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US 6,333,479 B1Granted
Dual in-line type finger-actuated switch
OwnerChi-Long Taiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual in-line type finger-actuated switch comprised of a top cover plate, a finger-actuated switch body, and slide buttons. The slide buttons have extending along both their left and right sides a semicircular rib and two semicircular grooves, while the top cover plate has along the bottom of both the left and right sides semicircular contour grooves and semicircular contour ridges for wave-profiled corrugated contact and engagement such that the entire structure does not easily deform, thereby prolonging the service life and increasing the practical manufacturing value of the present invention.
Claims1
A dual in-line finger-actuated switch comprising:
- a top cover plate formed of a one-piece injection molded plastic material having a substantially flat rectangular contour, said top cover plate having a plurality of centrally disposed slots formed therethrough, said top cover plate having an upper surface with a plurality of beveled portions respectively disposed on opposing ends of said plurality of slots, said top cover plate having a lower surface with a plurality of contoured ridges and grooves respectively formed on opposing ends of said plurality of slots to define a plurality of wave-shaped detents on said opposing ends of said slots;
- a finger-actuated switch body formed in a rectangular contour of a one-piece injection molded plastic material and having a recess formed in an upper section thereof, said top cover plate being joined to said finger-actuated switch body to cover said recess, said finger-actuated switch body having a plurality of stop blocks formed in said recess, said plurality of stop blocks being disposed in spaced relationship on opposing sides of said finger-actuated switch body;
- a plurality of contact pins inserted into said recess between respective pairs of said plurality of stop blocks of said finger-actuated switch body, each of said plurality of contact pins having a portion thereof projecting from a respective one of said opposing sides of said finger-actuated switch body, said projecting portion having a step-shaped contour;
- a plurality of slide buttons disposed in said recess in respective aligned relationship with said plurality of slots, each of said slide buttons being formed of a one-piece injection molded plastic material and having a centrally disposed rectangular slide block extending from an upper side of said slide button, said upper side of said slide button having a rib and a pair of grooves on each of two sides thereof, each said slide button having a lower side with a centrally disposed mounting post and a plurality of support tabs extending therefrom, each of said rectangular slide blocks extending through a respective one of said slots;
- and,
- a plurality of flexible metal contact springs respectively coupled to said plurality of slide buttons, each of said flexible metal contact springs having a hole formed therethrough for coupling to a mounting post of a respective slide button;
- whereby said ribs and pairs of grooves of said slide buttons in respective cooperation with said plurality of contoured ridges and grooves of said top cover plate provide a toggling contact action therebetween and prevent downward displacement of said flexible metal contact springs to maintain a predetermined contact angle thereof.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.