Patent ID: 7297882

Claim:
multifunctional switch device having tilt functions, for use in electronic equipment including computers, handheld electronic apparatus and transport devices including vehicles, boats and aircraft, said equipment having or being connected to a display for function control, the switch device having a central tilting device consisting of a housing which surrounds two mutually movable, cardan coupling-supported parts, a first of the parts mounted to the housing or to a base part of the device at a first pair of supporting points, and a second of the parts supported on the first part at a second pair of supporting points which are offset 90° relative to the first pair, characterised in that the switch device has underlying switch contact points and an underlying centre switch contact means and an operating member or element which is stepwise rotatable relative to the housing for cooperation with means for detecting a stepwise rotary position of the operating member, that the operating member is tiltable as well as downwardly pressable, that a second part of the tilting device has arms in a cross shape that are configured to actuate respective ones of the underlying switch contact points upon tilting of the operating element, and that the second part of the tilting device has a centre with a hole for slidably receiving a shaft located on the operating member, said member forming a rotatable, tiltable and depressible part of the switch device, said shaft operative as an actuator for the underlying centre switch contact means.