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:
Jan. 27, 2009
Filed:
Feb. 07, 2008
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An in-vehicle knob switch comprises a tubular housing that has an opening disposed in a portion of an outer circumferential surface thereof, a holder that is disposed inside the housing, a circuit board that is fixed to the holder, and a push switch that is mounted on one surface of the circuit board that faces the holder. The in-vehicle knob switch also comprises a slide operating type electric part that is mounted on the other surface of the circuit board, an operating key that pushes the push switch, and a rotating body that has a tubular driving portion that can operate the slide operating type electric part. The operating key is exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening. The rotating body includes an operating ring portion that is rotatable and exposed from the outer circumferential surface of the housing. A spiral hole engaged with a slider of the slide operating type electric part is disposed in a portion of a circumferential wall of the tubular driving portion. A cutout portion into which the operating key is loosely inserted is provided in another portion of the circumferential wall that is substantially opposite to the spiral hole. The cutout portion is disposed such that the tubular driving portion substantially does not interfere with the operating key within the rotation range of the rotating body.