Dual control footswitch assembly
View Patent ↗A footswitch having a tiltable treadle includes a rotatable heel cup for providing a second proportional control input based on the rotational movement of the rotatable heel cup.
1. A footswitch for receiving operator inputs, said footswitch comprising:
a base assembly;
a pivotable treadle mounted on said base assembly for receiving a pitch movement input and providing a first control output;
a heel cup mounted on said base assembly, said heel cup constructed and arranged for placement under the operator's heel;
said heel cup being positioned over means for enabling changing the rotational position of said heel cup;
means for translating said rotational position of said heel cup into a second separate proportional control output,
said second proportional control output being mechanical input provided to a potentiometer.
2. The footswitch as defined an claim 1 wherein a thrust bearing enables said change in said rotational position of said heel cup.
3. The footswitch defined in claim 1 wherein a set of bevel gears is used to transmit said rotational position of said heel cup to said potentiometer.
4. The footswitch as defined in claim 1 wherein said potentiometer is activated by a switch located in said heel cup.
5. The footswitch defined in claim 4 wherein the physical condition of the said switch is changed by the movement of a plate located in said heel cup.
6. The footswitch defined in claim 4 wherein said
switch is used to deactivate other portions of the footswitch.
7. The footswitch defined in claim 1 further including a latching mechanism for preventing changing said rotational position of said heel cup.
8. The footswitch as defined in claim 1 further including a spring bias for returning said heel cup to a home or neutral position.