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:
Feb. 04, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2000
Arul S. Krishna, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Hikita Shinichi, Niwa Gun, JP;
TRAM, Inc., Plymouth, MI (US);
Abstract
A switch for controlling delivery of electrical power to a plurality of vehicle lighting systems, such as headlamps and parking lamps, as well as specialized vehicle lighting systems, such as a fog lamps, and one or more automatic mode settings. The switch has a first circuit contact system for controlling delivery of electrical energy to one or more combinations of the vehicle lighting systems. A second circuit contact controls delivery of electrical energy to the specialized vehicle lighting system. Manipulation of a switch control selects the control states of the first and second circuit contact systems. The first circuit contact system is urged in a rotational direction of travel, as the second circuit contact system is urged in an axial direction of travel. A control state limiter is provided to limit the second circuit contact system to the first control state when the first circuit contact system is in a predetermined one of the plurality of corresponding the selectable control states. Thus, for example, the vehicle's fog lamps, cannot remain “on” when the headlamps and parking lamps have been turned “off.”