Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Yoshinori Watanabe

Yujiro Shimoyama

Shinji Sasaki

Shiro Kondo

Makoto Matsubara

Hiroshi Tokuyama

Herein disclosed is a detent mechanism for a detent mechanism for use in a sliding electric part, in which an operation lever exposed to the outside from a casing is slid for operations, such as a slide switch or a volume control for audios. In the detent mechanism, a slide guide formed in a casing is formed with a series of cam crests. There is fixed to an operation lever an engaging member which engages with those cam crests. At least one of the slide guide and the engaging member is given such an elasticity as to tighten the engagement.

Detent mechanism for sliding electric parts

Disclosed is a detent mechanism for use in a control with a sliding lever, in which the lever is slid to desired operation positions, such as for example, a slide switch or a volume control of a radio. In the detent mechanism, a slide guide is formed with a series of cam crests. Fixed to the sliding lever is a spring member which carries a roller at its leading end which engages with and rolls on the cam crests.

A switch comprises a pair of stationary contacts and a movable contact which is fixed to a slider. The movable contact is held in contact with a conductive roller held rotatably to one of the stationary contacts. Upon movement of the slider, the movable contact moves along the rotating roller between positions engaging and dis-engaging the other fixed contact.

Switch

A switch suitable for use in digital clocks for automobiles comprises a case and a plurality of fixed terminals secured within the case. A contact member movable axially or rotatably by a shaft has a plurality of contact elements. A first spring member operates to return the contact member to its initial position after it has been rotated to effect a switching function and a second spring returns the contact to its initial axial position after the contact member has been moved axially to effect a switching function. The switch can thus provide any of these switching functions by being operated by rotating the shaft in either of two directions, or by axially moving the shaft.

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Furukawa, Japan

Yoshinori Watanabe