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US 4,399,336 AGranted
Miniature rotary sip switch for mounting on a printed circuit board
AssigneeCTS Corporation
InventorJames E. Greve
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCTS Corporation
InventorJames E. Greve
Estimating the term…
The rotary SIP switch (10) provides a single in-line package (SIP) having switching capabilities previously found in dual in-line packages (DIP) while providing more switch contacts in the same package area. The miniature rotary SIP switch (10) has a pair of oppositely disposed terminal and contact leafs (30) fixedly mounted in the base wall (27) of the switch housing (12), with the contact leaf portions (36) cantilevered within the interior of the switch housing (12). Lateral tabs (38) integral with the leaf contacts (36) effect equal spring loading upon a contact pin (44) disposed within an aperture (42) extending through a cylindrically shaped rotary driver (40). The contact pin (44) is free floating in the aperture (42) and self-centers when the rotary driver (40) is rotated and the ends of the contact pin (44) engage respective contact leafs (36). The rotary driver (40) has integral detent protrusions (48) for positioning the driver (40) and contact pin (44) in an open circuit position.
A miniature rotary SIP switch which maximizes the number of switch contacts per unit volume of switch package, comprising a housing having a front surface and a back surface in substantially parallel relationship and surfaces disposed between said parallel surfaces to form ends of said housing, said housing having an aperture at one end thereof and receiving means disposed oppositely from said aperture, oppositely disposed terminal and contact leaf means, each terminal and contact leaf means fixedly secured to said housing with the terminal means extending exteriorly of said housing and the contact leaf means disposed interiorly of said housing, rotary driver means having mounting means, actuation means, and laterally free-floating self-centering contact means disposed in said rotor and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of said driver, the mounting means disposed in the receiving means of said housing and the actuation means journalled in said aperture for exterior actuation of said driver whereby rotation of the driver effects biased wipable engagement of the contact means with said oppositely disposed contact leaf means to complete an electrical circuit across said terminal and contact leaf means and said contact means.
A process for completing an electrical circuit across a miniature rotary SIP switch which maximizes the number of switch contacts per unit volume of switch package, comprising the steps of fixedly attaching oppositely disposed terminal and contact leaf means in a switch housing with the terminal means extending exteriorly of said switch housing for connection to an exterior circuit and said contact leaf means cantilevered in the interior of said switch housing, disposing laterally adjustable self-centering contactor means substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of rotary driver means for self-centering movement relative to said rotary driver means, positioning the rotary driver means and contactor means within the interior of said switch housing and between said oppositely disposed contact leaf means, and rotating said rotary driver means and contactor means whereby said contactor means is resiliently captured by the oppositely disposed cantilevered contact leaf means to complete an electric circuit across said oppositely disposed terminal and contact leaf means and said contactor means.
A process for making and breaking by external operation an electrical circuit by means substantially enclosed within the housing of a miniature SIP switch, comprising the steps of mounting within said housing in opposed relation cantilevered contact means each having a sinuous recess therein, disposing between said cantilevered contact means rotary driver means having a laterally adjustable self-centering contactor disposed within said rotary driver means and said driver means and contactor rotatable to effect a bending of said cantilevered contact means, rotating said driver means to effect biased wipable engagement of said contactor with the sinuous recesses of said cantilevered contact means and thereby effecting an electrical circuit across the opposed cantilevered contact means and self-centering contactor, selectively rotating said rotary driver means to effect disengagement of said contactor with said sinuous recesses of the cantilevered contact means, and engaging with said sinuous recesses electrically nonconductive detents which serve to positively position said rotary driver means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.