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:
Aug. 07, 2001
Filed:
May. 24, 2000
Munechika Miyata, Tokyo, JP;
Mic Enterprise Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A waterproof lever switch, for use in various kinds of electric systems for an automobile engine, door, etc., includes: a waterproof ring made of synthetic rubber and attached in first and second circumferential grooves formed opposite each other in a disk part of a lever and a base, respectively, to form a watertight space between first and third approximately circularly-shaped recesses formed inside of both first and second circumferential grooves, an appropriate switch mechanism being mounted in the watertight space. The lever includes a lever part and the disk part and is rotatably mounted at a set angle on the base. The first circumferential groove is formed in an inner face of the disk part of the lever. The first approximately circularly-shaped recess is formed inside the first circumferential groove. A second approximately circularly-shaped recess is rotatably engaged at a set angle with the disk part of the lever and is formed in a surface of the base. A third approximately circularly-shaped recess is formed inside the second circumferential groove opposite the first approximately circularly-shaped recess of the lever. The disk part of the lever is engaged and mounted in the second approximately circularly-shaped recess of the base and a waterproof ring is inserted and mounted between the first circumferential groove of the lever and the second circumferential groove of the base opposite each other to form the watertight space between the first and third approximately circularly-shaped recesses. An appropriate switch mechanism includes a movable contact spring piece equipped with contacts and fixed contacts. The movable contact spring piece is mounted in the watertight space. By virtue of rotation, restoration of the disk part by rotation at the set angle, and restoration of the lever part of the lever projected outside the base, a circular-arc-shaped projection, projecting outwardly toward an inner face of the first approximately circularly-shaped recess of the lever, pushes and releases an actuating part of the switch mechanism to operate the switch.