Toggle switch with shaped wire spring contact

An electrical switch comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber therein and having an orifice formed on a first side thereof;
• three spaced electrical terminals mounted on a second side of said housing opposite of said first side, each one of said terminals having a first portion extending into said chamber a predetermined distance, and a second portion projecting outwardly from said housing, said three terminals comprising a center terminal and two end terminals symmetrically disposed about said center terminal, said first portion of said center terminal extending into said chamber a greater distance than said first portion of said two end terminals;
• a toggle switch actuator extending through said orifice and into said chamber and confronting said terminals, said actuator having a toggle portion external to said chamber and adapted to receive lateral force to pivot said actuator, a middle portion in oscillatory engagement with said orifice about which said actuator is adapted to pivot, and an actuator tip within said chamber movable in response to lateral force applied to said toggle portion;
• a wire spring contact in said chamber having an upper arm, a lower arm, a curved resilient bight connecting said upper arm and said lower arm, and an open end wherein a distal end of said upper arm is spaced from a distal end of said lower arm, said upper arm being disposed in sliding engagement with said actuator tip and said lower arm being pivotally disposed on said center terminal in electrial connection therewith, said contact being adapted to be pivoted by said actuator tip into a plurality of discrete, preselected operating positions in which said contact is selectively electrically connected to at least one of said plurality of terminals when said contact is in at least one of said operating positions, said contact having a spring bias provided by the bending of said contact about said bight which is operative to urge said middle portion of said actuator into engagement with said orifice, said contact having a predetermined shape, said shape and said bias being operative to selectively retain said actuator tip in one of said preselected operative positions;
• a pair of spaced legs extending downwardly from said actuator tip toward said second side, said legs having said contact disposed therebetween;
• a pair of spaced arcuate ramps mounted on said second side, and having said electrical terminals disposed therebetween, each one of said ramps being disposed in a spaced, confronting relationship with a distal end of a corresponding one of said legs and being adapted to restrict the penetration of said legs and said actuator tip into said chamber to a predetermined distance;
• a first pair of shoulders disposed on a first end of said housing substantially perpendicular of said second side and defining a groove therebetween adapted to accept said bight and to restrict lateral movement of said contact in a desired upright position in which said upper arms is in sliding engagement with said actuator tip;
• and
• a second pair of shoulders disposed on a second end of said housing opposite of and facing said first end and defining a groove therebetween adapted to accept said open end and to restrict lateral movement of said contact and maintain said contact in said desired upright position.

An electrical switch, comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber therein and having an orifice formed on a first side thereof;
• a plurality of spaced electrical terminals mounted on a second side of said housing opposite of said first side, each one of said terminals having a first portion extending into said chamber a predetermined distance and a second portion projecting outwardly from said housing, said plurality of terminals comprising a first terminal centrally disposed within said chamber and at least one end terminal, said first portion of said first terminal extending into said chamber a greater distance than said first portion of said one end terminal;
• a switch actuator extending through said orifice and into said chamber and confronting said plurality of terminals, said actuator having a portion external to said chamber and adapted to receive a lateral force to move said actuator, a middle portion disposed within said orifice in oscillatory, unattached contact therewith, and an actuator tip within said chamber movable in response to lateral force applied to said external portion of said actuator;
• a wire spring contact in said chamber having an upper arm, a lower arm and a curved resilient bight interconnecting said upper arm and said lower arm, said upper arm being disposed in sliding engagement with said actuator tip and said lower arm being pivotally disposed on said first terminal in electrical connection therewith, said contact being adapted to be pivoted by said actuator tip into a plurality of discrete, preselected operating positions in which said contact is selectively electrically connected to at least one of said plurality of terminals when said contact is in at least one of said operating positions, said contact having a spring bias provided by the bending of said contact about said bight which is operative alone to urge said middle portion of said actuator into contact with said orifice, said contact having a predetermined shape, said shape and said bias being operative alone to selectively retain said actuator tip in one of said preselected operating positions;
• at least one leg extending downwardly from said actuator tip toward said second side, said leg being disposed closely adjacent said contact but spaced therefrom;
• an arcuate ramp mounted on said second side and being disposed in a spaced, confronting relationship with a distal end of said leg, said ramp being adapted to restrict the penetration of said leg and said actuator tip into said chamber to a predetermined distance;
• and
• a pair of shoulders disposed on an end of said housing substantially perpendicularly of said second side and defining a groove therebetween adapted to accept one end of said upper arm and one end of said lower arm of said contact and to restrict a lateral movement of said contact in a desired upright position in which said upper arm is in sliding engagement with said actuator tip.