IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,389,882
Granted Patent B2
US 8,389,882 · App. 12/663,733 · Granted Mar 5, 2013

Electrical switch for a motor vehicle

Inventor: Michel Hallet (Mondeville, FR)
Assignee: SC2N
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,389,882
App. No.
12/663,733
Granted
Mar 5, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A contactor carriage fitted so as to move translationally in an electrical switch of a motor vehicle, in a unit providing controls under the steering wheel, in order to establish according to a user command, an electrical contact for one or more predefined positions of the path of the carriage is disclosed. The carriage has at least one electrical contacting emplacement, a first housing for accommodating a high-current contactor element and a second housing for accommodating a low-current contactor element. An electrical contact is established at said emplacement either by placing a high-current contactor element in the associated housing or by placing a low-current contactor element in said housing.

Claims (30)

1. A contactor carriage, wherein

the contactor carriage is mounted to move in translation in an electric switch of a motor vehicle, in an assembly of controls beneath a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, in order to establish, according to a command of a user, an electric contact for one or more predefined positions of the path of said carriage,

the contactor carriage comprising:

at least one location of electric contact;

a first housing for receiving a strong-current contactor element; and

a second housing for receiving a weak-current contactor element, so that an electric contact is established at said at least one location by one of installation of the strong-current contactor element in the first housing, or by installation of the weak-current contactor element in the second housing.

2. The contactor carriage as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first housing is defined by at least two slots which interact with the corresponding strong-current contactor element and the second housing is defined by at least one slot which interacts with the corresponding weak-current contactor element.

3. The contactor carriage as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a first snap-fitting means for interacting with a second complementary snap-fitting means supported by said contactor element, in order to attach said contactor element removably to said carriage.

4. The contactor carriage as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first snap-fitting means comprises one of a protuberance or a hole.

5. The contactor carriage as claimed claim 1 , further comprising two contactor elements, wherein the first housing designed for the strong-current contactor element is situated on the edge of said carriage relative to the second housing designed for the weak-current contactor element, situated in the center.

6. An electric switch of a motor vehicle in assembly of controls beneath a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a contactor carriage mounted to move in translation in the electric switch of the motor vehicle, in order to establish, according to a command of a user, an electric contact at one or more predefined positions on a path of said contactor carriage, the contactor carriage comprising:

at least one location of electric contact;

a first housing for receiving a strong-current contactor element; and

a second housing for receiving a weak-current contactor element, so that an electric contact is established at said at least one location by one of installation of the strong-current contactor element in the first housing, or by installation of the weak-current contactor element in the second housing.

7. The switch as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the strong-current contactor element comprises a contactor bridge and an elastic return spring of the contactor bridge.

8. The switch as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the contactor bridge comprises two excrescences capable of establishing two simultaneous electric contacts.

9. The switch as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising two strong-current contactor elements.

10. The electrical switch as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:

an elastic strip forming the weak-current contactor element, wherein said elastic strip is installed in the second housing of the contactor carriage, in order to establish, according to a command of a user, the electric contact for one or more predefined positions of the path of said carriage,

wherein the elastic strip comprises:

at least one location of the electric contact, so that an electric contact is established at the at least one location, wherein the electric contact comprises a shape of a fork having at least two branches capable of establishing two simultaneous electric contacts, and wherein each branch comprises a curved end.

11. The electrical switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each branch comprises at least two contactor arms.

12. The electrical switch as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a first snap-fitting means configured to interact with a second complementary snap-fitting means supported by said contactor carriage to attach said elastic strip removably to said contactor carriage.

13. The electrical switch according to claim 6 , further comprising:

two elastic strips forming a weak-current contactor element, wherein said elastic strip is installed in the second housing of the contactor carriage, in order to establish, according to a command of a user, an electric contact for one or more predefined positions of the path of said carriage,

the two elastic strips comprising:

at least one location of the electric contact, so that the electric contact is established at the at least one location, wherein the electric contact comprises a shape of a fork having at least two branches capable of establishing two simultaneous electric contacts, and wherein each branch comprises a curved end.

14. The electrical switch as claimed in claim 13 , wherein each branch comprises at least two contactor arms.

15. The electrical switch as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a first snap-fitting means configured to interact with a second complementary snap-fitting means supported by said contactor carriage to attach said elastic strip removably to said contactor carriage.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2026
From: SC2N
To: VALEO COMFORT AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE
Reel/Frame 073719/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2010
From: HALLET, MICHEL
To: SC2N
Reel/Frame 024409/0850 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 07 04397 · Jun 20, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100219052A1 · Sep 2, 2010