US3912895A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Electric switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3912895A
US3912895A US467695A US46769574A US3912895A US 3912895 A US3912895 A US 3912895A US 467695 A US467695 A US 467695A US 46769574 A US46769574 A US 46769574A US 3912895 A US3912895 A US 3912895A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
actuator
housing
contact
arcuate
arcuate strip
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US467695A
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English (en)
Inventor
Roberto Plana
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TE Connectivity Corp
Original Assignee
AMP Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AMP Inc filed Critical AMP Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3912895A publication Critical patent/US3912895A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H23/00—Tumbler or rocker switches, i.e. switches characterised by being operated by rocking an operating member in the form of a rocker button
    • H01H23/02—Details
    • H01H23/04—Cases; Covers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H23/00—Tumbler or rocker switches, i.e. switches characterised by being operated by rocking an operating member in the form of a rocker button
    • H01H23/02—Details
    • H01H23/12—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon

Definitions

  • An electric switch comprises an insulating housing containing a movable contact operably connected to a finger operated pivotable actuator.
  • the movable contact is formed as a resilient arcuate metal Strip mounted at one end to the actuator such that the convex surface of the arcuate strip faces away from the actuator.
  • a Contact surface is formed on the convex surface of the arcuate strip adjacent the free end of the arcuate strip.
  • This invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly concerns a switch having a movable contact which is driven by a finger operated actuator to predetermined pivoted positions to make or break engagement with a stationary contact or contacts.
  • the present invention is an electric switch comprising a housing of insulating material, a movable contact mounted in the housing and being formed as a resilient arcuate metal strip having a contact surface formed on the convex surface of the arcuate strip adjacent a free end of the arcuate strip for contacting at least one stationary contact, and an actuator to which the arcuate strip is directly connected at its other end with the convex surface of the arcuate strip facing away from the actuator, the actuator being pivotably mounted in the housing and being movable by finger pressure between a first pivoted position in which the contact surface is in a position corresponding to disengagement with the stationary contact and a second pivoted position in which the contact surface is in a position corresponding to engagement with the stationary contact.
  • FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line A--A showing the switch in an on condition
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the switch in an off condition
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating an improvement to the switch of FIG. 1.
  • the switch comprises a housing 1 of resilient insulating plastics material, a finger operated rocker actuator 2, a movable metal contact 4 and a bottom plate 5 of insulating plastics material.
  • the housing 1 is shaped generally as a rectangular box open at its top end 7 and its bottom end 8 and having on each of two opposed sides 9 an integral panel mounting rib 10 tapering from a relatively thick portion adjacent the top end 7 of the housing to a relatively thin portion adjacent the bottom end 8 of the housing.
  • a peripheral flange 11 extends from the top end 7 of the housing, the flange having a rim 12 disposed in parallel spaced relationto the walls of the housing.
  • a front wall 15 is provided at the bottom end 8 of the housing with two spaced mounting arms 16 extending below the housing and terminating in a wedge-shaped detent 17.
  • Two similar mounting arms are provided on the rear wall 18 of the housing.
  • the front wall 15 and rear wall 18 are each provided with a through aperture 20 disposed intermediate the sides 9 and adjacent the top end 7 of the housing. Each aperture forms a recess in the adjacent portion of the flange l1 and a semi-circular bearing surface 21.
  • a projection 22 Located in the corner defined by the left-hand (as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4) housing side 9, the front wall 15 and the bottom plate 5 is a projection 22 defining a stop shoulder 23 facing the top end 7 of the housing, the projection being integrally formed with the housing.
  • a similar projection 22 is formed in the corner defined by the right-hand (as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4) housing side 9, the rear wall 18 and the bottom plate 5.
  • the rocker actuator 2 is a hollow plastics molding and has a V-shaped finger engaging portion 25 formed between two arcuate surfaces 26. From each of two sides 27 of the actuator 2 extends a cylindrical boss or trunnion 28 one of which can be seen in FIG. 2.
  • An abutment surface 29 is formed at the end of each arcuate surface 26 remote from the finger engaging portion 25.
  • a slot 30 extends inwardly of the underside of the actuator 2 from a position adjacent one of the abutment surfaces 29 in a direction towards the finger engaging portion 25, the slot being formed in a thickened portion 31 of the actuator 2.
  • the bottom plate 5 is generally rectangular with two spaced notches 46 in each of the longer edges 47, the notches being complementary in shape to the wedgeshaped detents 17 on the arms 16 of the housing.
  • Two aligned through holes in the plate 5 receive stationary contacts 48 which have tabs 49 projecting from the lower surface of the plate 5 for connection to circuitry (not shown) to be controlled by the switching and contact surfaces 50 lying just proud of the upper surface of the plate 5.
  • Assembly of the switch is carried out as follows: The movable contact 4 is assembled to the actuator 2 by pushing the end of the contact containing the barbs 33 into the slot 30, the barbs engaging the sides of the slot to secure the contact to the actuator.
  • the two components thus assembled are then inserted through the top end 7 of the housing 1 until the trunnions 28 on the actuator 2 engage the flange 11 where they are recessed by the apertures 20.
  • Application of downward pressure on the actuator 2 causes the walls 15 and 18 of the housing to flex outwardly so that the trunnions 28 snap on to the bearing surfaces 21 of the apertures 20 and under the flange 11.
  • the finger engaging portion 25 is disposed above the top end 7 of the housing 1, the arcuate surfaces 26 substantially closing the top end 7.
  • the bottom plate 5 is then mounted to the bottom end 8 of the housing 1 by snapping resiliently the detents 17 of the mounting arms 16 under the plate 5, the arms 16 being received in the notches 46 in the plate 5. This completes assembly of the switch.
  • the switch has two distinct pivoted positions. To achieve the first, the left-hand part of finger engaging portion 25 of the actuator 2 is depressed causing the actuator to be rotated anti-clockwise from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 4 in which the contact portions 34 are out of engagement with the stationary contacts 48 in the bottom plate 5 and in which the left-hand abutment surface 29 engages the left-hand shoulder 23 of the housing. It is noted that initially the movable contact resiliently opposes rotation of the actuator 2 but there is an angular position after which the spring force acting between the contact 4 and the bottom plate 5 acts in a direction to assist the anti-clockwise rotation so that a toggle action providing positive bias to the fully off position is present.
  • FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically an improved form of the switch of FIGS. 1 to 4 in which like parts bear like reference numerals.
  • Extending from each lateral edge of the contact 4 is a curved portion 52 integral with the contact 4.
  • the housing 1 is provided with two similar guide members 53, only one of which is shown, spaced one on each side of the path of movement of the contact 4, the guide member 53 being integrally formed with the walls and 18, respectively, of the housing 1.
  • Each guide member 53 has a curved cam surface 54 facing the top end 7 of the housing.
  • the curved portions 52 of the contact 4 engage the cam surface 54 of respective guide members 53 and the free end portion of the contact 4 is cammed upwardly so that the dimples 35 leave the contact surfaces 50 and follows the path marked by arrows in FIG. 5.
  • the cam surfaces 54 are so shaped that near the end of the anti-clockwise rotation the curved portions 52 leave the lower end of the cam surfaces and the contact portions 34 drop into the position shown in phantom in which the dimples 35 engage the bottom plate 5.
  • the switch of the invention may be modified by providing another pair of stationary contacts in the bottom plate 5 so that when the actuator is in the position shown in FIG. 4 the contact 4 bridges the other pair of stationary contacts.
  • a lateral groove may be provided in the bottom plate 5 between the two pairs of stationary contacts. The switch will, therefore, have three positions; one in which one pair of stationary contacts is closed, one where the other pair is closed, and an intermediate position in which both pairs are open.
  • the movable contact 4 is made longer than in the specific embodiment described which has the effect of continuously biasing the switch to one of the two extreme angular positions. It can be arranged that the switch is biased to the off position and is maintained in the on position only when finger pressure is maintained on the actuator 2.
  • the switch described has only one movable contact 4; in a modification a further movable contact identical with the first movable contact may be received in a slot similar to slot 30 specially provided for that purpose in a thickened portion 31' (indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4) on the other side of the trunnions 28 from the thickened portion 31, the further movable contact curving in an opposite sense to the first movable contact.
  • the two movable contacts are not in alignment but are so arranged that they move along parallel spaced paths.
  • the bottom plate 5 is provided with a further pair of stationary contacts spaced from the first pair and lying in the path of the further movable contact so that when the first movable contact is in the on position with respect to its associated pair of stationary contacts the further movable contact is in the of position with respect to its associated pair of stationary contacts and vice versa.
  • the switch could be clamped directly on the surface of a printed circuit board for making and breaking connection with a selected conductor or conductors on the circuit board.
  • the bottom plates could be molded integrally with the housing.
  • An electric switch comprising a housing of insulating material, a movable contact mounted in the housing and being formed as a resilient arcuate metal strip having a contact surface formed on the convex surface of the arcuate strip adjacent a free end of the arcuate strip for contacting at least one stationary contact, and an actuator to which the arcuate strip is directly connected at its other end with the convex surface of the arcuate strip facing away from the actuator, the actuator being pivotably mounted in the housing and being movable by finger pressure between a first pivoted position in which the contact surface is in a position corresponding to disengagement with the stationary contact and a second pivoted position in which the contact surface is in a position corresponding to engagement with the stationary contact, said housing having two shoulders engageable with respective abutment surfaces on the actuator to define the first pivoted position and the second pivoted position of the actuator, said housing further having two similar guide members spaced one on each side of the path of movement of the arcuate strip, each guide member having a cam surface engageable with a respective portion on

Landscapes

  • Tumbler Switches (AREA)
  • Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
  • Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
US467695A 1973-05-14 1974-05-07 Electric switch Expired - Lifetime US3912895A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES414752A ES414752A2 (es) 1973-05-14 1973-05-14 Un dispositivo interruptor electrico.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3912895A true US3912895A (en) 1975-10-14

Family

ID=8464143

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US467695A Expired - Lifetime US3912895A (en) 1973-05-14 1974-05-07 Electric switch

Country Status (12)

Country Link
US (1) US3912895A (fr)
JP (1) JPS5048473A (fr)
AR (1) AR198574A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU6805074A (fr)
BE (1) BE814884A (fr)
BR (1) BR7403821D0 (fr)
CH (1) CH572661A5 (fr)
DE (1) DE2422021A1 (fr)
ES (1) ES414752A2 (fr)
FR (1) FR2230062B3 (fr)
IT (1) IT1010318B (fr)
NL (1) NL7406233A (fr)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4002869A (en) * 1975-05-08 1977-01-11 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Automatic high voltage grounding device for personnel safety
US4739127A (en) * 1986-02-14 1988-04-19 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho Snap switch
US5796058A (en) * 1995-06-06 1998-08-18 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Lever operated slide switch
WO2001066383A1 (fr) * 2000-03-10 2001-09-13 Takata-Petri Ag Volant pour vehicule automobile pourvu d'un dispositif de commutation pour actionner un groupe fonctionnel electrique du vehicule automobile
US20050082152A1 (en) * 2003-10-15 2005-04-21 Martin Charnock Plunger contact assembly for an automobile control stalk
US20060254901A1 (en) * 2005-05-16 2006-11-16 Kenji Nishimura Switch
US20130228424A1 (en) * 2010-10-13 2013-09-05 Schaffner Emv Ag Rocker switch unit
USD971763S1 (en) * 2020-10-09 2022-12-06 Omron Corporation Counter
USD971762S1 (en) * 2020-10-09 2022-12-06 Omron Corporation Counter

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS58174825U (ja) * 1982-05-17 1983-11-22 松下電器産業株式会社 スイツチ装置
JPS59146834U (ja) * 1982-12-09 1984-10-01 東洋電装株式会社 自動二輪車のハンドルスイツチ
IT238660Y1 (it) * 1995-08-04 2000-11-13 Molveno Oem S R L Interruttore a tasto basculante.

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1679192A (en) * 1926-01-04 1928-07-31 Jesse S Wheeland Radio wave switch
US2681393A (en) * 1952-06-16 1954-06-15 Us Army Switch
US3471663A (en) * 1967-05-16 1969-10-07 F & F Enterprises Inc String-operated switch construction
US3643051A (en) * 1969-06-12 1972-02-15 Lucas Industries Ltd Electrical switches having improved contact structure

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1679192A (en) * 1926-01-04 1928-07-31 Jesse S Wheeland Radio wave switch
US2681393A (en) * 1952-06-16 1954-06-15 Us Army Switch
US3471663A (en) * 1967-05-16 1969-10-07 F & F Enterprises Inc String-operated switch construction
US3643051A (en) * 1969-06-12 1972-02-15 Lucas Industries Ltd Electrical switches having improved contact structure

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4002869A (en) * 1975-05-08 1977-01-11 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Automatic high voltage grounding device for personnel safety
US4739127A (en) * 1986-02-14 1988-04-19 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho Snap switch
US5796058A (en) * 1995-06-06 1998-08-18 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Lever operated slide switch
WO2001066383A1 (fr) * 2000-03-10 2001-09-13 Takata-Petri Ag Volant pour vehicule automobile pourvu d'un dispositif de commutation pour actionner un groupe fonctionnel electrique du vehicule automobile
US6803533B2 (en) 2000-03-10 2004-10-12 Takata-Petri Ag Steering wheel having a switching device for actuating an electrical functional group of a motor vehicle
US20050082152A1 (en) * 2003-10-15 2005-04-21 Martin Charnock Plunger contact assembly for an automobile control stalk
US7005592B2 (en) 2003-10-15 2006-02-28 Methode Electronics, Inc. Plunger contact assembly for an automobile control stalk
US20060254901A1 (en) * 2005-05-16 2006-11-16 Kenji Nishimura Switch
US7202432B2 (en) * 2005-05-16 2007-04-10 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Switch
US20130228424A1 (en) * 2010-10-13 2013-09-05 Schaffner Emv Ag Rocker switch unit
US9105424B2 (en) * 2010-10-13 2015-08-11 Schaffner Emv Ag Rocker switch unit
USD971763S1 (en) * 2020-10-09 2022-12-06 Omron Corporation Counter
USD971762S1 (en) * 2020-10-09 2022-12-06 Omron Corporation Counter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BR7403821D0 (pt) 1974-12-03
IT1010318B (it) 1977-01-10
ES414752A2 (es) 1977-07-01
DE2422021A1 (de) 1974-12-05
NL7406233A (fr) 1974-11-18
FR2230062B3 (fr) 1977-03-11
JPS5048473A (fr) 1975-04-30
AU6805074A (en) 1975-10-23
AR198574A1 (es) 1974-06-28
CH572661A5 (fr) 1976-02-13
BE814884A (fr) 1974-11-12
FR2230062A1 (fr) 1974-12-13

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