Patent ID: 6423911
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: G05G,H01H

Abstract:
A multi-directional operating switch comprising:a housing having a bottomed receptacle portion; a central fixed contact portion disposed on an inner bottom surface of the receptacle portion; peripheral fixed contact portions disposed at peripheral positions with respect to the central fixed contact portion; a plurality of movable contacts disposed in opposition to the central fixed contact portion and the peripheral fixed contact portions; and a stem for depressing the plurality of movable contacts selectively to contact with one of the central fixed contact portion and the peripheral fixed contact portions, wherein the movable contacts are disposed within the receptacle portion of the housing in such a manner that in the depressing direction of the stem the movable contact disposed in opposition to the central fixed contact portion and the movable contacts disposed in opposition to the peripheral fixed contact portions are spaced a predetermined distance from each other, while in a direction perpendicular to the stem depressing direction they partially overlap each other in their external forms, and wherein the stem can be selectively operated in both depressing direction and tilting direction so that when the stem is depressed, the movable contact disposed in opposition to the central fixed contact portion is depressed to turn ON the central fixed contact portion, while when the stem is tilted, the movable contact disposed in opposition to one of the peripheral fixed contact portions is depressed to turn ON the peripheral fixed contact portion.