Lever switch mounted on a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11004629-B2
Application number	US-201916725741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A lever switch which is capable of preventing loud operating noise from being generated during stepwise operation of an operating lever. The lever switch has a case, a click feeling generator placed inside the case, and a switch moving body placed inside the case and rotated with respect to the case by operating the operating lever. The click feeling generator has trough portions that abut against a convex portion of the switch moving body. Click feelings are given by the convex portion of the switch moving body sequentially abutting against the trough portions in response to stepwise operations of the operating lever. The convex portion of the switch moving body is urged toward the click feeling generator. The click feeling generator and the case are placed away from each other with a space left between them in a direction in which the first case is urged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lever switch comprising:
a case;
a click feeling generator configured to be placed inside the case; and
a switch moving body configured to be placed inside the case and rotated with respect to the case by operating an operating lever,
wherein an end of the switch moving body is urqed toward the click feeling generator,
the click feeling generator includes a first face including a plurality of trough portions that abut against the end of the switch moving body and a second face opposite, in a direction in which the end is urged, to the first face,
click feelings are given by the end of the switch moving body sequentially abutting against the trough portions in response to stepwise operations of the operating lever, and
the click feeling generator and the case are separated bodies and are placed away from each other at least in the direction in which the end is urged, with a space left between the case and the second face of the click feeling generator.

2. The lever switch according to claim 1 , wherein in the space, a wall portion is interposed between the click feeling generator and the case.

3. The lever switch according to claim 2 , wherein at least a part of the wall portion comes into contact with the click feeling generator to support the click feeling generator.

4. The lever switch according to claim 1 , wherein the click feeling generator is comprised of an elastic body.

5. The lever switch according to claim 4 , wherein the elastic body is formed of elastomer.

6. The lever switch according to claim 1 , wherein the click feeling generator comprises a cantilever-shaped projecting piece, and when the operating lever rotates, the projecting piece abuts against a part of the switch moving body other than the end thereof.

7. The lever switch according to claim 6 , wherein the projecting piece comprises a projection that projects toward the case, and when the projecting piece is caused to become warped by the part of the switch moving body other than the end thereof abutting against the projecting piece due to the rotation of the operating lever, the projection abuts against the case first.

8. The lever switch according to claim 1 , wherein the lever switch is a wiper switch.

Assignees

• Toyo Denso Kk

Inventors

• Iwanami Masayuki
• Komatsu Takatoshi

Classifications

• H01H2215/00

  Tactile feedback · CPC title

• H01H21/22 Primary

  Operating parts, e.g. handle · CPC title

• H01H3/50

  with indexing or locating means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring · CPC title

• H01H21/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H01H21/04

  Cases; Covers · CPC title