Closure activated switch
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorHarold S. van Buren, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A switch operates a lamp bulb in a compartment in response to the opening and closing of the compartment's lid. The switch includes a housing that retains the bulb and mounts in an aperture adjacent the compartment. The housing includes a hinge that is pivoted from a first to a second position when the lid is closed. A pair of contacts on opposite sides of the housing include terminals which connect into an electrical circuit. One end of one contact engages the bulb contact. One end of the other contact engages the bulb base and biases the hinge member into its first position. When the lid is open, the hinge is in its first position and the circuit through the bulb is complete. Closing of the lid pivots the hinge to its second position and moves the end of the other contact away from the bulb to break the circuit.
Claims17
A switch for mounting relative to a compartment having an access opening closable by a closure lid, said switch being activated to energize and de-energize a lamp bulb for illuminating the compartment in response to the opening and closing, respectively, of the closure lid, said switch comprising:
- A. a housing for mounting relative to the compartment and including
- i. a lamp bulb receiving portion for receiving and retaining the bulb, and
- ii. a hinge member formed as an integral part of said housing and disposed so as to be engaged by the closure lid and pivoted from a first position to a second position in response to the closing of the lid;
- B. a first contact member mounted to said housing and including
- i. a first end portion for connection into an electrical circuit, and
- ii. a second end portion for connecting to the bulb, and
- C. a second contact member mounted to said housing, electrically isolated from said first contact member and including
- i. a first end portion for connection into the electrical circuit,
- ii. a second end portion for contacting the bulb when said hinge member is in its first position thereby to complete the electrical circuit through the bulb and energize the bulb,
- iii. said second end portion being movable away from the bulb when said hinge member is pivoted to its second position thereby to open the electrical circuit and de-energize the bulb.
A switch and lamp bulb assembly for mounting relative to a compartment having an access opening closable by a closure lid, said switch being activated to energize and deenergize a lamp bulb for illuminating the compartment in response to the opening and closing of the lid, said assembly comprising:
- A. a switch housing for mounting relative to the compartment, said switch housing including
- i. a hinge member formed as an integral part of said housing and disposed to be engaged by the closure lid and pivoted from a first position to a second position in response to the closing of the lid;
- B. a lamp bulb seated in said housing and having a bulb contact associated therewith;
- C. a first switch contact member mounted to said housing and including
- i. a first portion for connection into an electrical circuit, and
- ii. a second portion connected to the bulb;
- and
- D. a second switch contact member mounted to said housing and electrically isolated from said first contact member and including
- i. a first portion for connection into an electrical circuit, and
- ii. a second portion contacting the bulb contact;
- the electrical circuit through the bulb being completed and the bulb energized when the hinge member is in its first position and the electrical circuit through the bulb being broken responsive to movement of the second portion of at least one of said first and second contact members when the hinge member is pivoted to its second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.