Low resistance switch using carbon contacts

• US 6,426,568 B2
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Turnbull, Robert R., Poe, G. Bruce, Bonardi, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): POLK, SHARON A
• Application Number:
  US09/439,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 200/5.R, 200/512, 359/265, 359/877, 359/267, 248/476, 248/477, 362/494, 323/351
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/026 non precious
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/032 Conductive polymer; Rubber
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 Decoding impedances
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/012 Application rear view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/547 Combinations of mechanical switches and static switches, the latter being controlled by the former

Abstract

A switch assembly includes a plurality of electrical devices and a plurality of user activated switches. The plurality of electrical devices each include a control terminal. Each of the electrical devices causes a different distinguishable output to be provided when a control signal is asserted on the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices. The plurality of user activated switches include carbon-coated contacts. Each of the user activated switches when asserted provides the control signal to the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices.

Claims

1. A switch assembly, comprising:

a first electrical device including a first control terminal, the first electrical device causing a distinguishable electrical output to be provided on a single output line when a first control signal is asserted on the first control terminal of the first electrical device;

a second electrical device including a second control terminal, the second electrical device causing a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a second control signal is asserted on the second control terminal of the second electrical device;

a first user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts, the first user activated switch when asserted providing the first control signal to the first control terminal of the first electrical device; and

a second user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts, the second user activated switch when asserted providing the second control signal to the second control terminal of the second electrical device.

2. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the user activated switches each include:

an elastomer;

a carbon coated contact attached to the elastomer at a contact area; and

a first copper trace and a second copper trace attached to a printed circuit board, wherein the first and second copper traces each include carbon-coated contacts at the contact area, and wherein the elastomer prevents the carbon-coated contact attached to the elastomer from making electrical contact with the carbon-coated contacts of the first and second copper traces when the user activated switches are unactivated.

3. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical devices are field effect transistors.

4. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical devices are bipolar junction transistors.

5. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing having a mounting member for mounting said housing to the vehicle, said housing including a bezel;

an electrochromic mirror disposed in said housing, said mirror having a front surface and a rear surface; and

a switch assembly retained in said housing including;

a plurality of electrical devices each further including a control terminal, each of the plurality of electrical devices causing a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided to a remote electrical device on a single output line when a control signal is asserted on the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices; and

a plurality of user activated switches with carbon-coated contacts, each of the user activated switches when asserted providing the control signal to the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices.

6. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said electrochromic mirror comprises:

front and rear spaced elements, each having front and rear surfaces and being sealably bonded together in a spaced-apart relationship to define a chamber;

a transparent first electrode including a layer of transparent conductive material carried on said rear surface of said front element;

at least one electrochromic material contained within said chamber; and

a second electrode disposed on said front surface of said rear element, wherein either said second electrode is a reflective electrode or a transparent electrode with a corresponding separate reflector disposed over substantially all of said rear surface of said rear element.

7. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the user activated switches of the switch assembly each further include:

an elastomer;

a carbon coated contact attached to the elastomer at a contact area; and

a first copper trace and a second copper trace attached to a printed circuit board, wherein the first and second copper traces each include carbon-coated contacts at the contact area, and wherein the elastomer prevents the carbon-coated contact attached to the elastomer from making electrical contact with the carbon-coated contacts of the first and second copper traces when the user activated switches are unactivated.

8. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the electrical devices are field effect transistors.

9. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the electrical devices are bipolar junction transistors.

10. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein a processor monitors the plurality of user activated switches and provides the control signal to one of the plurality of electrical devices upon switch assertion.

11. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electrical devices includes a first electrical device that causes a distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a first control signal is asserted on a first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second electrical device that causes a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a second control signal is asserted on a second control terminal of the second electrical device, and wherein the plurality of user activated switches includes a first user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the first control signal to the first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the second control signal to the second control terminal of the second electrical device.

12. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing having a mounting member for mounting said housing to the vehicle, said housing including a bezel;

an electrochromic mirror disposed in said housing, said mirror having a front surface and a rear surface; and

a switch assembly retained in said housing including;

a plurality of electrical devices each further including a control terminal, each of the plurality of electrical devices causing a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided to a cellular telephone transceiver on a single output line when a control signal is asserted on the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices; and

a plurality of user activated switches with carbon-coated contacts, each of the user activated switches when asserted providing the control signal to the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said electrochromic mirror comprises:

front and rear spaced elements, each having front and rear surfaces and being sealably bonded together in a spaced-apart relationship to define a chamber;

a transparent first electrode including a layer of transparent conductive material carried on said rear surface of said front element;

at least one electrochromic material contained within said chamber; and

a second electrode disposed on said front surface of said rear element, wherein either said second electrode is a reflective electrode or a transparent electrode with a corresponding separate reflector disposed over substantially all of said rear surface of said rear element.

14. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the user activated switches of the switch assembly each further include:

an elastomer;

a carbon coated contact attached to the elastomer at a contact area; and

a first copper trace and a second copper trace attached to a printed circuit board, wherein the first and second copper traces each include carbon-coated contacts at the contact area, and wherein the elastomer prevents the carbon-coated contact attached to the elastomer from making electrical contact with the carbon-coated contacts of the first and second copper traces when the user activated switches are unactivated.

15. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the electrical devices are field effect transistors.

16. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the electrical devices are bipolar junction transistors.

17. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein a processor monitors the plurality of user activated switches and provides the control signal to one of the plurality of electrical devices upon switch assertion.

18. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the plurality of electrical devices includes a first electrical device that causes a distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a first control signal is asserted on a first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second electrical device that causes a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a second control signal is asserted on a second control terminal of the second electrical device, and wherein the plurality of user activated switches includes a first user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the first control signal to the first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the second control signal to the second control terminal of the second electrical device.

19. A vehicle accessory for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing having a mounting member for mounting said housing to the vehicle; and

a switch assembly retained in said housing including;

a plurality of electrical devices each further including a control terminal, each of the plurality of electrical devices causing a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided to a cellular telephone transceiver on a single output line when a control signal is asserted on the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices; and

a plurality of user activated switches with carbon-coated contacts, each of the user activated switches when asserted providing the control signal to the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices.

20. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the user activated switches of the switch assembly each further include:

an elastomer;

a carbon coated contact attached to the elastomer at a contact area; and

a first copper trace and a second copper trace attached to a printed circuit board, wherein the first and second copper traces each include carbon-coated contacts at the contact area, and wherein the elastomer prevents the carbon-coated contact attached to the elastomer from making electrical contact with the carbon-coated contacts of the first and second copper traces when the user activated switches are unactivated.

21. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the electrical devices are one of field effect transistors and bipolar junction transistors.

22. The accessory of claim 19, wherein a processor monitors the plurality of user activated switches and provides the control signal to one of the plurality of electrical devices upon switch assertion.

23. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the plurality of electrical devices includes a first electrical device that causes a distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a first control signal is asserted on a first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second electrical device that causes a different distinguishable electrical output to be provided on the single output line when a second control signal is asserted on a second control terminal of the second electrical device, and wherein the plurality of user activated switches includes a first user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the first control signal to the first control terminal of the first electrical device and a second user activated switch with carbon-coated contacts which when asserted provides the second control signal to the second control terminal of the second electrical device.