US 4,347,417 AGranted

Switch construction

AssigneeCarlingswitch, Inc.

InventorRichard W. Sorenson

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Abstract

A plastic switch actuator is fitted with a spring so as to impart sliding and rocking motion to a movable contact by virtue of direct engagement between spring and element. The actuator has a depending integral portion received in an opening of the element but it is the spring which keeps the element in contact with the fixed switch contacts. Other embodiments provide for illuminating the rocker in the miniature switch made possible by this simplified switch construction of fewer component parts. Still further embodiments provide for a toggle style actuator having a movable contact capable of retention in a "center-off" position wherein the movable contact is releasably retained on shelf-like lands defined for this purpose in the switch base, and wherein this contact can be moved by the depending actuator portion through joint action by the actuator and the spring provided on said actuator.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A switch comprising a base of insulating plastic and defining an upwardly open cavity, a plurality of fixed contacts spaced along the bottom wall of said base cavity, said switch having means defining actuator support regions, an actuator including support means cooperating with said support regions to movably support said actuator, said actuator molded of dielectric material and including an integrally formed depending portion, a movable contact element slidably received inside said switch base cavity for pivotal and translational movement generally across the upper ends of certain of said spaced contacts to selectively bridge said certain fixed contacts, a metal spring retained by said integrally formed depending actuator portion and engaging said movable contact element to bias said movable element toward said fixed contacts, said movable contact element having at least one upwardly open recess to loosely receive the lowermost end of said depending actuator portion and said movable contact element having raised laterally spaced portions adjacent said recess for slidably engaging said spring during actuator movement, whereby said element is moved in response to actuator movement and said spring serves as the sole lost motion connection between said contact element and said actuator.

A switch comprising a base defining an upwardly open cavity, a plurality of fixed contacts spaced along the bottom wall of said base cavity, said switch having side wall means defining aligned actuator support regions, actuator means having laterally aligned support means cooperating with said support regions to movably support said actuator means, said actuator means including a depending portion, a movable contact element slidably received inside said switch case cavity for movement generally across the upper ends of certain of said spaced fixed contacts to selectively bridge certain of said fixed contacts, said movable contact element having at least one upwardly open recess to receive said depending portion so that said element is moved in response to actuator means movement, said switch base defining at least one vertically elongated cavity outside the path of movement of said movable contact element, a fixed contact in the bottom wall of said vertically elongated cavity, a resistor in said elongated cavity and having one end in electrical contact with said fixed contact, a compression spring above said resistor and having one end in said elongated cavity and in electrical contact with the other end of said resistor, said spring having its other end engaging said movable actuator means, a lamp located in a recess defined by said actuator means, and at least one electrical lead from said lamp in electrical contact with said spring other end.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.