The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
May. 08, 1995
Takuya Maeda, Furukawa, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A multi-way flipping switch including a base plate having stationary contacts, a click rubber member placed on the base plate and having hollow protrusions located over the stationary contacts, movable contacts mounted on inner surfaces of the hollow protrusions, a housing mounted on the base plate having a central opening, a holding member mounted on the housing, rotating members having one end rotatably mounted on the holding member and a second end contacting an upper surface of the hollow protrusions, and an operating member pivotally mounted on the housing such that a portion of the operating member protrudes through the central opening, the operating member including driving members contacting middle sections of the rotating members. In operation, pivoting of the operation member in an arbitrary direction causes rotation of one of the rotating members, thereby driving the end of the rotating member downward against the upper surface of a corresponding hollow protrusion, and thereby collapsing the hollow protrusion such that the movable contact located inside the hollow protrusion contacts a corresponding stationary contact on the base plate. The upper surface of each of the hollow protrusions is curved such that the corresponding rotating member contacts the upper surface at a point.