the chassis to a circuit on a steering wheel. The rotor housing (24) is engaged with the steering wheel by pins (241, 242) and is rotatably held by a rotor attachment (25) to the main body (10) of the combination switch (1). The result is a small combination switch apparatus combined with a rotary connector, which requires fewer parts and can be assembled by a small number of steps at a car production site.
Claims6
A combination switch apparatus, comprising:
- a combination switch (1) fitted to a steering column (3) of a vehicle and provided concentratedly with a plurality of switches (11, 12) for operating various loads in the vehicle;
- and
- a rotary connector (2) having terminals (21, 22) for electrically connecting circuits on a chassis of the vehicle with circuits on a steering wheel of the vehicle;
- wherein said combination switch (1) includes a main body (10) having an upper surface to which a rotor housing (24) of the rotary connector (2) is rotatably connected, and a connection member (26) of the rotary connector (2) is placed in a space (23) defined by the upper surface of the main body and the rotor housing.
An integral combination switch apparatus and rotary connector for a vehicle, comprising:
- a main body having a central opening for fitting over a steering column of a vehicle, said main body having an upper surface that defines a doughnut-shaped accommodation space disposed generally coaxially about said central opening, said main body housing a wiper switch assembly and a lighting switch assembly for operating wipers and lights of a vehicle, respectively;
- and
- a rotary connector mounted to said main body and covering said accommodation space, said rotary connector having first and second terminals for electrically connecting the rotary connector to circuits on a chassis and circuits on a steering wheel of a vehicle, respectively, and a connection member placed in said accommodation space and having first and second ends connected to said first and second terminals, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.