US 6,713,693 B1Granted

Electric switch having both toggle and rocker functions

AssigneeCarling Technologies, Inc.

InventorsWalter Sadowski, Rick Olson, Shakib Saria

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Abstract

A switch having independently operable toggle and rocker functions. The switch having a housing, a toggle member pivotally mounted in the housing, the toggle member having upper and lower portions. The upper portion being movable for providing a toggle function of the switch, the lower portion being attached to the upper portion and having at least one first contact element coupled thereto. The switch having a rocker member coupled to the housing for providing a rocker function, the rocker member defining a central opening for receiving the upper portion of the toggle member, and having a second contact element coupled thereto. The switch including a circuit board inside the housing having a first conductive portion adjacent the first contact element, and a second conductive portion adjacent the second contact element. The toggle and rocker members being independently operable for providing toggle and rocker functions of the switch respectively.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A switch having independently operable toggle and rocker functions comprising:

a housing,
a toggle member pivotally mounted in said housing, said toggle member having upper and lower portions, said upper portion being manually movable to provide a toggle function of said switch, said lower portion attached to said upper portion and having at least one first contact element coupled thereto,
a rocker member coupled to said housing for motion relative thereto and providing a rocker function of said switch, said rocker member defining a central opening for receiving said upper portion of said toggle member, and having a second contact element coupled thereto,
a circuit board positioned inside said housing and oriented parallel to the plane of pivotal motion of said lower portion of said toggle member, said circuit board having a first conductive portion disposed adjacent the first contact element for cooperation therewith, and a second conductive portion disposed adjacent the second contact element for cooperation therewith,
a connector coupled to said circuit board for electrically connecting said first and second conductive portions of said circuit board to a wiring harness,
said toggle member and said rocker member of said switch being independently operable for selectively connecting said first and second contact elements with said first and second conductive portions respectively.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.