US 4,398,075 AGranted

Mechanical switch

AssigneeElekto-Apparatebau Olten, A.G.

InventorErnst Vogel

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A miniature mechanical switch wherein an elongated tubular housing has a depressible pushbutton at one end and several terminals for connection to a control panel or the like at the other end. The housing confines a fixed contact and a pivotable second contact which is moved into engagement with the fixed contact in response to depression of the pushbutton through the medium of a restoring spring and a bell crank lever which is further biased by a resilient element to move the second contact away from the fixed contact in response to relaxation of pressure upon the pushbutton or in response to renewed depression of the pushbutton, depending upon whether the switch is a so-called momentary switch or a latching switch. The pivots for the lever and for the second contact are defined by a common carrier which forms part of a conductor connecting one of the terminals with the second contact. The fixed contact is connected with another terminal, and two additional terminals are connected with the socket for a light emitting diode located between the pushbutton and the pivot for the second contact. All of the conductors are substantially parallel to the axis of the housing.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a mechanical switch, the combination of:

(a) an elongated tubular housing;
(b) a first contact in said housing;
(c) an elongated second contact in said housing mounted for pivotal movement about a preselected axis between first and second positions of engagement with and disengagement from said first contact, said second contact extending at least approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of said housing;
(d) resilient means for biasing said second contact to either of said positions;
(e) means for stressing said resilient means including a lever having a first arm which extends at least approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of said housing and a second arm, each of said arms having a free end, and said lever being mounted in the region of one of said free ends for pivotal movement about a predetermined axis which is at least approximately parallel to said preselected axis, said lever defining bearing means movable transversely of said second contact between first and second end positions in which said resilient means respectively urges said second contact to said first and second positions;
(f) actuating means movable with reference to said housing from a starting position;
and
(g) means for transmitting motion from said actuating means to said lever to thereby effect movement of said bearing means between said end positions, said motion transmitting means including resilient restoring means for said actuating means, and said restoring means bearing against said lever in the region of the other of said free ends.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.