Control pod and switch assembly
First Claim
1. A control pod for use in vehicles comprising, in combination:
- a hollow pod housing including a control-input portion, said housing being adapted for cantilevered mounting in the vehicle such that said control-input portion thereof is positioned for easy access by one hand of an operator;
at least one pair of functionally-related switches mounted interiorly of said housing, each said switch being responsive to a respective mechanical input stimulus to effect switch actuation;
at least one pair of manually-operated switch actuators, said pair of actuators being mounted in said housing and being configured and positioned such that a respective said actuator is associated with a respective said switch and includes a respective tactile region and a switch-contacting portion; and
each said pair of actuator tactile input regions being located at the control-input portion of said housing and positioned for readily accessible, manually-complemental operation by one hand of an operator.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control pod for a vehicle is structured and positioned to provide easy manual access to the actuators for pairs of functionally-related mechanical switches housed in the control pod. Integrally-formed pairs of actuators are associated with respective pairs of functionally-related switches. Each switch of a pair is mounted on an opposite side of a circuit board from the other switch. The circuit board is mounted in a control pod housing, and the pairs of actuators are connected to the circuit board. Each actuator of a pair extends to an opposite side of the circuit board for actuation of the respective switch. A pair of actuators are joined at a common midsection and are resiliently deformable about that midsection to provide the displacement required for switch actuation. Pairs of visual indicators are positioned on the control pod in proximity with a respective pair of actuators for signifying actuation of respectiive ones of an associated pair of switches.
48 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A control pod for use in vehicles comprising, in combination:
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a hollow pod housing including a control-input portion, said housing being adapted for cantilevered mounting in the vehicle such that said control-input portion thereof is positioned for easy access by one hand of an operator; at least one pair of functionally-related switches mounted interiorly of said housing, each said switch being responsive to a respective mechanical input stimulus to effect switch actuation; at least one pair of manually-operated switch actuators, said pair of actuators being mounted in said housing and being configured and positioned such that a respective said actuator is associated with a respective said switch and includes a respective tactile region and a switch-contacting portion; and each said pair of actuator tactile input regions being located at the control-input portion of said housing and positioned for readily accessible, manually-complemental operation by one hand of an operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A switch assembly comprising:
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a circuit board; a pair of functionally-related switches, each said switch being actuated in response to a respective mechanical input stimulus, each switch of said pair being mounted on an opposite side of circuit board from the other; a pair of integrally-formed switch actuators, said actuators comprising a respective pair of tactile input members extending in generally opposite directions from a common, transversely-extending midsection, each tactile input member including a switch-contacting portion integrally formed thereon for delivering a mechanical input stimulus to a respective one of said switches, each tactile input member being resiliently deflectable about said actuator midsection to displace said switch-contacting portion; and means connecting said pair of switch actuators to said circuit board adjacent to an edge of said circuit board that each said tactile input member and switch-contacting portion of said pair extends to a respective side of said circuit board for actuation of the respective said switch mounted thereon. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification