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US 3,939,318 AGranted
Electrical push-button switch
AssigneeInternational Standard Electric Corporation
InventorsJohn Graham Brown, John Peter Stocker
Life of this patent
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AssigneeInternational Standard Electric Corporation
InventorsJohn Graham Brown, John Peter Stocker
Estimating the term…
An electrical push-button switch in which the push button has a shank extending through a passage in the switch housing for engaging an electrical contact set. The passage through which the shank extends has a series of notches around the periphery for receiving one end of a pair of springs, the other end of each spring is attached to the shank. The springs have an N-shaped configuration with an extension at one end of the N. A pair of complimentary stationary portions of the switch housing extend in the path of and engage the extended portions of the springs after the push button is depressed. The initial depression of the push button causes the shank to move against the tension of the springs until a changeover point is reached, thereafter the push button movement is assisted by the springs for a further period of travel. Upon additional movement, the extensions on the springs then contact the complimentary extending portions of the housing so that further movement of the shank is now opposed by the action of the springs. The switch is designed so that the shank then comes in contact with and depresses the set of electrical contacts. The contact restoring springs operate to return the button to its initial rest position and are assisted by the tension created in the aforementioned push-button springs in cooperation with said extended portions of the housing.
An improved electrical push-button switch of the type having a shank extending through a passage in a switch housing, and a pair of springs extending between said housing and said shank, whereby depressing said push button causes said shank to move against the tension of the springs until a cross-over point occurs, whereafter the springs assist the movement of the shank, wherein the improvement comprises:
An electrical push-button switch, in which the push button has a shank extending through a passageway, in a support so that its end engages one of the contacts of an electrical contact set, in which the passageway in the support which receives said shank has notches distributed about its periphery, each of which notches receives a portion of one of a plurality of spring members near to one of its ends, in which the other ends of the spring members are each located in the shank so that the spring members urge the shank and hence the push button towards rest, in which said one end of each said spring member is bent at an angle to the portion in its said notch to provide an extension portion at said one end, which extension portion is out of engagement with the stationary parts of the switch when the button is at rest, in which on depression of the push button the latter initially moves against the influence of the spring members until a change-over point is reached whereafter the spring members assist the push button movement, in which partway through the movement the extension portions of the spring members each engages a stationary portion of the switch so that further movement is opposed by the tension created in said extension portions, in which the movement of the contacts in the contact set due to the depression is against the springiness of the contacts, in which on release of the push button the contacts' springyness asserts itself to restore the button to rest, in which said restoration is assisted by the tension created in said extension portions due to their engagement with the stationary portions of the switch, and in which the restoration movement due to the springyness of the contacts and the tension in the extension portions is initially opposed by the influence of the spring members until a change-over point is reached, whereafter the spring-members assume control.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.