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US 4,376,234 AGranted
Dip switch
OwnerJames P. Liataud, David L. Maloneyinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A miniature switch adapted for printed circuit board mounting has a plurality of switch sections in a rectangular housing constructed of insulating material. Terminal leads project from opposite side walls of the housing and a pocket within the housing has a plurality of springy bridge-like slide contacts which are selectively movable into contact with contact surfaces formed by extensions of the respective terminal leads. The housing includes a base and a cover portion, and the slide contact is biased against the contact surfaces when the cover is placed on the base.
Claims24
A miniature switch having a plurality of switch sections, comprising:
- a rectangular housing made of an insulating material;
- a plurality of terminal leads projecting from opposite walls of the housing;
- an inside of the housing having a floor portion which for each switch section has aligned first and second exposed contact surfaces thereat which are extensions of respective terminal leads associated with the switch section;
- a metal springy bridge-like slide contact for each switch section within the housing and having a substantially flat central portion and downwardly bent and laterally outwardly extending curved portions forming contact projections at opposite ends thereof, a contact projection at one end being in continuous contact with the first contact surface nearest said one end of the slide contact in either of two switch positions and being dimensioned so that a contact projection at the other end selectively contacts the second contact surface in one of the switch positions but not the other;
- a post-like projection directly attached at said flat central portion;
- a cam means comprising a notch and cooperating cam projection, one of the notch and cam projection being formed on said post-like projection and the other at a ceiling of an interior surface of the housing to mechanically define the two switch positions;
- an aperture in the housing for each switch section through which the post-like projection extends and by which the slide contact may be physically positioned;
- and
- the inside of the housing being dimensioned such that a ceiling portion thereof biases the slide contact through said cam means against the contact surfaces at the floor portion.
6 more elements
A miniature switch, comprising:
- a rectangular housing;
- at least six switch sections per inch along a longitudinal direction of the rectangular housing;
- a plurality of terminal leads projecting from opposite side walls of the housing;
- an inside of the housing having a floor portion which for each switch section has first and second exposed contact surfaces which are extensions of respective terminal leads associated with the switch sections;
- a metal springy bridge-like slide contact for each switch section within the housing and having a substantially flat central portion and downwardly bent and laterally outwardly extending curved portions forming contact projections at opposite ends thereof, a contact projection at one end being in continuous contact with the first contact surface nearest said one end of the slide contact in either of two switch positions and being dimensioned so that a contact projection at the other end selectively contacts the second contact surface in one of the switch positions but not the other;
- a post-like projection attached at said flat central portion and having first and second notches on opposite sides of the projection;
- an aperture in the housing for each switch section through which the post-like projection attached to the slide contact projects to permit slide positioning of the slide contact;
- at the aperture, cam projections being provided at opposite sides thereof so as to cooperate with the notches on opposite sides of the post-like projection;
- and
- the inside of the housing being dimensioned such that a ceiling portion thereof biases the slide contact against the contact surfaces at the floor portion by pressure applied by the cam projections on the notches of the post-like projection.
7 more elements
A miniature switch, comprising:
- a rectangular housing;
- at least six switch sections per inch along a longitudinal direction of the rectangular housing;
- a plurality of terminal leads projecting from opposite side walls of the housing;
- an inside of the housing having a floor portion which for each switch section has first and second exposed contact surfaces which are extensions of respective terminal leads associated with the switch sections;
- a slide contact assembly having only two pieces, namely a metal springy bridge-like slide contact and a post-like projection directly connected thereto, said assembly having a first cam means;
- said slide contact being in slidable contact making association with the exposed contact surfaces for each switch section within the housing and having a central portion and downwardly bent and laterally outwardly extending curved portions, each curved portion having two legs forming two contact projections at each end of the slide contact;
- said post-like projection being directly attached at said central portion;
- an aperture in the housing for each switch section through which the post-like projection attached to the slide contact projects to permit slide positioning of the slide contact;
- second cam means inside the housing cooperating with the first cam means;
- and
- the inside of the housing being dimensioned such that a ceiling portion thereof biases the slide contact against the contact surfaces at the floor portion by pressure applied on the bridge-like slide contact through the post-like projection.
8 more elements
A miniature switch, comprising:
- a rectangular housing;
- a plurality of terminal leads projecting from opposite side walls of the housing;
- an inside of the housing having a floor portion which for each switch section has first and second exposed contact surfaces which are extensions of respective terminal leads associated with the switch sections;
- a metal springy bridge-like slide contact in slidable contact making association with the exposed contact surfaces for each switch section within the housing and having a central portion and downwardly bent and laterally outwardly extending curved portions forming contact projections at opposite ends thereof;
- a post-like projection attached at said central portion and having first cam means on the projection;
- an aperture in the housing for each switch section through which the post-like projection attached to the slide contact projects to permit slide positioning of the slide contact;
- at the aperture, second cam means being provided at an inside ceiling of the housing so as to cooperate with the first cam means;
- the inside of the housing being dimensioned such that a ceiling portion thereof pushes the central portion of the slide contact toward the floor portion and biases the slide contact against the contact surfaces at the floor portion by pressure applied through the cam means;
- and
- the post-like projection being molded in a mounting aperture at the slide contact central portion and having a base portion below the slide contact in proximity to the housing floor portion.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.