Multipositional switch construction

Claim 2

A multipositional selector switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching wheel indexable to assume a number of different selected switching positions, rotary wiper switch means possessing at least two contact fingers and carried for rotation by said switching wheel, a circuit board having a plurality of contact track means, said circuit board cooperating with said rotary wiper switch means such that for each selected switching position of said switching wheel at least two of said contact track means are electrically coupled with one another via said contact fingers, said circuit board being equipped with a plurality of spaced recesses, cam means provided for at least one of said contact fingers, said cam means for each switching position of said switching wheel being located in an associated one of said recesses, with said one contact finger then contacting an associated contact track means and the other contact finger contacting another contact track means, to thus electrically connect said associated contact track means and said another contact track means with one another, said cam means upon rotation of said switching wheel into its next switching position moving out of said associated one recess and along the surface of said circuit board to thereby rapidly raise said one contact finger provided with said cam means from its associated contact track means located at said circuit board, to thereby interrupt the previously established electrical connection of said associated contact track means and said another contact track means with one another.

Claim 3

A multipositional selector switch as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said contact track means is a substantially ring-shaped contact member, said rotary wiper switch means electrically coupling by means of said contact fingers bearing upon said contact track means said ring-shaped contact member with one of the remaining contact track means as said switching wheel assumes its different switching positions.

Claim 4

A multipositional selector switch as defined in claim 1, wherein the spacing between said contact track means of said circuit board amounts to at least 3 mm. at all locations.

Claim 5

A multipositional selector switch as defined in claim 1, further including a switch housing for receiving said switching wheel, rotary wiper switch means and said circuit board, said switch housing being provided with through passage openings capable of receiving connecting screw means for connecting together a plurality of such multipositional selector switches into a switch assembly.

Claim 6

A multipositional selector switch as defined in claim 4, wherein said through passage openings for said connecting screw means have associated therewith at one side protruding externally conical sleeve means and at the other side being provided with internal conical surface means, in order to receive the external conical protruding sleeve means of the neighboring multipositional selector switch.

Claim 7

A multipositional selector switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching wheel indexable to assume a number of different selected positions, rotary wiper switch means possessing at least two contact fingers and carried for rotation by said switching wheel, a circuit board having a plurality of contact track means, said contact track means including a plurality of contact segments and at least one substantially ring-shaped contact member, said circuit board cooperating with said rotary wiper switch means such that for each selected switching positIon of said switching wheel at least two of said contact track means are electrically coupled with one another via said contact fingers, said circuit board being equipped with a plurality of spaced recesses intermediate said contact segments and said ring-shaped contact member, cam means provided for at least one of said contact fingers, said cam means for each switching position of said switching wheel being located in one of said recesses, during which time said one contact finger is in conductive contact with a given associated contact track means and said other contact finger is in conductive contact with said ring-shaped contact member, to thus electrically connect said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member, said cam means upon rotation of said switching wheel into its next switching position moving out of said one recess in a direction away from and substantially perpendicular to the surface of said circuit board and then along the surface of said circuit board, to thereby rapidly raise said one contact finger provided with said cam means out of said conductive contact with said associated contact track means located at said circuit board, to thereby interrupt the previously established electrical connection of said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member.

Claim 8

A multipositional selector switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching wheel indexable to assume a number of different selected positions, rotary wiper switch means possessing at least two contact fingers and carried for rotation by said switching wheel, a circuit board having a plurality of contact track means, said contact track means including a plurality of contact segments and at least one substantially ring-shaped contact member, said circuit board cooperating with said rotary wiper switch means such that for each selected switching positIon of said switching wheel at least two of said contact track means are electrically coupled with one another via said contact fingers, said circuit board being equipped with a plurality of spaced recesses intermediate said contact segments and said ring-shaped contact member, cam means provided for at least one of said contact fingers, said cam means for each switching position of said switching wheel being located in one of said recesses, during which time said one contact finger is in conductive contact with a given associated contact track means and said other contact finger is in conductive contact with said ring-shaped contact member, to thus electrically connect said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member, said cam means upon rotation of said switching wheel into its next switching position moving out of said one recess in a direction away from and substantially perpendicular to the surface of said circuit board and then along the surface of said circuit board, to thereby rapidly raise said one contact finger provided with said cam means out of said conductive contact with said associated contact track means located at said circuit board, to thereby interrupt the previously established electrical connection of said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member.

Claim 9

A multipositional selector switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching wheel indexable to assume a number of different selected positions, rotary wiper switch means possessing at least two contact fingers each having a contact rivet and carried for rotation by said switching wheel, a circuit board having a plurality of contact track means, said contact track means including a plurality of contact segments and at least one substantially ring-shaped contact member said circuit board cooperating with said rotary wiper switch means such that for each selected switching position of said switching wheel at least two of said contact track means are electrically coupled with one another via said contact rivets of said contact fingers, said circuit board being equipped with a plurality of spaced recesses intermediate said contact segments and said ring-shaped contact member, cam means carried by at least one of said contact fingers for movement along a path completely out of the operable zone of said plurality of contact track means, said cam means therefore never physically contacting said plurality of contact track means, said cam means for each switching position of said switching wheel being located in one of said recesses, during which time said one contact finger is in conductive contact via its associated contact rivet with a given associated contact track means and the other contact finger being in conductive contact via its associated contact rivet with said ring-shaped contact member, to thereby electrically connect said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member, said cam means upon rotation of said switching wheel into its next switching position moving out of said one recess in a direction away from the surface of said circuit board and approximately perpendicular thereto and then moving again along the surface of said circuit board, to thereby rapidly raise said one contact finger provided with said cam means out of said conductive contact with said associated contact track means and its associated contact rivet out of physical contact with said circuit board, thereby suppressing switch sparking and the spreading of contaminants between said plurality of contact track means when moving said one contact finger between adjacent ones of said contact track means.

Claim 10

A multipositional selector switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching wheel indexable to assume a number of different selected positions, rotary wiper switch means possessing at least two contact fingers each having a contact rivet and carried for rotation by said switching wheel, a circuit board having a plurality of contact track means, said contact track means including a plurality of contact segments and at least one substantially ring-shaped contact member said circuit board cooperating with said rotary wiper switch means such that for each selected switching position of said switching wheel at least two of said contact track means are electrically coupled with one another via said contact rivets of said contact fingers, said circuit board being equipped with a plurality of spaced recesses intermediate said contact segments and said ring-shaped contact member, cam means carried by at least one of said contact fingers for movement along a path completely out of the operable zone of said plurality of contact track means, said cam means therefore never physically contacting said plurality of contact track means, said cam means for each switching position of said switching wheel being located in one of said recesses, during which time said one contact finger is in conductive contact via its associated contact rivet with a given associated contact track means and the other contact finger being in conductive contact via its associated contact rivet with said ring-shaped contact member, to thereby electrically connect said associated contact track means with said ring-shaped contact member, said cam means upon rotation of said switching wheel into its next switching position moving out of said one recess in a direction away from the surface of said circuit board and approximately perpendicular thereto and then moving again along the surface of said circuit board, to thereby rapidly raise said one contact finger provided with said cam means out of said conductive contact with said associated contact track means and its associated contact rivet out of physical contact with said circuit board, thereby suppressing switch sparking and the spreading of contaminants between said plurality of contact track means when moving said one contact finger between adjacent ones of said contact track means.