US3483337A - Six-way rotary inclined plane centering switch - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1969 T. H. JOHNSTONE E AL 3,483,337

SIX-WAY ROTARY INCLINED PLANE CENTERING SWITCH Filed Jan. 6, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS eazirre ffi/mszone, 5

firzZwUZ/Weper ATTORNEY 1969 T. H. JOHNSTONE ET AL 3,483,337

SIX-WAY ROTARY INCLINED PLANE CENTERTNG SWITCH Filed Jan. 6, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2,

ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1969 Q T. H. JOHNSTONE ET AL 3,483,337

SIX-WAY ROTARY INCLINED PLANE CENTERING SWITCH Filed Jan. 6, 1967 3 Sheets$heet 3 \NVENTORS' i506 flaw/7 ATTORNEY arf/zo 6 er United States Patent US. Cl. 2006 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a preferred form, this disclosure relates to an electric switch for controlling operation of a six-way seat adjuster mechanism. The electric switch comprises a switch housing means having an opening in a side wall thereof, a plurality of spaced fixed contacts carried by the housing means, a manually manipulatable actuating means supported by the housing means for pivotal and turning movement relative thereto, mobile contact means supported by the housing means and cooperably engageable with the actuating means so as to be movable therewith when the actuating means is moved from its normal position, and a means for biasing the actuator means toward a normal position. The switch further includes a plurality of spaced projections on the actuating means which are progressively tapered toward an apex remote from the actuating means and which are received in adjacent depressions in the side wall of the switch housing means. The depressions are progressively tapered toward an apex at the center of the depressions and the projections and the depressions serve as a guide means to guide the actuating means back toward its normal position upon release of the actuating means after the latter has been moved to effect the desired movement of the seat.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to a single electric switch adapted to connect appropriate electrical circuitry allowing an automobile seat to be positioned selectively in any of six directions by moving a switch actuator in a corresponding direction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical switch arranged to position an automobile seat substantially in the same direction as the direction in which the actuator of the switch is moved.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical switch for the selective positioning of an automobile seat in six directions in which the switch has very few moving parts and. which is automatically centered after actuation and guided during actuation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical switch for the selective positioning of an automobile seat which includes means carried by the actuator cooperating with portions integrally formed with the switch housing to guarantee centering of the subject switch after an actuating movement in any direction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical switch for the selective positioning of an automobile seat which sequentially energizes operating circuits in a seat positioning system to bring about proper operation of the positioning mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the subject invention shown in its operative environment;

3,483,337 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the subject invention taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 1, an automobile seat, designated by the numeral 10, is shown as having switch 12 mounted on the side thereof so that movement of knob 14 corresponds in direction to the desired direction of seat movement. Three jackscrews, not shown, are positioned under seat 10 and connected through flexible drive cables 16, 18 and 20 to solenoids 22, 24 and 26 to position the seat in the desired manner. The seat positioning mechanism herein shown functions in much the same manner as the seat positioning mechanism shown and described in Patent No. 3,288,947.

The operation of the subject seat positioning mechanism involves a reversible motor 28 having an output 7 means 30 connected by the solenoids 22, 24 and 26 to appropriate drive cables 16, 18 and 20 to position the seat 10 as desired. The function of switch 12 is to appropriately connect output terminal or contact 32 of battery 34 sequentially to the solenoid or solenoids necessary to bring about a particular seat movement and later to the motor 28 to the appropriate leads or fixed contacts 36 or 38 selecting the proper direction of motor rotation.

Referring to FIGURE 2, actuator knob 14 extends through aperture 40 formed in the wall of switch body 42. A cross-shaped member 44 is connected to knob 14 in any well-known manner and responds, therefore, to movement of knob 14 to bring about a switch actuation. Member 44 is composed of any well-known insulating material having a configuration better seen in FIGURE 4.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, substantially pyramidal or conical protrusions 46 extend from an upper surface of member 44 and cooperate with substantially complementary pyramidal-shaped or conically shaped depressions 48 formed on an inside wall of housing 42. These depressions 48 are better seen in FIGURE 6. The protrusion 46 are actually cam members following the contour of depressions 48 and, in view of the fact that any movement of protrusions 46 is from the base of the depressions 48, the tendency of member 44 carrying protrusions 46 is to align with the base of the depressions 48 when acted on by spring 50 seen in FIGURE 2.

Spring 50 is carried in pocket 52 of member 44 and bears against contact carrier 54 sometimes referred to herein as movable contact means. Contact carrier 54 has formed therein pivot contact 56 normally disposed in pocket 58 formed in the head of fixed contact 32. Therefore, it is readily seen that spring 50 is normally compressed between member 44 with protrusions 46 bottomed in depressions 48 and carrier 54 with pivot contact 56 bottomed in pocket 58. Therefore, the tendency of the actuator knob 14 and connected member 44 is to align with a centered position where knob 14 is not influenced by any external force.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the first of several guide features of the subject switch are shown in which a shank 62 of knob 14 is seen to be substantially square and centered under static conditions between complementary shaped slots 64 formed in a wall of housing 42. The shank 62 cooperates with one of the slots 64 when knob 14 is tilted in any of four directions from a centered position, such as would be accomplished when the knob was moved to bring about vertical or horizontal movement of seat 10. Cooperation of shank 62 with slot 64 guarantees the exact alignment between the appropriately positioned fixed contacts in the housing base and the movable contacts carried by contact carrier 54 to bring about sequential circuit energization as desired to bring about the desired direction of seat movement.

Referring to FIGURE 3, another guide means is illustrated to assist the member 44 to be more exactly positioned. Nipples 66 are integrally formed with housing 42 and cooperate with complementary shaped depressions, not shown, on the side of member 44 during tilting movement of member 44 to guarantee precise alignment of member 44 relative to fixed contacts formed in the base of housing 42. In the same manner elongated arms 68 integrally formed with member 44 cooperate with slots 70 formed in rail 72 which in turn are integrally formed with housing 42 to guarantee alignment of member 44 during tilting movement in another direction. In addition, upstanding member 74 integrally formed with rail 72 limits the twisting movement of member 44 so that contacts in the housing base are appropriately engaged when tilting movement of seat is desired.

Referring to FIGURE 2, contact carrier 54 is always aligned with member 44 by being constantly engaged by slots 76 formed in member 44. These slots are also seen in FIGURE 4 wherein the cross shape of member 44 is clearly seen cooperating therewith.

Referring to FIGURE 1, solenoid contacts 78, 80 and 82 are shown as fixed contacts extending from the base of housing 42 and are connected to the appropriate solenoids. It should be understood that only three jackscrews are needed to position the seat six ways in that two jackscrews operate vertically with respect to the seat and the single jackscrew operates horizontally with respect to the seat. Therefore, the two vertical jackscrews operating together and the motor operating in either of two directions brings about the upward and downward movement of the seat. Either of the two vertical jackscrews operating alone with the motor direction appropriately chosen results in a forward or backward tilting of the seat which brings the total seat motions possible, utilizing the two vertical jackscrews, to four. The horizontal jackscrew can be operated with the motor running either direction to bring about forward and backward seat movement resulting in a total of six ways of seat adjustment. With the foregoing kept in mind, solenoids 78, 80 and 82, operating alone or together as selected, can position the appropriate drive cables 16, 18 and 20 to the motor 28 first during switch operation with the actual direction of motor rotation chosen later during an actuating movement of the subject switch. Consequently, solenoid contacts 78, 80 and 82 are engaged by leaf spring members 84, 86 and 88, respectively. These leaf spring members are more clearly seen in FIGURE 7.

Referring to FIGURE 5, motor contact 38 is seen as being connected to fixed contacts 90 and 92 by a conductive strip 94 and motor contact 36 as connected to contacts 96 and 98 by conductive strip 100. The relative position of contacts 38, 90- and 92 as Well as contacts 36, 96 and 98 to the leaf spring members 84, 86 and 88 is best seen in FIGURE 7.

In operation, when it is desired to position the automobile seat 10, one movement is necessary in order to connect the appropriate circuitry using the switch of the subject invention. Only one cycle of operation will be described in view of the fact that the cycle of operation for seat movements other than the one shown as an example is identical except for the specific contacts engaged. Taking, for example, movement of the seat in a forward direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, knob- 14 would be tilted to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Referring to FIGURE 2, the tilting of knob 14 to the left would result in protrusions 46 riding up the sides of depressions 48 against the bias of spring 50 as well as one of the arms 68 being driven into contact carrier 54. Power from fixed contact 32 would be connected through contact carrier 54 to leaf spring member 86 which is connected, as previously stated, to fixed contact 80. Fixed contact is connected through a lead 102, as seen in FIGURE 1. The solenoids 26, which is the horizontal solenoid connects drive cable 16 to the horizontal jackscrew, thereby connecting power to motor 28 in a well-known manner poising motor 28 for operation of the jackscrew. Further deflection of contact carrier 54 already engaging leaf spring member 86 would eventually bring power from fixed contact 32 through contact carrier 54 and leaf spring member 86 to fixed contact 36 which has, as previously described, a motor contact driving motor 28 in the appropriate direction. The appropriate jackscrew is turned and the seat is adjusted as long as knob 14 is tilted, as previously described.

When external pressure is removed from knob 14 after the seat has been adjusted an amount desired, spring 50 drives protrusions 46 to the base of depressions 48 resulting in a centering of member 44 and knob 14. Contact carrier 54, of course, follows the movement of member 44 and leaf spring member 86 resiliently returns to its poised position, as viewed in FIGURE 2. The switch is now poised for another actuation to position the seat as desired.

It is obvious that the multiplicity of contacts, leaf springs and conductive members located in such close proximity in a switch housing small enough to be positioned in its operative environment requires very precise movements of the switch parts. The design of the subject switch with its various guide means and centering means guarantees that proper contacts are made as required and that the actuator automatically centers itself after a. switch actuation to be ready for a subsequent switch actuation.

It is clear that the utility of the subject device need not be restricted to the environment of a seat adjuster but this environment is one in which utility of the subject invention is best illustrated.

While the embodiment of the present invention, as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch for controlling operation of a six-way seat adjustor mechanism of an automotive vehicle comprising: a switch housing means which is adapted to be carried by the vehicle and which has an opening in a side wall thereof; a plurality of spaced fixed contacts carried by said housing means; a plurality of spaced leaf spring contacts having one end fixed to the housing means and their free ends disposed above respective ones of said fixed contacts; a manually manipulatable actuating means supported by said housing means for pivotal and turning movement relative thereto, said actuating means including a handle portion extending outwardly of said switch housing and a second portion disposed interiorly of said switch housing, said housing means being adapted to be carried by the vehicle such that the actuating movements of the actuating means correspond to the desired direction of seat movement; a mobile contact means supported by said housing means for pivotal and turning movement relative thereto; spring means for biasing said actuator means toward a normal position and said mobile contact means into engagement with said housing means, said mobile contact means being cooperably engageable with said actuating means so as to be movable therewith when said actuating means is moved from its normal position; said mobile contact means including a plurality of radially extending arm portions having their free ends normally disposed above the free ends of said leaf spring contacts and said fixed contacts; said mobile contact means being sequentially movable into engagement with different ones of said leaf spring contacts and said fixed contacts when said actuating means is selectively pivoted in different directions from its normal position to effect different directions of movement of said seat and said mobile contact means being movable into engagement with different ones of said fixed contacts when said actuating means is turned relative to said switch housing, said second portion of said actuating means having a plurality of spaced projections which are progressively tapered toward an apex remote from the actuating means and which are received in adjacent depressions in the side wall of the switch housing means, the depressions being progressively tapered toward an apex at the center of the depression, said projections and depressions serving as a guide means to guide the actuating means back toward its normal position upon release of the actuating means after the latter has been moved to effect movement of the seat, said second portion of said actuating means also including slots whose" side surfaces are engageable with said arm portions of said mobile contact means during 'pivotal and rotational movement of the actuating means to main- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,808,476 10/1957 Elliott.

3,254,163 5/1966 Wanless 2006 3,288,947 11/1966 Wanless et a1. 2006 2,941,048 6/1960 Lybrook et a1. 200-15310 X 3,219,784 11/1965 Toruk et a1. 200-153.10

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner R. A. VANDERHYE, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R.

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