Vehicle warning signal switching apparatus including circuit momentarily interrupted only in response to movement in one or an opposed pair of directions

Claim 2

Switching apparatus for controlling warning signals such as flashing lights on school buses and the like, comprising a first operator-actuated switch including an electromagnet winding and a cooperating armature movable to close a first set of contacts in response to operator actuation thereof and maintaining closure of said contacts only so long as said winding is energized, a second switch including a second set of contacts and an armature for closing and opening said second set of contacts in response to movements of said armature in alternate directions, said second switch including means for changing the continuity condition of said second set of contacts between electrically closed and opened conditions transiently only during travel of said armature in one of said directions, means for moving said armature in said alternate directions in response to movements of a part of a vehicle such as a door or the like, warning-signal means, means energizing said warning-signal means from a source through said first set of contacts, and means responsive to the continuity condition between said second set of contacts for energizing said winding from said source and through said first set of contacts, whereby actuation of said first switch results in excitation of said warning signal means until said first switch is automatically opened upon occurrence of movement of said armature of said second switch in both of its alternate directions of movement.

Claim 3

Switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said warning-signal means comprises lights periodically energized from said source through an electrically-operated flasher switch, both said lights and said flasher switch being energized from said source through said first set of contacts, and wherein said armature of said second switch includes a spring-biased plunger extended and depressed in response to opening and closing of a vehicle door.

Claim 4

Switching apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lights include amber warning lights and red stop lights aboard a school bus, wherein said second switch includes a third set of contacts certain of which are associated exclusively with said warning lights and said stop lights, respectively, and contacting means fixed to and movable with said plunger between a first position wherein it establishes continuity between said flasher switch and the contacts associated with said warning lights when said door is closed and a second position wherein it establishes continuity between said flasher switch and contacts associated with said stop lights when said door is opened.

Claim 5

Switching apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for changing the continuity condition of said second set of contacts only during travel of said armature in one of said directions electrically opens said second set of contacts during depression of said plunger upon closing of said door of a school bus.

Claim 6

Switching apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for changing said continuity condition of said second set of contacts comprises a contact carrier slidable in axial directions in relation to said plunger, a switch housing within which said contact carrier is guided for sliding movement, said plunger being freely mated with said contact carrier within said housing by way of an opening through said carrier and having a door-actuated end projecting from said housing, spring means urging said plunger end to a forward outwardly-extending relationship with a front of said housing, said plunger having an enlargement along one portion thereof between adjoining portions of lesser cross-section, an expandable ring member coaxial with said plunger and having an inner periphery smaller than the outer periphery of said enlargement and smaller thAn said opening and having an outer periphery larger than the outer periphery of said enlargement and larger than said opening, said enlargement having a periphery smaller than said opening, both the periphery of said enlargement and the opening extending radially to positions which correspond to less than half the distance from the inner to outer peripheries of said ring member, said ring member being disposed between said carrier and a front part of said housing, said enlargement being movable axially with said plunger from a forward position ahead of said front part and ring member to a more rearward position, stop means limiting rearward sliding motion of said carrier in relation to said housing beyond a predetermined limited amount, said second set of contacts comprising a pair of contacts disposed for electrical closure by said carrier when said carrier is in a forward position and for electrical opening when said carrier is in a rearward position within said housing, and spring means urging said contact carrier in a forward direction within said housing.

Claim 7

Switching apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said ring member comprises an expandable O-ring of elasticallydeformable material, wherein said opening, said enlargement, and said portions of lesser cross-section are substantially circular, and wherein said enlargement has a substantially blunt rear surface and a gradually-tapered front surface.

Claim 8

Switching apparatus for controlling warning signals comprising, warning signal means responsive to energization with electrical energy for providing a warning signal, first manually actuated switching means for delivering electrical energy to said warning signal means when in the closed condition having holding means responsive to holding energy for staying in the closed condition and to interruption of said holding energy for returning said first switching means to the open condition and being responsive to manual actuation for assuming said closed condition, a source of said holding energy, second switching means having an armature movable in first and second opposed directions including means responsive to movement of said armature in said first direction for coupling said holding energy to said holding means and means responsive to movement of said armature in said second direction for interrupting the coupling of said holding energy to said holding means to thereby restore said first switching means to said open condition.

Claim 9

Switching apparatus for controlling warning signals comprising, warning signal means responsive to energization with electrical energy for providing a warning signal, first manually actuated switching means for delivering electrical energy to said warning signal means when in the closed condition having holding means responsive to holding energy for staying in the closed condition and to interruption of said holding energy for returning said first switching means to the open condition and being responsive to manual actuation for assuming said closed condition, a source of said holding energy, second switching means having an armature movable in first and second opposed directions including means responsive to movement of said armature in said first direction for coupling said holding energy to said holding means and means responsive to movement of said armature in said second direction for interrupting the coupling of said holding energy to said holding means to thereby restore said first switching means to said open condition.