US 6,630,635 B1Granted

Universal contact switch

AssigneeConnector Set Limited Partnership

InventorMatthias F. W. Doepner

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Abstract

A tilt contact switch for kinetic activity amusement games, for example pin ball games. A spherical tilt element is confined within a spherical socket and mounted below an opening in a game board surface panel. A contact bumper is mounted by the spherical tilt element and extends above the game board surface for engagement by a moving ball or the like. A wobble plate is fixed to the spherical tilt element and positioned closely adjacent to a switch element molded of soft, elastic silicone rubber material formed with spaced contact bumps. Tilting of the wobble plate, as a result of contact with the bumper, will deform and depress one or more of the contact bumps, serving to complete an electrical circuit through circuit contacts underlying a depressed contact bump. The resiliency of the contact bumps serves to bias the wobble plate to a normal or rest position when tilt forces are removed from the contact bumper. Desirably, the contact bumper is removably mounted on the spherical tilt element and can be replaced by a cover element, to permit reconfiguration of the game board for use without the presence of a particular contact bumper.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A contact switch for a kinetic activity game having a panel forming a playing surface and having an opening in said playing surface, which comprises

(a) a tilt element,
(b) at least one socket forming elements forming a confining support for said tilt element,
(c) said at least one socket forming elements being mounted to an underside of said panel in general alignment with said opening therein,
(d) a bumper element,
(e) said tilt element having provisions in an upper portion thereof for mounting said bumper element to project above said playing surface in a position to be engaged by a moving play element on said playing surface,
(f) lateral displacement of said bumper element causing tilting movement of said tilt element,
(g) said tilt element having a wobble element fixed thereto,
(h) a circuit panel positioned generally opposite said wobble element and having a plurality of exposed circuit elements forming portions of at least one switching circuit,
(i) a soft, resilient switching element interposed between said wobble element and said circuit panel and positioned to be elastically distorted by said wobble element when said tilt element is subjected to tilting movement,
(j) said switching element having a plurality of contact surfaces thereon normally spaced slightly from said circuit panel,
(k) said contact surfaces being displaceable by said wobble element into contact with said exposed circuit elements of said circuit panel to close said at least one switching circuit,
(l) said resilient switching element acting elastically on said wobble element, when tilted, to bias said wobble element and said tilt element toward a normal rest position when displacing forces are released from said tilt element.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.