Rotary control switch assembly

• US 6,927,348 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Banter, Charles Bruce, Schmidt, Robert M., Feldman, Mark G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/880,313
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 200/4, 200/5.R, 200/11.R, 200/17.R, 200/18, 200/517, 200/336, 200/564, 200/568, 200/571, 200/316
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/11 with indexing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/01 also rotatable

Abstract

A switch apparatus for a vehicle includes a circuit board including at least one circuit having a first contact and a second contact. A knob is rotatably mounted relative to the circuit board. The knob has at least one cam extending therefrom. At least one switch corresponds respectively to the at least one circuit and has a switch contact. The switch contact is linearly movable to an engaged position in which the switch contact contacts the first contact and the second contact of the respective at least one circuit, such that the first contact and the second contact are electrically connected. The knob is rotatably movable such that the at least one cam moves the at least one switch contact into the engaged position.

Claims

1. A vehicle switch apparatus comprising:

a circuit board comprising a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits having a first contact and a second contact;

a knob rotatably mounted relative to the circuit board, the knob having at least one cam extending therefrom; and

a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches corresponding respectively to one of the plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of switches having a switch contact, the switch contact linearly movable to an engaged position in which the switch contact contacts the first contact and the second contact of the respective circuit, such that the first contact and the second contact are electrically connected;

wherein the knob has a plurality of detents aligning the knob in a plurality of positions relative to the circuit board, such that when the knob is rotated to one of the plurality of positions the at least one cam is positioned to move one of the switch contacts of the plurality of switches into the engaged position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elastomeric pad, wherein each of the plurality of switches comprises at least one dome switch extending from the elastomeric pad, each of the dome switches having a contact dome comprising the switch contact.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the elastomeric pad is translucent.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the elastomeric pad includes a layer of elastomer that is translucent.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the elastomeric pad filters light.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the elastomeric pad may include at least one dome switch actuated by a push button.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a bezel having a mounting apparatus, wherein the at least one knob is rotatably mounted to the bezel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least one transfer pin is disposed between the at least one dome switch and the bezel, and extending from the bezel, such that the cam engages the transfer pin to move the contact dome to the engaged position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one transfer pin is a detent to position the knob relative to the bezel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one transfer pin is molded integral to elastomer such that the at least one cam engages the at least one transfer pin to move the contact dome to the engaged position.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the knob includes at least one detent to position the knob relative to the bezel.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the switch contacts is linearly movable from the engaged position to a disengaged position in which the switch contact is spaced apart from the first contact and the second contact of the respective circuit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of the switch contacts remains in the disengaged position until the at least one cam moves the at least one switch contact into the engaged position.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cam is comprised of a single cam, such that the single cam moves one switch contact of the plurality of switches into the engaged position while the other switch contacts of the plurality of switches are not moved into the engaged position.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cam is comprised of a single cam, the single cam moving one switch contact of the plurality of switches into the engaged position before releasing another switch contact of the plurality of switches from the engaged position.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cam is comprised of a plurality of cams, such that one of the plurality of cams moves one switch contact of the plurality of switches into the engaged position while the other switch contacts of the plurality of switches are not moved into the engaged position.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one cam is comprised of a plurality of cams, such that one of the plurality of cams moves one switch contact of the plurality of switches into the engaged position before releasing another switch contact of the plurality of switches from the engaged position.

18. A vehicle switch apparatus comprising:

a circuit board comprising a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits having a first contact and a second contact;

an elastomeric pad including a plurality of dome switches extending outwardly therefrom, each of the plurality of dome switches corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of circuits, the plurality of dome switches each having a switch contact, each of the switch contacts linearly movable to an engaged position in which each of the switch contacts engages the first contact and the second contact of the respective circuit, such that the first contact and the second contact are electrically connected, and from a disengaged position in which the switch contact is spaced apart from at least one of the first contact and the second contact of the respective circuit;

a bezel having a mounting apparatus; and

a knob rotatably mounted to the bezel, the knob having a plurality of cams extending therefrom, each of the plurality of cams corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of circuits, the knob rotatably movable such that one of the plurality of cams moves one of the plurality of switch contacts into the engaged position while the other of the plurality of switch contacts remains in the disengaged position.

19. A vehicle switch apparatus comprising:

a circuit board comprising at least one circuit having a first contact and a second contact;

a knob rotatably mounted relative to the circuit board, the knob having a plurality of cams extending therefrom; and

at least one switch corresponding respectively to the at least one circuit, at elast one switch having a switch contact, the switch contact linearly movable to an engaged position in which the switch contact contacts the first contact and the second contact of the respective at least one circuit, such that the first contact and the second contact are electrically connected;

wherein the knob is rotatably movable such that one of the plurality of cams moves one switch contact of the plurality of switches into the engaged position before releasing another switch contact of the plurality of switches from the engaged position.