Remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors

• US 4,816,662 A
• Filed: 08/06/1987
• Issued: 03/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Kyoden, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ginsburg, Morris
• Application Number:
  US07/082,348
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 R, 200/6 A, 200/DIG. 29, 200/1 V, 200/277, 200/275, 200/16 R, 200/16 C
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04707 with ball joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04744 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04788 comprising additional control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/16 by rolling; by wrapping; Roller or ball contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/635 Contacts actuated by rectilinearly-movable member linked to operating part, e.g. by pin and slot
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/012 Application rear view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 200/29 Ball

Abstract

A remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors comprises plural fixed contact groups each having a first to third fixed contacts formed on both sides of a substrate and plural pairs of moving contacts disposed corresponding to the fixed contact groups, respectively. Each of the moving contact pairs consists of two electrically-conductive rolling elements movable on the substrate while being so kept by slidable actuating members disposed correspondingly to each moving contact pair. Each of the actuating members are forced by a resilient member disposed correspondingly to the actuating member in a direction where each moving contact pair takes a first contact position in which it is put into contact with the first and second fixed contacts. When each of the actuating member is slid in an opposite direction to the force of each resilient member, each moving contact pair takes a second contact position where the moving contacts in the pair are put into contact with the second and third fixed contacts. The sliding actuating members are moved by a rotary cam which acts on each actuating end protruding in the direction of the force of each resilient member having axis of rotation parallel to the length of the substrate and/or or as a switching disk disposed slidably in a plane perpendicular to the substrate and which has slopes acting on the actuating ends. The rotary cam or switching disk is rotated or slid by a single operating shaft.

Claims

1. A remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors, comprising:

at least two fixed contacts disposed in a row on a surface of a substrate housed in a casing;

a pair of moving contacts movably disposed on said substrate and which comprise two electrically-conductive rolling elements;

actuating means for moving said moving contact pair while keeping them in contact with each other;

means for guiding said actuating means in the direction of said row;

resilient means for forcing said actuating means in a predetermined direction to retain said fixed contacts and moving contacts in a first contact position;

operating means for moving said actuating means in an opposite direction to the direction of a force of said resilient means;

said fixed contacts and moving contacts taking a second contact position when said actuating means is moved in the opposite direction by said operating means; and

said actuating means being formed as two sliders having slopes which have a contact with one of said moving contacts.

2. A remote control switch according to claim 1, wherein said fixed contacts are provided three each in number and said moving contact pair is in contact with a first and second one of said fixed contacts when in said first contact position, while in said second contact position said moving contact pair is in contact with the second and a third one of said fixed contacts, respectively.

3. A remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors, comprising:

two sets of fixed contact groups each consisting of at least two fixed contacts, disposed in rows on both sides, respectively, of a substrate housed in a casing;

two sets of moving contact pairs movably disposed on said substrate correspondingly to each of said fixed contact groups and which include two electrically-conductive rolling elements;

two actuating members disposed correspondingly to each of said moving contact pairs and which move each of said moving contact pairs while keeping them in contact with each other;

two means for guiding said actuating members in the direction of each of said rows of said fixed contact groups;

two resilient members to force each of said actuating members in predetermined directions, respectively, in such a manner that each of said moving contact pairs and fixed contacts forming each of said fixed contact groups are put into a first contact position;

a rotary cam having an axis of rotation parallel to the direction of said rows, rotatably disposed within said casing and which acts on each of said actuating members to move it against the force of said resilient members so that each of said moving contact pairs and fixed contacts composing each of said fixed contact groups take a second contact position; and

an operating shaft rotatably installed to said casing to rotate said rotary cam;

said rotary cam having formed along the circumference thereof first and second recesses each having a curved slope, correspondingly to said two actuating members, said recesses being so formed as to move said actuating members alternately according to the turned direction of said operating shaft.

4. A remote control switch according to claim 3, wherein said first and second recesses are formed in positions symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation and each over a substantial quarter of the outer circumference of said rotary cam, one end of said first recess and that of said second recess located symmetrically with respect to said axis of rotation corresponding to said first and second contact positions, respectively, the other end of said first recess and that of said second recess being disposed correspondingly to said first and second contact positions, respectively.

5. A remote control switch according to claim 4, wherein said rotary cam has provided circumferentially thereof a stop to limit the angle of rotation to substantially 90 deg.

6. A remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors, comprising:

four sets of fixed contact groups each including at least two fixed contacts, disposed on both sides, respectively, of a substrate housed in a casing, two of said four sets being provided on one side of said substrate while the other two sets are disposed on the other side;

four sets of moving contact pairs movably disposed on said substrate correspondingly to each of said fixed contact groups and each including two electrically-conductive rolling elements;

four actuating members disposed correspondingly to each of said moving contact pairs and which are used to move each of said moving contact pairs while keeping them in contact with each other;

four means for guiding said actuating members in the direction of the rows of each of said fixed contact groups;

four resilient members to force said actuating members in a predetermined direction in such a manner that each of said moving contact pairs and fixed contacts-composing each of said fixed contact groups take a first contact position;

a switching disk disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to said substrate and received on actuating ends protruding from each of said actuating members in the direction of the force of said resilient members;

an operating shaft disposed tiltably and rotatably in relation to said casing and having one end thereof supported in a seat formed at the center of said switching disk to slide said switching disk when said shaft is tilted;

said switching disk having formed therein plural slopes to move any two sets of adjoining actuating ends correspondingly to any of the upward, downward, rightward and leftward tilting operations, thereby having each of said moving contact pairs corresponding to said actuating ends and fixed contacts composing each of said fixed contact groups take a second contact position.

7. A remote control switch for posture adjustment of automotive mirrors, comprising:

three sets of fixed contact groups each composed of a first, second and third fixed contacts disposed in a longitudinal direction in a row on one side of a substrate and which are parallel to each other;

another three sets of fixed contact groups disposed on the other side of said substrate in positions symmetrical with said three sets of fixed contact groups;

six sets of moving contact pairs disposed correspondingly to said six sets of fixed contact groups, respectively, and movable in said longitudinal direction and each of which consists of two electrically-conductive rolling elements;

six actuating members so disposed as to keep said moving contact pairs in contact with each other and to move them in said longitudinal direction;

six resilient members so disposed as to force each of said actuating members longitudinally in such a manner that each of said moving contact pairs takes a first contact position where it is in contact with the first and second ones of three fixed contacts composing each of said fixed contact groups;

a left half enclosure having chambers which house three of said six actuating members and three of said six resilient members, respectively, and which is fixed on said one side of said substrate;

a right half enclosure having chambers which house the other three of said six actuating members and also the other three of said six resilient members, respectively, and which is fixed on said other side of said substrate;

said left and right half enclosures forming together a box-shaped inner casing, and an actuating end of each of said actuating members which is protruded in a direction in which it is forced by each of said resilient members being exposed outside of a corresponding one of said enclosures;

a switching disk disposed slidably on a surface of said inner casing in a plane substantially perpendicular to said substrate and having slopes corresponding to the actuating ends, respectively, of two of the three actuating members housed in the left half enclosure fixed to said one side of said substrate and also of two of the three actuating members housed in the right half enclosure fixed to the other side of said substrate;

said slopes being so formed that each actuating end of the two of said four actuating members is moved against the force of a corresponding one of said resilient members due to the sliding of said switching disk in a direction perpendicular to said substrate and in a lateral direction of the substrate so that corresponding ones of said moving contact pairs take a second contact position where they are in contact with second and third fixed contacts of said three sets;

an outer casing which houses said inner casing and switching disk;

a rotary cam having an axis of rotation parallel to said longitudinal direction, rotatably disposed within said outer casing and having formed therein first and second curved recesses corresponding to each of the actuating ends, respectively, of the rest of said three actuating members which are housed in said left half enclosure and that of said three actuating members housed in said right half enclosure, each of said recesses being formed to move said actuating ends alternately so that each of said actuating ends is moved against the force of said corresponding resilient members whereby said corresponding moving contact pairs take a second contact position when they are in contact with said second and third fixed contacts of said other three sets; and

an operating shaft installed tiltably and rotatably to said outer casing, of which one end is formed as an operating knob protruding outside of said outer casing while the other end is formed as an operating end which slides said switching disk;

said rotary cam being so formed as to be rotated when the operating shaft is turned and not to interfere with the tilting of said operating shaft in the tiltable range of said operating shaft.

8. A remote control switch according to claim 7, wherein said first and second recesses are formed in positions, respectively, symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation and over substantial quarters, respectively, of an outer circumference of said rotary cam, one end of said first recess and that of said second recess corresponding to said first and second contact positions, respectively, since these ends are in positions symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation, the other ends of said first and second recesses being disposed correspondingly to said second and first contact positions.

9. A remote control switch according to claim 8, wherein said rotary cam has provided circumferentially thereof a stop to limit the angle of rotation to substantially 90 deg.

10. A remote control switch according to claim 7, wherein a portion of said outer casing at which said operating shaft is protruded outside is provided with a soft rubber cap which will not interfere with the movement of the operating shaft.