Delco Electronics Corporation

John W Willis

Mark Z Rada

Timothy A Gasaway

Robert A Marrs

Robin L Truesdell

Charles E Kidwell

Clifton B Ward

Kurt J Hudoba

Marta E Stewart

John A Eade

The end of a cable or other elongated object is held in a plastic retainer molded of one piece. The retainer has a base with a pocket for holding the object, upstanding supports alongside the pocket and a retaining element mounted between adjacent supports at each side of the pocket. The retaining element defines a snap element and resilient hinges, either flexible webs or torsion arms, which couple each end of the snap element to a support for rotation of the snap element about an axis. The axes are above the pocket and the snap element extends down to hold the object in the pocket. Optional over-center action provides a locking function. Release tabs on the retaining element extending above the axis permits release of the cable by pinching the tabs together. Grooves or ridges on the cable end engage the retainer for axial retention and permit axial adjustment as well. A receiving opening in the retainer is shaped to guide cable end insertion.

Snap retainer and retainer system

A rotary temperature mechanism for controlling the temperature door of a HVAC system of a vehicle includes a rotatable cam connected by a shaft to a rotary temperature control knob. The cam includes a helical rib thereon coacting with a carrier restricted to linear, sliding motion by the housing in response to rotation of the cam. The housing provides a linear track for guiding the carrier. Detent members are provided between the cam and housing to impart discrete stepping feel on rotation of the knob. The detent members include ball bearings on the cam rolling along a corrugated track of the housing. A cable is connected to the carrier and controls the temperature door by linear motion imparted thereon.

Rotary temperature mechanism

A switch actuator mounted in a housing for axial and rotary movement operates a rotary switch on the actuator axis through an axial lost motion connection. A pushbutton switch offset from the axis is engaged by a semi-circular plate radially extending from the actuator and is actuated upon axial movement of the actuator for any rotary position of the actuator. Optionally, the plate has apertures which register with the pushbutton switch at selected actuator rotary positions to disable pushbutton operation at the selected positions. The actuator is made of light conducting transparent plastic to illuminate an indicator on the switch knob from a bulb within the housing. A flexible detent finger integrally molded into the housing engages the plate during its axial movement to impart tactile feel.

Pushbutton rotary switch

A back-lit push button array which permits close spacing of the buttons while preventing light leaks between the buttons. The buttons are individually keyed into the outer shell of a housing to provide lateral support while permitting axial movement, and interleaving laterally extending features are formed on juxtaposed sidewalls of the buttons within the housing to prevent interbutton light leaks. This permits the buttons to be spaced very closedly, and there is no limitation on the size of the symbols or legends other than the dimensions of the button face itself.

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Kokomo, IN, United States of America

John W Willis