Momentary contact pushbutton type switch having flexible, mounted housing

A momentary contact push switch comprising

• a thin insulator terminal board having a narrow intermediate region and wider opposite end regions,
• said intermediate region joining the end regions with an abrupt change in width dimension,
• a plurality of stationary contacts extending from one surface of the terminal board and disposed and arranged in spaced apart relationship along said intermediate region,
• a plurality of terminal means for said stationary contacts,
• a housing member formed as a unitary piece of insulating material having a horizontal top portion that extends transversely across and longitudinally along the intermediate region of the terminal board,
• said housing member including yieldable side skirts that extend downwardly and beyond the side edges of the intermediate region of the terminal board,
• one or more barbs or latch elements at the lower portion of each of said side skirts,
• said barbs extending inwardly of the side edges of the intermediate region for engaging the underside of the terminal board,
• a bridging contact retained on the underside of the horizontal portion of said housing member and disposed above given stationary contacts on the terminal board,
• said bridging contact including a wing-like portion extending from each leg of a U-shaped central portion,
• said wing-like portions being disposed above respectively ones of the stationary contacts,
• a helical spring member having one end on said terminal board and its opposite end contacting the U-shaped portion of the bridging contact for maintaining said bridging contact and the horizontal portion of the housing member spaced above the stationary contacts,
• said barb on the skirts holding the housing member on the terminal board and limiting the separation of the housing member above the terminal board,
• said housing member and bridging contact being movable toward said terminal board upon application of a force therto that is directed normal to the surface of the terminal board,
• all of said barbs becoming disengaged from the underside of the intermediate region of the terminal board and said bridging contact engaging given stationary contacts after a given distance of motion of the housing member toward the terminal board.

A momentary contact push switch comprising

• a thin insulator terminal board having two end regions and an intermediate region therebetween,
• a plurality of stationary contacts on one surface of the terminal board in said intermediate region,
• terminal means for said stationary contacts,
• a housing member formed as a unitary plastic piece having a top portion that extends transversely across the intermediate region of the terminal board and including yieldable side skirts that extend downwardly below opposite side edges of the intermediate region of the terminal board,
• one or more barbs or latch elements at the lower portions of the skirts,
• said barbs extending inwardly of the side edges of the intermediate region for releasably engaging the underside of the terminal board,
• means for spring biasing said top portion of the housing member in spaced relationship above said terminal board and for maintaining said barbs or latch elements in releasable contact against the underside of the terminal board,
• said barbs on the skirts holding the housing member on the terminal board and limiting the separation of the top portion of the housing member above the terminal board,
• the top portion of said housing member being movable toward said terminal board upon application of a force thereto that is directed substantially normal to the surface of the terminal board,
• means for selectively establishing an electrical connection between given stationary contacts in response to movement of the top portion of the housing member a given distance toward the terminal board,
• all of said barbs becoming disengaged from the underside of the intermediate region of the terminal board after the housing member begins moving toward the terminal board.