The present invention relates to a rotary switch.
Most recent rotary switches of the prior art generally employ printed circuit boards having circuit patterns thereon which make electrical contact with arrays of electrical contacts which bear resiliently against the boards. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,269. The PCB's have two dimensional arrays of conductive circuit patterns and are generally round in shape for axial rotation relative to the fixed contacts, which provide both input and output from the switch. Another type of prior art switch employs contacts movable relative to a fixed PCB, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,178. Insofar as the circuit patterns are confined to two dimensions, such switches are not practical for increasingly complex outputs. Further, large numbers of output contacts are required.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds