Patent ID: 6403898
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G05G,H01H

Abstract:
A multiple switch assembly which includes a housing, a plurality of switch devices that each includes a first contact and a second contact that can be moved against the first contact, and an activating lever with a lower portion lying in said housing, said lever having a handle lying along a primarily vertical axis and having a handle top, wherein:said lever has a plurality of horizontally extending arm portions with far ends furthest from said vertical axis; said housing and lever forming a bearing assembly that allows said lever to pivot about each of two perpendicular horizontal axes; said switch devices each lies adjacent to a corresponding one of said arm portion far ends to be closed when said lever is pivoted to vertically move an adjacent arm portion far end; said arm portions are horizontally elongated and extend and extend in different primarily horizontal directions away from said vertical axis; said housing has a plurality of cam surfaces, each lying adjacent to the far end of one of said arm portions; each of a plurality of said arm portions has a cam follower biased into engagement with one of said cam surfaces; the second contact of each switch assembly lies above the first contact, so the second contact is depressed when a corresponding arm portion far end is depressed; each of said cam surfaces has a shape, as seen in a horizontal sectional view taken through the cam surface, with a concave first portion and a convex second portion lying below the concave first portion, said convex second portion having a zenith; said lever has a handle that extends vertically in an initial position, and that can be titled to lower a corresponding one of said arm portion far ends; each of said cam followers is positioned to engage a corresponding one of said concave surfaces when the lever is not tilted, and to ride down along the corresponding one of said convex surface and below the zenith to activate a corresponding one of said switches when the lever is tilted to lower the corresponding one of said arm portions.