Pushbutton vacuum-electric air control unit for automotive vehicles

Claim 1

A vacuum-electric switch for automotive vehicles, the switch comprising housing means, a plurality of pushbuttons movable in the housing means between extended and depressed positions, a latching mechanism for latching each of said pushbuttons in its depressed position, the latching means including means operable by depression of each pushbutton for unlatching any previously latched pushbutton, a block-out mechanism for preventing simultaneous depression of more than one of the pushbuttons, a plurality of levers swingable by the corresponding pushbuttons between initial and operated positions, spring means biasing the levers toward their initial positions and thereby also biasing the pushbuttons toward their extended positions, each of the levers having a first arm operable by the corresponding pushbutton and a second arm movable with the lever, a plurality of stacked movable selector plates corresponding with the levers and the pushbuttons, the selector plates being movable between initial and operated positions by the second arms of the levers, the plates having small size slots and large size slots for receiving the second arms of all of the levers, each of the plates having one of the small size slots for receiving a particular one of the second arms whereby the particular plate is movable by the corresponding lever, all of the other plates having large size slots for receiving the second arm of that particular lever so that the second arm of that particular lever is movable idly in the large size slots, whereby the individual plates are uniquely movable by the corresponding individual levers, a plurality of control devices having movable control members adapted to be moved by certain of the selector plates between initial and operated positions, spring means biasing the control members toward their initial positions, at least one of the control devices being a vacuum control valve, at least one of the control devices being an electrical switch, the operating members having operating knobs projecting therefrom, the selector plates having small size openings and large size openings for receiving all of the knobs, the large size openings providing for idle movement between the plates and the knobs, each of the plates having one or more of the small size openings for moving the corresponding knobs and the corresponding control members between their initial and operated positions, whereby the depression of each pushbutton is operative to move one or more of the control members between their initial and operated positions, as selected by the provision of one or more small size openings in the corresponding selector plate.