Foot controller switch assembly for dental appliances

United States Patent im

Straihammer

[ii] 3,980,849 [45] Sept. 14, 1976

[54] FOOT CONTROLLER SWITCH ASSEMBLY FOR DENTAL APPLIANCES

[75] Inventor: Reinhard Straihammer,

Kirschhausen, Germany

[73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Erlangen, Germany

[22] Filed: June 19, 1973

[21] Appl. No.: 371,545

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

June 26, 1972 Germany 2231120

[52] U.S. CI 200/86.5; 74/478;

200/153 C

[51 ] Int. CI.2 H01H 3/14; G05G 9/00

[58] Field of Search 32/22, 23, 28;

200/86.5, 153 C, 61.89; 338/153, 47, 78, 108, 215; 318/446, 551; 312/209; 74/478,

478.5, 512

[56] References Cited

UNITED STATES PATENTS

543,855 8/1895 Denison 318/551 X

804,595 11/1905 Garhart 318/551

2,671,268 3/1954 Crawford 200/86.5 X

2,857,493 10/1958 Tascher 200/86.5

3,117,200 1/1964 Wolff 200/86.5

3,296,698 1/1967 Staunt 74/478 X

3,471,928 10/1969 Billin 200/86.5 X

3,502,833 3/1970 Rossini et al 200/86.5

3,742,167 6/1973 Muther 200/86.5

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS

643,505 4/1937 Germany 200/86.5

Primary Examiner—James R. Scott

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Haseltine, Lake & Waters

[57] ABSTRACT

A foot control installation, which is particularly applicable to dental apparatus, which includes a housing having a projecting actuating member with a foot contact which is horizontally displaceable from an initial position into an operative position in opposition to return biasing means so as to actuate a control and/or switching element. The actuating member is supported by two supports located within the housing and forming a pivot arm and cooperative support elements so as to impart a predetermined path to the actuating member facilitating contact between the operator's foot and the foot contact.

9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures