Electrical switch having improved reliability electrical contacts and electrical contacts therefor
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDario A. Cardona, Louis J. Leyes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical switch (10) has a contact system in which first and second contact protrusions (22a, 22b; 22a′, 22b′; 22a″, 22b″) are offset from the center line of the long axis of a twistable movable contact arm. In a preferred embodiment the movable contact (22) is formed with a groove (22e, 22e′) formed through the contact running generally along the center line to form first and second generally wedge shaped contacts on either side of the center line. In one preferred embodiment, converging surfaces (22f, 22g) form a groove with an angle alpha of approximately 125° and approximately 158° in another preferred embodiment. In another preferred embodiment the protrusions (22a″, 22b″) are generally hemispherical.
Claims6
An electrical switch having a housing, a stationary electrical contact mounted on the housing, having a generally twistable movable contact arm cantilever mounted in said housing having first and second ends with a center line therebetween, a movable contact mounted on the movable contact arm movable into and out of engagement with the stationary contact, the movable contact having a base portion and having first and second protrusions extending in a direction generally toward the stationary contact, the first and second protrusions aligned with the stationary contact and being disposed on opposite sides of the center line so that movement of the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact will bring both first and second protrusions into engagement with the stationary contact and whereby if a contaminant is disposed between the stationary contact and one of the first and second protrusions the movable arm will twist allowing the other of the first and second protrusions to move into electrical engagement with the stationary contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.