IP Library Patent Application 11876988
Patent Application
App. No. 11/876,988

SWITCH UNIT OPERABLE WITH ROCKER SWITCHES FOR CONTROL UNITS

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/876,988
Abstract

A switch unit operable with help of rocker switches for control units is disclosed herein. The switch unit is provided with a compact unit for actuating electrical contacts on circuit boards by moving push-button switches by means of push-button caps. The caps are each connected to a swiveling lever which is pivoted in a rotary bearing. Each of the swiveling levers applies mechanical pressure contact to the respective push-button switch when the respective push-button cap is rocked. The compact unit is provided with a fixed part having a circuit board. Each of the push-button switches is located sandwich-like, above and below the circuit board. The circuit board is also inserted into a groove of the rotary bearing. The compact unit is also provided with guiding parts, each itself provided with a guiding forming and a leaf spring in each guiding forming. The compact unit is also provided with a moving part in the form of the swiveling lever pivotable about the rotary bearing. The swiveling lever is divided into two tongue parts spreading V-shaped opposite to the respective push-button cap. Each of the two tongue parts extends towards an associated push-button switch. Both of the guiding formings and the leaf springs cooperate to bias the swiveling lever to an original position.

Claims (12)

1 . A switch unit operable with help of rocker switches for control units, provided with a compact unit for actuating electrical contacts on circuit boards by moving push-button switches by means of push-button caps which are each connected to a swiveling lever which is pivoted in a rotary bearing, each of the swiveling levers applying mechanical pressure contact to the respective push-button switch when the respective push-button cap is rocked, wherein the compact unit is provided with:

a fixed part having a circuit board, each of the push-button switches being located sandwich-like above and below the circuit board, the circuit board also being inserted into a groove of the rotary bearing;

guiding parts each provided with a guiding forming and a leaf spring in each guiding forming;

a moving part in the form of the swiveling lever pivotable about the rotary bearing, the swiveling lever being divided into two tongue parts spreading V-shaped opposite to the respective push-button cap, each of the two tongue parts being run towards an associated push-button switch, both guiding formings and leaf springs biasing the swivelling lever to an original position.

2 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the swiveling lever is formed from one of plastic, zinc, magnesium, or aluminum.

3 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein a spring forming portion of the respective leaf spring elements is an elastic convex bulge and the corresponding guiding forming is a stable concave recess of the guiding part.

4 . The switch unit of claim 3 wherein the convex bulge and the concave recess are V-shaped projections and V-shaped indentations and pre-tensioned to each other.

5 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is centrally mounted into the groove of the rotary bearing, whereby an upper push-button switch is held at a top of the circuit board and a lower push-button switch is held at a bottom of the circuit board.

6 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the swiveling lever is V-shaped and established as a tongue divided into two tongue parts such that an upper tongue part is arranged opposite to an upper push-button switch and a lower tongue part is arranged opposite to a lower push-button switch, wherein the rotary bearing of the swiveling lever is located on a straight line between a user actuating point of rocking directions of the push-button cap and a push-button switch contact point with the respective tongue part.

7 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the original position of the swiveling lever is defined when the leaf spring elements are arranged opposite to each other in the guiding parts.

8 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the leaf spring elements exert uniform influence against an actuating force in either rocking directions so that a motion-force diagram of a lower tongue part for an upward rocking direction and of an upper tongue part for a downward rocking direction are identical.

9 . The switch unit of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is arranged vertical to the push-button switch surface normals.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY AGAINST SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 022732 FRAME 0263 Recorded Oct 6, 2010
From: WILMINGTON TRUST FSB
To: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 025095/0451 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded May 26, 2009
From: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST FSB, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 022732/0263 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2007
From: STRABER, BRITTA; BURMEISTER, STEFAN; RODE, ANDREAS
To: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 020255/0453 →