MINIATURIZED JOYSTICK AND CAM STRUCTURE WITH PUSH BUTTON SWITCH OPERATING MEANS

• US 3,827,313 A
• Filed: 01/24/1973
• Issued: 08/06/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rudolf H. Kiessling
• Original Assignee: Rudolf H. Kiessling
• Inventors: Kiessling, Rudolf H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Application Number:
  US05/326,224
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 74/471XY,529 137/636.2 200/6A
• US Class Current: 74/471.0XY
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04707 with ball joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04744 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04796 for rectilinear control along the axis of the controlling member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20648 Interrelated lever release

Abstract

A switching mechanism has an operating arm pivotably movable in selected directions about an intermediate pivot point and the arm drives at least one camming member for operating a second cam in a cam-actuated self-restoring contact module. Mechanisms are provided for momentarily or maintained switching operations for up to nine positions for four contact modules, for mastered control of a fifth contact module in each position, and for a latched central position.

Claims

1. A switch operating mechanism comprising;

a housing having a front end portion and a rear end portion, an elongated operating member having a pivot portion intermediate its end pivotally mounted in the front portion, a handle portion extending from the pivot portion outwardly from a front end of the front portion and a stem portion extending rearwardly from the pivot portion in axial alignment with the handle portion, a plurality of radially disposed actuating members with each actuating member reciprocable longitudinally in the housing between a front and a rear position and having a first camming portion and a second camming surface, means in the housing engaging the stem for releasAbly maintaining the operating member including the handle portion in a central portion, said first camming portion having at least one first camming surface arranged to be engaged by the stem portion for moving its associated actuating member from its front to its rear position when the handle portion is pivotally moved in a selected direction from the central position, said second camming surface of each actuating member being located at the rear end of its associated actuating member and arranged to operate a switch when the actuating member is moved from its front to its rear position.

2. The mechanism claimed in claim 1 further comprising biasing means urging the actuating members to their forward positions and wherein each of the first camming surfaces of the actuating members has a first surface portion inclined generally toward the front end portion and a second surface portion inclined generally perpendicular to the direction of longitudinal reciprocation of the actuating member, the operating member thereby being returned toward the central position by the biasing means when the stem portion engages the first surface portion and the biasing means and the second surface portion cooperate to prevent the return of the operating member to the central position when the stem portion engages the second surface portion.

3. The mechanism claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuating members are mounted adjacent each other, and the camming portion on each actuating member has a central first camming surface and a left and a right side first camming surface, each side first camming surface of each actuating member cooperating with the adjacent side first camming surface on an adjacent actuating member to define a composite camming surface having substantially the same configurations as a central first camming surface, the stem portion being arranged to engage either a central first camming surface or a composite camming surface.

4. The operating mechanism claimed in claim 1 wherein the radially disposed actuating members define a recess therebetween, the stem portion being reciprocable between a stem portion forward and a stem portion rear position and being constrained within the recess when the operating member is in the central position and the stem portion is in the rear stem portion position and being released from the recess when the stem is in the forward stem portion position, the mechanism further comprising pushbutton means in the handle for moving the stem portion from the rear stem portion position to the forward stem portion position.

5. The operating mechanism claimed in claim 1 wherein each actuating member has a third camming surface and is reciprocable between the front, an intermediate and the rear positions, the second camming surface of each actuating member being arranged to operate a device when the actuating member is moved from its front to its intermediate position, the mechanism further comprising a shaft member movable between a front shaft position and a rear shaft position, the shaft member being arranged to operate an additional device when the shaft member is moved from the front shaft to the rear shaft position, and pushbutton means in the handle portion for moving the stem from a forward stem to a rear stem position, the stem being arranged to move the shaft member from the front shaft position to the rear shaft position when the operator arm is in the central position and the stem is moved from the forward stem to the rear stem position and to move at least one actuating member from its intermediate to its rear position when the operator arm is removed from the central position and the stem is moved from the front stem to the rear stem position, said shaft having a portion engaged by a third camming surface arranged to move the shaft from the front shaft to the rear shaft position during movement of an actuator from the intermediate to the rear position.

6. The operating mechanism claimed in claim 1 wherein the first camming surfaceS are concave and the stem portion has a peripheral surface arranged to be seated in a first camming surface, the configuration of the first camming surfaces thereby determining the permissible directions of movement of the stem portion and operator arm.