Vehicle safety control apparatus having a self-adjusting switch

Claim 1

IN A VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH A TRANSMISSION HAVING SELECTOR MEANS MOVABLE TO A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS TO ESTABLISH DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION OPERATING RANGES INCLUDING REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE AND PARK, CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A PLURALITY OF CIRCUITS INCLUDING A VEHICLE ENGINE CRANKING CIRCUIT AND A BACKUP LIGHT CIRCUIT, SAID CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING A LEVER PLATE MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE SELECTOR MEANS AND PROVIDED WITH A CAM SURFACE COMPOSED OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE AND NON-CONDUCTIVE AREAS, AND A SWITCH HAVING CONTACTS WHEREBY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF CIRCUITS CAN BE OPENED AND CLOSED, SAID SWITCH HAVING A FIRST CAM ENGAGEABLE FLOATING PORTION, AT LEAST ONE CONTACT CARRIED BY SAID FIRST FLOATING PORTION, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID FLOATING PORTION INTO SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM SURFACE, AND A SECOND FLOATING CAM ENGAGEABLE PORTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTACT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CONTACT OF SAID FIRST FLOATING PORTION SO AS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF COOPERATING CONTACTS, SAID CAM SURFACE OF SAID LEVER PLATE HAVING A CONFIGURATION ADAPTED TO MOVE ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM ENGAGEABLE PORTIONS OF SAID SWITCH RELATIVE TO THE OTHER WHEN THE CAM IS MOVED TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION.