1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a combination switch device comprising a body incorporating an electronic control unit and a lever switch unit incorporating switch contacts and mounted on the body.
2. Related Art
One of the combination switch devices of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-10-74573 (referred to as "a rotary connector" in the publication). This conventional combination switch device will be explained referring to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional combination switch device, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the combination switch device as shown in FIG. 7 in a state where the lever switch units are mounted thereon.
A combination switch device 1 includes a stationary housing 3, a movable housing 5 rotatably connected to the stationary housing 3, and a flexible cable 13 wound and contained in an annular space 11 defined between an outer cylindrical member 7 and an inner cylindrical member 9 of both the housings 3 and 5. The outer cylindrical member 7 of the stationary housing 3 is formed with a pair of holding walls 15, 17 which extend substantially diametrically with respect to the space 11. The holding walls 15, 17 are adapted to detachably hold a left and a right lever switch units 19, 21 (referred to as "a stalk switch" in the publication) respectively. A printed circuit board 25 is fixed to a bottom plate 23 of the stationary housing 3. On a rear face of the printed circuit board 25 are mounted a pair of connectors 31, 33 to which connector pins 27, 29 of the lever switch units 19, 21 are respectively connected.
Therefore, when the lever switch units 19, 21 are inserted into the holding walls 15, 17, the connector pins 27, 29 come into contact with the connectors 31, 33, thereby electrically connecting contact circuits incorporated in the lever switch units 19, 21 to an electronic control unit (not shown) on the printed circuit board 25.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds