US4251723A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Opto-electronical switching device, specially for motor vehicles
Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH and Co KG
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Filing: 1979-01-08
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Granted: 1981-02-17
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Expires: 1999-01-08
Abstract
Abstract An opto-electronical switching device provided with an operating push-button key, particularly for motor vehicles, comprises a housing, containing a photodiode and a phototransistor, a rectangular push-button key, guided in the housing, with aperture plate and with an after-connected interrogating circuit, responding to the switching condition of the phototransistor. A rectangular leaf spring, curved transversely to the longitudinal direction, supported with its corners upon ribs of the push-button key inner surface and curved away from the push-button key inner surface, and the counter-support of the leaf spring is formed by a pin in the geometrical mid-point.
Inventors
- 👤 Volker Speidel
- 👤 Eduard Bergmann
- 👤 Lothar Worlitz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:51
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/94; H03K17/965; H03K17/968
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
An opto-electronic switching device: a housing containing a photodiode and a phototransistor; a rectangular push button slidable in said housing and having an apertured plate extending between said photodiode and phototransistor and movable between positions where its aperture blocks or opens an optical path between said photodiode and phototransistor; a rectangular snap-acting leaf spring curved transversely of its long dimension arranged with its corners engaging corner portions of said push button and being normally concave on the side facing said push button; and a fixed pin in said housing having an end engaging said leaf spring, on its side facing away from said push button, near the geometrical center of the spring.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
An opto-electronic switching device: a housing containing a photodiode and a phototransistor; a rectangular push button slidable in said housing and having an apertured plate extending between said photodiode and phototransistor and movable between positions where its aperture blocks or opens an optical path between said photodiode and phototransistor; a rectangular snap-acting leaf spring curved transversely of its long dimension arranged with its corners engaging corner portions of said push button and being normally concave on the side facing said push button; and a fixed pin in said housing having an end engaging said leaf spring, on its side facing away from said push button, near the geometrical center of the spring.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A switching device as defined in claim 1 wherein said end of said pin defines a sloping surface sloping in a direction transverse to the curvature of the leaf spring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A switching device as defined in claim 1 wherein said pin is hollow and contains a luminious diode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
Switching device according to one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the photodiode (2) and an interrogating circuit (15) are connected with a pulse generator (14) which, on the one hand, provides drive pulses for the photodiode (2) and, on the other hand, provides interrogating pulses to the interrogating circuit (15).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
Switching device according to claim 4, characterized in that the pulse width of the interrogating pulses (f 2 ) is substantially smaller than the pulse width of the drive pulses (f 1 ), and the interrogating pulses are within the width of the drive pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
Switching device according to claim 4 characterized in that the interrogating circuit (15) is provided as bistable flip-flop stage, having a clock input connected with the line carrying interrogating pulses, and a dynamic information input of which being connected with one of the collector and the emitter of the phototransistor, the bistable flip-flop stage comprising at least one output.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3906222A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-02-17 | 1984-08-18 | 1985-02-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-02-17 | 1988-08-18 | 1989-02-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-02-17 | 1992-08-18 | 1993-02-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |