Electrical switch construction, switch blade subassembly and methods of making the same

In a method of making an electrical switch construction having a housing means carrying a thermally cyclable switch blade means and an adjustable set lever switch blade means cooperable with said cyclable switch blade means when said set lever switch blade means is moved relative to said housing means to an operating position thereof by an actuator means that is carried by said housing means, said housing means carrying calibrating means for calibrating said set lever switch blade means, said set lever switch blade means comprising a resilient switch blade having opposed ends and an ambient bimetal lever means being secured together and being the part of said set lever switch blade means that cooperates with said thermally cyclable switch blade means, the improvement comprising the steps of disposing said calibration means to be operatively associated with the other opposed end of said ambient bimetal lever means to adjust that other opposed end relative to the other opposed end of said switch blade and thereby calibrate said set point switch blade means, and securing said other opposed end of said switch blade to said construction.

In a self-contained subassembly of an adjustable set lever switch blade means for an electrical switch construction having a housing means carrying a thermally cyclable switch blade means that cooperates with said adjustable set lever switch blade means when said set lever switch blade means is moved relative to said housing means to an operating position thereof by an actuator means that is carried by said housing means, said housing means carrying calibrating means for calibrating said set lever switch blade means, said set lever switch blade means comprising a resilient switch blade having opposed ends and an ambient bimetal lever means having opposed ends, one of said opposed ends of said switch blade and said ambient bimetal lever means being secured together and being the part of said set lever switch blade means that cooperates with said thermally cyclable switch blade means, the improvement wherein said calibration means comprises part of said subassembly and is operatively associated with the other opposed end of said ambient bimetal lever means to adjust that other opposed end relative to the other opposed end of said switch blade and thereby calibrate said set point switch blade means, said other opposed end of said switch blade being secured from movement in said subassembly.

In a method of making a self-contained subassembly of an adjustable set lever switch blade means for an electrical switch construction having a housing means carrying a thermally cyclable switch blade means that cooperates with said adjustable set lever switch blade means when said set lever switch blade means is moved relative to said housing means to an operating position thereof by an actuator means that is carried by said housing means, said housing means carrying calibrating means for calibrating said set lever switch blade means, said set lever switch blade means comprising a resilient switch blade having opposed ends and an ambient bimetal lever means having opposed ends, one of said opposed ends of said switch blade and said ambient bimetal lever means being secured together and being the part of said set lever switch blade means that cooperates with said thermally cyclable switch blade means, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said calibration means to comprise part of said subassembly and be operatively associated with the other opposed end of said ambient bimetal lever means to adjust that other opposed end relative to the other opposed end of said switch blade and thereby calibrate said set point switch blade means, and securing said other opposed end of said switch blade from movement in said subassembly.