Pushbutton vacuum-electric air control unit for automotive vehicles

Abstract

A series of manually depressible pushbuttons establish all of the operating functions for an automotive air control system. Latching and block-out mechanisms are provided to latch only one pushbutton at a time in the depressed position. The pushbuttons operate the first arms of spring-biased levers having second arms for selectively moving particular selector plates of a stacked set. The selector plates are adapted to operate single function control devices, including both vacuum valves and electrical switches having movable control members with knobs thereon projecting through large size and small size openings in the selector plates. The second arms of the levers extend through large size and small size slots in the selector plates. The small size slots and openings afford operating connections, while the large size slots and openings merely provide for idling movement. Each of the selector plates has a unique combination of larger and smaller slots and larger and smaller openings, whereby the depression of each pushbutton uniquely operates one or more control devices, in accordance with the functional mode assigned to such pushbutton. One of the control devices takes the form of a unique snap-action electrical switch in which the movable contactor has a combination of sliding and rocking movement. The control unit also has a non-latching pushbutton switch for causing momentary closure of a control circuit for a rear window defroster, such switch being pre-assembled as a cartridge for easy insertion into the housing of the control unit.