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US 7,804,036 B2Granted
Control switch apparatus
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
InventorsSeiji Ishigaki, Terukazu Hiroe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control switch is equipped with a detent mechanism that generates a click feeling in a dial knob as a result of a detent piece of a plunger member gets over detent crests of a detent crest member. A stopper is provided in the plunger member, and the position of vertical motion of the stopper is switched by means of a rectilinear actuator, thereby switching rotational operation of the dial knob between an enabled state and a disabled state.
Claims7
A control switch apparatus for performing selection function operation, comprising:
- a control switch that includes an operating portion to be operated by an operator and a fixed portion;
- a detent crest member that has a concave/convex pattern which is aligned in an operating direction of the operating portion and is provided on one of the operating portion and the fixed portion;
- a plunger member that is provided on the other of the operating portion and the fixed portion and includes an urging member and a piece member to be brought into elastic contact with the concave/convex pattern by the urging member so that a click feeling is generated at the operating portion when the piece member gets over a projection portion of the concave/convex pattern at the time of operating the operating portion;
- and
- an operation restriction mechanism that includes a stopper member for directly or indirectly acting on the detent crest member and restricting motion of the operating portion to switch the operation of the operating portion between an enable state and a disable state,
- wherein the stopper member is movably assembled into the plunger member;
- and
- wherein the operation restriction mechanism includes:
- a driving portion that drives the stopper member so as to press the piece member to the concave/convex pattern so that the motion of the operating portion is restricted by the piece member;
- a detector that detects an operating state in which the operator operates the operating portion;
- and
- a controller that controls and drives the driving portion in accordance with an amount of detection acquired by the detector and causes the stopper member to restriction the motion of the piece member, thereby controlling the enable state and the disable state of the operation of the operating portion.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.