United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Janet M Cochran

David A Coffin

Thomas J Allard

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.

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Las Vegas, NV, United States of America

Janet M Cochran