ROTATABLE PUSHBUTTON CONTROL OF MOVABLE RESISTOR CONTACT AND OF SWITCH CONNECTIONS THERETO

• US 3,624,582 A
• Filed: 10/27/1969
• Issued: 11/30/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sadayoshi Iwasaki
• Original Assignee: Sadayoshi Iwasaki
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Sadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Lewis H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US04/869,717
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 334/7,47,52-54 338/76,128,129,160,176,179,196,198,200
• US Class Current: 338/129
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/50 structurally combined with switching arrangements H01C10/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/403 Contacts forming part of a printed circuit multilayer keyboard switches H01H13/702; thumbwheel switches H01H19/001; for rotary switches with axial contact pressure H01H19/585
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/0213 Combined operation of electric switch and variable impedance, e.g. resistor, capacitor H01H9/061 takes precedence

Abstract

Pushbutton control of a tuner is achieved by selectively positioning individual contacts on resistor strips formed on a baseplate together with lead wires cooperating with those resistor strips. Each pushbutton is associated with a shaft on which a resistor-contactor is adjustably mounted, the pushbutton in its known position being normally rotationally disengaged from the shaft but being rotationally engaged with the shaft when pushed inwardly. The shaft actuated by a given pushbutton moves a flexible ribbon which serves as a tuning indicator. One of the pushbuttons controls a rotary switch in which springs move into corners of an appropriately shaped opening in order to hold the switch in its various operative positions.

Claims

1. In a control device comprising a series of variable resistors provided in correspondence to a series of channels to be tuned, said resistors being constructed in a single module, a plurality of operating shafts of a number corresponding to that of the channels, a plurality of sliding members provided respectively for said variable resistors, and a mechanism for converting the operation of said operating shafts to the movement of the corresponding sliding members, so that a voltage is controlled by controlling any one of said variable resistors through the operation of said operating shaft;

the improvement comprising;

a baseplate consisting of an insulating material on which are provided, in the form of a module, two lead wires connected to both ends of said variable resistors respectively, a tap lead wire adapted to be connected through respective electric switch means to said sliding members, and a number of pairs of fixed contacts on said base corresponding to said channels respectively;

a plurality of rotatable operating shafts corresponding to said channels respectively arranged in a spaced apart relationship from said variable resistors, each of said rotatable operating shafts being provided with screw threads on a part located above said variable resistors, so that a guiding portion thereof is formed;

a plurality of sliding members mounted respectively on said rotatable operating shafts and shifted by the rotation of said operating shafts along said guiding portions; and

switch means cooperating with each of said operating shafts for opening or closing a circuit between the corresponding pair of fixed contacts, one of said pair of contacts being connected to said tap lead wire and the other of said pair being connected to said sliding member through said operating shaft;

whereby a voltage obtained between said tap lead wire and one of said two lead wires can be controlled by rotating said operating shafts.

2. A control device as defined in claim 1, wherein terminals of said two lead wires and one tap lead wire are arranged adjacent one edge of said baseplate with an equal distance maintained therebetween.

3. A control device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of knobs provided on the forward ends of said operating shafts so that the knobs can be shifted along said shafts for a predetermined distance, said knobs engaging with said shafts at the time the knobs are pushed along the shafts for a maximum distance, so that thereafter the knobs and the shafts are rotated in unison;

a plurality of drums each having a conical surface portion and coupled to a knob at its largest diametrical end of said conical portion, said drums being slidably mounted on said operating shaft at a location rearwardly adjacent thereto;

a locking plate urged against said conical surfaces of said drums;

movable plates mounted on said shafts and coupled to said knobs;

a movable contact formed at the lower end of each of said movable plates and electrically connecting said two fixed knobs provided on said baseplate at the time one of said knobs is pushed rearwardly along said operating shaft, so that said switching means is thereby constituted; and

a biasing spring for urging each of said knobs, drums, and movable plates along said operating shaft.

4. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein an indicating mechanism for indicating control states of said control device is composed of:

a cover plate provided over said operating shafts;

windows provided in said cover plate and having a length corresponding to the moving stroke of said sliding members; and

projecting portions of said sliding members exposed from said windows.

5. A control device as defined in claim 1, wherein an indicating meChanism for indicating condition of said control device comprises:

a cover plate provided over said operating shafts;

windows provided in said cover plate having a length corresponding to the moving stroke of said sliding members;

an indicator plate disposed upwardly from said operating shafts and making a predetermined angle with said operational shafts;

windows in said indicating plate corresponding to the above-mentioned windows in said cover plate; and

flexible ribbons each extending along one of said windows in the indicating plate and also along the corresponding window in said cover plate in sliding manner, and one end thereof being fixed to a corresponding one of the sliding members;

whereby the movement of said sliding members on the operating shafts can be indicated by the movement of ribbons in said windows in the indicating plate attached on the front part of the control device.

6. A control device as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said ribbons is received in a groove provided beside each window and is movable along said groove.

7. In a control device comprising a series of variable resistors provided in correspondence to a series of channels to be tuned, said resistors being constructed in a single module, a plurality of operating shafts of a number corresponding to that of the channels, a plurality of sliding members provided respectively for said variable resistors, and a mechanism for converting the operation of said operating shafts to the movement of the corresponding sliding members, so that a voltage is controlled by controlling any one of said variable resistors through the operation of said operating shaft;

the improvement comprising;

a baseplate consisting of an insulating material on which are provided, in the form of a module, a lead wire connected to an end of said variable resistors respectively, a tap lead wire adapted to be connected through respective electric switch means to said sliding members, and a number of pairs of fixed contacts on said base corresponding to said channels respectively;

a plurality of rotatable operating shafts corresponding to said channels respectively arranged in a spaced apart relationship from said variable resistors, each of said rotatable operating shafts being provided with screw threads on a part located above said variable resistors, so that a guiding portion thereof is formed;

a plurality of sliding members mounted respectively on said rotatable operating shafts and shifted by the rotation of said operating shafts along said guiding portions; and

switch means cooperating with each of the said operating shafts for opening or closing a circuit between the corresponding pair of fixed contacts, one of said pair of contacts being connected to said tap lead wire and the other of said pair being connected to said sliding member through said operating shaft;

whereby the resistance between said end of said variable resistor and said tap lead wire can be controlled by rotating said operating shafts.

8. A control device as defined in claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of knobs provided on the forward ends of said operating shafts so that the knobs can be shifted along said shafts for a predetermined distance, said knobs engaging with said shafts at the time the knobs are pushed along the shafts for a maximum distance, so that thereafter the knobs and the shafts are rotated in unison;

a plurality of drums each having a conical surface portion and coupled to a knob at its largest diametrical end of said conical portion, said drums being slidably mounted on said operating shaft at a location rearwardly adjacent thereto;

a locking plate urged against said conical surfaces of said drums;

movable plates mounted on said shafts and coupled to said knobs;

a movable contact formed at the lower end of each of said movable plates and electrically connecting two fixed contacts provided on said baseplate at the time one of said knobs is pushed rearwardly along said operating shaft, so that said switching means is thereby coNstituted; and

a biasing spring for urging each of said knobs, drums, and movable plates along said operating shaft.

9. A control device as defined in claim 8, wherein an indicating mechanism for indicating control states of said control device is composed of:

a cover plate provided over said operating shafts;

windows provided in said cover plate and having a length corresponding to the moving stroke of said sliding members; and

projecting portions of said sliding members exposed from said windows.

10. A control device as defined in claim 7, wherein an indicating mechanism for indicating condition of said control device comprises:

a cover plate provided over said operating shafts;

windows provided in said cover plate having a length corresponding to the moving stroke of said sliding members;

an indicator plate disposed upwardly from said operating shafts and making a predetermined angle with said operational shafts;

windows in said indicating plate corresponding to the above-mentioned windows in said cover plate; and

flexible ribbons each extending along one of said windows in the indicating plate and also along the corresponding window in said cover plate in sliding manner, and one end thereof being fixed to a corresponding one of the sliding members;

whereby the movement of said sliding members on the operating shafts can be indicated by the movement of ribbons in said windows in the indicating plate attached on the front part of the control device.

11. A control device as defined in claim 10, wherein each of said ribbons is received in a groove provided beside each window and is movable along said groove.