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EP0160905A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Control lever for a control device for vehicle signalling and/or operating devices

Assignee: Fiat Auto SpA
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Filing: 1985-04-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-04-26
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Abstract

Abstract The control lever (1) is provided with a hollow body (4) externally carrying rotatable control rings (18, 19) and internally carrying switches (16) which are switchable by rotating the rings, said switches (16) being provided with contact boards carried by respective printed circuits (23) and being mounted rigidly by way of said printed circuits (23) on a main printed circuit (14) slidably inserted into said body (4) to thus also form the necessary electrical connections; the main printed circuit carries LEDs (41) for illuminating indicator means (50) carried by the body (4) and also carries the cables (37) for connection to the vehicle electrical circuit, to constitute a unit on which all the electrical devices contained in said lever (1) can be premounted and which can then be slidably inserted into said body (4) by a single operation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Franco Recluta
  • 👤 Ugo Contato

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 14:24
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60Q; B60Q1/00; B60Q1/02; B60Q1/04; B60Q1/14; B60Q1/1446; B60Q1/1453; B60Q1/1461; B60Q1/1469; B60Q1/1476

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 210 words
A control lever (1) for a control device for vehicle signalling and/or operating devices, characterised by comprising an internally hollow cylindrical body (4) open at a first end (5) and provided at a second ene (6), aamely the opposite end to the first, with a connection element (7) formed integrally with said body (4) and arranged to be hinged into a control box (2) which supports said lever (1), a first printed circuit (14) housed inside said body (4) and carrying at a first end (35) a plurality of cables (37) for connection to the vehicle electrical circuit, at least one first switch (16), which is provided with a fixed contact board (22) carried by a second printed circuit (23) disposed substantially orthogonal to said first printed circuit (14), and which is rigidly fixed to this latter by way of said printed circuit (23), means (52, 54) for enabling said first printed circuit (14) to be bayonet-fitted into said body (4) when said switch (16) has already been rigidly premounted on this latter, means for closing said first end of the hollow body (24), and at least one ring (18, 19) mounted idly on the outside of said body (4) and arranged to control the switching of said switch (16).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 210 words
A control lever (1) for a control device for vehicle signalling and/or operating devices, characterised by comprising an internally hollow cylindrical body (4) open at a first end (5) and provided at a second ene (6), aamely the opposite end to the first, with a connection element (7) formed integrally with said body (4) and arranged to be hinged into a control box (2) which supports said lever (1), a first printed circuit (14) housed inside said body (4) and carrying at a first end (35) a plurality of cables (37) for connection to the vehicle electrical circuit, at least one first switch (16), which is provided with a fixed contact board (22) carried by a second printed circuit (23) disposed substantially orthogonal to said first printed circuit (14), and which is rigidly fixed to this latter by way of said printed circuit (23), means (52, 54) for enabling said first printed circuit (14) to be bayonet-fitted into said body (4) when said switch (16) has already been rigidly premounted on this latter, means for closing said first end of the hollow body (24), and at least one ring (18, 19) mounted idly on the outside of said body (4) and arranged to control the switching of said switch (16).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 84 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said first end (35) of said first printed circuit (14) is disposed adjacent to said second end (6) of said cylindrical body (4), this latter end being provided with a through aperture (13) through which said cables (37) emerge from said body (4), said aperture (13) being of such dimensions as to be able to be traversed by an electrical connector (38) into which the free ends of said cables (37) converge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 83 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said means for closing said first end (5) of said body (4) comprise a cover (42), a second switch (39) carried rigidly by said cover (42) and electrically connected to the second end (34) of said first printed circuit (14), and a control pushbutton (40) for said second switch (39), said pushbutton (40) being snap-mounted on this latter and disposed coaxially to and projecting from said cylindrical body (4).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 90 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 3, characterised by comprising a pair of said rings (18, 19), each controlling the switching of a respective first switch (16), a first of said rings (19) being mounted on said body (14) at said first end (5) thereof and comprising a terminal collar portion (48) disposed projecting from said body (4) and arranged to define a slide seat for said pushbutton (40), the second of said rings (18) being disposed to the side of the first at a predetermined distance therefrom.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 146 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said first printed circuit (14) carries, in a position corresponding with the axial position of each of said rings (18, 19), the corresponding first switch (16), which comprises a casing (20) closed at one end by the corresponding said second printed circuit (23), a rotating drum (21) disposed inside said casing (20) and provided with stop means (26) of snap type for selectively positioning said drum (21) in a plurality of different angular positions, and a multiple sliding contact (24) carried by said drum (21) and arranged to cooperate with said fixed contact board (22) of the second printed circuit (23); said rings (18, 19) being provided with transmission means (52) for causing said drums (21) of the first switches (16) to rotate as a result of the rotation of said rings (18, 19).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 63 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that said body (4) is provided, between said first and second rings (18, 19), with a through aperture (49) closed by a transparent panel (50), said first printed circuit (14) carrying in a position underlying said transparent panel (50) at least one illumination LED (41) disposed between said corresponding first switches (16).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 116 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that each of said rings (18, 19) is provided, in a position corresponding with said transparent panel (50), with a seat for housing a pointer (55) which is also of transparent material construction and becomes illuminated as a consequence of the lighting of said LED (41), said pointer (55) being provided with a pin (52) which radially traverses said ring (18, 19) and a corresponding slot (53) in said body (4) in order to become inserted into a corresponding bore (54) in the underlying drum of said corresponding first switch (16), so as to make said drum (21) angularly rigid with said ring (18, 19).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 86 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said means for bayonet-fitting said first printed circuit (14) comprise at least one pair of axial grooves (52) and a pair of corresponding projections (58) arranged to slidably engage in these latter, the former pair being provided in the inner surface of said hollow cylindrical body (4) and the latter pair being provided on at least one of said first switches (16) carried rigidly by said first printed circuit (14).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 54 words
A control lever (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said ring (18, 19) is provided with an elastic tooth (45) which can snap-engage with a corresponding outer groove (46) on said body (4) in order to axially but demountably lock said ring on to said body (4).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE2835256A1 Cited

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