Multiple pushbutton switch and interlock assembly

Claim 1

A multiple pushbutton switch comprising: a lower insulative housing including a generally planar base portion, having four walls extending upwardly therefrom and generally normal thereto, and having a plurality of equally spaced guiding groove couples, upright supporting members with wire holes and retaining members also located thereon extending normal to said base portion, two opposite sliding slots respectively provided on inner surfaces of a first pair of left and right opposite walls of said four walls, and a retaining seat provided on an inner surface of a rear wall of said four walls, and a slit provided on a top edge of a front wall of said four walls; an interlock engaging mechanism including a latch bar comprising an elongated member having a plurality of equally spaced upright portions and haviing all but the left-hand and right-handmost upright portions including a laterally extending nose portion, each said nose portion having an inclined upper surface and a generally horizontal undersurface, a spring member for biasing said latch bar toward one of said sliding slots of said housing, a plurality of lockouts positioned on said retaining seat of said housing, each lockout comprising a generally triangularly shaped planar member, the base of said lockout resting on and being movable along the base of said housing; a plurality of pushbuttons each having a pushrod, each pushrod having a head portion on its top end and a stopping block adjacent to its bottom end and two legs extending downwardly from an undersurface of said stopping block, each leg having a hook portion on its bottom end and a recess formed between said two legs, an actuating bar and a separating bar respectively extending laterally from the rear surface and side surface of said stopping block; a spring disposed about each said recess of said pushbutton intermediate the stopping block thereon and the base of said housing, each spring member biasing its associated pushbutton upwardly; a plurality of selecting contact plates each having a mounting portion secured on one of said supporting members of said housing; a plurality of J-shaped contacting springs, a first arm of each contacting spring having an engaging portion secured on one of said retaining members and a second arm of each contacting spring having a contact portion which is in alignment with an associated one of said contact plates; an L-shaped contact plate positioned within said retaining members and slit of said housing, a first plate of said L-shaped contact plate contacting the first arms of each of said J-shaped contacting springs and the second plate of the contact plate exposed through said slit; a cover member mounted on said lower insulative housing, said cover member having a plurality of apertures located in an upper surface thereof through which the pushrods of said pushbuttons normally extend.