US 3,944,773 A · AC switch with cantelever contact and balance springs

Abstract

An alternating current switch suitable for automatic assembly is provided having an insulating housing including an open top base and a cover to close the base. The base has side openings to expose screw terminals and may have bottom openings to admit wires to push in connectors. The terminals are integral parts of contact arms within the housing. The contact arms as well as a balance spring are held in place in the housing within side wall slots integral with the base of the housing and by bosses integral with the cover. The balance spring and a movable contact arm are shaped to bear against cam portions of a toggle. The cover is provided with bearings to hold the toggle at its trunions in pivoting relation and is provided with a top opening through which the trigger of the toggle extends to the switch exterior. Ease of assembly is achieved due to the small number of parts and the simplicity of the individual parts so that the switch may be assembled quickly by hand or in automatic assembly equipment of relatively low cost. The movable contact is formed from a single metal strip including wire terminal and electrical contact and has a long operational life.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A switch subject to automated assembly comprising:

a. an insulating housing and a mounting strap, said mounting strap being adapted to support the insulating housing when mounted in a wall box,
b. said insulating housing including a box shaped base and a cover adapted to be fitted to the base to close it,
c. a toggle mounted within said housing in pivoting relation, said toggle having a trigger extending in one direction through a hole in said cover and having cams extending generally in an opposite direction to press against spring biased elements in said housing,
d. a movable and a stationary contact in said housing, said contacts having held ends provided with wire terminals and free ends bearing electric contacts adapted to be engaged and disengaged with the pivoting of said toggle,
e. said contacts being loosely supported in the base of said housing from their held ends at wall portions of said base and said contacts being firmly held at such wall portions by bosses depending from the cover of said housing,
f. a balance spring having a held end and a curved free end in contact with a cam of said toggle and applying spring bias pressure against said curved free end, and
g. the held end of said balance spring being loosely supported in said base and being firmly held by bosses depending from the cover.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

AC switch with cantelever contact and balance springs

Life of this patent

AC switch with cantelever contact and balance springs

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6