Environmentally sealed switch construction
AssigneeCarlingswitch, Inc.
InventorsRichard W. Sorenson, Milton Ives
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A split switch case has a base and a mounting bracket fitted thereto. The top wall of the latter has a lateral rib defining sockets for receiving shoulder portions of the actuator. Plungers in the actuator can bottom out to break free the switch contacts should they fuse together. The rocker has a unique shape and is coupled to the actuator for positive pivotal movement on a lateral axis defined by surfaces in the rocker and in the mounting bracket's top wall rib. In the illuminated switch shown, the lamp circuit has at least one lead provided in a slot defined inside the mounting bracket. The lamp can be mounted in the mounting bracket either from above or from below, two depending legs will accommodate a conventional LED from either direction.
Claims19
An electric switch comprising an upwardly open switch case having a base with a bottom wall in which openings are provided for terminals, said base having laterally spaced front and rear walls and opposed end walls integrally connected to said bottom wall and to each other to define an upwardly open cavity, at least one movable contact provided in said switch cavity, said case also including a mounting bracket having a top wall and laterally spaced front and rear walls adapted to mate with said front and rear walls of said base respectively, said bracket having opposed end walls integrally connected to said front and rear walls thereof to define a downwardly open cavity that communicates with the cavity in said base to define an enclosed switch cavity, said bracket top wall defining a raised center rib portion which has laterally spaced sockets, an actuator having upper shoulder portions received in said sockets, at least one spring biased plunger slidably received in a downwardly open plunger cavity defined by said actuator for engaging said one movable contact to pivot said one movable contact in response to actuator pivotal movement on a laterally extending axis defined by said actuator shoulders and said laterally spaced sockets, and a pivoted member above said mounting bracket top wall and having a depending central post received in an upwardly open recess provided for said post in said actuator, said mounting bracket having laterally spaced pivot posts provided at opposite ends of said central rib at said laterally extending actuator pivot axis, and said pivoted member having resilient wings spaced laterally from said central posts, said pivot posts being received in openings provided for them in said pivoted member wings, and an O-ring seal provided in said central opening of said mounting bracket rib portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.