Switch responsive to brake pedal movement

Claim 2

A pressure responsive switch responsive to pressure applied by the relative movement between interconnecting members at their point of interconnection, said switch comprising: a housing having a fastening portion and a smooth cylindrical shoulder portion adjacent thereto for pivotally interconnecting the members around said shoulder portion, said shoulder portion having an axially extending slot extending from one end thereof toward said fastening portion; a first switch member operatively coupled to said one end of said housing, said member biased in a normal position; a second switch member spaced from said first switch member in operative alignment therewith in said normal position and operable to be slideably engaged with said first switch member in an actuated position; and an actuating member pivotally mounted at one end thereof in said slot of said housing and extending toward and beyond said one end of said housing to be in operative contact with said second switch member and biased radially outward thereby in said normal position, said actuating member responsive to pressure applied intermediate its ends from the relative movement of the interconnecting members for displacing said second switch member into a slideable engagement with said first switch member in said actuated position.

Claim 3

In a vehicle braking system having a master cylinder means, a pressure responsive switch comprising: pedal means pivotally mounted in said vehicle for manually initiating the braking system, said pedal means having a predetermined shaped aperture therein; push rod means having an eyelet end with an aperture therein, said push rod means for translating the arcuate motion of said pedal means into linear motion for actuation of the master cylinder means; fastening means for interconnecting said pedal means and said push rod means having a cylindrical portion with an axially extending slot therealong and a threaded portion adjacent thereto, said threaded portion extending through said aperture in said pedal means and said cylindrical portion extending through said aperture in said push rod limiting against said pedal means; switch means mounted on the end of said fastening means adjacent to said cylindrical portion; and an elongated switch actuator pivotally mounted at one end thereof in said slot adjacent said threaded portion and extending along said slot beyond the end of said fastening means in operative contact with said switch means, said actuator pivoting in response to a predetermined pressure applied at a point intermediate the ends thereof by the relative movement of said pedal means and said push rod for actuating said switch means.

Claim 4

In a vehicle braking system having a master cylinder means, a pressure responsive switch comprising: pedal means pivotally mounted in said vehicle for manually initiating the braking system, said pedal means having a predetermined shaped aperture therein; push rod means having an eyelet end with an aperture therein, said push rod means for translating the arcuate motion of said pedal means into linear motion for actuation of the master cylinder means; fastening means for interconnecting said pedal means and said push rod means having a cylindrical portion with an axially extending slot therealong and a threaded portion adjacent thereto, said threaded portion extending through said aperture in said pedal means and said cylindrical portion extending through said aperture in said push rod limiting against said pedal means; switch means mounted on the end of said fastening means adjacent to said cylindrical portion; and an elongated switch actuator pivotally mounted at one end thereof in said slot adjacent said threaded portion and extending along said slot beyond the end of said fastening means in operative contact with said switch means, said actuator pivoting in response to a predetermined pressure applied at a point intermediate the ends thereof by the relative movement of said pedal means and said push rod for actuating said switch means.

Claim 5

A pressure responsive switch according to claim 2 wherein said switch means comprises: a first switch member biased in a normal position, and a second switch member spaced from said first switch member and in operative alignment therewith, and second switch member biasing said actuator in a radially outward direction in a normal position and responsive to the pressure applied to said actuator by the relative movement of said pedal means and said push rod means for slideably engaging said first switch member.

Claim 6

A pressure responsive switch according to claim 3 further comprising insulation means between said actuator and said second switch member for electrically insulating said actuator from the electrical signals carried by said second switch member and for providing a low coefficient of friction between said second switch member and said actuator when said actuator is being pivoted.

Claim 7

A pressure responsive switch according to claim 3 further comprising: a second switch means responsive to the movement of said actuator and operative to be actuated in timed sequence before the actuation of the other said switch means.

Claim 8

A pressure responsive switch according to claim 2 wherein the diameter of the cylindrical portion of said fastening means is less than the diameter of the aperture in the eyelet end of said push rod whereby said actuator extends beyond the surface of said cylindrical portion when said push rod means and said pedal means are in their normal position and said actuator is substantially flush with said surface of said cylindrical portions when said pedal means moves relative to said push rod means.

Claim 9

A pressure responsive switch according to claim 2 wherein said predetermined shaped aperture in said pedal means is a ''''D'''' shaped aperture having the flat portion of said aperture substantially normal to the axial length of said push rod and the threaded portion of said fastening means has a corresponding ''''D'''' shaped cross-section for aligning said fastener in a predetermined relationship with said pedal means.

Claim 10

In a pressure responsive switch according to claim 7 wherein the side walls of said axially extending slot in said fastener means are parallel to each other and normal to the flat plane of said ''''D'''' shaped threaded portion.