Pressure switch and method of forming a diaphragm therein

A pressure switch including a diaphragm with a contact, the pressure switch comprising:

• a housing to accommodate a connection terminal having a fixed contact therein, wherein the fixed contact includes a protruding portion, the fixed contact disposed in a recess on a first side of the housing and the connection terminal disposed in a cavity on a second side of the housing;
• a pressure-receiving chamber communicating with a duct to which an actuating pressure is supplied;
• and
• a diaphragm with a contact formed from a diaphragm stock that is blanked, wherein the blanked diaphragm stock is bonded to a contact stock to form the diaphragm with the contact,
• wherein the diaphragm is disposed as a partition between the pressure-receiving chamber and the recess in which the fixed contact is accommodated,
• wherein the diaphragm with the contact is configured to be displaced in response to a pressure inside the pressure-receiving chamber,
• wherein the contact stock forms a movable contact to be bonded to the diaphragm, the movable contact that comes into contact with the fixed contact when the pressure inside the pressure-receiving chamber is equal to or above a predetermined value, and the movable contact has electrical continuity with the diaphragm,
• wherein the movable contact protrudes from a surface of the diaphragm, wherein the movable contact includes an elevated portion and a recessed portion, wherein the elevated portion of the moveable contact is shaped and positioned to contact the protruding portion of the fixed contact at multiple non-contiguous positions and a contact face of the elevated portion of the movable contact is formed as a concave arc-shaped surface or a convex arc-shaped surface.

A method of manufacturing a diaphragm with a contact for being used in a pressure switch, the method comprising:

• bonding a contact stock to a stock made of a thin metal sheet material to form a stock of the diaphragm with the contact for being used in a pressure switch that includes a fixed contact that includes a protruding portion, the contact stock forming a movable contact to be bonded to the diaphragm and having durability and providing electrical continuity with the diaphragm, wherein the movable contact protrudes from a surface of the thin metal sheet material;
• blanking the stock of the diaphragm with the contact for being used in a pressure switch to form the diaphragm with the contact for being used in a pressure switch,
• wherein the movable contact includes an elevated portion and a recessed portion, and
• wherein the elevated portion of the movable contact is shaped to contact the protruding portion of the fixed contact at multiple non-contiguous positions by an action of a fluid pressure and a contact face of the elevated portion of the movable contact is formed as a concave arc-shaped surface or a convex arc-shaped surface.

A method of manufacturing a diaphragm with a contact for being used in a pressure switch, the method comprising:

• blanking a stock made of a thin metal sheet material into a diaphragm stock whose shape corresponds to the diaphragm;
• bonding a contact stock to the diaphragm stock to form the diaphragm with the contact for being used in a pressure switch, wherein the pressure switch includes a fixed contact that includes a protruding portion, the contact stock forming a movable contact to be bonded to the diaphragm and having durability and providing electrical continuity with the diaphragm, wherein the movable contact protrudes from a surface of the diaphragm stock,
• wherein the movable contact includes an elevated portion and a recessed portion, and
• wherein the elevated portion of the movable contact is shaped to contact the protruding portion of the fixed contact at multiple non-contiguous positions by an action of a fluid pressure and a contact face of the elevated portion of the movable contact is formed as a concave arc-shaped surface or a convex arc-shaped surface.