Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Tetsuo Yamamoto

Yasuharu Moriai

Yoshikazu Taniguchi

Junichi Kojima

Osamu Ito

Yoshitsugu Tsuji

Tetsuaki Wada

Morichika Yamamoto

Kuniharu Kusumoto

Tetsuo Sugimoto

Yukio Kominami

A selecting switch operating section provided to support movable contact points includes circular elastic support walls disposed along an arrangement circle of selecting stationary contact points, and a pushing portion. When the selecting switch operating section is pushed by an operating portion tilted integrally with the operating lever, at least one of movable contact points comes into contact with at least one of the selecting stationary contact points. Thus, it is not necessary to provide accommodation space for other members between the adjacent selecting stationary contact points. Also, it is possible to reduce the spacing interval between adjacent selecting stationary contact points in the arrangement circle, so that the diameter of the arrangement circle can be reduced and the entire lever switch can be reduced in size.

Lever switch with support walls for supporting movable contact points

A recess portion 14a is formed in the underside of the flange 14 of a tilting holder 13 at a position corresponding to, for example, an 'upper right' select switch 4. As a result, the operating pin 10 of the 'upper right' select switch 4 has a fixed gap with the flange 14. Consequently, the operating pin 10 of the 'upper right' select switch is pressed when an operating lever 15 is tilted. However, the operating range B of, for example, the 'upper right' select switch 4 is set narrower than the operating range A of, for example, the 'upper' select switch 4 since the pressing of the operating pin 10 of, for example, the 'upper right' select switch 4 is delayed by the gap resulting from the recess portion 14a.

Multidirectional lever switch device

A pressing operation while an operation lever is tilted is inhibited by causing an enlarged portion of the operation lever to butt against a stopper. A tilting operation while an operation lever is pressed is inhibited by causing the enlarged portion to butt against the stopper. Therefore, the two operations can not be concurrently performed so that a set switch and a select switch are inhibited from being simultaneously turned on. Furthermore, the operation lever is supported in a tiltable manner by forming support shafts and rotation shafts whose axes perpendicularly intersect each other. Even when foreign substances are trapped in rotation portions of the support shafts and the rotation shafts, therefore, there is little fear that the foreign substances will remain trapped between the mating or contacting portions, thereby ensuring that the operation lever can be tilted smoothly and returned to the neutral position. In addition, a switch matrix ensures that signals from adjacent switches are accurately processed. A switch element also ensures simultaneous activation of circuits to avoid transient signaling errors.

Lever switch device, method for activating switches in a lever switch

A flexible flat conductor wiring board (5) having required electric circuits is affixedly disposed on an instrument cluster (2) of an instrument panel portion of an automobile so as to be connected to switches and instruments (3A to 3E) that are provided on the instrument cluster (2) in groups so that an electric circuit is formed. Electric functioning components needed to carry out electric control of the switches and instruments are dispersedly provided on the end portions of centrally arranged switches and instruments or provided on the wiring board (5) with the electric control functions being incorporated in the electric circuits of the instrument cluster (2). Switches and instruments (3A to 3E) are provided, and electric circuits for the switches and instruments (3A to 3E) are provided so as to make the instrument cluster (2) an independent electric component. The instrument cluster (2) as an independent electric component is mounted on the instrument panel portion 1 of an automobile.

Structure of electric circuit panel for instrument panel of automobile

A multicircuit cable connector which includes a multicircuit, an insulation layer thereon, and a matching circuit which is placed on the layer. The multicircuit is a plurality of conductive strips which run along the length of the cable. The matching circuit is a means for interconnecting certain of the strips with one another and consists of interconnecting portions carrying terminals thereon. The interconnecting portions extend transversely of the cable and their length and location are determined by the arrangement of conductive strips in the cable and which of them are to be connected to each other. A U-shaped clip of generally channel shape is provided and the bottom thereof is pressed against a multicircuit conductor and the sides extend through the layer and are crimped onto the terminals on the interconnecting portions of the matching circuit, thereby completing the connection.

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Tetsuo Yamamoto