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US 4,788,388 AGranted
Snap acting switches
AssigneeB/K Patent Development, Inc.
InventorsLyndon W. Burch, Hadley K. Burch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snap acting switch comprising an elongate cantilever mounted spring member having a contact portion, an electrically conductive element upon which the contact portion bears, and an actuator having surfaces intersecting at an angle, one of the surfaces bearing on the spring member. The switch is actuated by causing the spring member to approach and pass over the intersection of the surfaces, which causes the bearing pressure of the contact portion to increase before the snap action occurs.
Claims12
A snap acting switch comprising, in combination,
- a support,
- an elongate spring member cantilever mounted at one end on the support, extending in a first direction and having a contact portion spaced from said end and deflectable in second and third directions perpendicular to one another and to said first direction,
- an electrically conductive element having a contact portion extending in said second direction and being resiliently deflectable in said third direction, and
- an actuator comprising a leaf spring mounted on the support and having surfaces intersecting at an angle, said actuator and conductive element being arranged to cause an engagement position on one of said surfaces to bear on the spring member with the spring member deflected in said second and third directions and with its contact portion bearing with a contact force on the deflectable contact portion of said conductive element,
- the actuator and said conductive element being relatively movable in said third direction by an applied force to increase said deflection of the spring member and said contact portion of the conductive element until said engagement position reaches the intersection of said surfaces, whereupon further relative movement permits a force resulting from deflection of the contact portion of the conductive element to accelerate the spring member past said intersection and to snap it away from said conductive element.
2 more elements
A snap acting switch comprising, in combination,
- a support,
- an element formed of spring material having a portion fixed to the support and integral spring and actuator portions each extending therefrom, the spring portion being elongate and cantilever mounted at said fixed portion, extending in a first direction therefrom and having a contact portion spaced from said fixed portion and deflectable in second and third directions perpendicular to one another and to said first direction, and
- an electrically conductive element having a surface extending in said second direction,
- said actuator portion having surfaces intersecting at an angle and being arranged relative to the conductive element to cause an engagement position on one of said surfaces to bear on said spring portion to deflect it in said second and third directions and with the contact portion bearing with a contact force on said conductive element,
- the actuator portion and said conductive element being relatively movable in said third direction by an applied force to increase said deflection and contact force as said engagement position approaches the intersection of said surfaces, said angle being arranged to cause said contact portion to snap away from said conductive element when the engagement position passes over said intersection.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.