Electrical slide switch of flush through design and method of mounting thereof

#Miniature switches of the so-called "dual-in-line package" (DIP) design, for which the switch of the present invention is readily adapted, are well known in the electronic's field. An assembly of a multitude of such individual switches which can be operated independently from one another are commonly mounted on a printed circuit board having two rows of mounting holes of standardized configuration. The switch leads are soldered to the foil side of the board thereby providing for the electrical connection of various circuits disposed on the circuit board.

#Such known switches have been of a cam operated design as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,878,344 and 3,883,705 or have utilized a slide actuated configuration as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,849,610; 3,917,921; 3,974,346; 4,012,608 and 4,092,504.

#In order to reduce assembly costs, such switches are generally mounted on the printed circuit board by a technique known in the electronic's industry as wave soldering. With such a technique, the printed circuit board with the switch positioned thereon is carried by a conveyor to a molten solder bath which is brought into contact with foil side of the circuit board. In this manner the switch terminal leads which protrude through the foil side of the circuit board are joined by the solder to the foil thereby completing the electrical circuit therebetween.

#FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a multiple stage switch constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a portion of the switch shown in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side sectional view of a portion of the switch shown in FIG. 1 illustrating its contacts in their electrically nonconducting "off" position;

#FIGS. 1 through 4 generally illustrate a switching assembly 10 having a plurality of miniature electrical slide switches 12 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Since each of the slide switches 12 are identically constructed, the same reference numerals will be utilized to refer to corresponding parts thereof.

#Slide switch 12 consists of a housing 14 which may be constructed of a dielectric material containing glass reinforced polyester or the like having a bottom wall 16 and a pair of spaced side supports 18 extending vertically therefrom. Each side support 18 has an open area 20 formed in it which communicates with the interior area of the housing 14 and which defines a top rail 22 extending longitudinally on either side thereof.

#Actuator 30 which may be constructed of a dielectric material such as nylon or the like is slidably mounted between adjacent pairs of rails 22 by means of an upper lip 32 which rests on the upper surface of rails 22 and ears 34 which extend horizontally beneath rails 22 into open areas 20. As is best illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, ears 34 also limit the distance which actuator 30 is permitted to slide back and forth along top rails 22. Actuator 30 also has a cam portion 36 which protrudes downward into housing 14. The purpose and operation of this element will be more fully discussed below.