Abstract: A switch has a housing (11), a pair of switching units (17, 18) with buttons (19) that can be depressed to operate each switch unit, and a rocker (23) pivotally mounted on the housing to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral position. An elastomeric diaphragm (30) mounted on a top wall (12) of the housing, extends across an aperture (13) in the housing, with first and second lower parts (28, 29) of the rocker passing through the diaphragm to rest closely above the buttons on the switch units. The diaphragm not only largely seals the switch units, but biases the rocker towards the neutral position.

Abstract: A switch has a housing (11), a pair of switching units (17, 18) with buttons (19) that can be depressed to operate each switch unit, and a rocker (23) pivotally mounted on the housing to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise from a neutral position. An elastomeric diaphragm (30) mounted on a top wall (12) of the housing, extends across an aperture (13) in the housing, with first and second lower parts (28, 29) of the rocker passing through the diaphragm to rest closely above the buttons on the switch units. The diaphragm not only largely seals the switch units, but biases the rocker towards the neutral position.

Abstract: A control handle (10) for operating a machine, includes a largely vertical shaft (12) that can be grasped by a person's hand and a hand rest assembly (20) that supports a lower end of the hand opposite the thumb. The hand rest assembly is slidable along the shaft and includes a clamp that clamps against the shaft to fix the position of the hand rest assembly at substantially continuously variable positions along the shaft. The hand rest assembly has front and rear sections (26, 27) that are pivotally connected together, with the rear section being pivotable between a clamping position (27) wherein it draws the front section firmly against the front of the shaft to fix the hand rest position, and a release position (27A) wherein it allows the hand rest assembly to slide to a desired position. The shaft has recesses (36) on laterally opposite sides, that form vertically-extending fixing edges (41) that face largely rearwardly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a joystick having a hand-grip, which is mounted with two degrees of freedom in a mounting in a housing and which may be deflected in different directions out of an initial position, the grip being biased by a spring mechanism towards its initial position and sensor apparatus being provided to sense the different positions of the grip and to generate an output signal which may be used to control machine and/or vehicle functions. A housing cover (5) is provided having its upper side directed towards the grip, while on the underside, there is pivotally mounted a cardan joint center portion (6) on whose underside there is pivotally mounted a cardan joint inner portion (7), whose underside is provided with spherical segments, which are mounted in complementary bearing cup-portions provided on a receiving support (8).

Abstract: An electrical switch (26) is mounted in a rigid housing in the form of a control handle (10), where the housing has a soft flexible covering (32) with a portion (40) that can be depressed to operate the switch. The housing is in the form of a shell with first and second separately molded shell parts (14,16). The first shell part has a hole (24) in it that is aligned with the switch actuator, and the covering is overmolded onto the first shell, with the portion of the covering lying over the hole in the first shell being thickened at the middle (44) of the hole to indicate the area to be depressed and for more comfortable depression.