Rocker switch
AssigneeOtto Engineering, Inc.
InventorsThomas Roeser, Michael J. Crawford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealed rocker switch includes a button having a lever. A coil spring coaxial with the lever and enclosing a portion of the lever forces a plunger against an actuator that rocks to place a spring blade in contact with blade contacts to operate the switch. The blade contacts are snapped into the case of the switch to maintain the blade contacts in a desired position, and are potted with a potting compound to make a seal. The actuator may be shaped in one of several ways to provide maintained contact, momentary contact, or a combination of these. A groove in the lever supports an O-ring against the case to seal the switch at the button end.
Claims23
A sealed electrical rocker switch adapted for installation in an aperture in a mounting panel, comprising:
- a case configured to fit in the panel aperture;
- a button rotatably mounted in the case and having a lever terminating in a cylindrical end;
- a base adapted to snap into the case, the base having a plurality of retention wings which are normally biased outwardly from the base and are compressible to permit the switch to be inserted into the panel aperture;
- a first blade contact extending through the base;
- a spring blade;
- a center blade contact rigidly connected to the spring blade and extending through the base;
- an actuator pivotally mounted in the case and being adapted to move the spring blade into and out of contact with the first blade contact;
- a plunger slidably mounted around the cylindrical end and being adapted to engage and pivot the actuator in response to rotation of the button with respect to the case;
- and
- a spring being adapted to bias the plunger against the actuator.
An electrical switch adapted for installation in an aperture in amounting panel, comprising:
- a case configured to fit in said panel aperture;
- a base adapted to snap into said case, said base having a plurality of retention wings which are normally biased outwardly from said base and are compressible to permit said switch to be inserted into said panel aperture;
- a first contact extending through said base;
- a spring blade;
- a further contact extending through said base and being electrically connected to said spring blade;
- and
- a button movably mounted in said case and being adapted to urge said spring blade into and out of contact with said first contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.