Rotary switch assembly

Claim 1

A switch comprising: housing means having a first wall and a second wall displaced from and substantially parallel to said first wall, said first wall having a first aperture therein; printed circuit board means having a second aperture therein and contact elements disposed about said second aperture, said printed circuit board means being mounted in said housing between said first and second walls with said first and second apertures in substantial alignment; shaft means extending through said first and second apertures, including resilient contact means for selectively engaging certain of said contact elements in response to rotational positioning of said shaft means, said shaft means including a portion extending to and abutting said second wall to transmit externally generated longitudinal forces directed along the axis of said shaft means toward said housing means to said second wall whereby stresses exerted on said printed circuit board are reduced; rotation control means mounted to said housing means and including detent means and post means, said shaft means including radially extending arm means disposed to be engagable with said detent means for establishing a plurality of substantially stable rotational positions for said shaft means and with said post means for limiting the rotational travel of said shaft means, said rotation control means further including an annular collar for slidably engaging said shaft means, said annular collar being substantially aligned with said second aperture and cooperatively operating therewith to position said shaft means to thereby substantially establish the axis of rotation of said shaft means.