Switch control unit for automobile vehicle

• US 4,180,713 A
• Filed: 01/23/1978
• Issued: 12/25/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Societe Anonyme Automobiles Citroen
• Original Assignee: Societe Anonyme Automobiles Citroen
• Inventors: Gonzales, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, James R.
• Application Number:
  US05/871,750
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.27, 200/61.54, 200/157, 361/331, 361/346, 74/479, 74/491, 74/493, 74/484 R, 74/552, 180/77 H, 180/78
• US Class Current: 200/52.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

This invention relates to a control unit for a vehicle having a steering wheel and is constituted by a box provided with vehicle accessory control and checking means. The control members several types of manually operable switches arranged and disposed for operation by a driver while his hands remain on the steering wheel, the switches being recognizable by touch.

Claims

1. In an automobile vehicle provided with a steering wheel, with electrical means for controlling and checking the operation of various accessories of said vehicle and with a control unit constituted by a compact box located near said steering wheel and comprising a central part and two ends, a support attached to a fixed member of said vehicle and orientable and extendable with respect to said fixed member, said box being laterally connected to said support, said control means being constituted by hand-operated switches electrically connected by wires to said accessories and located and borne by said central part and said ends of said box, an improvement of said control unit in which said central part is substantially cylindrical and at least one of said switches is borne on said box to have rotatable direction of actuation about the axis of said cylindrical central part.

2. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one of switches is of annular form and rotatably borne by the box between one of said ends and said central part.

3. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one of switches is constituted by said central part of the box, mounted to rotate on the said support about said axis of the box between at least two end rest positions, the other switches being located on said ends parts and on extensions of said support surrounding the ends of said central part.

4. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support is telescopic.

5. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said fixed member is a front partition forming an instrument panel.

6. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fixed member is the casing of the steering column.

7. Improvement of the control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support is secured to said fixed member through a swivel joint for adjustment of the position of said box relative to said steering wheel.