Slide switch with snap-action detent means

A multi-position slide switch comprising a switch assembly which includes a rectilinearly slidable insulated contact carrier mounting at least one elongated electrical contact movable therewith and a relatively fixed insulated support mounting a plurality of relatively fixed contact terminals spaced along the path of travel of each movable contact in underlying relation thereto, said movable contact being adapted to electrically bridge at least two adjacent ones of said spaced contact terminals upon shifting movement of said movable contact into one or another selected position, said contact carrier having an upstanding knob part the opposite sides of which each have angularly related surfaces to form therebetween an outwardly presenting V-shaped projection, and detent means including a pair of elongated flexible beams operative at opposite sides of said contact carrier knob part to be temporarily flexed outwardly from said opposite sides of the carrier, the inner edges of said beams each having angularly related straight line portions defining therebetween points which respectively operatively engage the projections of said knob part of the contact carrier when the latter is rectilinearly shifted along its said path of travel to thereby establish a releasable force under pressure of said carrier knob part as the latter moves into a position centered between two adjacent longitudinally spaced positions in each of which said slidable contact bridges a pair of said contact terminals, said means being automatically operative to release said force and effect snap-action movement of said contact carrier into and positively hold it stationarily fixed in one or the other of its said contact bridging positions upon continued movement thereof beyond its said centered position.

In a multi-position slide switch having a rectilinearly slidable insulated contact mounting at least one elongated electrical contact movable therewith, and a relatively fixed insulated support mounting a plurality of relatively fixed contact terminals spaced along the path of travel of each movable contact in underlying relation thereto, said movable contact being adapted to electrically bridge at least two adjacent ones of said spaced contact terminals upon shifting movement of said movable contact into a selected position, the improvement which comprises:

• a relatively thin flat detent plate fixedly disposed flatwise in a plane closely adjoining and paralleling the top surface of said rectilinearly slidable contact carrier,
• said detent plate having a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced flexible beams coplanarly disposed in the flat plane of said plate which respectively define the opposite longitudinally extending sides of an elongated slot in said plate,
• a knob on said contact carrier projecting upwardly through and shiftable rectilinearly in the slot in said detent plate, and
• coacting sharply defined ridges respectively formed as the apices of a pair of substantially identical angularly related straight line portions of the corresponding sides of said slot and of said knob to effect simultaneous temporary outward flexure of said beams as said coacting ridges are brought into registry with one another upon movement of the knob along said slot in said detent plate and thereby establish a releasable force for camming the slidable contact into a selected one or the other of two adjacent contact-bridging positions in which the contact carrier is positively held.