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Title: Pushbutton system, in particular for a pushbutton operated car radio receiver
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A pushbutton assembly of the type having reset, normal, and depressed positions, in which movement of the pushbutton from the normal to the depressed position moves one of a plurality of members to an operating position, comprising sequencing means for selecting the member to be moved upon sequential depressions of the pushbutton, and means for disabling said sequencing means upon movement of the pushbutton to the reset position, such that the most recently selected member remains selected, and for restoring sequencing for subsequent depressions only upon depression of the pushbutton substantially fully to the depressed position. 2. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising a frame means for mounting at least first and second drive members alternately drivable by a pushbutton depressible from a normal position to a depressed position, and movable in an opposite direction from the normal position to a reset position, and wherein said sequencing means comprises a changing catch controlled by said pushbutton for coupling to said drive members, said catch being movable between first and second positions for engaging the first drive member and the second drive member respectively, a rotary member connected to said pushbutton for movement therewith, said rotary member having means for engaging said catch to move it between said positions in response to rotation of said rotary member, and a driven member, and pawl means for engaging said driven member so that said rotary member rotates in response to depression of said pushbutton; wherein said frame means comprises a spring support portion and a pivot portion; said pawl means comprises a drive pawl having a spring engaging surface, a guide slot having two long walls, one long wall having a recess therein at a region in said slot, said recess having a driven means engaging surface; and said means for disabling and restoring comprises normal and reset pivot surfaces on said pawl arranged approximately in the longitudinal direction of said slot, said driven member being disposed within said slot so as to permit longitudinal motion of said pawl without rotation of said driven member, said driven member being rotatable only when in said region, means for moving said pawl longitudinally from a normal position to a reset position in response to movement of said pushbutton to the reset position, means for moving said pawl to the normal position in response to movement of said button to the depressed position, and a pivot spring arranged between said spring support portion and said spring engaging surface for applying spring force therebetween such that in the normal position of said pawl said normal pivot bears against said frame pivot portion and said spring force biases the pawl pivotally such that said long wall having the recess bears against said driven means, said driven means being rotated by said engaging surface upon movement of said pushbutton from the normal toward the depressed positions; in the reset position of said pawl, said reset pivot bears against said frame pivot portion and said spring force biases the pawl pivotally such that the other long wall bears against said driven means, such that movement of said pushbutton only partly from the normal to the depressed position does not rotate the driven means and does not return said pawl to the normal position. 3. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pawl has a pivot recess formed therein, having an elongated bottom and ends, the ends being said pivot surfaces, the frame comprises a frame portion having adjacent front, rear and edge surfaces, said spring urging said bottom of said pivot recess against said edge surface, longitudinal motion of said pawl bringing a corresponding pivot surface into contact with said front and rear surfaces. 4. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pivot recess is located beyond an end of said slot remote from said recess region, extending longitudinally in the same direction as the slot, said spring being a compression spring pressing against a side of the pawl opposite said pivot recess. 5. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 2, said pawl comprising a projection, and said pushbutton comprising means for engaging said projection to move said pawl longitudinally to said reset position when said pushbutton is moved to said reset position and to move said pawl to said normal position only when said pushbutton is moved substantially to the depressed position. 6. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the means for engaging said catch comprise at least three radially extending teeth, said catch having an inner surface substantially continuously engaging flanks of said teeth along a line through the axis of said rotary member and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said slot. 7. A pushbutton assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for disabling and restoring comprises a bistable pawl and spring combination, said combination comprising a pawl, means for mounting said pawl for movement from a normal position to a reset position upon movement of the pushbutton to the reset position and for movement from the reset to the normal position only upon depression of the pushbutton to the depressed position, a spring, and means for mounting said spring for bistable positioning to provide bias force holding the pawl in the normal and reset positions. Other info: Inventors: Bernhardt, Werner (Wetzlar, DT) Application Number: 461974 Filing Date: 1974-04-18 Publication_date: 1976-04-27 Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation (New York, NY) Primary Class(es): 74/10.33 74/10.27, 74/10.35 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Wyche, Benjamin W. Assistant Examiner: Heald, Randall Attorney: Trifari; Frank R., Treacy; David R. |
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