United Technologies Automotive Inc.

David A Coffin

Anthony Vultaggio

Thomas J Allard

Nick Smith

Janet M Cochran

Paul McEvilly

A cam follower assembly for use in a latching switch assembly comprises a case having opposed walls with a slot in one of the walls. A cam follower disposed in the case has a post movable within the slot. A spring adjacent the cam follower biases the cam follower toward a longitudinal axis of the case. The cam follower assembly cooperates with a cam in the latching switch assembly to operate an electrical switch. In a preferred embodiment, the cam follower assembly moves in a plane parallel to the plane of the cam surface. When an operator depresses the latching switching in the latching switch assembly, the cam follower rides along the cam to an 'on' position where the latching switch is held in place. Upon depressing the latching switch once more, the cam follower moves out of the first position and into its original 'off' position. The slot guides the cam follower for proper desired movement. The spring is preferably a C-shaped spring with two arms positioned on each side of the cam follower. The use of the spring and slot combination reduces the necessity of precise positioning and manufacture of either the spring or the cam follower. Moreover, bending of the spring during operation of the switch will not be a problem, as it may have been in the prior art.

Cam follower assembly for use in a latching switch

A rotary, push-pull switch (20) for use in an automobile has a rotating ceramic coated metal substrate rheostat (48) and a supplemental switch (52) which opens and closes a dome light bypass circuit. The supplemental switch (52) is mounted internally to the rotary, push-pull switch (20) adjacent to the rotating rheostat (48) disposed on a shaft (36). A projection (88), which is radially disposed on the shaft (36), is used to actuate the supplemental switch (52) by engaging a resilient contact leaf (60) when the shaft (36) is rotated sufficiently. The engagement of the projection (88) and contact arm (60) causes the separation of a contact (62) and terminal (64), opens the dome light bypass circuit, and precludes energizing the dome light.

Rotary, push-pull headlight switch with ceramic coated metal substrate

A rotary, push-pull switch (20) for use in an automobile is combined with a supplemental switch (52) which opens and closes a dome light bypass circuit. The supplemental switch (52) is mounted internally to the rotary, push-pull switch (20) adjacent to a rotating rheostat (48) disposed on a shaft (36). A projection (88), which is radially disposed on the shaft (36), is used to actuate the supplemental switch (52) by engaging a resilient contact leaf (60) when the shaft (36) is rotated sufficiently. The engagement of the projection (88) and contact arm (60) causes the separation of a contact (62) and terminal (64), opens the dome light bypass circuit, and precludes energizing the dome light.

Cam actuated dome light bypass switch

A composite, push-pull headlight and rotary switch (1) having a front bracket area (4) and a panel light dimming rheostat (62/91) for use in a vehicle with, for example, a dome light switch and a supplemental fluorescent panel light system switch, utilizing two, parallel, spaced panels (6 & 7) having three, laterally extended, operative planar surfaces, all located in the front bracket area. The front panel (6) has on its back side a rheostat planar surface including a series of circularly disposed, peripherally spaced, resistive layers (62), which, in conjunction with a rotatable, sweeping, rheostat contactor arm (91), serve the rheostat dimming function for the panel lights. The rear panel (7) has on its front side (71) a detent planar surface having three protrusions (72A-72C), which serve as detent positions in cooperation with a flexible, rotatable detent arm (92) sweeping across it, as the control knob shaft (8) is rotated, along with an axially extended and movable, protruding plunger (73), which also extends to the other side ( 74) of the panel to coact with switch contactors (75A & 75B) for the 'dome' light bypass circuit, and a switch circuit planar surface on the opposite, back side having spaced conductive surface contacts (76& 77) which control the main 'dome' light circuit and the fluorescent panel light circuit. A common hub (90) carries the rheostat contactor arm and the detent and plunger actuator arm, while on the other side of the second panel there is included a conjunctively rotatable dome & fluorescent contactor structure (93) scrubbing against the switch circuit planar surface.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

David A Coffin