Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Uwe Gillman

Michael Stoffers

Rainer Maurer

Klaus Lamm

Michael Cemerika

Jost Hans-Georg

Uwe Immig

Lamm Klaus

Stoffers Michael

A switch has a housing (), a pair of switching units () with buttons () that can be depressed to operate each switch unit, and a rocker () pivotally mounted on the housing to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral position. An elastomeric diaphragm () mounted on a top wall () of the housing, extends across an aperture () in the housing, with first and second lower parts () of the rocker passing through the diaphragm to rest closely above the buttons on the switch units. The diaphragm not only largely seals the switch units, but biases the rocker towards the neutral position.

Rocker/pushbutton switch

A control has a pivotal part with an operating surface that can be depressed by a person's foot or hand, with pivoting being sensed by a pivot sensor. A spring-operated mechanism urges the pivotal part toward an initial position while allowing it to pivot in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions from the initial position, the sensor indicating the amount of pivoting in either direction from the initial position. A damping unit for limiting the speed of depression includes a cylinder that contains fluid and a plunger that is depressed by the pivotal part into the cylinder to displace the fluid.

Foot or hand operated control

A control handle ( ) for operating a machine, includes a largely vertical shaft ( ) that can be grasped by a person's hand and a hand rest assembly ( ) that supports a lower end of the hand opposite the thumb. The hand rest assembly is slidable along the shaft and includes a clamp that clamps against the shaft to fix the position of the hand rest assembly at substantially continuously variable positions along the shaft. The hand rest assembly has front and rear sections ( ) that are pivotally connected together, with the rear section being pivotable between a clamping position ( ) wherein it draws the front section firmly against the front of the shaft to fix the hand rest position, and a release position ( A) wherein it allows the hand rest assembly to slide to a desired position. The shaft has recesses ( ) on laterally opposite sides, that form vertically-extending fixing edges ( ) that face largely rearwardly. The rear section forms a pair of clamping surface parts ( ) that each clamps against one of the fixing edges as the rear section pivots to the clamp position.

Switch handle

A rocker switch with a shaft ( ) that can be pivoted clockwise or counterclockwise from a neutral position, which reliably returns to the same neutral position without &ldquo;play&rdquo;, and which is of simple design. A coil spring ( ) which extends around the shaft, has front and rear opposite coil end portions ( ) with corresponding spring ends ( ), and which has a spring middle ( ). Arms mounted on the shaft include a first arm ( ) engaged with the front spring end and a second arm ( ) positioned to engage the spring middle. When the shaft is turned clockwise from the neutral position, the arms turn the first spring end ( ) and spring middle ( ) clockwise while loading only the rear coil end portion ( ). When the shaft turns counterclockwise, the spring middle ( ) is prevented from turning by a spring center support ( ), so only the front coil portion ( ) is loaded.

Growing community of inventors

Berlin, Germany

Uwe Gillman