Control switch for motor driven remote control mirror in vehicle

• US 4,698,464 A
• Filed: 12/26/1985
• Issued: 10/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Morimasa, Ito, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US06/813,682
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 200/1 R, 200/1 V, 200/4, 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/6 R, 200/6 A, 200/16 R, 200/17 R, 200/18
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/005 Electro-mechanical devices, e.g. switched electric switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2025/048 having a separate central push, slide or tumbler button which is not integral with the operating part that surrounds it
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/012 Application rear view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A control switch for a motor driven remote control mirror device in a vehicle has a switching control circuit for connecting motors for driving a mirror to be tilted to a DC power source. The control circuit has first and second stationary contact to be connected with one terminals of the motors for tilting the mirror around horizontal and vertical axes, and a third stationary contact to be commonly connected to the other terminals of the motors, the contacts are selectively connected with the negative and positive polarities of a power source by bridge members disposed corresponding to the contacts. The bridge members ordinarily connect the contacts to the negative polarity of the power source, and connect, when elastically deformed, to the positive polarity. A push plate is elastically supported by the bridge members, has a leg for operating the bridge members on the back surface, and the relative bridge member is operated by pressing the direction indication unit of the push plate.

Claims

1. A control switch for tilting one or more mirrors rotatably supported in a vehicle around a horizontal or vertical axis under a remote control through two motors driven by a DC power source comprising:

first and second stationary contacts to be respectively connected to first terminals of said first and second motors for tilting the mirrors around a horizontal or vertical axis,

first and second stationary contact pairs respectively provided relative to said first and second stationary contacts and having two stationary contacts to be respectively connected to positive or negative polarity of said power source,

a third stationary contact to be commonly connected to the second terminals of said first and second motors,

a third stationary contact pair provided relative to said third stationary contact and having two stationary contacts to be respectively connected to the positive or negative polarity of said power source,

first, second and third bridge members formed of a conductive elastic material and respectively disposed to electrically connect between said first, second and third stationary contacts and said first, second and third stationary contact pairs provided relative to said first, second and third stationary contacts so that a first end of each of said bridge members is always in contact, respectively, with said first, second and third stationary contacts and a second end of each of said bridge members is in contact with the stationary contacts of any of said first, second and third stationary contact pairs,

first, second and third operating members arranged to respectively operate said first, second and third bridge members to connect said first, second and third stationary contacts to a first contact of said first, second and third stationary contact pairs to be connected with the negative polarity of said power source and to respectively operate said first, second and third bridge members so as to elastically deform said first, second and third bridge members to connect said first, second and third stationary contacts to a second contact of said first, second and third stationary contact pairs to be connected with the positive polarity of said power source, and

a plate member integrally formed to said first, second and third operating members, to selectively operate said first, second and third operating members when said plate member is depressed.

2. The control switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a changeover switch for driving another mirror through third and fourth motors by the same DC power source around a horizontal or vertical axis, said changeover switch constructed to selectively electrically connect said first and second stationary contacts to the first terminals of said first and second motors and the first terminals of said third and fourth motors.

3. The control switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first to third stationary contacts and first to third stationary contact pairs are formed on a printed board, said first stationary contact and said first stationary contact pair corresponding to said first stationary contact, and said third stationary contact and said third stationary contact pair corresponding to said third stationary contact are disposed in space on a first rectilinear line, and said second stationary contact and second stationary contact pair corresponding to said second stationary contact are spaced from said first rectilinear line and disposed in space on a second rectilinear line in parallel with said first rectilinear line, and said first and third stationary contacts are disposed adjacent to each other.

4. The control switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate member has first and second indication units for indicating the rotating direction of said mirrors around a horizontal axis and third and fourth indication units for indicating the rotating direction of said mirrors around a vertical axis.

5. The control switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first to third stationary contacts and said first to third stationary contact pairs are formed on a printed board, said first stationary contact and said first stationary contact pair corresponding to said first stationary contact are disposed in space on a first rectilinear line, said second stationary contact and second stationary contact pair corresponding to said second stationary contact, and said third stationary contact and said third stationary contact pairs corresponding to said third stationary contact are spaced from said first rectilinear line and disposed in space on a second rectilinear line in parallel with said first rectilinear line, and said second and third stationary contacts are disposed adjacent to each other.

6. The control switch as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a casing detachably engaged with the peripheral edge of said printed board and having an upper opening above the surface of said printed board, said plate member being formed in the state of an operating plate disposed movably in said casing.

7. The control switch as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first to third bridge members are formed at least at part thereof in an arcuate shape, and elastically deformed in the state that the ends of said first to third bridge members are contacted with the surface of said printed board by the operations of said first to third operating members.

8. The control switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first to third operating members respectively have at least one operating tapered surface contacted with part of the arcuate peripheral surfaces of said first to third bridge members, and said first to third bridge members are respectively elastically deformed by the movements of said operating surfaces toward said printed board.

9. The control switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the longitudinal size of said second and third bridge members are substantially 1/2 of the longitudinal size of said first bridge member, and before elastically deforming, the both ends of said first bridge, one end of said second bridge member, and one end of said third bridge member are arranged to substantially form a square shape.

10. The control switch as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a changeover switch for driving other mirror rotatably supported in the vehicle by the same DC power source through third and fourth motors for tilting the mirror around a horizontal or vertical axis, said changeover switch having fourth stationary contact pair respectively connected with said first and second stationary contacts, fifth stationary contact pair to be respectively connected to the first terminals of said first and second motors, sixth stationary contact pair to be respectively connected with the first terminals of said third and fourth motors, conductive fourth and fifth bridge members slidably arranged to respectively selectively connect said fourth contact pair to said fifth or sixth contact pair, and slide means for simultaneously sliding said fourth and fifth bridge members, said fourth and sixth stationary contact pairs being formed on said printed board, and said third stationary contact pair being commonly connected with the other terminals of said third and fourth motors.

11. The control switch as claimed in claim 10, wherein said slide means has a slider for holding and sliding said fourth and fifth bridge members to contact at the both ends of said fourth and fifth bridge members with said printed board, and an operating knob for applying a sliding force to said slider, said knob being exposed at one end thereof with the outside from an opening formed at said operating plate.

12. The control switch as claimed in claim 11, wherein packings formed integrally of a soft material are respectively interposed between the side of said operating plate and the inner wall of said casing, and between the periphery of the opening of said operating plate and said operating knob.

13. The control switch as claimed in claim 6 wherein said casing has first and second indication units for indicating the rotating direction of said mirrors around a horizontal axis and third and fourth indication units for indicating the rotating direction of said mirrors around a vertical axis.