Triple pole safety switch and connector

A multiple pole switch apparatus comprising:

• a) a switch housing defining a housing interior having an access opening that extends through a wall of said housing to the housing interior;
• b) a plunger constrained by said housing to translate along a path including a normal position and an actuated position, said plunger has an actuating portion that extends outwardly from the housing interior through the access opening and a plunger body disposed inside the housing, said plunger body including a first surface and a second surface that is generally perpendicular to said first surface;
• c) a first contact constrained by said first surface to move with said plunger as said plunger moves along said path;
• d) a second contact constrained by said second surface to move with said plunger along said path;
• e) a first pair of terminals extending into said housing and positioned such that said first contact selectively engages said first pair of terminals when said plunger is moved between said normal position and said actuated position;
• and
• f) a second pair of terminals extending into said housing and positioned generally perpendicular to said first pair of terminals, said second pair of terminals are selectively engaged by said second contact when said plunger is moved between said normal position and said actuated position.

A multiple pole switch apparatus comprising:

• a) a switch housing defining a housing interior having an access opening that extends through a wall of said housing to the housing interior;
• b) a plunger constrained by said housing to translate along a path including a normal position and an actuated position, said plunger has an actuating portion that extends outwardly from the housing interior through the access opening and a plunger body disposed inside the housing;
• c) first and second contacts constrained by said plunger body to move with said plunger as said plunger moves along said path, said second contact being inverted with respect to said first contact;
• d) a first pair of terminals extending into said housing and positioned such that said first contact selectively engages said first pair of terminals when said plunger is moved between said normal position and said actuated position;
• and
• e) a second pair of terminals extending into said housing, said second pair of terminals are selectively engaged by said second contact when said plunger is moved between said normal position and said actuated position and said second pair of terminals being generally perpendicular to said first pair of terminals.

A multiple pole switch apparatus comprising:

• a) a switch housing defining a housing interior having an access opening that extends through a wall of said housing to the housing interior;
• b) a plunger constrained by said housing to translate along a path including a normal position and an actuated position, said plunger has an actuating portion that extends outwardly from the housing interior through the access opening and a plunger body disposed inside the housing, said plunger body including a first contact constraint and a second contact constraint that is generally perpendicular to said first contact constraint, said first and second contact constraints including a post and a pair of spaced apart leg contacting members;
• c) a spring constrained by said plunger and said housing that biases said plunger to said normal position;
• d) a first conductive leaf spring contact formed from a flat metal strip constrained by said first constraint to move with said plunger as said plunger moves along said path;
• e) a second conductive leaf spring contact formed from a flat metal strip constrained by said second constraint to move with said plunger along said path, said second conductive leaf spring being inverted with respect to said first contact;
• f) a first pair of terminals extending into said housing, each of said terminals of said first pair including a cutout, said first pair of terminals being positioned such that said first contact engages said first pair of terminals when said plunger is in said normal position and said first contact extends through said cutouts when said plunger is in said actuated position;
• and
• g) a second pair of terminals extending into said housing and positioned generally perpendicular to said first pair of terminals, said second pair of terminals are positioned such that the second pair of terminals are engaged by said second inverted contact when said plunger is in said actuated position.

A plunger switch comprising:

• a) a switch housing for supporting components of the plunger switch;
• b) a plunger extending into an interior region of the switch housing and being actuatable from outside the switch housing, the plunger adapted to move between a normal position and an actuated position;
• c) first, second and third electrically conductive wiper contacts mounted to the plunger for movement with the plunger;
• d) first, second and third sets of terminals extending into the switch housing interior region, the first set of terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the first wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger, the second set of terminals including a third terminal and a fourth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the second wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger and the third set of terminals including a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the third wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger;
• and
• e) the first and second terminals of the first terminal set and the third and fourth terminals of the second terminal set positioned such that a first plane defined by the first and third terminals is substantially parallel to a second plane defined by the second and fourth terminals and the fifth and sixth terminals of the third terminal set being spaced apart from the first and second planes.

A plunger switch comprising:

• a) a switch housing for supporting components of the plunger switch;
• b) a plunger extending into an interior region of the switch housing and being actuatable from outside the switch housing, the plunger adapted to move between a normal position and an actuated position;
• c) first, second and third electrically conductive wiper contacts mounted to the plunger for movement with the plunger;
• d) first, second and third sets of terminals extending into the switch housing interior region, the first set of terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the first wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger, the second set of terminals including a third terminal and a fourth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the second wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger and the third set of terminals including a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the third wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger;
• e) the first, second, third and fourth terminals including outer surface portions that are substantially parallel, the outer surface portions of the first and third terminals being substantially aligned and the outer surface portions of the second and fourth terminals being substantially aligned;
• and
• f) the fifth and sixth terminals including outer surface portions that are substantially parallel and are transverse to the outer surface portions of the first, second, third and fourth terminals.

A plunger switch and connector assembly comprising:

• a) a plunger switch including a switch housing and a connector including a connector housing releasably engaging the switch housing;
• b) the plunger switch including:
• i) a switch housing for supporting components of the plunger switch;
• ii) a plunger extending into an interior region of the switch housing and being actuatable from outside the switch housing, the plunger adapted to move between a normal position and an actuated position;
• iii) first, second and third electrically conductive wiper contacts mounted to the plunger for movement with the plunger;
• iv) first, second and third sets of terminals extending into the switch housing interior region, the first set of terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the first wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger, the second set of terminals including a third terminal and a fourth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the second wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger and the third set of terminals including a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal which are electrically coupled by engagement of the third wiper contact in one of the normal and actuated positions of the plunger;
• and
• v) the first and second terminals of the first terminal set and the third and fourth terminals of the second terminal set positioned such that a first plane defined by the first and third terminals is substantially parallel to a second plane defined by the second and fourth terminals and the fifth and sixth terminals of the third terminal set being spaced apart from the first and second planes;
• and
• c) the connector including:
• i) the connector housing for supporting components of the connector;
• and
• ii) first, second and third sets of terminals supported by the connector housing in spaced apart relationship and oriented to electrically contact the terminals of the first, second and third sets of terminals of the plunger switch when the plunger switch housing and the connector housing are engaged.