Rotary switch and range adjustment assembly

Abstract

The application provides a rotary switch and gear adjusting assembly, and belongs to the technical field of electric switch. The rotary switch comprises a knob assembly, a bridge assembly, a terminal base, and a terminal assembly. The upper end of the bridge assembly is connected to the knob assembly, and the lower end is provided with a contact point for forming contact conduction with the terminal assembly. The terminal base is provided with a bridge track and at least one terminal slot. The bridge track is provided with at least one convex part and at least one concave part. The terminal assembly is inserted into the terminal slot. Under the rotation of the knob assembly, the bridge assembly is lifted and falls on the bridge track. When the bridge assembly is lifted to the convex part of the bridge track, the contact point of the bridge assembly is separated from the terminal assembly. When the bridge assembly falls to the concave part of the bridge track, the contact point of the bridge assembly is in contact with the terminal assembly. The application can effectively reduce the friction and wear of the bridge and the terminal during rotation, and prolong the service life of the rotary switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical switch technology, and in particular to a rotary switch and a gear adjustment assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In the electrical control systems of numerous devices such as automobiles and machinery, rotary switches play a crucial role. As a key control element, it connects or disconnects different circuits through rotation, thereby achieving precise control over the equipment's startup, operation, and other states. The core structure of a rotary switch includes a bridge and multiple terminals. The rotation of the bridge allows it to switch connections between different terminals, thus enabling the conduction of different functional circuits and ensuring the normal startup and operation of the equipment.

[0003] Currently, common rotary switch technology typically employs a direct friction contact between the bridge and terminals. This design relies on the mutual friction between the bridge and terminals to ensure good contact performance, guaranteeing stable current conduction and allowing the electrical system of the equipment to operate normally according to the set program. However, during the frequent rotation and contact between the bridge and terminals, the continuous friction causes the surfaces of both the bridge and terminals to gradually wear down, generating debris. This debris accumulates in the contact area between the bridge and terminals, affecting the tightness of the contact and conductivity, thus increasing circuit impedance. Over time, the lifespan of the ignition switch is significantly shortened, and its performance gradually declines, failing to meet the equipment's requirements for stable and reliable electrical control and increasing the risk of equipment failure.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a rotary switch that can effectively reduce frictional losses between the bridge and the terminal during rotation. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a rotary switch and a gear adjustment assembly to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this application proposes a rotary switch, the rotary switch comprising:

[0007] Knob assembly;

[0008] A bridging assembly, the upper end of which is connected to the knob assembly, and the lower end of which is provided with a contact point for forming a conductive contact with the terminal assembly;

[0009] A terminal base, wherein the terminal base is provided with a bridge rail and at least one terminal slot, and the bridge rail is provided with at least one protrusion and at least one recess;

[0010] A terminal assembly inserted into the terminal slot;

[0011] The bridging assembly moves up and down on the bridging track under the rotation of the knob assembly. When the bridging assembly is raised to the protrusion of the bridging track, the contact of the bridging assembly separates from the terminal assembly. When the bridging assembly is lowered to the recess of the bridging track, the contact of the bridging assembly contacts the terminal assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the end face where the protrusion meets the recess forms a sloped surface, and the bridging assembly achieves lifting and lowering movements under the guidance of the sloped surface.

[0013] In some embodiments, the terminal slot includes a central slot located at the center of the terminal base and a plurality of edge slots located at the edges of the terminal base;

[0014] The terminal assembly includes a central terminal and multiple edge terminals, wherein the central terminal is inserted into the central slot and each edge terminal is inserted into one of the edge slots.

[0015] The bridge assembly includes a first bridge and a second bridge. The contacts on the first bridge and the second bridge each include an inner contact near the center of the knob assembly and an outer contact near the edge of the knob assembly. When either the first bridge or the second bridge is raised to the protrusion of the bridge track, the inner contact of the raised bridge separates from the center terminal, and the outer contact separates from the edge terminal. When either bridge is lowered to the recess of the bridge track, the inner contact of the lowered bridge contacts the center terminal, and the outer contact contacts one of the edge terminals.

[0016] In some embodiments, the edge terminal includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal;

[0017] When the knob assembly is rotated to the first angle, the first bridge connects the first terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge is not connected to either terminal;

[0018] When the knob assembly is rotated to the second angle, the first bridge connects the fourth terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge connects the second terminal and the center terminal;

[0019] When the knob assembly is rotated to the third angle, the first bridge connects the third terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge connects the second terminal and the center terminal.

[0020] In some embodiments, the upper end of the bridge assembly has two protruding ears, and a bridge spring is sandwiched between the two ears. The bridge spring is engaged with the lower end face of the knob assembly. The bridge spring is in a first compression state when the bridge assembly is raised to the protrusion, and in a second compression state when the bridge assembly is lowered to the recess.

[0021] In some embodiments, the rotary switch further includes:

[0022] The upper shell assembly has the knob assembly inserted inside it. The lower end face of the upper shell assembly is provided with a guide groove, and the guide groove is provided with a positioning groove.

[0023] The knob assembly includes a knob body and a limiting part. When the knob assembly rotates, the limiting part moves within the guide groove. When the knob assembly rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting part is positioned within the positioning groove.

[0024] In some embodiments, the guide groove includes:

[0025] A positioning slide groove, wherein a first positioning groove is provided inside the positioning slide groove;

[0026] The anti-reverse rotation groove includes a first groove, a second groove, and a notch of different depths. The first groove and the second groove are connected through the notch, and the second groove is provided with a second positioning groove.

[0027] In some embodiments, the limiting portion includes:

[0028] The first limiting part moves within the positioning groove. The first limiting part includes a first limiting spring and a limiting bead. When the knob assembly is rotated to a predetermined angle, the limiting bead is pressed against the first positioning groove under the elastic action of the first limiting spring.

[0029] The second limiting part, which moves within the anti-reverse rotation groove, includes a second limiting spring and a limiting bullet. When the knob assembly rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting bullet is pressed against the second positioning groove under the elastic action of the second limiting spring.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are disposed at the upper end of the knob body along a first direction, and the first direction is orthogonal to the bridge body direction of the bridge assembly.

[0031] In some embodiments, the notch includes a first notch and a second notch, the first groove and the second groove are connected through the first notch and the second notch, and a second positioning groove is provided at the second notch.

[0032] In some embodiments, the end of the second positioning groove adjacent to the second notch is smoothly connected to the second notch, so that the second limiting part can move from the second slide groove to the first slide groove through the second notch; the end of the second positioning groove away from the second notch forms a limited sliding wall to restrict the second limiting part from moving from the second slide groove to the first slide groove through the first notch.

[0033] In some embodiments, the knob assembly further includes:

[0034] A reset spring is sleeved on the knob body. The upper end of the reset spring is fixed to the upper shell assembly, and the lower end abuts against the limiting member protruding on the knob body when the knob body is rotated to the predetermined angle. When the knob body is rotated to an angle greater than the predetermined angle and loses external force, the knob body returns to the predetermined angle under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring.

[0035] In some embodiments, when the knob body is rotated to a preset angle greater than the predetermined angle and loses external force, the first limiting part moves within the positioning groove under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring and presses against the first positioning groove, and the second limiting part moves from the first groove to the second groove through the first notch under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring and presses against the second positioning groove.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rotary switch further includes:

[0037] Housing components;

[0038] A key core is fitted onto the knob assembly, and an annular space is formed between the key core and the outer casing assembly;

[0039] A dustproof ring is disposed in the annular space and fitted onto the key core to fill the gap between the key core and the outer casing assembly, and to divide the annular space into an upper space and a lower space.

[0040] In some embodiments, an opening is provided through the cavity wall at one end of the upper space to drain dust or liquid that has entered the upper space.

[0041] Secondly, this application also proposes a gear adjustment assembly, which includes the rotary switch described above.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application include:

[0043] This application utilizes a bridge rail with protrusions and recesses within the terminal base. The bridge assembly moves up and down along the rail under the rotation of the knob assembly. When the bridge assembly rises to the protrusion, its contacts separate from the terminal assembly; when it falls to the recess, the contacts make contact with the terminal assembly. Compared to the direct contact friction between the bridge and the terminal in existing technologies, this application makes the contact between the bridge and the terminal discontinuous. Contact and conduction only occur when the bridge falls to the recess, avoiding long-term continuous friction between the bridge and the terminal. This effectively reduces wear on the surfaces of the bridge and the terminal, lowers the risk of debris generation, and extends the service life of the rotary switch. Simultaneously, the reduced friction between the bridge and the terminal also reduces the amount of debris generated, thus lowering the possibility of debris accumulation in the contact area. This ensures good contact tightness and conductivity between the bridge and the terminal, guarantees stable circuit impedance, improves the stability and reliability of the rotary switch, reduces the risk of circuit failures caused by debris accumulation, and better meets the equipment's requirements for stable and reliable electrical control. Attached Figure Description

[0044] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of this application.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotary switch according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 2A This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a rotary switch rotated to 0° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 2B This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a rotary switch rotated to 90° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2C This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a rotary switch rotated to 135° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3A This is a partial perspective view of the structure of a rotary switch rotated to 0° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 3B This is a partial perspective view of the structure of a rotary switch rotated to 45 degrees according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 3C This is a partial perspective view of the structure of a rotary switch rotated to 90° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 4A This is a partial structural diagram of a rotary switch according to an embodiment of the present application, rotated to 0° from a low-angle view.

[0053] Figure 4B This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a rotary switch according to an embodiment of the present application, rotated to 90° from a bottom view.

[0054] Figure 4C This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a rotary switch according to an embodiment of the present application, rotated to 135° from a bottom view.

[0055] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of a portion of the structure of a rotary switch according to an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a knob assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a knob assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 8A This is a bottom view of the upper shell assembly rotated to 0° according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 8B This is a bottom view of the upper shell assembly according to an embodiment of this application, rotated from 0° to 90°;

[0060] Figure 8C This is a bottom view of the upper shell assembly according to an embodiment of this application, rotated from 90° to 135°.

[0061] Figure 8D This is a bottom view of the upper shell assembly according to an embodiment of this application, rotated from 135° to 90° in reverse rotation.

[0062] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a structure including an upper shell assembly and a return spring according to an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present application, including an upper shell assembly and a return spring.

[0064] Reference numerals: 100, Rotary switch; 1, Knob assembly; 11, Knob body; 12, Limiting part; 121, First limiting part; 1211, First limiting spring; 1212, Limiting bead; 122, Second limiting part; 1221, Limiting bullet; 1222, Second limiting spring; 13, Return spring; 14, Limiting element; 2, Connecting bridge assembly; 21, Contact; 211, Inner contact; 212, Outer contact; 22, Connecting bridge spring; 23, Ear; 24, First connecting bridge; 25, Second connecting bridge; 3, Terminal base; 31, Connecting bridge rail; 311, Protrusion; 3 12. Recess; 32. Terminal slot; 4. Terminal assembly; 41. Center terminal; 42. Edge terminal; 421. First terminal; 422. Second terminal; 423. Third terminal; 424. Fourth terminal; 5. Upper shell assembly; 51. Positioning groove; 511. First positioning groove; 52. Anti-reverse rotation groove; 521. First groove; 522. Second groove; 5221. Second positioning groove; 523. First notch; 524. Second notch; 6. Outer shell assembly; 61. Opening; 7. Key core; 8. Annular space; 81. Upper space; 82. Lower space; 9. Dustproof ring. Detailed Implementation

[0065] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the application, not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0066] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0067] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0068] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0069] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0070] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0071] As mentioned above, current common rotary switch technology typically employs direct contact friction between the bridge and terminals. This design relies on the mutual friction between the bridge and terminals to ensure good contact performance, guaranteeing stable current conduction and enabling the electrical system of the device to operate normally according to the set program. However, during the frequent rotation and contact between the bridge and terminals, the continuous friction between them causes gradual wear on the surfaces of both the bridge and terminals, generating debris. This debris accumulates in the contact area between the bridge and terminals, affecting their contact tightness and conductivity, thus increasing circuit impedance. Over time, the lifespan of the ignition switch is significantly shortened, and its performance gradually declines, failing to meet the device's requirements for stable and reliable electrical control and increasing the risk of device failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a rotary switch that can effectively reduce frictional losses between the bridge and terminals during rotation. To this end, this application proposes a rotary switch and a position adjustment assembly that can effectively reduce friction and wear between the bridge and terminals during rotation.

[0072] like Figures 1 to 2C As shown, a rotary switch 100 is provided, including: a knob assembly 1, a bridge assembly 2, a terminal base 3, and a terminal assembly 4.

[0073] The knob assembly 1 is used to drive the bridge assembly 2 to rotate under the user's rotation operation when the user inserts the key into the rotary switch 100 and turns the key.

[0074] The bridging assembly 2 is the core conductive component of the rotary switch 100. Its upper end is connected to the knob assembly 1, and its lower end has a contact 21 for forming a conductive connection with the terminal assembly 4. The contact 21 can be made of a metal material with good conductivity, such as a copper alloy or silver-plated metal.

[0075] The terminal base 3 is a supporting and insulating component of the rotary switch 100, typically made of engineering plastic or ceramic material with good insulation properties to prevent current leakage and short circuits. It contains a bridging rail 31 and at least one terminal slot 32. The terminal assembly 4 is inserted into the terminal slot 32.

[0076] The terminal assembly 4 includes multiple terminals, the number of which is the same as the number of terminal slots 32. Each terminal is fixedly inserted into a corresponding terminal slot 32. The top of each terminal protrudes from the upper part of the corresponding terminal slot 32, and the contact 21 can contact the upper part of the terminal. The lower part of each terminal is located below the corresponding terminal slot 32, and the lower part of the terminal is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical component.

[0077] The bridge track 31 is used to provide a movement trajectory for the bridge assembly 2. It is provided with at least one protrusion 311 and at least one recess 312. The protrusion 311 is used to lift the bridge assembly 2 so that the contact 21 of the bridge assembly 2 is separated from the terminal assembly 4. The recess 312 is used to lower the bridge assembly 2 so that the contact 21 of the bridge assembly 2 contacts the terminal assembly 4.

[0078] In some implementations, such as Figures 3A to 3C As shown, the end faces where the protrusion 311 and the recess 312 meet form a sloped surface, and the bridging assembly 2 achieves lifting and lowering movements under the guidance of the sloped surface. The sloped surface refers to the sloping shape of the end faces where the protrusion 311 and the recess 312 meet. This sloped surface can be a slope directly machined onto the bridging track 31, or it can be a sloped surface made of wear-resistant material attached to the protrusion 311. In this embodiment, the sloped surface provides a smooth transition path for the bridging assembly 2, avoiding sudden impacts and vibrations during movement, and improving the stability and reliability of the rotary switch 100.

[0079] In some implementations, the end face of the sloped surface can be a straight slope, which has the advantages of simple processing and low cost. It can also be a curved sloped surface, with its end face in an arc or other curved shape, thus providing a smoother transition effect. Furthermore, it can be a segmented sloped surface, composed of multiple small slopes, each with a different slope and width, which can be flexibly adjusted according to circuit requirements to meet complex circuit switching logic.

[0080] Terminal slots 32 are used to install and secure terminal assemblies 4, ensuring their accurate positioning within the rotary switch 100. Their number and layout depend on the required number and complexity of circuit connections, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. The layout can include nested ring or circular arrangements. When the bridging assembly contacts different terminals or combinations during rotation, different conductive circuits can be formed, enabling multi-position and function switching.

[0081] In some embodiments, the terminal slot 32 may consist only of edge slots located at the edge of the terminal base 3. For example, there may be two, three, four, etc., edge slots, evenly or non-evenly distributed along the edge of the terminal base 3 in a circumferential arrangement. These edge slots are used to install edge terminals. When the bridging assembly 2 is rotated to a specific angle, its contacts contact the corresponding edge terminals, thereby achieving circuit conduction and forming different switching positions.

[0082] In other embodiments, the terminal slot 32 includes a central slot located at the center of the terminal base 3 and a plurality of edge slots located at the edges of the terminal base 3. Communication between the edge terminals inserted into the edge slots is achieved through the contacts of the bridging assembly 2 and the central terminal 41 inserted into the central slot.

[0083] In other embodiments, terminal slot 32 may include multiple center slots and multiple edge slots. For example, multiple center slots may accommodate multiple center terminals, each of which may be used in combination with multiple edge terminals. By contacting the contacts of the bridging assembly 2 with different combinations of center and edge terminals, multiple circuits can be simultaneously switched on or off, meeting diverse control requirements of the equipment.

[0084] Terminal assembly 4 is an electrical connection component of rotary switch 100. It is inserted into terminal slot 32 of terminal base 3 and is used to contact or separate from contact 21 of bridge assembly 2, thereby realizing the circuit connection or disconnection.

[0085] In this embodiment, when the knob assembly 1 and the bridge assembly 2 move up and down on the bridge rail 31 under the rotation of the knob assembly 1, when the bridge assembly 2 is raised to the protrusion 311 of the bridge rail 31, the contact 21 of the bridge assembly 2 separates from the terminal assembly 4, and when the bridge assembly 2 falls to the recess 312 of the bridge rail 31, the contact 21 of the bridge assembly 2 contacts the terminal assembly 4.

[0086] The bridging assembly can achieve the falling motion through elasticity or magnetic force. As a feasible implementation method for achieving the falling motion using the bridging assembly 2, such as... Figure 3C As shown, the upper end of the connecting bridge assembly 2 has two protruding lugs 23, and a connecting bridge spring 22 is sandwiched between the two lugs 23. The connecting bridge spring 22 is engaged with the lower end face of the knob assembly 1. The connecting bridge spring 22 is in a first compression state when the connecting bridge assembly 2 is raised to the protrusion 311, and in a second compression state when the connecting bridge assembly falls to the recess 312. The connecting bridge spring 22 can be made of a metal material with excellent elasticity and fatigue resistance, such as spring steel. During the movement of the connecting bridge assembly 2, through its own compression and extension, the connecting bridge assembly 2 can tightly fit the protrusion 311 and the recess 312 of the connecting bridge track 31, thereby achieving stable contact and separation between the contact and the terminal assembly 4. Through the elastic force of the connecting bridge spring 22 under different compression states and the weight of the connecting bridge assembly 2 itself, the connecting bridge assembly 2 can achieve the falling movement from the protrusion 311 to the recess 312. The top of the connecting spring 22 abuts against the lower end face of the knob assembly 1. When it is in the first compression state, its compression degree is greater than that in the second compression state.

[0087] This implementation of the bridging assembly 2's falling motion utilizes a bridging spring 22 between the two lugs 23. This ensures the bridging assembly 2 tightly conforms to the protrusion 311 and recess 312 of the bridging track 31 during movement, achieving stable contact and separation between the contacts and the terminal assembly 4. When the bridging assembly 2 rises to the protrusion 311, the bridging spring 22 is in its first compressed state, providing a downward preload to keep it stably on the protrusion 311, preventing accidental falling due to vibration or other reasons, and improving the reliability of circuit switching. When the bridging assembly 2 needs to fall to the recess 312, the elastic force of the bridging spring 22 and the weight of the bridging assembly 2 work together to allow it to smoothly slide from the protrusion 311 to the recess 312, thus establishing circuit continuity. When the bridge assembly 22 falls into the recess 312, the second compression state of the bridge spring 22 ensures that the bridge assembly 2 and the terminal assembly 4 maintain good contact pressure, reduces contact resistance, and improves conductivity, thereby improving the overall performance and service life of the rotary switch 100.

[0088] In addition to elastic contact and separation, as another feasible implementation of the bridging assembly 2 to achieve the falling motion, the bridging spring 22 can be replaced by a magnetic element. For example, a first magnetic element is provided within the two ears 23, and a second magnetic element is provided on the lower end face of the knob assembly 1. The first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are of the same polarity and repel each other, so that when the bridging assembly 2 falls to the recess 312 of the bridging track 31, the contact 21 and the terminal assembly 4 are in close contact under the action of the repulsive force.

[0089] This implementation of the falling motion of the bridging assembly 2 utilizes a first magnetic element located within the two lugs 23 and a second magnetic element located on the lower end face of the knob assembly 1. Based on the principle of like poles repelling, this ensures that when the bridging assembly 2 falls into the recess 312 of the bridging track 31, the contact 21 makes tight contact with the terminal assembly 4. This ensures stable circuit continuity, and the repulsive force of the magnetic elements provides stable contact pressure, thereby reducing contact resistance and improving conductivity. This magnetic design also helps reduce contact problems caused by mechanical vibration or impact, further improving the reliability and service life of the rotary switch 100.

[0090] This embodiment uses the design of the protrusions 311 and the recesses 312 on the bridge track 31 to shorten the sliding friction path between the bridge assembly 2 and the terminal assembly 4, effectively reducing the friction between the bridge assembly 2 and the terminal assembly 4, reducing the degree of surface wear, thereby reducing the debris generated by friction and extending the service life of the rotary switch 100.

[0091] In one embodiment, such as Figures 3A to 3C As shown, the terminal slot 32 includes a central slot located at the center of the terminal base 3 and multiple edge slots located at the edges of the terminal base 3. The terminal assembly 4 includes a central terminal 41 and multiple edge terminals 42. The central terminal 41 is inserted into the central slot, and each edge terminal is inserted into one of the edge slots. The number of edge slots can be any suitable number.

[0092] like Figures 4A to 4C As shown, the bridge assembly 2 includes a first bridge 24 and a second bridge 25. The contacts on the first bridge 24 and the second bridge 25 each include an inner contact 211 near the center of the knob assembly 1 and an outer contact 212 near the edge of the knob assembly 1.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first connecting bridge 24 and the second connecting bridge 25 are arranged side by side along the bridge body direction and rotate synchronously under the rotation of the knob assembly 1. Here, the bridge body direction refers to the length direction of the connecting bridge assembly 2. Synchronous rotation means that the first connecting bridge 24 and the second connecting bridge 25 rotate at the same speed and angle under the drive of the knob assembly 1, which simplifies the control logic of the rotary switch 100.

[0094] In this embodiment, when either the first bridge 24 or the second bridge 25 is raised to the protrusion 311 of the bridge track 31, the inner contact 211 of the raised bridge separates from the center terminal 41, and the outer contact 212 separates from the edge terminal 42. When either one is lowered to the recess 312 of the bridge track 31, the inner contact 211 of the lowered bridge contacts the center terminal 41, and the outer contact 212 contacts one of the edge terminals 42.

[0095] In some implementations, such as Figures 4A to 4C As shown, the edge terminal 42 includes a first terminal 421, a second terminal 422, a third terminal 423, and a fourth terminal 424. When the knob assembly 1 is rotated to a first angle, as... Figure 4A At 0°, as shown, the first bridge 24 connects the first terminal and the center terminal 41, and the second bridge 25 is not connected to either terminal, corresponding to the closed position. When the knob assembly 1 is rotated to the second angle, as... Figure 4B At the 90° position shown, the first bridge 24 connects the fourth terminal 424 and the center terminal 41, and the second bridge 25 connects the second terminal 422 and the center terminal 41, corresponding to the power setting. When the knob assembly 1 is rotated to the third angle, as shown... Figure 4C At 135°, as shown, the first bridge 24 connects the third terminal 423 and the center terminal 41, and the second bridge 25 connects the second terminal 422 and the center terminal 41, corresponding to the ignition position. It is understandable that the first angle, second angle, and third angle can also be any other suitable angle.

[0096] In the rotary switch 100 proposed in this application embodiment, different rotation angles correspond to different circuit connection states, enabling the rotary switch 100 to precisely control the device.

[0097] In one embodiment, such as Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the rotary switch 100 also includes an upper housing assembly 5.

[0098] In this embodiment, the knob assembly 1 includes a knob body 11 and a limiting part 12. The knob body 11 is inserted into the upper shell assembly 5. The lower end face of the upper shell assembly 5 is provided with a guide groove, and a positioning groove is provided in the guide groove. When the knob assembly 1 rotates, the limiting part 12 moves in the guide groove. When the knob assembly 1 rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting part 12 is positioned in the positioning groove.

[0099] The knob body 11 includes a disc portion and a cylindrical portion protruding from the upper end of the disc portion, the cylindrical portion being inserted into the upper shell assembly 5.

[0100] The guide groove is a recessed groove structure on the lower end face of the upper shell assembly 5, which is annular or arc-shaped and is used to guide the movement of the limiting part of the knob assembly 1. The shape and size of the guide groove match the limiting part to ensure that the knob assembly 1 can move along a predetermined trajectory during rotation.

[0101] The positioning groove is a specific position on the guide slide, used to limit and lock the rotation angle of the knob assembly 1. When the knob assembly 1 rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting part enters the positioning groove, keeping the knob assembly 1 in that position and ensuring the stability and reliability of the rotary switch 100.

[0102] The limiting part 12 is installed on the upper end face of the knob assembly 1 and cooperates with the guide groove and positioning groove provided on the lower end face of the upper shell assembly 5, thereby limiting the rotation range of the knob assembly 1 and ensuring that it moves within a predetermined angle.

[0103] This embodiment, through the design of the guide groove and the positioning groove, ensures the accurate movement trajectory of the knob assembly 1 during rotation, avoiding excessive rotation or deviation from the track. The movement of the limiting part within the guide groove and its locking within the positioning groove enable the knob assembly 1 to accurately stop at a predetermined angle, improving the rotational accuracy and stability of the rotary switch 100.

[0104] In some implementations, such as Figures 8A to 8D As shown, the guide slide includes a positioning slide 51 and an anti-reverse rotation slide 52. The positioning slide 51 is part of the guide slide and is used to limit the rotation angle of the knob assembly 1. The positioning slide 51 has a first positioning groove 511. When the knob assembly 1 rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting part enters the first positioning groove 511, holding the knob assembly 1 in that position. The anti-reverse rotation slide 52 is another part of the guide slide and is used to prevent the knob assembly 1 from rotating in the opposite direction. The anti-reverse rotation slide 52 includes a first slide 521 and a second slide 522 of different depths, and a notch connecting them. The second slide 522 has a second positioning groove 5221 for locking the limiting part at a specific position.

[0105] In some embodiments, the notch includes a first notch 523 and a second notch 524, the first groove 521 and the second groove 522 are connected through the first notch 523 and the second notch 524, and a second positioning groove 5221 is provided at the second notch 524.

[0106] In some embodiments, one end of the second positioning groove 5221 adjacent to the second notch 524 is smoothly connected to the second notch 524, so that the second limiting part 122 can move from the second slide groove 522 to the first slide groove 521 through the second notch 524; a limited sliding wall is formed at the end of the second positioning groove 5221 away from the second notch 524 to restrict the movement of the second limiting part 122 from the second slide groove 522 to the first slide groove 521 through the first notch 523. The limited sliding wall is a blocking structure formed at the end of the second positioning groove 5221 adjacent to the second notch 524, used to restrict the movement of the limiting bullet head 1222 from the second positioning groove 5221 to the first notch 523.

[0107] In this embodiment, the rotary switch 100, through the design of the guide groove, the positioning groove 51, and the anti-reverse rotation groove 52, ensures the accurate movement trajectory of the knob assembly 1 during rotation, preventing excessive rotation or deviation from the track. The movement of the limiting part 12 within the groove and its locking within the positioning groove allow the knob assembly 1 to accurately stop at a predetermined angle, improving the rotational accuracy and stability of the rotary switch 100.

[0108] In some implementations, such as Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the limiting part 12 includes a first limiting part 121 that moves within the positioning slide groove 51 and a second limiting part 122 that moves within the anti-reverse rotation slide groove 52.

[0109] The first limiting part 121 includes a first limiting spring 1211 and a limiting bead 1212. One end of the first limiting spring 1211 is fixed to the upper end face of the knob body 11, and the other end is connected to the limiting bead 1212. The first limiting spring 1211 can be made of spring steel and is spiral-shaped to provide elastic force, allowing the limiting bead 1212 to move tightly against the positioning groove 51. The limiting bead 1212 can be a steel ball or a ceramic ball with a smooth surface. It is used to move within the positioning groove 51 and enters the first positioning groove 511 when the knob assembly 1 is rotated to a predetermined angle. At this time, under the elastic action of the first limiting spring 1211, the limiting bead 1212 presses against the first positioning groove 511, thereby positioning the knob assembly 1.

[0110] The second limiting part 122 includes a second limiting spring 1221 and a limiting bullet head 1222. One end of the second limiting spring 1221 is fixed to the upper end face of the knob body 11, and the other end is connected to the limiting bullet head 1222. The second limiting spring 1221 can also be made of spring steel to provide elastic force, allowing the limiting bullet head 1222 to move in close contact with the anti-reverse rotation groove 52. The limiting bullet head 1222 is bullet-shaped with a smooth surface, used to move within the anti-reverse rotation groove 52, and enters the second positioning groove 5221 when the knob assembly 1 is rotated to a predetermined angle. At this time, under the elastic action of the second limiting spring 1221, the limiting bullet head 1222 presses against the second positioning groove 5221 to achieve the anti-reverse rotation function.

[0111] In this embodiment, the rotary switch 100, through the design of the first limiting part 121 and the second limiting part 122, ensures the precise positioning of the knob assembly 1 during rotation. The movement of the limiting bead 1212 and the limiting bullet head 1222 within the slide groove and their locking within the positioning groove enable the knob assembly 1 to accurately stop at a predetermined angle, thereby improving the operating accuracy of the rotary switch 100.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first limiting part 121 and the second limiting part 122 are disposed at the upper end of the knob body 11 along the first direction. The first direction is orthogonal to the bridge body direction of the bridge assembly 2, which can ensure the stability of the knob assembly 1 during rotation and reduce the shaking of the knob assembly 1 during rotation.

[0113] In one embodiment, such as Figures 2A to 2C ,as well as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the knob assembly also includes a return spring 13 sleeved on the knob body 11.

[0114] The upper end of the return spring 13 is fixed to the upper shell assembly 5, and the lower end abuts against the limiting member 14 protruding from the disc portion of the knob body 11 when the knob body 11 is rotated to a predetermined angle. When the knob body 11 is rotated to an angle greater than the predetermined angle and loses external force, the knob body 11 returns to the predetermined angle under the elastic reaction force of the return spring 13, that is, from... Figure 2C Back Figure 2B .

[0115] In some embodiments, a slot is provided on the lower end face of the upper shell assembly 5, and the upper end of the reset spring 13 is inserted into the slot to achieve fixation.

[0116] In some embodiments, the lower end face of the upper shell assembly 5 is provided with a threaded hole, and the upper end of the return spring 13 is fixed through the threaded hole.

[0117] In some embodiments, the limiting member 14 has a recessed receiving groove at one end facing the upper shell assembly 5, the receiving groove being used to place the limiting part, the limiting part being partially exposed in the limiting member 14.

[0118] In some embodiments, the limiting member 14 has a recessed receiving groove at one end facing the upper shell assembly 5. The receiving groove is used to place the first limiting part 121. One end of the first limiting spring 1211 of the first limiting part 121 is fixed to the bottom of the receiving groove, and the other end is connected to the limiting bead 1212. The limiting bead 1212 is partially exposed in the limiting member 14.

[0119] In some embodiments, when the knob body 11 is rotated to a preset angle greater than a predetermined angle and loses external force, such as Figures 8A to 8D As shown, the first limiting part 121 moves within the positioning groove 51 under the elastic reaction force of the return spring 13 and presses against the first positioning groove 511. The second limiting part 122 moves from the first groove 521 to the second groove 522 through the first notch 523 under the elastic reaction force of the return spring 13 and presses against the second positioning groove 5221.

[0120] In this embodiment, the predetermined angle can be 90°, and the preset angle can be 135°. When the knob assembly 1 is rotated to 135°, the elastic force of the return spring 13 will drive the knob assembly 1 to rotate in the opposite direction, and with the cooperation of the first positioning groove 511 and the second positioning groove 5221, it will be stably positioned at the 90° position. At this time, if you try to rotate the knob assembly 1 from 90° to 135°, the sliding wall in the second positioning groove 5221 will prevent the knob assembly 1 from rotating further. However, if the knob assembly 1 is rotated from 90° to 0°, the knob assembly 1 will smoothly return to the initial 0° position.

[0121] In this embodiment, the design of the reset spring 13 allows the knob assembly 1 to automatically return to a predetermined angle when no external force is applied, ensuring that the rotary switch 100 is in its default safe state or commonly used functional state. This improves the ease of operation and safety of the device, especially in situations requiring frequent function switching, preventing user misoperation and potential safety hazards.

[0122] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the rotary switch 100 also includes: housing assembly 6, key core 7, and dustproof ring 9.

[0123] The key core 7 is fitted onto the cylindrical part of the knob assembly 1, and an annular space 8 is formed between the key core 7 and the outer shell assembly 6. A dustproof ring 9 is provided in the annular space 8 and fitted onto the key core 7 to fill the gap between the key core 7 and the outer shell assembly 6, and to divide the annular space 8 into an upper space 81 and a lower space 82.

[0124] The housing assembly 6 provides external protection and structural support for the rotary switch 100. The key cylinder 7 is used for inserting the key and transmitting rotational operation; it fits tightly with the knob assembly 1 to transmit the user's rotational intention. The dust seal 9 is a sealing component and can be made of soft and elastic rubber or silicone, fitting tightly between the housing assembly 6 and the key cylinder 7 through its elastic deformation. This embodiment does not limit the number of dust seals 9; a certain number of dust seals 9 can be used according to actual needs.

[0125] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, an opening 61 is provided through the cavity wall at one end of the upper space 81 to discharge dust or liquid entering the upper space 81.

[0126] In some embodiments, opening 61 may be an angled opening to facilitate the removal of foreign matter such as dust, particles, or liquids from the upper space 81.

[0127] The rotary switch 100 in this embodiment of the application, through the design of the dustproof ring 9 and the opening 61, can timely discharge dust or liquid entering the upper space 81, prevent circuit failure and mechanical component wear caused by the accumulation of foreign objects, and improve the reliability and service life of the rotary switch 100.

[0128] In addition, this embodiment also provides a gear adjustment component, which includes the rotary switch in any of the above embodiments or implementations. The gear adjustment component in this embodiment can be widely used in various vehicles such as motorcycles, electric bicycles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and golf carts, as well as various household appliances such as electric fans and range hoods, and various equipment such as engineering machinery and marine equipment.

[0129] Benefiting from the aforementioned rotary switch, the gear adjustment assembly provided in this embodiment, compared to the direct contact and friction between the bridge and terminal in the prior art, makes the contact between the bridge and terminal discontinuous. Contact and conduction only occur when the bridge falls into the recessed portion, avoiding long-term continuous friction between the bridge and terminal. This effectively reduces wear on the surfaces of the bridge and terminal, lowers the risk of debris generation, and extends the service life of the gear adjustment assembly. Simultaneously, due to reduced friction between the bridge and terminal, the amount of debris generated is also reduced, thereby lowering the possibility of debris accumulation in the contact area between the bridge and terminal. This ensures good contact tightness and conductivity between the bridge and terminal, guarantees stable circuit impedance, improves the stability and reliability of the gear adjustment assembly, reduces the risk of circuit failure due to debris accumulation, and better meets the equipment's requirements for stable and reliable electrical control.

[0130] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0131] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, any of the embodiments or implementations claimed above can be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this application and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A rotary switch, characterized in that, The rotary switch includes: Knob assembly; A bridging assembly, the upper end of which is connected to the knob assembly, and the lower end of which is provided with a contact point for forming a conductive contact with the terminal assembly; A terminal base, wherein the terminal base is provided with a bridge rail and at least one terminal slot, and the bridge rail is provided with at least one protrusion and at least one recess; A terminal assembly inserted into the terminal slot; The bridging assembly moves up and down on the bridging track under the rotation of the knob assembly. When the bridging assembly is raised to the protrusion of the bridging track, the contact of the bridging assembly separates from the terminal assembly. When the bridging assembly is lowered to the recess of the bridging track, the contact of the bridging assembly contacts the terminal assembly.

2. The rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end face where the protrusion meets the recess forms a sloped surface, and the bridging assembly achieves lifting and lowering movements under the guidance of the sloped surface.

3. The rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal slot includes a central slot located at the center of the terminal base and multiple edge slots located at the edges of the terminal base; The terminal assembly includes a central terminal and multiple edge terminals, wherein the central terminal is inserted into the central slot and each edge terminal is inserted into one of the edge slots. The bridge assembly includes a first bridge and a second bridge. The contacts on the first bridge and the second bridge each include an inner contact near the center of the knob assembly and an outer contact near the edge of the knob assembly. When either the first bridge or the second bridge is raised to the protrusion of the bridge track, the inner contact of the raised bridge separates from the center terminal, and the outer contact separates from the edge terminal. When either bridge is lowered to the recess of the bridge track, the inner contact of the lowered bridge contacts the center terminal, and the outer contact contacts one of the edge terminals.

4. The rotary switch according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first and second connecting bridges are arranged side by side along the bridge body and rotate synchronously under the rotation of the knob assembly.

5. The rotary switch according to claim 3, characterized in that, The edge terminal includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal; When the knob assembly is rotated to the first angle, the first bridge connects the first terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge is not connected to either terminal; When the knob assembly is rotated to the second angle, the first bridge connects the fourth terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge connects the second terminal and the center terminal; When the knob assembly is rotated to the third angle, the first bridge connects the third terminal and the center terminal, and the second bridge connects the second terminal and the center terminal.

6. The rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the bridge assembly has two protruding ears, and a bridge spring is sandwiched between the two ears. The bridge spring is engaged with the lower end face of the knob assembly. The bridge spring is in a first compression state when the bridge assembly is raised to the protrusion, and in a second compression state when the bridge assembly is lowered to the recess.

7. The rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary switch also includes: The upper shell assembly has the knob assembly inserted inside it. The lower end face of the upper shell assembly is provided with a guide groove, and the guide groove is provided with a positioning groove. The knob assembly includes a knob body and a limiting part. When the knob assembly rotates, the limiting part moves within the guide groove. When the knob assembly rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting part is positioned within the positioning groove.

8. The rotary switch according to claim 7, characterized in that, The guide groove includes: A positioning slide groove, wherein a first positioning groove is provided inside the positioning slide groove; The anti-reverse rotation groove includes a first groove, a second groove, and a notch of different depths. The first groove and the second groove are connected through the notch, and the second groove is provided with a second positioning groove.

9. The rotary switch according to claim 8, characterized in that, The limiting part includes: The first limiting part moves within the positioning groove. The first limiting part includes a first limiting spring and a limiting bead. When the knob assembly is rotated to a predetermined angle, the limiting bead is pressed against the first positioning groove under the elastic action of the first limiting spring. The second limiting part, which moves within the anti-reverse rotation groove, includes a second limiting spring and a limiting bullet. When the knob assembly rotates to a predetermined angle, the limiting bullet is pressed against the second positioning groove under the elastic action of the second limiting spring.

10. The rotary switch according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first limiting part and the second limiting part are disposed at the upper end of the knob body along a first direction, and the first direction is orthogonal to the bridge body direction of the bridge assembly.

11. The rotary switch according to claim 9, characterized in that, The notch includes a first notch and a second notch, the first groove and the second groove are connected through the first notch and the second notch, and a second positioning groove is provided at the second notch.

12. The rotary switch according to claim 11, characterized in that, The end of the second positioning groove adjacent to the second notch is smoothly connected to the second notch, so that the second limiting part can move from the second slide groove to the first slide groove through the second notch; the end of the second positioning groove away from the second notch forms a limited sliding wall to restrict the second limiting part from moving from the second slide groove to the first slide groove through the first notch.

13. The rotary switch according to claim 11, characterized in that, The knob assembly also includes: A reset spring is sleeved on the knob body. The upper end of the reset spring is fixed to the upper shell assembly, and the lower end abuts against the limiting member protruding on the knob body when the knob body is rotated to the predetermined angle. When the knob body is rotated to an angle greater than the predetermined angle and loses external force, the knob body returns to the predetermined angle under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring.

14. The rotary switch according to claim 13, characterized in that, When the knob body is rotated to a preset angle greater than the predetermined angle and loses external force, the first limiting part moves in the positioning groove under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring and presses against the first positioning groove. The second limiting part moves from the first groove to the second groove through the first notch under the elastic reaction force of the reset spring and presses against the second positioning groove.

15. The rotary switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary switch also includes: Housing components; A key core is fitted onto the knob assembly, and an annular space is formed between the key core and the outer casing assembly; A dustproof ring is disposed in the annular space and fitted onto the key core to fill the gap between the key core and the outer casing assembly, and to divide the annular space into an upper space and a lower space.

16. The rotary switch according to claim 15, characterized in that, An opening is provided through the cavity wall at one end of the upper space to discharge dust or liquid that has entered the upper space.

17. A gear adjustment component, characterized in that, The gear adjustment assembly includes the rotary switch as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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