Coded rotary switch with contacts at common radius

• US 6,326,905 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Detection Systems, Inc. (IKUSI - Angel Iglesias SA)
• Original Assignee: Detection Systems, Inc. (IKUSI - Angel Iglesias SA)
• Inventors: Walters, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN PIERRE, PEGUY
• Application Number:
  US09/371,433
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 341/1, 341/16
• US Class Current: 341/16
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/585 provided with printed circuit contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/008 with snap mounting of rotatable part on fixed part, e.g. rotor on stator, operating knob on switch panel
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/28 with non-weighted coding

Abstract

A rotary switch includes a plurality of first electrical contacts disposed at a common radius and a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for rotation against said first electrical contacts at said common radius. The first electrical contacts include at least one contact representing a selectable logic level and other first contacts electrically isolated from the at least one contact. The second electrical contacts electrically couple the logic level contact(s) with a unique combination of the isolated contacts in each of the respective switch positions.

Claims

1. A binary coded rotary switch having X switching positions, comprising:

a plurality of first electrical contacts electrically isolated from each other and disposed at a common radius;

a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for relative movement into electrical contact with said first electrical contacts at said common radius, said second electrical contacts having minimal electrical resistance therebetween;

wherein said second electrical contacts electrically couple said first electrical contacts in unique combinations in each one of said respective X positions.

2. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 1, wherein said first electrical contacts are disposed on a printed circuit board.

3. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 1, wherein said second electrical contacts are a continuous conductive material.

4. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 1, wherein said second electrical contacts are defined by metallic arms extending radially from a common metallic hub.

5. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 1, wherein said first contacts are defined by fixed patterns on a circuit board, said second contacts are defined by metallic arms fixed to a common hub and said first contacts and said second contacts are coupled for relative rotation by a shaft extending through said hub to said circuit board.

6. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 1, wherein said first contacts define Y bits and said second contacts electrically connect said first contacts in X different positions to represent X unique binary numbers.

7. A binary coded rotary switch according to claim 6 where X is 10 and Y is 4.

8. A rotary switch having multiple positions representing multi-bit binary numbers, said switch comprising:

a plurality of first electrical contacts fixed in a ring at a common radius, said first electrical contacts including logic level contacts and switching contacts;

a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for rotation as a unit against said first contacts to define said positions, said second contacts electrically coupling unique combinations of said switching contacts to said logic level contacts in said respective positions.

9. A rotary switch according to claim 8, wherein said respective switching contacts each represent a different one of said multi-bits.

10. A rotary switch according to claim 8, wherein:

there is no significant resistance between said second electrical contacts;

there is no significant resistance between said logic level contacts; and

,

said switching contacts are electrically isolated from each other except through said second contacts.

11. A rotary switch according to claim 8, wherein said first electrical contacts are defined by a circuit board, said second electrical contacts are defined by resilient conductive material and said resilient conductive material is compressed toward said circuit board.

12. A rotary switch according to claim 8, wherein said first electrical contacts are conductive pads on a printed circuit board, said second electrical contacts are a metallic stamping having a hub and resilient radial arms extending from said hub and said switch includes a shaft rotatably mounting said stamping with said arms in compression against said circuit board.

13. A rotary switch according to claim 8, wherein each respective one of said switching contacts is unopposed by any respective other of said switching contacts.

14. A rotary switch having X positions representing Y-bit binary numbers, said switch comprising:

a plurality of first electrically isolated contacts fixed at a common radius, each of said respective isolated contacts representing a different one of said Y bits;

a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for rotation as a unit against said first contacts to define said X positions, said second contacts electrically coupling unique combinations of said isolated contacts to a predetermined logic level in said respective X positions to represent X unique binary numbers.

15. A rotary switch according to claim 14, wherein said first contacts are defined by fixed patterns on a circuit board, said second contacts are defined by a metallic member and said first contacts and said second contacts are coupled for relative rotation by a shaft extending through said hub to said circuit board.

16. A security product including a rotary switch settable to a selected one of a plurality of positions, said positions representing multi-bit binary addresses, said switch comprising:

a plurality of first electrical contacts spaced in fixed positions at a common radius, said first electrical contacts including logic switchable contacts;

a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for rotation as a unit relative to said first contacts to selectively engage said first contacts, said second contacts electrically coupling unique combinations of said switchable contacts to a selected logic level in said respective positions, thereby to establish said addresses.

17. A security product according to claim 16, wherein said first contacts include contacts electrically coupled to a microprocessor selecting said logic level.

18. A security product according to claim 16, wherein said first contacts are patterns on a circuit board, said second contacts are defined by metallic arms fixed to a common hub and said first contacts and said second contacts are coupled for relative rotation by a shaft extending through said hub to said circuit board.

19. A rotary switch having multiple positions representing binary numbers of Y places, said switch comprising:

a printed circuit board including a plurality of first contacts disposed at a common radius in a circular pattern, said first contacts including Y contacts;

a metallic piece defining a plurality of second electrical contacts;

a dial capturing and biasing said metallic piece against said circuit board for rotating said second electrical contacts against said first electrical contacts to define said respective positions;

said second electrical contacts defining unequal angles therebetween to electrically couple unique combinations of said Y contacts to an electrical logic level in said respective positions.

20. An addressable security system including a microprocessor and comprising:

a binary coded rotary switch having X sequential positions of rotation and including;

a plurality of first electrical contacts fixed at a common radius, said first electrical contacts including electrically isolated contacts;

a plurality of second electrical contacts mounted for rotation against said first electrical contacts at said common radius, said second electrical contacts having minimal electrical resistance therebetween;

wherein rotation of said switch sequentially through said X positions produces Y-bit binary numbers out of sequence, and said microprocessor translates said out of sequence numbers into sequence.