Steering shaft, gear shift lever switch assembly

Claim 2

A switch assembly comprising a support mounted for rotary movement about a predetermined axis, electrical contact means carried by said support for movement therewith, fixed contact means positioned in relation to said rotatable support and said movable contact means carried thereby for engagement with predetermined of said movable contact means as said support is rotated about said axis, resilient means acting on one of said means for producing a force parallel to said axis and providing thereby contact pressure between said fixed and movable contact means and additional means cooperating with said movable contact means, comprising a plurality of resilient arms extending outwardly from the rotary support, for substantially at all times ensuring spatial, contact-free movement of contacts on the ends of said arms in an air gap during their sojourn toward and until engagement with said fixed contact means, said additional means comprising and abutment on which said resilient arms bear until said contacts of said movable contact means engage said fixed contact means, said fixed contact means being positioned at a level for engagement by said contacts of said movable contact means and being adapted for lifting, in consequence of said engagement, said movable contact means above the level of said abutment.

Claim 3

A switch assembly according to claim 1 wherein said fixed contact means comprise fixed contact elements arranged at spaced arcuate intervals and at predetermined radial distances from said support, said additional means comprising an arcuate track on which said movable contact means bear in a region thereof radially inwardly of said terminal portion of said movable contact means adapted to engage said fixed contact means.

Claim 4

A switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein said resilient means is a coil spring bearing on an inner annular region on one side of the movable contact means to urge said movable contact means axially towards the fixed contact means, said additional means comprising an inner support for the movable contact means and being disposed on the opPosite side of the movable contact means and extending along an annular region radially outward of said inner region and remote from said fixed contact means.

Claim 5

A switch assembly according to claim 3, wherein the groups of fixed contact means terminate in contact elements disposed at a common radial distance from the rotary support.

Claim 6

A switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein said movable contact means comprise a plurality of radially extending arms operatively connected to the rotary support, groups of said arms being electrically insulated from one another, said fixed contact means also being provided as groups for cooperation with said groups of arms.

Claim 7

In a vehicle automatic gear selector mechanism having a rotary shaft displaceable in conjunction with a selector lever of the mechanism, the improvement consisting of a switch assembly operatively connected to said shaft to be rotatable therewith, said switch assembly comprising a support operatively connected to said shaft for rotation thereby, movable contact means carried by said support, at least two fixed contact elements adapted for connection in an engine starting circuit for the vehicle, said fixed contact elements being positioned for engagement by said contact means at a plurality of predetermined angular positions of the rotary shaft, resilient means acting on the movable contact means for producing a force parallel to the shaft providing contact pressure between the movable contact means and the fixed contact means, and support means engageable by the movable contact means to hold a terminal contact portion of the movable contact means in an air gap when out of engagement with the fixed contact elements, said movable contact means comprising a plurality of resilient arms extending outwardly from said rotary shaft, said support means comprising an abutment on which said resilient arms bear until contacts on said terminal portion of said movable contact means engage said fixed contact means, said fixed contact means being positioned at a level for engagement by said contacts of said movable contact means and being adapted for lifting, in consequence of such engagement, said movable contact means above the level of said abutment.

Claim 8

In a vehicle automatic gear selector mechanism having a rotary shaft displaceable in conjunction with a selector lever of the mechanism, the improvement consisting of a switch assembly operatively connected to said shaft to be rotatable therewith, said switch assembly comprising a support operatively connected to said shaft for rotation thereby, movable contact means carried by said support, at least two fixed contact elements adapted for connection in an engine starting circuit for the vehicle, said fixed contact elements being positioned for engagement by said contact means at a plurality of predetermined angular positions of the rotary shaft, resilient means acting on the movable contact means for producing a force parallel to the shaft providing contact pressure between the movable contact means and the fixed contact means, and support means engageable by the movable contact means to hold a terminal contact portion of the movable contact means in an air gap when out of engagement with the fixed contact elements, said movable contact means comprising a plurality of resilient arms extending outwardly from said rotary shaft, said support means comprising an abutment on which said resilient arms bear until contacts on said terminal portion of said movable contact means engage said fixed contact means, said fixed contact means being positioned at a level for engagement by said contacts of said movable contact means and being adapted for lifting, in consequence of such engagement, said movable contact means above the level of said abutment.

Claim 9

In the assembly according to claim 6, including at least two further fixed contact elements associated with a reversing light circuit of the vehicle, said movable contact means including a group of contact arms terminating in contacts engageable with said fixed contact elements when the rotary shaft is placed in a reversed gear selection of the mechanism, thereby to permit operation of the reversing light.

Claim 10

In the switch assembly according to claim 6, including supplementary contact means of an electrical circuit associated with passenger safety restraint means, said supplementary contact means comprising a fixed part and a part displaceable with said rotary shaft to render said circuit operative at selected settings of the lever.