GB2265256A

GB2265256A - Tumbler switch

Info

Publication number: GB2265256A
Application number: GB9222541A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mirek Zemanek
Original assignee: BCS Automotive Interface Solutions GmbH; TRW Messmer and Co KG
Current assignee: BCS Automotive Interface Solutions GmbH; TRW Messmer and Co KG
Priority date: 1992-03-20
Filing date: 1992-10-27
Publication date: 1993-09-22
Also published as: GB9222541D0; DE4209157A1; DE4209157C2

Abstract

A tumbler switch 1 comprises contact elements 3, 4, 5 arranged in a housing 2, a tumbler lever 6 supported in the housing 2 and having at least one spring-loaded operating part 7 and a tumbler contact element 8 arranged between an end region of the operating part 7 and the contact elements 3-5. The operating part 7 can be moved by the tumbler lever 6 from a rest position to a first switch position in which the movable contact element 8 interconnects two of the fixed contact elements 3, 4 and to a second switch position in which the movable contact element 8 is connected with a further contact element 15. The switch may be used for opening or closing a motor vehicle window, the second switch position avoiding the need to continuously hold the tumbler lever 6 down. <IMAGE>

Description

1 2265256 Tumbler Switch The invention relates to a tumbler switch, having

a housing with contact elements arranged therein, having a tumbler lever which is supported in the housing and has at least one spring-loaded operating part, and having a tumbler element which is arranged between the end region of the operating part and the contact elements.

As the generally known prior art, a tumbler is switch is already in use which can be moved from a quiescent position into one switch position. For example, such a tumbler switch is used in the f ield of motor vehicle technology as a window-raising switch: when this switch is operated, contacts are then closed as a result of which a window of a motor vehicle is raised or lowered, via a suitable drive, while the tumbler lever is pressed down.

The disadvantage with this known design is that the operation of the tumbler switch is interrupted when the tumbler lever is no longer operated. This results in a consid erable adverse effect on the convenience of use of this known tumbler switch.

In contrast, the present invention is based on the object of improving a tumbler switch of the. type mentioned initially such that the field of use is expanded in a simple manner.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the operating part-can be moved by the tumbler lever from a first switch position into a second 2 switch position.

This results in the advantage that a second function is allocated to the tumbler switch in a simple manner, so that two switching processes can be initiated successively by operation of the same tumbler switch.

If, for example, such a tumbler switch is operating as a window-raising switch, then, in the first switch position, the window can be raised or lowered via a suitable drive, to be precise as long as the tumbler lever is located in the first switch position. If the tumbler lever is moved into the second switch position, then two corresponding contacts are closed, as a result of which the drive is caused to run on automatically for closing or opening the window, without the tumbler lever having to be operated further, thus resulting in a socalled "auto- down" or "auto-up" movement of the drive, allocated to the tumbler switch, for a window.

In a further refinement of the invention,, at least two of the contact elements can be connected to one another via the tumbler element, in both switch positions. This results in additional convenience of use in the case of the tumbler switch according to the invention, in a simple manner.

The tumbler element may be of V-shaped construc- tion, the front region of the operating part having a conically running zone via which the top of the tumbler element can be spring-loaded. In a quiescent position, the conically running zone of the operating part is located at the apex of the V-shaped tumbler element; in the first switch position, this zone occupies a region of the tumbler element located adjacent to the apex; in the second switch position, furthermore, a region which is located at a greater distance f rom the apex of the Vshaped tumbler element can be acted on by the conically running zone of the operating part.

Alternatively, the possibility also exists that, in the second switch position, a region of the V-shaped tumbler element can be acted on by the conically'-running 1 3 zone of the operating part, which region, corresponding to the first switch position, lies opposite an the other side of the V-shaped apex. This represents two design alternatives, depending on the character of the housing of the tumbler switch according to the invention and what spatial conditions are present.

In a further refinement of the invention, the tumbler lever may have a subregion by means of which the tumbler element is held, together with the operating part, in the second switch position. In this case, the subregion may be constructed as a web by means of which a spring arm, which acts on the tumbler element, can be acted on in the second switch position. The spring arm may be supported at one end in the housing, a dome which can act on a region of the tumbler element being provided at the other free end. In the second switch position, a corresponding contact is thus closed by the interaction of the web arm and spring arm, so that, for example, the aforementioned "auto-up" or "auto-down" movement of a window-raising switch can be initiated.

According to a further feature of the invention, the operating part may consist of a hollow peg, which is provided with the conically running front zone, and of a sleeve which partially surrounds said peg, a spring being arranged in the interior of the sleeve and of the hollow peg. This thus results in a simple design shape of the operating lever together with the corresponding operating part.

Furthermore, the rotation point, supported in the housing,. of the tumbler lever may be located in the region of the peg, which is pushed into the sleeve like a telescope. The design shape may furthermore be effected such that the web is arranged inside the tumbler lever, at a distance, adjacent to the supporting point which supports the sleeve.

The invention is described in more detail in the following text, using an exemplary embodiment which is shown in the drawing, in which:

4 Fig. 1 shows the tumbler switch according to the invention in a section through the centre, in the quiescent position; Fig. 2 shows the switch according to Fig. 1 in switch position I; Fig. 3 shows the switch according to Fig. 1 in the switch position II.

The tumbler switch 1 which is shown in Fig. 1 consists essentially of a housing 2 having contact elements 3, 4 and 5 arranged therein, and of a tumbler lever 6 which can rotate about a rotation point 23. This rotation point 23 is constructed as a supporting point for the tumbler lever 6, which is arranged in the housing 2 and is not shown in more detail. if this tumbler lever 6 is acted on in the direction of the arrow III, it then rotates about the rotation point 23 in the anticlockwise direction.

The tumbler lever 6 has an operating part 7 which consists of a sleeve 21 which is supported in a support- ing point 24 of the tumbler lever 6. Located in the interior of the sleeve 21, and acted on by a spring 22, is a hollow peg 20 which can he moved axially under or against the effect of the spring 22. This sleeve 21 has a conically running zone 9 in the front region.

A tumbler element 8, which is of V-shaped construction and is located inside the housing, is allocated to this conically running zone 9. In this case, the conically running zone 9 of the operating part 7 acts on the top of the tumbler lever which is of V-shaped construction, while the bottom of the tumbler lever 8 is able to connect contacts 3, 4, 5, which are supported in the housing, suitably to one another in terms of their effect.

A subregion 13, which is constructed, for example, as a web 14, is located according to Fig. 1 in the interior of the tumbler lever 6, at a distance from the supporting point 24, for the operating part 7 which consists of the sleeve 21 and the hollow peg 20. This web 14 is able to interact with a spring arm 15. The spring arm 15 is in this case supported at one end 16 in the housing 2, for example by a clamping connection which is not described in more detail, while the other end 17 has a dome 19.

In Fig. 1 the tumbler switch 1 according to the invention is in the quiescent position 0. In this case, the front zone 9 of the operating part 7 acts on the apex 10 of the tumbler element 8. The tumbler element 8 thus acts on the two contacts 4 and 5 and thus blocks, f or example, a corresponding drive against undesired operation.

If the tumbler lever 6 is acted on in accordance with the direction of the arrow III, then it rotates about the rotation axis 23, as a result of which the conically running zone 9 of the operating part 7 moves out of the apex 10 of the tumbler element 8 into a region 11. In consequence, the contacts 4 and 5 are opened and, on the other hand, the contacts 3 and 4 are closed via the corresponding arm of the tumbler element 8, which is of V-shaped design.

In consequence, a first switch position I is provided, a corresponding drive is, for example, operated and a corresponding switching process is initiated as long as the tumbler lever 6 is left in the position represented in Fig. 2. In this case, the spring 22 acts on the hollow peg 22 of the operating part 7.

If the tumbler lever 6 is no longer operated, then it rotates about the rotation point 23 in the clockwise direction and moves out of the switch position I according to Fig. 2 in the quiescent position 0 according to Fig. 1.

In consequence, the contacts 3 and 4 are interrupted again, the raising or lowering of a window in a motor vehicle, for example, no longer being carried out. In the position shown in Fig. 2, there is no effective connection between the web 14 on the inside of the tumbler lever 6 and the spring arm 15 which is supported 6 in the housing.

If the tumbler lever 6 -according to Fig. 1 is once again acted on in the direction of the arrow III, then a rotation about the axis 23 in the anticlockwise direction takes place, the tumbler lever 6 being moved, for example, out of its null position in accordance with Fig. 1, or out of its switch position I according to Fig. 2 into a second switch position II according to Fig. 3.

In this case, the conically running zone 9 slides into a region 12 of the tumbler element 8 which is of Vshaped design, in this situation the web 14 acting on the spring arm 15 so that its dome 19 of the f ree end 17 acts on a region 18 of the V-shaped tumbler element 8. The tumbler element 8 is thus unambiguously fixed between the conically running zone 9 of the operating part 7, the dome 19 of the free end 17 of the spring arm 15, and the two contacts 3 and 4.

in consequence, via a circuit which is not shown in more detail, the drive which is controlled by the tumbler switch 1 according to the invention is switched to automatic so that, f or example, a window of a motor vehicle is moved from the open position into the closed position, or vice versa, without the tumbler lever 6 having to be continuously held in the position shown in Fig. 3.

As can be seen, the tumbler lever 6 can thus be moved f rom a quiescent position 0 according to Fig. 1 into a f irst switch position I according to Fig - 2 and into a second switch position 11 according to Fig. 3. In the case-of a simple design construction of the tumbler switch 1 according to the invention, this thus results in additional convenience and an additional switching capability, corresponding to the design of the subregion 13, that is to say of the web 14 and of the spring arm 15 as well as of the arrangement of the contact elements 3, 4, 5 inside the housing 2. An additional function is thus allocated to the tumbler switch 1 - it thus has a double function - without an increased structural or design cost 7 being required.

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Claims

CLAIMS:

is 1. A tumbler switch comprising a housing with contact elements arranged therein, a tumbler lever supported relative to the housing and having at least one spring-loaded operating part, and a tumbler element which is arranged between an end region of the operating part and the contact elements, the arrangement being such that the operating part is moveable by the tumbler lever from a first switch position into a second switch position.
A tumbler switch according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two of said contact elements which are connectable to one another via the tumbler element, in both of said switch positions.
3. A tumbler switch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tumbler element is of V-shaped construction and the end region of the operating part has a substantially conical zone via which the tumbler element is spring-loaded.
4. A tumbler switch according to claim 3, wherein in a quiescent position the apex of the V-shaped tumbler element is actdd on by said substantially conical zone of the operating part and, in said first switch position, a region of the tumbler element located close to the apex is acted on by said substantially conical zone.

1
5. A tumbler switch according to claim 4, wherein in said second switch position, a second region of the tumbler element which is located at a greater distance from the apex of the tumbler element than the firstmentioned region is acted on by the substantially conical zone of the operating part.
6. A tumbler switch according to claim 4, wherein in said second switch position, a second region of the Vshaped tumbler element is acted on by the substantially conical zone of the operating part, the apex of the Vshaped element being between said second region and said first-mentioned region.
7. A tumbler switch according to any one of the preceding claims, the tumble lever has a sub-region by means of which together with the operating part, the tumbler element is held in the second switch position.
8. A tumbler switch according to claim 7, wherein the sub-region comprises a web by means of which a spring arm which acts on the tumbler element can be acted on in the second switch position.
9. A tumbler switch according to claim 8, wherein the spring arm is supported at one end in the housing and at the other free end has a portion for acting on the tumbler element.
10. A tumbler switch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating part comprises of a hollow peg and a sleeve which partially surrounds the said peg and is arranged in the tumbler lever, a spring being arranged in the interiors of the sleeve and the hollow peg.
11. A tumbler switch according to claim 10 when appended to claim 8 or 9, wherein the web is arranged inside the tumbler lever, at a distance from but adjacent to a support for supporting the sleeve.
12. A tumbler switch according to claim 10, having a rotation point for the tumbler lever located in the region of the hollow peg, which peg is telescopically located in the sleeve.
13. A tumbler switch having an operating part 11 associated with a tumbler lever f or actuating the switch and cooperable with an element for interconnected contacts in the switch, the tumbler lever being movable from a rest position to first and second positions in which the operating part cooperates with respective f irst and second regions of the element.

is
14. A tumbler switch comprising a housing having electrically conductive contact elements arranged therein, a tumbler lever supported on the housing and having an operating part cooperable with an electrically conductive tumbler element such that on movement of the tumbler lever from a rest position to a first position said operating part causes said tumbler element to move to a position in which it interconnects two of said contact elements, wherein said tumbler lever is movable to a second position to cause electrical interconnection of said tumbler element with a further contact element.
15. A. tumbler switch substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.