Vehicle lighting switch
First Claim
1. A lighting switch for use in a vehicle lighting system, said vehicle lighting system including headlights, parking lights, an ignition switch, a storage battery and wire means connecting said lighting switch, headlights, parking lights, ignition switch and battery together in a circuit, the lighting switch comprising:
- a switch housing, said switch housing being releasably secured to the dash of a vehicle through the use of a mounting plate that includes electrically conductive posts and receptacles that mesh with corresponding electrically conductive posts and receptacles on said switch housing to secure said switch housing to said mounting plate, said posts and receptacles forming part of the electrical circuit of said vehicle lighting system;
a plurality of electrical contacts on said switch housing, at least one separate electrical contact being electrically bonded to each of said vehicle headlights, parking lights, ignition switch and battery such that said headlights and said parking lights are electrically isolated from one another and from said ignition switch and said battery thereby preventing the flow of electricity between said headlights and said parking lights, between said headlights and said ignition switch and said battery, and between said parking lights and said ignition switch and said battery, except through the forming of electrical connections between said contacts; and
,a three position manually operable contact engaging means having a first position, a second position and a third position, movement of said manually operable contact engaging means between said first, second and third positions creating and breaking electrical connections between said electrical contacts;
wherein said manually operable contact engaging means when in said first position prevents electrical energy from flowing to either said headlights or said parking lights, said manually operable contact engaging means when in said second position permits electrical energy to flow from said battery to said parking lights with said headlights being electrically isolated from said battery and said ignition switch, and said manually operable contact engaging means when in said third position permits electrical energy to flow from said ignition switch to both said headlights and said parking lights, said lighting switch thereby preventing the flow of electrical energy directly from said battery to said headlights such that electrical energy is only able to flow to said headlights when said manually operable contact engaging means is in said third position and said ignition switch is turned on thereby prohibiting the leaving of said headlights on when said ignition switch is turned off and the inadvertent discharge of the storage battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting switch for use in a vehicle lighting system that comprises a switch housing, a plurality of electrical contacts on the switch housing and a manually operable contact engaging means. The manually operable contact engaging means, when in a first position, prevents electrical energy from flowing to either the headlights or the parking lights; when in a second position, permits electrical energy to flow from the battery to the parking lights with the headlights being electrically isolated from the battery and the ignition switch; and, when in a third position, permits electrical energy to flow from the ignition switch to the headlights and parking lights such that when the ignition switch is turned off no electrical energy flows to either the headlights or parking lights.
35 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A lighting switch for use in a vehicle lighting system, said vehicle lighting system including headlights, parking lights, an ignition switch, a storage battery and wire means connecting said lighting switch, headlights, parking lights, ignition switch and battery together in a circuit, the lighting switch comprising:
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a switch housing, said switch housing being releasably secured to the dash of a vehicle through the use of a mounting plate that includes electrically conductive posts and receptacles that mesh with corresponding electrically conductive posts and receptacles on said switch housing to secure said switch housing to said mounting plate, said posts and receptacles forming part of the electrical circuit of said vehicle lighting system; a plurality of electrical contacts on said switch housing, at least one separate electrical contact being electrically bonded to each of said vehicle headlights, parking lights, ignition switch and battery such that said headlights and said parking lights are electrically isolated from one another and from said ignition switch and said battery thereby preventing the flow of electricity between said headlights and said parking lights, between said headlights and said ignition switch and said battery, and between said parking lights and said ignition switch and said battery, except through the forming of electrical connections between said contacts; and
,a three position manually operable contact engaging means having a first position, a second position and a third position, movement of said manually operable contact engaging means between said first, second and third positions creating and breaking electrical connections between said electrical contacts; wherein said manually operable contact engaging means when in said first position prevents electrical energy from flowing to either said headlights or said parking lights, said manually operable contact engaging means when in said second position permits electrical energy to flow from said battery to said parking lights with said headlights being electrically isolated from said battery and said ignition switch, and said manually operable contact engaging means when in said third position permits electrical energy to flow from said ignition switch to both said headlights and said parking lights, said lighting switch thereby preventing the flow of electrical energy directly from said battery to said headlights such that electrical energy is only able to flow to said headlights when said manually operable contact engaging means is in said third position and said ignition switch is turned on thereby prohibiting the leaving of said headlights on when said ignition switch is turned off and the inadvertent discharge of the storage battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification