Electrical pushbutton snap switch with means for identifying the position of the pushbutton and/or of the driving member

An electrical snap switch comprising:

• a housing having a receiving portion;
• an actuation member in the form of a pushbutton comprising an actuating portion formed by an extension extending into the housing, the pushbutton being arranged, when an external force is applied to the pushbutton, to be moved vertically relative to the housing between a pushbutton upper position and a pushbutton lower position;
• at least a first pair of associated contact elements comprising a first fixed contact element provided in the receiving portion, and further comprising a first movable contact element that may come into contact with the first fixed contact element for establishing a first conductive way between the first movable contact element and the first fixed contact element;
• at least a second pair of associated contact elements comprising a second fixed contact element provided in the receiving portion, and further comprising a second movable contact element that may come into contact with the second fixed contact element for establishing a second conductive way between the second movable contact element and the second fixed contact element;
• and
• a snap-action switching mechanism comprising a tilting driving member that is pivotally mounted with respect to the housing around a horizontal axis, and further comprising a spring that is connected to a part of the driving member and that cooperates with the actuating portion to move the driving member pivotally between an upper position and a lower position,
• wherein the pushbutton and the tilting driving member form a movable mechanical assembly, and
• further wherein, for generating signals representative of changes of position of the pushbutton that are independent of signals representative of the establishment, or not, of the first conductive way and of the establishment, or not, of the second conductive way, the electrical snap switch comprises a sensing switch, the sensing switch comprising additional contact elements for sensing the changes of position of the pushbutton between the pushbutton upper position and the pushbutton lower position, the sensing switch comprising an actuator movable with the actuating portion and at least one elastically deformable conductive sensing blade, the actuator being adapted to act on the sensing blade.

An electrical snap switch comprising:

• a housing having a receiving portion;
• an actuation member in the form of a pushbutton comprising an actuating portion formed by an extension extending into the housing, the pushbutton being arranged, when an external force is applied to the pushbutton, to be moved vertically relative to the housing between a pushbutton upper position and a pushbutton lower position;
• at least a first pair of associated contact elements comprising a first fixed contact element provided in the receiving portion, and further comprising a first movable contact element that may come into contact with the first fixed contact element for establishing a first conductive way between the first movable contact element and the first fixed contact element;
• at least a second pair of associated contact elements comprising a second fixed contact element provided in the receiving portion, and further comprising a second movable contact element that may come into contact with the second fixed contact element for establishing a second conductive way between the second movable contact element and the second fixed contact element;
• and
• a snap-action switching mechanism comprising a tilting driving member that is pivotally mounted with respect to the housing around a horizontal axis, and further comprising a spring that is connected to a part of the driving member and that cooperates with the actuating portion to move the driving member pivotally between an upper position and a lower position,
• wherein the pushbutton and the tilting driving member form a movable mechanical assembly, and
• further wherein, for generating signals representative of changes of position of the driving member that are independent of signals representative of the establishment, or not, of the first conductive way and of the establishment, or not, of the second conductive way, the electrical snap switch comprises a detecting switch, the detecting switch configured to move independently from the first movable contact element and the second movable contact element, comprising additional contact elements for detecting the changes of position of the tilting driving member between its upper position and its lower position, the detecting switch comprising an activator movable with the tilting driving member and at least one elastically deformable conductive detecting blade, the activator being configured to act on the detecting blade.