Electrical switches

Claim 2

An electrical switch including a casing, a plunger mounted for axial and angular movement within the casing, a rotor mounted for rotation within the casing, movable contacts carried by the rotor, means coupling the rotor to the plunger for angular movement with the plunger relative to the casing, a fixed contact carried by the casing, and engaging the rotor, abutment means on the casing engaging the rotor, the abutment means permitting said angular movement of the rotor but resisting axial movement of the rotor during axial movement of the plunger, a slider mounted for sliding movement within the casing, a movable contact carried by the slider, further fixed contacts carried by the casing and engageable by said movable contact carried by the slider, and means coupling the slider to the plunger so that axial movement of the plunger causes sliding movement of said movable contact relative to said further fixed contacts.

Claim 3

A switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a resistive electrical path which is engageable by said fixed contact, said fixed contact and said resistive path being electrically connected to respective terminals on the casing and the angular position of the rotor relative to the fixed contact determining the resistance of the electrical circuit between the terminals.

Claim 4

A switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said abutment means is defined by an end wall of the casing and at least one flange integral with the casing and extending within the casing in space relation to said end wall, the rotor being disposed between the end wall and the flange.

Claim 5

An electrical switch comprising a hollow casing, a plurality of fixed contacts mounted on the inner surface of the casing, a slider mounted for sliding movement within the casing and including a movable contact engageable with said fixed contacts, a plunger of noncircular cross section extending into the casing and journaled in an end wall of the casing for axial and angular movement relative to the casing the inner end of the plunger being rotatably coupled to said slider so that axial movement of the plunger causes sliding movement of the slider relative to the fixed contacts, a pair of abutments positioned within the casing adjacent said end wall, a printed circuit board positioned between the end wall and said abutments, said plunger extending through a corresponding noncircular hole in the printed circuit board so that said printed circuit board is rotated by angular movement of the plunger, said end wall and said abutments preventing axial movement of the printed circuit board with the plunger, a resistive electrically conductive path on said printed circuit board, a wiping contact carried by the casing and engaged with said resistive path, and a pair of terminals on the casing, one of said terminals being electrically connected to one end of said resistive path and the other terminal being electrically connected to said wiping contact so that the resistance of the electrical contact between said terminals is dependent upon the angular position of the printed circuit board relative to the wiping contact.

Claim 6

An electrical switch comprising a hollow casing, a plurality of fixed contacts mounted on the inner surface of the casing, a slider mounted for sliding movement within the casing and including a movable contact engageable with said fixed contacts, a plunger of noncircular cross section extending into the casing and journaled in an end wall of the casing for axial and angular movement relative to the casing the inner end of the plunger being rotatably coupled to said slider so that axial movement of the plunger causes sliding movement of the slider relative to the fixed contacts, a pair of abutments positioned within the casing adjacent said end wall, a printed circuit board positioned between the end wall and said abutments, said plunger extending through a corresponding noncircular hole in the printed circuit board so that said printed circuit board is rotated by angular movement of the plunger, said end wall and said abutments preventing axial movement of the printed circuit board with the plunger, a resistive electrically conductive path on said printed circuit board, a wiping contact carried by the casing and engaged with said resistive path, and a pair of terminals on the casing, one of said terminals being electrically connected to one end of said resistive path and the other terminal being electrically connected to said wiping contact so that the resistance of the electrical contact between said terminals is dependent upon the angular position of the printed circuit board relative to the wiping contact.

Claim 7

A switch as claimed in claim 4 including resilient means for locating the printed circuit board in anyone of a plurality of predetermined angular positions relative to the casing.