EU-Region and Schengen Area

There are some countries member of the Schengen area who are no EU-memberstate, like Switzerland and Norway and EU-memberstates, who do not belong to Schengen, like United Kingdom. Can i use the 72 hour free transit starting in one Schengenstate returning to another if both are also EU memberstates (Germany-China-Austria) and or can i start in one Schengenstate returning to another who is no EU-memberstate (Germany-China-Switzerland) or can i start in Schengenstate returning to an country who is EU-memberstate but dos not belong to Schengen ( Germany-China-United Kingdom). Thanks for help.