Gear Change Switch With Multi-motion Closure Actuator

Abstract

An electrical selector switch including a housing defining a spherical surface, a bearing member defining a spherical surface, and a pivotal member located between the surfaces. The pivotal member carries a spring loaded ball which engages with the surface on the housing to urge a spherical surface on the pivotal member into contact with the spherical surface on the bearing member. The bearing member being shaped to operate switches in selected positions of the pivotal member.

Description

This invention relates to an electrical selector switch of the kind including a housing, a manually operable lever movably mounted on the housing and electric switches mounted within the housing and operable in selected positions of the lever.

The object of the invention is to provide such a switch in a simple and convenient form.

According to the invention in a switch of the kind specified the housing is of hollow multi-part form and defines at one interior end a first substantially spherical concave surface, a bearing member located within the housing and defining a second substantially spherical concave surface opposite to said first surface, a pivotal member located within the housing and to which said lever is connected, said pivotal member having a substantially spherical surface for co-operation with said surface on said bearing member and spring loaded means on said pivotal member, said spring loaded means engaging with said substantially concave surface to urge the pivotal member into contact with said second substantially spherical concave surface, said pivotal member having surfaces shaped to operate said switches.

One example of an electrical selector switch in accordance wi h the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the switch with parts removed for the sake of clarity,

FIG. 2 is a section on the line A--A of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a section at right angles to the line A--A of FIG. 1.

The switch shown in the drawings is intended to be used as a control switch for a vehicle transmission mechanism which is provided with five forward gears together with a reverse gear. In addition it is intended that the switch should be movable to a position to permit the doors of the vehicle to be operated. Referring to the drawings there is provided a hollow housing 10 which is defined by a base member 11 having lugs 12 whereby it can be secured in any convenient position on the vehicle. The interior of the base member is shaped to define a first substantially spherical concave surface 13.

The open end of the housing is closed by a closure member 14 which is secured to the base member by suitably positioned screws 15 and the closure member 14 is provided with a plurality of apertures which are arranged in the manner of the gate normally associated with a vehicle gear change mechanism. The inner surface of the closure member 14 is of substantially concave spherical form and located against this inner surface is a bearing member 16 of shell like form and this defines a second substantially concave spherical surface 17 which faces the surface 13 defined on the base member 11.

Located within the housing is a pivotal member 18 which has a spherical surface for co-operation with the surface 17 and a spigot portion 19 which extends towards the surface 13. Formed within the spigot portion 19 is a bore in which is mounted a coiled compression spring which urges a detent member in the form of a ball 20 into contact with the surface 13. A rod 21 is engaged with the pivotal member 18 which extends through the gate defined in the closure member 14.

The bearing member 16 is mounted for rocking movement by means of pins 22 which extend from the bearing member and which are located within recesses defined between the base member and the closure member. In this manner the bearing member can pivot about an axis which is disposed parallel to the neutral slot of the gate.

In order to locate the pivotal member 18 in its neutral position, it is arranged that the ball 20 engages within a groove 24 defined in the surface 13 of the base member. In the position shown in FIG. 3 the pivotal member is in the neutral position and the rod 21 projects through the neutral slot of the gate. In this position the lever can be moved along the neutral slot of the gate simply by moving it angularly as shown in FIG. 2. When a particular gear is selected the pivotal member 18 by means of the rod 21, is moved angularly in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 3 and the ball 20 then engages a detent 23 or a detent 25 formed in the surface 13 of the base member. There are as many detents as there are positions of the lever.

The spigot member 19 is shaped on opposite sides for engagement with the operating members 27 of a plurality of micro-switches 28 secured within the base member 11 of the housing and having terminals 39. In addition to the micro-switches, it is arranged that the ball 20 acts as a bridge between a pair of electrically isolated contact plates which are positioned in the groove 24. Each contact plate has associated therewith a connector 38 for connection to external electrical circuits and a plug socket connectors 37 is provided and to which the terminals 39 of the micro-switches are connected by non-illustrated cables.

It is a requirement of the transmission mechanism for which the switch was designed that it should not be possible for the driver to select any other gear than fourth gear when fifth gear is engaged. This is to reduce the load on the transmission system and for this purpose the bearing member 16 is provided with a stop 29 which as shown in FIG. 1, is in the inhibiting position. If the rod 21 is in the fifth gear position as shown in FIG. 1 then it is only possible to move the rod into fourth gear position. Movement of the rod to the fourth gear position moves the bearing member 16 about its pivot axis to retract the stop thereby to allow further unlimited movement of the rod.

In addition it is desirable that the driver should make a conscious effort to move the rod 21 into the first gear position, the reverse gear position, the door operating position and an auxiliary position. For this purpose there is mounted about the rod 21 a sleeve 30 which is spring loaded towards the closure member 14 but which is movable away from the closure member 14 by means of a control knob 36. Moreover, the outer surface of the closure member 14 is shaped to define a series of steps as will now be described. Referring to FIG. 2 the steps 33 and 34 of gate 13 prevent movement of the rod into any of the stated positions. In order to select first gear or door operation, it is necessary to lift knob 36 and the sleeve 30 to clear the steps 34 or 33. In addition in order to select reverse gear or auxiliary operation it is necessary to lift knob 36 further to enable the sleeve to clear steps 35 or 37. Steps 31, 32 limit the normal forward and return motion of the rod 21.

The lower portion of the housing 11 is preferably constructed of an insulating material and, if desired, parts 14, 18 and 19 could likewise be so constructed of an insulating material.

Claims

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical selector switch of the kind including a housing, a manually operable lever movably mounted on the housing and electric switches mounted within the housing and operable in selected positions of the lever, said housing being of hollow form and defining at one interior end a first substantially spherical concave surface, a bearing member located within the housing and defining a second substantially spherical concave surface opposite to said first substantially spehrical concave surface, a pivotal member located within the housing and to which said lever is connected, said pivotal member having a substantially spherical surface for co-operation with said second substantially spherical concave surface on said bearing member and spring loaded means on said pivotal member, said spring loaded means engaging with said first substantially concave surface to urge the pivotal member into contact with said second substantially spherical concave surface, said pivotal member having surfaces shaped to operate said switches.

2. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 1 including a closure member secured to said housing, said closure member having an inner surface of substantially concave spherical form against which bears a complementary surface formed on said bearing member.

3. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 2 in which said closure member is provided with a plurality of apertures which are arranged in the manner of a gate normally associated with a vehicle gear change mechanism.

4. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 3 in which said loaded means comprises a detent member which is loaded by a coiled compression spring into contact with said first spherical surface.

5. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 4 in which said first spherical surface is provided with a groove in which said ball locates, said groove extending across said first spherical surface so as to guide the movement of said lever in the neutral plane of said gate.

6. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 5 including detents in said first spherical surface and which are engageable by said ball to locate the lever in its selected positions respectively.

7. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 6 including a pair of contact strips in said groove said strips being bridged by said ball when said ball is in the groove.

8. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 7 in which said bearing member is mounted for pitoval movement about an axis parallel to the neutral slot of the gate.

9. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 8 including a stop defined on said bearing member, said stop acting to prevent movement of the lever in the neutral plane from one of the selected positions until it has been moved to another of said selected positions.

10. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 9 including means on the lever and co-operating means on the cover to prevent movement of the lever into certain of said selected positions without a conscious effort on the part of the operator.

11. An electrical selector switch as claimed in claim 10 in which said means on the lever comprises a spring loaded sleeve movable away from the cover to disengage the sleeve from stop surfaces defined on the cover.