Rotary switch with improved printed circuit contact and terminal connection array

Claim 2

A rotary switch which comprises a housing, rotatable means positioned and rotatable in said housing, means responsive to rotation of said rotatable means to provide a coded output, said means comprising a printed circuit board having discrete conductive paths thereon and conductive fingers secured to said rotatable means for contacting preselected ones of said conductive paths, wherein said rotatable means comprises a substantially disc-shaped member defining an annular aperture closely paralleling the outer edge thereof extending partially therearound to provide a spring member, wherein said housing includes plural spaced notches abutting the outer edge of said rotatable member and an outwardly extending detent on said spring member for mating with said notches, further including conductive spring means frictionally connected to both sides of said printed circuit board and positioned over one of said discrete conductive paths, wherein said housing includes a plurality of slits extending to one edge thereof and parallel to the axis thereof to provide a spring action thereto and means in said housing for locking said rotatable means, and said means to provide a coded output therein, further including an insulating sheet positioned between said conductive paths and said conductive fingers, said sheet having apertures therein in preselected locations to permit contact of said conductive fingers with preselected ones of said conductive paths.

Claim 3

A rotary switch as set forth in claim 1 further including an insulating support secured to the side of said printed circuit board opposite said conductive paths, said support having apertures therein, said conductive spring means extending through said apertures in said support.

Claim 4

A rotary switch, comprising: a housing of insulation material, said housing being generally cylindrical and provided thereon with a circumferentially protruding detent and a protruding rotary portion, said housing further being provided with a brush of conducting material, said brush being provided with a plurality of conducting fingers, a printed circuit board provided thereon with a plurality of conducting circuit paths selectively engageable by said conductive fingers, each of said paths terminating adjacent a peripheral edge of said printed circUit board, a plurality of electrical contacts, each of said electrical contacts being fabricated from an electrically conducting material and provided with a hook portion and a finger portion, the hooked portions of said contacts being received over said peripheral edge of said printed circuit board and electrically engaging a corresponding conducting circuit path, a plate-shaped connector support of insulation material overlying said printed circuit board and provided with a plurality of apertures respectively receiving therethrough said finger portions of said electrical contacts, a generally cylindrical case of insulation material having a first recessed portion receiving said housing therein, said first recessed portion being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced first notches selectively receiving said detent therein, said case being provided with a central aperture receiving therethrough said protruding portion of said housing, said case including a second recessed portion receiving said printed circuit board therein, said case further receiving said connector support therein, said case further including flange means latchably overlying said connector support and retaining said connector support and said printed circuit board and said housing internally of said case.

Claim 5

A rotary switch, comprising: a housing of insulation material, said housing being generally cylindrical and provided thereon with a circumferentially protruding detent and a protruding rotary portion, said housing further being provided with a brush of conducting material, said brush being provided with a plurality of conducting fingers, a printed circuit board provided thereon with a plurality of conducting circuit paths selectively engageable by said conductive fingers, each of said paths terminating adjacent a peripheral edge of said printed circUit board, a plurality of electrical contacts, each of said electrical contacts being fabricated from an electrically conducting material and provided with a hook portion and a finger portion, the hooked portions of said contacts being received over said peripheral edge of said printed circuit board and electrically engaging a corresponding conducting circuit path, a plate-shaped connector support of insulation material overlying said printed circuit board and provided with a plurality of apertures respectively receiving therethrough said finger portions of said electrical contacts, a generally cylindrical case of insulation material having a first recessed portion receiving said housing therein, said first recessed portion being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced first notches selectively receiving said detent therein, said case being provided with a central aperture receiving therethrough said protruding portion of said housing, said case including a second recessed portion receiving said printed circuit board therein, said case further receiving said connector support therein, said case further including flange means latchably overlying said connector support and retaining said connector support and said printed circuit board and said housing internally of said case.

Claim 6

The structure as recited in claim 3, and further including a sheet of insulation material having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said sheet being interposed between said contact fingers of said brush and said printed circuit board, said apertures provided in said sheet selectively overlying respectively said conducting paths on said printed circuit board and selectively receiving respectively said fingers of said brush therein to allow electrical contact between said fingers and said conducting paths.

Claim 7

The structure as recited in claim 3, wherein said case is further provided with a plurality of slits which are circumferentially spaced on said case together with said second notch portions, said flange means includes a plurality of flange portions respectively located between a pair of said slits and adjacent to at least one of said second notch portions for latchably overlying said connector support adjacent said second notch portions.

Claim 8

The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein said flange portions are provided integrally on said case.

Claim 9

The structure as recited in claim 3, wherein said case is further provided with a flange protruding toward said flange means and located between said first recess portion and said second recessed portion of said case, said printed circuit board and said connector support being secured in said case between said flange and said flange means.

Claim 10

The structure as recited in claim 3, wherein said first recessed portion of said case communicates with said second recessed portion of said case, and said aperture of said case communicates with said first recessed portion of said case.

Claim 11

The structure as recited in claim 3, wherein, said second recess of said case includes a plurality of second notches for orienting said printed circuit board and preventing rotation thereof in said case.