Thumbwheel switch assembly with improved gang housing interlocking means

Claim 2

A switch structure, comprising: a switch case having wall members; an electrical contact carrying member mounted adjacent to said wall members and carrying first electrical contacts; second electrical contacts mounted in said case and adapted to cooperate with said first contacts to make and break circuits; plate means mounted adjacent to said wall members to hold said contact carrying member in position in said case; and interlocking means formed in said wall members and in said plate means, said interlocking means comprising projection members formed on said plate means and projection receiving members formed in said adjacent wall members, said interlocking members positioning and aligning said contact carrying member and holding said plate means and said contact carrying member in place on said switch case.

Claim 3

A switch structure, comprising: a switch case having wall members; an electrical contact carrying member mounted adjacent to said wall members and carrying first electrical contacts; second electrical contacts mounted in said case and adapted to cooperate with said first contacts to make and break circuits; plate means mounted adjacent to said wall members to hold said contact carrying member in position in said case; and interlocking means formed in said wall members and in said plate means, said interlocking means comprising projection members formed on said plate means and projection receiving members formed in said adjacent wall members, said interlocking members positioning and aligning said contact carrying member and holding said plate means and said contact carrying member in place on said switch case.

Claim 4

A switch structure, comprising: a switch case having wall members; an electrical contact carrying member mounted adjacent to said wall members and carrying first electrical contacts; second electrical contacts mounted in said case and adapted to cooperate with said first contacts to make and break circuits; plate means mounted adjacent to said wall members to hold said contact carrying member in position in said case; and interlocking means formed in said wall members and in said plate means, said interlocking means comprising projection members formed on said plate means and projection receiving members formed in said adjacent wall members, said interlocking members positioning and aligning said contact carrying member and holding said plate means and said contact carrying member in place on said switch case.

Claim 5

A switch structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical contact carrying member comprises a printed circuit plate, said plate means being mounted on the outside of said printed circuit plate to hold said printed circuit plate in said case; said interlocking means comprising pins formed on the inner side of said plate means, said pins projecting through corresponding holes formed in one of said case wall members and engaging the sides of said printed circuit plate in order to align said printed circuit plate and to hold said printed circuit plate and said plate means in said case, said plate means being permanently mounted in position on the case.

Claim 6

A switch structure, comprising: a switch case having wall members, said wall members having projection receiving means; an electrical contact carrying member mounted adjacent to said wall members and carrying first electrical contacts; rotary electrical contact means mounted on said case and adapted to cooperate with said first contacts to make and break circuits; and plate means mounted adjacent to said wall members to hold said contact carrying member in position, said plate means having projections formed on the inner side thereof, said projections being interlocked with said contact carrying member and said projection receiving means when said plate means and said contact carrying member are mounted on said switch case.

Claim 7

A switch structure, comprising: a switch case having wall members, said wall members having projection receiving means; an electrical contact carrying member mounted adjacent to said wall members and carrying first electrical contacts; rotary electrical contact means mounted on said case and adapted to cooperate with said first contacts to make and break circuits; and plate means mounted adjacent to said wall members to hold said contact carrying member in position, said plate means having projections formed on the inner side thereof, said projections being interlocked with said contact carrying member and said projection receiving means when said plate means and said contact carrying member are mounted on said switch case.

Claim 8

A switch structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said switch case has front, top, rear, and bottom wall members and a transverse wall member extending between the aforementioned four wall members, and further comprising: an end plate mounted on each end of the switch case to close the sides of the switch case; interengaging members formed in the switch case which are designed to mate with corresponding interengaging members formed in the end plates in order to accurately align the end plates and the switch case and to prevent movement of the end plates and the switch with respect to each other about a horizontal axis parallel to the said front wall; said plate means being mounted between one of said end plates and said electrical contact carrying member, said plate means having pins formed on the inner side thereof which project through corresponding holes formed in said transverse wall member and which engage notches and a central aperture formed in said electrical contact carrying member in order to align said electrical carrying member and to hold said electrical contact carrying member and said plate means in said case, said plate means being permanently mounted in position on said case.

Claim 9

A switch structure, comprising: a case having front, top, rear, and bottom wall members and a transverse member extending between the aforementioned four wall members; said front wall member having an open window section; a printed circuit plate composed of insulating material mounted on said case, said printed circuit plate having first electrical contacts formed thereon and having apertures formed therein; a cover plate mounted on the outside of said printed circuit plate to hold said printed circuit plate in said case, said cover plate having pins formed on the inner side thereof which project through corresponding holes formed in said transverse member and which engage said apertures in said printed circuit plate in order to align said printed circuit plate and to hold said printed circuit plate and said cover plate in said case, said cover plate being permanently mounted in position; rotary electrical contacts mounted in said case facing in position to cooperate with said first contacts on said printed circuit plate to make and break circuits; a rotatable indicia wheel mounted in said case, said indicia wheel being coupled to said rotary electrical contacts whereby said indicia wheel and said rotary electrical contacts are adapted to rotate together; said indicia wheel bearing different symbols on its periphery corresponding respectively to different switch positions, a selected one of said symbols being registered in an indicia indicating position where it is visible through said window when the indicia wheel is moved to one of said different switch positions.

Claim 10

A switch structure, comprising: a case having front, top, rear, and bottom wall members and a transverse member extending between the aforementioned four wall members; said front wall member having an open window section; a printed circuit plate composed of insulating material mounted on said case, said printed circuit plate having first electrical contacts formed thereon and having apertures formed therein; a cover plate mounted on the outside of said printed circuit plate to hold said printed circuit plate in said case, said cover plate having pins formed on the inner side thereof which project through corresponding holes formed in said transverse member and which engage said apertures in said printed circuit plate in order to align said printed circuit plate and to hold said printed circuit plate and said cover plate in said case, said cover plate being permanently mounted in position; rotary electrical contacts mounted in said case facing in position to cooperate with said first contacts on said printed circuit plate to make and break circuits; a rotatable indicia wheel mounted in said case, said indicia wheel being coupled to said rotary electrical contacts whereby said indicia wheel and said rotary electrical contacts are adapted to rotate together; said indicia wheel bearing different symbols on its periphery corresponding respectively to different switch positions, a selected one of said symbols being registered in an indicia indicating position where it is visible through said window when the indicia wheel is moved to one of said different switch positions.

Claim 11

A switch structure comprising a stationary switch structure and a rotary switch structure, said stationary switch structure comprising: a case having front, top, rear, and bottom wall members and a transverse wall member extending between the aforementioned four wall members, said five wall members of said case constituting a unitary rigid structure; an end plate mounted on each end of said switch case to close the sides of said switch case; interengaging members formed in the switch case which are designed to mate with corresponding interengaging members formed in the end plates in order to accurately align the end plates and the switch case and to prevent movement of the end plates and the switch case with respect to each other about a horizontal axis parallel to said front wall; said transverse wall member providing a recessed well on one side thereof and a corresponding cylindrical protrusion on the other side thereof; said front wall member having an open window section opposite said cylindrical protrusion; a bore in the center of the well; a printed circuit plate composed of insulating material mounted opposite said well and having first electrical contacts formed thereon, said printed circuit plate having an aperture formed in the central portion thereof and notches formed on the sides thereof, said printed circuit plate and said first contacts projecting rearwardly from said front wall; a cover plate mounted between one of said end brackets and said printed circuit plate, said cover plate having pins formed on the inner side thereof which project through corresponding holes formed in said transverse wall member and which engage said notches and said central aperture of said printed circuit plate in order to align said printed circuit plate and to hOld said printed circuit plate against said transverse wall member, said cover plate being permanently mounted in position by heat staking said cover plate pins on the opposite side of said transverse wall member; said rotary switch structure comprising: a rotatable brush wheel mounted in said well and bearing second electrical contacts facing and engaging the first contacts on said printed circuit plate; a rotatable indicia wheel encircling said cylindrical protrusion, said indicia wheel being connected to said brush wheel by shaft means extending through said bore whereby said indicia wheel and said brush wheel are adapted to rotate together; said indicia wheel bearing different symbols on its periphery corresponding respectively to different switch positions, a selected one of said symbols being registered in an indicia indicating position where it is visible through said window when the indicia wheel is moved to one of said different switch positions; said indicia wheel also bearing a plurality of radially extending finger lugs on its periphery, successive ones of which are spaced apart by an amount sufficient to receive the distal portion of an operator''s finger, at least one lug of said wheel projecting at any one time radially outward through said open window whereby said lug is accessible from the front of said switch for operation by the finger of the user; the top and bottom walls of the switch case and the end plates having a recessed portion extending around the outside of the switch structure; two ridges formed on each end plate in said recessed portion, said ridges being spaced from the end of each end plate and extending the full width of said recessed portion but being narrow compared with the height of said end plates; and two identical U-shaped bands adapted to lie within said recessed portion and together to embrace the switch structure and to secure the parts of the switch structure together.

Claim 12

A switch structure comprising a stationary switch structure and a rotary switch structure, said stationary switch structure comprising: a case having front, top, rear, and bottom wall members and a transverse wall member extending between the aforementioned four wall members, said five wall members of said case constituting a unitary rigid structure; an end plate mounted on each end of said switch case to close the sides of said switch case; interengaging members formed in the switch case which are designed to mate with corresponding interengaging members formed in the end plates in order to accurately align the end plates and the switch case and to prevent movement of the end plates and the switch case with respect to each other about a horizontal axis parallel to said front wall; said transverse wall member providing a recessed well on one side thereof and a corresponding cylindrical protrusion on the other side thereof; said front wall member having an open window section opposite said cylindrical protrusion; a bore in the center of the well; a printed circuit plate composed of insulating material mounted opposite said well and having first electrical contacts formed thereon, said printed circuit plate having an aperture formed in the central portion thereof and notches formed on the sides thereof, said printed circuit plate and said first contacts projecting rearwardly from said front wall; a cover plate mounted between one of said end brackets and said printed circuit plate, said cover plate having pins formed on the inner side thereof which project through corresponding holes formed in said transverse wall member and which engage said notches and said central aperture of said printed circuit plate in order to align said printed circuit plate and to hOld said printed circuit plate against said transverse wall member, said cover plate being permanently mounted in position by heat staking said cover plate pins on the opposite side of said transverse wall member; said rotary switch structure comprising: a rotatable brush wheel mounted in said well and bearing second electrical contacts facing and engaging the first contacts on said printed circuit plate; a rotatable indicia wheel encircling said cylindrical protrusion, said indicia wheel being connected to said brush wheel by shaft means extending through said bore whereby said indicia wheel and said brush wheel are adapted to rotate together; said indicia wheel bearing different symbols on its periphery corresponding respectively to different switch positions, a selected one of said symbols being registered in an indicia indicating position where it is visible through said window when the indicia wheel is moved to one of said different switch positions; said indicia wheel also bearing a plurality of radially extending finger lugs on its periphery, successive ones of which are spaced apart by an amount sufficient to receive the distal portion of an operator''s finger, at least one lug of said wheel projecting at any one time radially outward through said open window whereby said lug is accessible from the front of said switch for operation by the finger of the user; the top and bottom walls of the switch case and the end plates having a recessed portion extending around the outside of the switch structure; two ridges formed on each end plate in said recessed portion, said ridges being spaced from the end of each end plate and extending the full width of said recessed portion but being narrow compared with the height of said end plates; and two identical U-shaped bands adapted to lie within said recessed portion and together to embrace the switch structure and to secure the parts of the switch structure together.