Joseph Pollak Corporation

Chrysler Corporation

Carl Frank

William Hartman Fort

Mark Susser

James A Mallett

Mark S Grimes

An automotive brake switch including a body having a linearly traveling profiled carriage which makes or breaks various circuits as the carriage travels. The switch includes a plunger which, at first, is free to move relative to the carriage, but upon installation is locked to the carriage. A rotatable lever arm holds the carriage in a desired neutral operating position, and maintains free movement of the plunger relative to the carriage. When the switch body is installed, the plunger comes into contact with an arm of the brake which causes the brake to move against the force from a spring to assume a desired adjustment position relative to the carriage for proper operation. The rotatable lever arm is turned to lock the plunger to the carriage and to free the carriage for travel within the body. Thereafter, the carriage responds to movement of the plunger caused by the brake arm to make and break circuits in the normal fashion to control the operation of cruise control, stop lamps, etc. Also, the length of the carriage is somewhat less than the space provided in the switch body. This permits overtravel of the carriage within the body without causing readjustment.

Automotive brake switch

A system for selecting either 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive in a vehicle which includes an actuator mounted on the differential housing of the vehicle drive system for engaging and disengaging the externally splined ends of opposing shafts in response to a signal switched from a power source in the vehicle cab. The actuator converts the rotary output of a DC motor to linear output of a carrier-mounted lead screw and drive nut which is transferred to a plunger which moves an internally splined ring between the opposing splined shaft ends. The position of the splined ring and the disposition of the drive in either 2-wheel or 4-wheel operation is signalled by a planetary gear system in which one ring gear is fixed and a second switch ring gear is rotatable, the two ring gears having different numbers of teeth whereby a single revolution of the lead screw and its carrier causes less than one revolution of the switch ring gear over the total linear motion of the drive nut and plunger, which is detected and controlled by means of wiping members in electrical contact with conducting strips on the carrier which are in circuit with the power source in the vehicle cab.

Actuator for 4-wheel drive vehicle

An automotive inertia switch including a switch body which houses a movable plunger weight; a button guide structure with a cylindrical nest, a switch reset button, a wiper contact, and a compression spring. Switching action is caused by the vertical movement of the weight. In an untripped state, a tip of the weight is spring biased by the compression spring into the nest. In response to a rapid change in the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. a crash, the tip is dislodged from the nest and the weight is forced by the spring to move upwardly against the button. Vertical movement of the weight causes the wiper contact, which is in pressing engagement with the opposite end of the weight, to move between switching positions to make and break electrical connection of a common terminal to the fuel pump or a switch status indicator. The tripped status of the switch may be indicated by the switch status indicator, or by visual observation of the outward projection of the button. The switch may be reset by simply pushing the button downward to force the tip back into the nest.

Automotive inertia switch

A vehicular engine safety switch having two or more functional positions, which includes a removable restraining device such as a clip or a pin which is flexibly attachable to the body or apparel of the vehicle operator. In the primary functional mode, the clip is in place on the switch and the engine may be started. Movement of the operator from the switch by a distance determined by the length of a flexible lanyard removes the clip, and the switch returns under spring pressure to an OFF position. The engine may be restarted with or without the clip in place, the latter condition occurring, for example, if the operator has been ejected from the vehicle. The safety action of the switch is achieved by the interaction of a specially formed detent sleeve and spring-loaded detent ball, and a lock cylinder rotationally and axially spring biased relative to the detent sleeve.

Growing community of inventors

Sharon, MA, United States of America

Carl Frank