Rocker member actuated switch assembly
First Claim
1. A multi-stage electrical rocker actuated switch assembly for motor vehicles with a housing which accommodates fixed and movable contact parts, with at least one rocker operating element mounted on the housing which, starting from a neutral position can be brought into four functional positions through its two operating directions, whereby the underside of the rocker operating element cooperates with one end of each of four plungers which are mounted in the housing so as to be slidable and which each can be displaced separately from the others, the other ends of the plungers engaging with four movable contact parts, whereby for each operating direction, two movable contact parts and two plungers are gathered into one functional group in such a way that by operation of the rocker operating element in one of its two operating directions, after a first operational travel one of the two movable contact parts and after a second operational travel, both movable contact parts of a functional group engages or engage with the associated fixed contact parts so as to give electrical contact, wherein:
- both movable contact parts which are present in each functional group exhibit different designs so that in relation to the relevant functional group, a force is needed to switch over one movable contact part which is different in magnitude from the force which is needed to switch over the other movable contact part; and
for each functional group, an intermediate element in the form of a two-armed lever situated between the ends of the two plungers belonging to a functional group and the underside of the rocker operating element, whereby the two intermediate elements can each be displaced in the operating direction of the rocker operating element and are mounted so as to be capable of tilting crosswise to the operating direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-stage electrical rocker actuated switch assembly is disclosed which basically consists of a rocker operating element which is pivotably mounted on a housing and four plungers which face the underside of the rocker operating element with one of their ends while the other ends engage with a movable contact part. In order to create a multi-stage rocker actuated switch in which two exactly definable functional positions in each direction can clearly be felt by the user because of a sharp change in the operating forces during operation of the rocker operating element, the two movable contact parts present in each functional group are so different in design that in order to switch over the one movable contact part, a force is necessary whose magnitude is definable different from the force which is necessary to switch over the other movable contact part and wherein for each functional group an intermediate element in the form of a two-armed lever is present which is situated between the ends of the two plungers belonging to each functional group and the underside of the rocker operating element, both intermediate elements being capable of displacement in the operational direction of the rocker operating element while at the same time they are mounted to as to be capable of tilting crosswise relative to the operational direction of the rocker operating element.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A multi-stage electrical rocker actuated switch assembly for motor vehicles with a housing which accommodates fixed and movable contact parts, with at least one rocker operating element mounted on the housing which, starting from a neutral position can be brought into four functional positions through its two operating directions, whereby the underside of the rocker operating element cooperates with one end of each of four plungers which are mounted in the housing so as to be slidable and which each can be displaced separately from the others, the other ends of the plungers engaging with four movable contact parts, whereby for each operating direction, two movable contact parts and two plungers are gathered into one functional group in such a way that by operation of the rocker operating element in one of its two operating directions, after a first operational travel one of the two movable contact parts and after a second operational travel, both movable contact parts of a functional group engages or engage with the associated fixed contact parts so as to give electrical contact, wherein:
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both movable contact parts which are present in each functional group exhibit different designs so that in relation to the relevant functional group, a force is needed to switch over one movable contact part which is different in magnitude from the force which is needed to switch over the other movable contact part; and for each functional group, an intermediate element in the form of a two-armed lever situated between the ends of the two plungers belonging to a functional group and the underside of the rocker operating element, whereby the two intermediate elements can each be displaced in the operating direction of the rocker operating element and are mounted so as to be capable of tilting crosswise to the operating direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification