Electric switch assemblies with spring biased rotatable knob actuator for gear shift lever or the like

Claim 2

An electric switch comprising a housing in the shape of a bulbous knob and formed of at least two parts, means mounting said paRts for rotation relative to one another about an axis, means for attaching the housing to one free end of a rod-like control lever with said axis co-axial therewith, switch contacts, means positioning said contacts within said housing, a first and a second elongate recess of semicircular cross-section provided complementarily in said parts to form a cylindrical cavity, and coiled compression spring means within said cavity operable between the cavity ends for biassing the two housing parts into a normal relative position.

Claim 3

A switch as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring means forms an electrical connection between said switch contacts.

Claim 4

A switch as defined in claim 2, wherein said switch contacts are disposed at opposite ends of said cavity in said two parts of said housing, and said spring means forms an electrical connection between said contacts in said normal relative position of said housing parts.

Claim 5

A switch as defined in claim 2, wherein said switch contacts are disposed at opposite ends of said cavity in one part of said housing, and said spring means forms an electrical connection between said contacts in said normal relative position of said housing parts.

Claim 6

A switch as defined in claim 2, wherein two switch contacts are disposed at one end of said cavity, and said spring means forms an electrical connection between said contacts in said normal relative position of said housing parts.

Claim 7

A switch as defined in claim 2, wherein said compression spring means comprises a first coil spring and a second, smaller diameter, coil spring disposed within said first coil spring, both said springs making said connection between said switch contacts and wherein one of said recesses has a longitudinal extension dimensioned to accommodate said smaller diameter coil spring but not said larger diameter coil spring whereby relative rotation of the housing parts in one direction away from their said normal relative position is initially resisted by said first coil and only subsequently and additionally resisted by said smaller coil spring, said connection being meanwhile maintained by said second coil spring.

Claim 8

A switch as defined in claim 1, comprising a contact in one part of said housing, a conductive pin in the other part of said housing, and means mounting said pin to project towards said one housing part for engagement with said contact.

Claim 9

A switch as defined in claim 7, comprising an arcuate recess in said one housing part and means mounting said pin-engageable contact in said arcuate recess.

Claim 10

A switch as defined in claim 1, comprising in said housing a thyristor having a main conductive circuit and a firing circuit, and means electrically coupling said circuits to said contacts for maintaining said main circuit normally closed, said coupling means being co-operative with said contacts positioning means for rendering said main circuit open upon relative rotation of said housing parts in one direction and said firing circuit open upon relative rotation of said housing parts in another direction opposite to said one direction.

Claim 11

A switch as defined in claim 1 actuable by relative rotation of said parts away from said normal relative position and automatically returnable thereto by said spring means, wherein said contacts positioning mean comprises a device bearing one of said contacts rotatable relative to another of said contacts fixed within said housing, said switch comprising a ratchet mechanism in one of said housing parts, a peg in the other of said housing parts and projecting towards said one housing part for operating said ratchet mechanism, and means operably connecting said contact device to said ratchet mechanism for imparting continuing step-wise angular displacement of said contact device in response to successive switch actuations.

Claim 12

An electric switch comprising a housing forming a bulbous knob having an axis of symmetry, attachment means for attaching said switch to one free end of a rod-like control lever with saId axis extending therealong, first and second housing parts forming said housing and having respectively first and second surfaces each defining an elongate recess of semi-circular transverse section, means mounting said housing parts for angular displacement relative to one another about said axis with said first and second surfaces facing and closely adjacent one another to dispose said recesses and complementarily to one another for defining a cylindrical cavity, contact elements at at least one end of said cavity, and electrically conductive coiled compression spring means within said cavity for urging said housing parts against said angular displacement into a normal relative position in which said spring means electrically interconnects said contact elements.

Claim 13

An electric switch comprising a housing forming a bulbous knob having an axis of symmetry, attachment means for attaching said switch to one free end of a rod-like control lever with saId axis extending therealong, first and second housing parts forming said housing and having respectively first and second surfaces each defining an elongate recess of semi-circular transverse section, means mounting said housing parts for angular displacement relative to one another about said axis with said first and second surfaces facing and closely adjacent one another to dispose said recesses and complementarily to one another for defining a cylindrical cavity, contact elements at at least one end of said cavity, and electrically conductive coiled compression spring means within said cavity for urging said housing parts against said angular displacement into a normal relative position in which said spring means electrically interconnects said contact elements.

Claim 14

An electric switch comprising a housing forming a bulbous knob having an axis of symmetry, attachment means for attaching said switch to one free end of a rod-like control lever with said axis extending therealong, first and second housing parts forming said housing and having respectively first and second surfaces each defining an elongate recess of semi-circular transverse section, means mounting said housing parts for angular displacement relative to one another about said axis with said first and second surfaces facing and closely adjacent one another to dispose said recesses complementarily to one another for defining a cylindrical cavity, contact elements at at least one end of said cavity, and electrically conductive coiled compression spring means within said cavity for urging said housing parts against said angular displacement into a normal relative position in which said spring means electrically interconnects said contact elements, said spring means comprising a first coil spring having a first diametral dimension, and a second coil spring having a second diametral dimension less than said first diametral dimension disposed within said first coil spring, both said first and second coil springs engaging said contact elements when said housing parts are in their said normal relative position, and wherein, at said one end of said cavity, one of said recesses is provided with an extension of transverse dimension less than said first diametral dimension for accommodating said second coil spring and enabling the latter to electrically interconnect said contact elements until a predetermined angular displacement of said housing parts from said normal relative position is exceeded.

Claim 15

An electric switch comprising a housing forming a bulbous knob having an axis of symmetry, attachment means for attaching said switch to one free end of a rod-like control lever with said axis extending therealong, first and second housing parts forming said housing and having respectively first and second surfaces each defining an elongate recess of semi-circular transverse section, means mounting said housing parts for angular displacement relative to one another about said axis with said first and second surfaces facing and closely adjacent one another to dispose said recesses complementarily to one another for defining a cylindrical cavity, contact elements at at least one end of said cavity, and electrically conductive coiled compression spring means within said cavity for urging said housing parts against said angular displacement into a normal relative position in which said spring means electrically interconnects said contact elements, said spring means comprising a first coil spring having a first diametral dimension, and a second coil spring having a second diametral dimension less than said first diametral dimension disposed within said first coil spring, both said first and second coil springs engaging said contact elements when said housing parts are in their said normal relative position, and wherein, at said one end of said cavity, one of said recesses is provided with an extension of transverse dimension less than said first diametral dimension for accommodating said second coil spring and enabling the latter to electrically interconnect said contact elements until a predetermined angular displacement of said housing parts from said normal relative position is exceeded.

Claim 16

A switch as defined in claim 12, wherein said contact elements are disposed at opposite ends of said cavity in said two parts of said housing.

Claim 17

A switch as defined in claim 12, wherein said contact elements are disposed at opposite ends of said cavity in one part of said housing.

Claim 18

A switch as defined in claim 12, wherein two said contact elements are disposed at one end of said cavity.