US 6,936,777 B1Granted

Two-step switch

AssigneeFuji Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.

InventorNoboru Kawakubo

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A two-step switch, which may be minimized in radial direction and is suitable for PCB or FPC circuit board, has a first contact spring, having outer peripheral contacts in regular contact with first fixed contacts and having an inner contact inside the outer peripheral contacts and reversed by depressing, and a second contact spring, stacked on the first contact spring via an insulation sheet, having an outer peripheral contact in regular contact with a second fixed contact and having an inner contact inside of the outer peripheral contact and reversed by depressing. Through a first depressing, the inner contact of the first contact spring is reversed and in contact with the inner contact of the second contact spring, whereby a first electric circuit is actuated. Also through a second depressing, the inner contact of the second contact spring is reversed and in contact with the third fixed contact, whereby a second electric circuit is actuated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A two-step switch, comprising:

a circuit board having first fixed contacts, a second fixed contact and a third fixed contact;
a first contact spring, having outer peripheral contacts which are in regular contact with said first fixed contacts of said circuit board, and also having an inner contact which is positioned inside of said outer peripheral contacts and is reversed by depressing operation;
and
a second contact spring, stacked on said first contact spring via a first insulation sheet, having an outer peripheral contact which is in regular contact with said second fixed contact of said circuit board, and also having an inner contact which is positioned inside of said outer peripheral contact and is reversed by depressing operation,
characterized in that:
said inner contact of said first contact spring is reversed by a first depressing operation, and becomes in contact with said inner contact of said second contact spring whereby a first electric circuit is actuated;
and
said inner contact of said second contact spring is reversed by a further second depressing operation, and becomes in contact with said third fixed contact of said circuit board, whereby a second electric circuit is actuated.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/942,853Filed 17 Sep 2004
Priority: JP 2004-07016312 Mar 2004
Published: US 2005/0199475 A115 Sep 2005
Granted: 30 Aug 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01H 13/807
Characterised by the contacts or the contact sites: characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
H01H 13/48
Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members: using buckling of disc springs
H01H 13/64
Having a single operating member: wherein the switch has more than two electrically distinguishable positions, e.g. multi-position push-button…
H01H 13/44
Using flexing of blade springs: having two or more snap-action motions in succession