Switching device
First Claim
1. A switching device, comprising:
- at least two fixed contacts disposed in a substantially straight line on a substrate having formed therein a printed circuit board and housed in an enclosure;
a moving contact pair comprising two electrically conductive balls movably disposed on said substrate;
an actuator comprising a slider element having two slopes which are in contact with said two balls, respectively, and a box-shaped slider housing said slider element in such a manner that said two balls are in contact with each other and also with said substrate, and which moves said moving contact pair;
means of guiding said actuator in a direction parallel to said straight line;
a resilient member disposed between said slider element and said slider of said actuator to force said slider element toward said substrate; and
an actuating member for moving said actuator in a direction parallel to said straight line;
said moving contact pair being let, by manually operating said actuating member, to take a different contact position with respect to said fixed contacts.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a switching device for use as a control switch for the posture-adjustable automotive mirror. The switching device according to the present invention comprises plural fixed contacts disposed in a substantially straight line on a substrate housed in an enclosure, moving contacts formed by two electrically conductive balls disposed movably on the substrate, slider element having two slopes which are in contact with the two balls, a box-shaped actuator comprising a slider which houses the slider element, through holes for guiding the slider parallel to the substrate, and a resilient member disposed between the slider element and the slider, which forces the slider element toward the substrate. Thus, the switching device according to the present invention performs well in operation and durability, as well as ensures a contact between the fixed contacts and the moving contacts.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A switching device, comprising:
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at least two fixed contacts disposed in a substantially straight line on a substrate having formed therein a printed circuit board and housed in an enclosure; a moving contact pair comprising two electrically conductive balls movably disposed on said substrate; an actuator comprising a slider element having two slopes which are in contact with said two balls, respectively, and a box-shaped slider housing said slider element in such a manner that said two balls are in contact with each other and also with said substrate, and which moves said moving contact pair; means of guiding said actuator in a direction parallel to said straight line; a resilient member disposed between said slider element and said slider of said actuator to force said slider element toward said substrate; and an actuating member for moving said actuator in a direction parallel to said straight line; said moving contact pair being let, by manually operating said actuating member, to take a different contact position with respect to said fixed contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A switching device, comprising:
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at least two fixed contacts disposed in a substantially straight line on a substrate housed in an enclosure; a moving contact pair comprising two electrically conductive balls movably disposed on said substrate; an actuator comprising a slider element having a slope which is in contact with one of said two balls and a box-shaped slider having a slope which is in contact with the other of said two balls and which houses said slider element so that the latter is movable in a direction nearly perpendicular to said substrate; a resilient member disposed between said slider element and slider and which forces said slider element toward said substrate; and means of guiding said actuator so that the latter is movable in a direction parallel to said substrate; and an actuating member for moving said actuator in a direction parallel to said substrate; said moving contact pair taking a different contact position with respect to said fixed contacts depending upon whether said actuating member is operated or not.
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8. A switching device applied to a control switch for use with a posture-adjustable automotive mirror incorporating two electric motors for tilting the mirror surface up and down and turning it rightward and leftward, respectively, and which has a manual operating member supported pivotably to an enclosure and provided with four markings to indicate said tilted and turned directions, respectively, of said mirror surface, comprising:
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plural sets of fixed contact groups disposed on an insulative substrate provided inside an enclosure and which comprises a plurality of fixed contact pairs spaced from one another; plural sets of electrically conductive ball contact pairs disposed correspondingly to said fixed contact groups, respectively and movable on said substrate; an actuator comprising plural slider elements disposed correspondingly to said plural sets of ball contact pairs, respectively, and having slopes which are in contact with the ball contact pairs, respectively, and retain the ball contact pairs so as to be in contact with each other and also with said substrate, and a slider housing said plural slider elements, and which moves said plural sets of ball contact pairs; resilient members disposed between each of said slider elements and said slider, respectively, to force said slider elements in the direction of said substrate; and means of guiding the sliding of said actuator so that each of said ball contact pairs is put into contact with any selected one of said plural fixed contact pairs composing each of said fixed contact groups; said manual operating member has an actuating rod extending toward said substrate, said slider being slid, when any of the direction-marked sections of said manual operating member is pressed, in a certain direction related with said pressed direction-marked section under the tilting motion of said actuating rod due to the pressing of the manual operating member, whereby each of said ball contact pairs takes a different contact position in which it is contact with any of the fixed contact pairs belonging to each of said fixed contact group. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A switching device applied to a control switch for use with a posture-adjustable automotive mirror incorporating two electric motors for tilting the mirror surface up and down and turning it rightward and leftward, respectively, and which has a manual operating member supported pivotably to an enclosure and provided with four markings to indicate said tilted and turned directions, respectively, of said mirror surface, comprising:
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plural sets of fixed contact groups disposed on an insulative substrate provided inside an enclosure and which comprises a plurality of fixed contact pairs spaced from one another; plural sets of electrically conductive ball contact pairs disposed correspondingly to said fixed contact groups, respectively; an actuator comprising plural slider elements disposed correspondingly to said plural sets of ball contact pairs, respectively, and having slopes which are in contact with the balls of one of the ball contact pairs, and a slider having a slope which is in contact with the balls of the other of said ball contact pairs and which houses said plural slider elements so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the arrayed direction of each of said ball contact pairs; resilient members disposed between each of said slider elements and said slider, respectively, to force said slider elements in the direction of said substrate; and means of guiding the sliding of said actuator so that each of said ball contact pairs is put into contact with any selected one of said plural fixed contact pairs composing each of said fixed contact groups; said manual operating member has an actuating rod extending toward said substrate, said slider being slid, when any of the direction-marked sections of said manual operating member is pressed, in a certain direction related with said pressed direction-marked section under the tilting motion of said actuating rod due to the pressing of the manual operating member, whereby each of said ball contact pairs takes a different contact position in which it is contact with any of the fixed contact pairs belonging to each of said fixed contact group. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification