Four-way toggle switch with improved joystick control mechanism

Claim 2

In a rotary switch which includes at least one generally planar switch section, a toggle rotor actuating means, comprising: a drive shaft means mounted on a frame for rotation relative to the frame, said switch section being disposed along said drive shaft means with the rotor of said switch section being driven by said drive shaft means, a toggle lever pivotally mounted on the frame for generally linear reciprocating movement, said pivotal mounting being concentric with said drive shaft means, and connecting means between said toggle lever and said drive shaft means for translating linear movement from said toggle lever to rotational movement, through a segment of an arc, of said drive shaft means and, in turn, to said rotor.

Claim 3

The rotary switch of claim 1 including yoke means having a driven yoke member fixed to said drive shaft means and extending outwardly therefrom for rotation therewith, and connecting means between said toggle lever and said yoke means for translating linear movement from said toggle lever to rotational movement of said driven yoke member.

Claim 4

The rotary switch of claim 2 wherein said yoke means includes means defining generally radially disposed surface means engageable by said toggle lever to translate linear movement from the toggle lever to rotational movement of said yoke means.

Claim 5

The rotary switch of claim 3 wherein said surface means is defined by a generally radially disposed slot receiving said toggle lever at a point spaced from its pivotal mounting on said frame, said slot providing for motion of the lever radially in the slot, and with the sides of the slot engaging the lever to translate linear movement from the toggle lever to rotational movement of said yoke means, shaft means and rotor.

Claim 6

The rotary switch of claim 1, including a yoke means comprising a driven yoke member and a drive yoke member, the driven yOke member being fixed to said shaft and extending outwardly therefrom for rotation therewith, the drive yoke member being pivotally mounted on said frame at a point spaced from said shaft for rotational movement in a plane transverse to the axis of the shaft, connecting means between said driven and drive yoke members spaced from said shaft and the pivot point of said drive yoke member providing for simultaneous rotation of the yoke members, and connecting means between said toggle lever and said drive yoke member for translating linear movement from said toggle lever to rotational movement of the drive yoke member, driven yoke member, drive shaft means and rotor.

Claim 7

The rotary switch of claim 5 wherein said driven yoke member includes means defining generally radially disposed surface means, and said drive yoke member has an arm portion extending generally parallel to said drive shaft means and into engagement with said surface means to translate simultaneous rotational movement from said drive yoke member to the driven yoke member.

Claim 8

The rotary switch of claim 6 wherein said surface means is defined by a radially disposed slot in said driven yoke member receiving said arm portion of the drive yoke member, said slot and said arm portion being spaced from and disposed on the side of said shaft generally diametrically opposite the pivot for said drive yoke member.

Claim 9

The rotary switch of claim 7 wherein said connecting means between said toggle lever and said drive yoke member comprises means defining radially disposed surface means intersecting the axis of rotation of said shaft means and engageable by said lever.

Claim 10

The rotary switch of claim 8 wherein said surface means is defined by a generally radially disposed slot receiving said lever at a point spaced from its pivotal mounting on said frame, said slot providing for motion of the lever radially in the slot, and with the sides of the slot engaging the lever to translate linear movement from the lever to rotational movement of the drive yoke member, driven yoke member, drive shaft means and rotor.

Claim 11

In a rotary switch which includes at least a pair of generally planar switch sections, a common toggle rotor actuating means for said switch sections, comprising: drive shaft means including at least a pair of concentric relatively rotatable shaft members, said switch sections being disposed along said drive shaft means with the rotor of each of said switch sections being driven by one of said shaft members, a toggle lever journaled on the frame for generally universal pivoting movement about a pivot point generally on the axis of said shaft means, at least a pair of driven yoke members one fixed to each of said shaft members and extending outwardly therefrom at varying angles for rotation therewith, at least a pair of drive yoke members one associated with each of said driven yoke members and pivotally mounted on said frame at points angularly about said shaft and spaced from said shaft means for rotational movement in planes transverse to the axis of the shaft means, connecting means between each of the associated driven and drive yoke members spaced from said shaft and the pivot points of the drive yoke members providing for simultaneous rotation of the associated driven and drive yoke members, and connecting means between the toggle lever and said drive yoke members for translating linear movement from the toggle lever to rotational movement of one of the driven yoke members when the lever is pivoted in a predetermined linear direction and to rotational movement of the other drive yoke member when the lever is pivoted in a different predetermined linear direction.

Claim 12

In a rotary switch which includes at least a pair of generally planar switch sections, a common toggle rotor actuating means for said switch sections, comprising: drive shaft means including at least a pair of concentric relatively rotatable shaft members, said switch sections being disposed along said drive shaft means with the rotor of each of said switch sections being driven by one of said shaft members, a toggle lever journaled on the frame for generally universal pivoting movement about a pivot point generally on the axis of said shaft means, at least a pair of driven yoke members one fixed to each of said shaft members and extending outwardly therefrom at varying angles for rotation therewith, at least a pair of drive yoke members one associated with each of said driven yoke members and pivotally mounted on said frame at points angularly about said shaft and spaced from said shaft means for rotational movement in planes transverse to the axis of the shaft means, connecting means between each of the associated driven and drive yoke members spaced from said shaft and the pivot points of the drive yoke members providing for simultaneous rotation of the associated driven and drive yoke members, and connecting means between the toggle lever and said drive yoke members for translating linear movement from the toggle lever to rotational movement of one of the driven yoke members when the lever is pivoted in a predetermined linear direction and to rotational movement of the other drive yoke member when the lever is pivoted in a different predetermined linear direction.

Claim 13

The rotary switch of claim 10 including guide means restricting the universal movement of said toggle lever to only said predetermined directions.

Claim 14

The rotary switch of claim 10 wherein the connecting means between said toggle lever and said drive yoke members comprises means defining a radial slot in each of the drive yoke memberS intersecting on the axis of rotation of said shaft means and receiving said toggle lever at points spaced from its universal mounting on said frame, said slots permitting motion of the toggle lever radially in the slots, and with the sides of the slots engaging the toggle lever to translate linear movement from the toggle lever to rotational movement of the drive yoke members.