Temperature responsive electrical switch construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same

In a temperature responsive electrical switch construction having electrical contact means operated by a stem means of a piston and cylinder type thermal device carried by said construction, the improvement wherein said contact means comprises a plurality of pairs of cooperating contacts arranged to have each cooperating pair thereof operated serially by said stem means as said thermal device senses different predetermined temperatures, each said pair of cooperating contacts comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact, each movable contact being snap-acting, each movable contact having a pivot member pivotally mounted to said construction, each movable contact having a tension spring provided with opposed ends, one of said ends of each tension spring being interconnected to its respective pivot member and the other of said ends thereof being interconnected to said construction, and a flexible means carried by said construction and having pivot means thereon that pivotally mount said pivot members to said construction, said stem means of said device engaging and flexing said flexible means to serially move said pivot means and thereby cause said springs to serially be overcenter and operate said pivot members to serially operate said pairs of contacts, said flexible means comprising a one-piece flexible member.

In a method of making a temperature responsive electrical switch construction having electrical contact means operated by a stem means of a piston and cylinder type thermal device carried by said construction, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said contact means to comprise a plurality of pairs of cooperating contacts, arranging said contacts so as to have each cooperating pair thereof operated serially by said stem means as said thermal device senses different predetermined temperatures, forming each said pair of cooperating contacts to comprise a fixed contact and a movable contact, forming said construction to have a plurality of terminals projecting therefrom and being substantially parallel to each other and to said stem means, and securing said fixed contacts respectively to said terminals so as to be carried thereby.

In an electrical switch construction having electrical contact means operated by an axially movable plunger means carried by said construction, said contact means comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperating contacts arranged to have each cooperating pair thereof operated serially by said plunger means as said plunger means axially moves between said pairs of cooperating pairs of contact means, each said pair of cooperating contacts comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact, the improvement wherein said construction has a plurality of terminals projecting therefrom and being substantially parallel to each other and to said plunger means, said fixed contacts being respectively carried by said terminals.

In an electrical switch construction having electrical contact means operated by an axially movable plunger means carried by said construction, said contact means comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperating contacts arranged to have each cooperating pair thereof operated serially by said plunger means as said plunger means axially moves between said pairs of cooperating pairs of contact means, each said pair of cooperating contacts comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact, each movable contact being snap-acting, each movable contact having a pivot member pivotally mounted to said construction, the improvement wherein each movable contact has a tension spring provided with opposed ends, one of said ends of each tension spring being interconnected to its respective pivot member and the other of said ends thereof being interconnected to said construction, and a flexible means carried by said construction and having pivot means thereon that pivotally mount said pivot members to said construction, said plunger means engaging and flexing said flexible means to serially move said pivot means and thereby cause said springs to serially be overcenter and operate said pivot members to serially operate said pairs of contacts, said flexible means comprising a one-piece flexible member.

In a method of making an electrical switch construction having electrical contact means operated by an axially movable plunger means carried by said construction, said method comprising the steps of forming said contact means to comprise a plurality of pairs of cooperating contacts, arranging said contacts so as to have each cooperating pair thereof operated serially by said plunger means as said plunger means axially moves between said pairs of cooperating contact means, and forming each said pair of cooperating contacts to comprise a fixed contact and a movable contact, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said construction to have a plurality of terminals projecting therefrom and being parallel to each other and to said plunger means, and securing said fixed contacts respectively to said terminals so as to be carried thereby.