EP0004420A2 - Interrupteur électrique à code - Google Patents

Interrupteur électrique à code Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0004420A2
EP0004420A2 EP79300326A EP79300326A EP0004420A2 EP 0004420 A2 EP0004420 A2 EP 0004420A2 EP 79300326 A EP79300326 A EP 79300326A EP 79300326 A EP79300326 A EP 79300326A EP 0004420 A2 EP0004420 A2 EP 0004420A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
base
operating member
switch
bridging
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP79300326A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0004420B1 (fr
EP0004420A3 (en
Inventor
Johannes Theodorus Maria Janssen
Hermanus Petrus Johannes Gilissen
Lucas Soes
Ludovicus Cornelis Van Der Sanden
Petrus Richardus Martinus Van Dijk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TE Connectivity Corp
Original Assignee
AMP Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AMP Inc filed Critical AMP Inc
Publication of EP0004420A2 publication Critical patent/EP0004420A2/fr
Publication of EP0004420A3 publication Critical patent/EP0004420A3/xx
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0004420B1 publication Critical patent/EP0004420B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H19/00—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand
    • H01H19/54—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions
    • H01H19/60—Angularly-movable actuating part carrying no contacts
    • H01H19/63—Contacts actuated by axial cams

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical switch, and particularly to an electrical switch capable of selectively providing a connection between an input contact and any one or more of a plurality of output contacts.
  • Such switches can be arranged to give a binary or other coded output, and find use, for example, as programming devices in electronic equipment.
  • Known such switches comprise a base of electrically insulating material carrying an input contact and a plurality of output contacts; a bridging contact capable of providing connections between the input contact and any one or more of the output contacts; and an operating member mounted on the base and movable relative thereto between a plurality of relative positions in each of which the bridging contact is caused to provide a connection between the input contact and a respective one or combination of the output contacts.
  • Such known switches are generally of complicated structure and are thus expensive and difficult to assemble.
  • such a switch is characterised in that the bridging contact is fixedly -mounted on the base in permanent connection with the input contact and has a plurality of resilient contact arms respectively associated with the output contacts, the operating member being formed with a plurality of cam projections adapted and arranged to engage the contact arms of the bridging contact as the operating member is moved relative to the base, thereby to urge the contact arms into contact with the associated output contacts.
  • the switch shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a circular base 1 moulded from electrically insulating plastics material, and carrying an input contact 2 and four output contacts 3.
  • the contacts 2 and 3 are in-moulded in the base 1, and each has an outwardly projecting pin portion for receipt in a hole in a substrate (not shown) thereby to connect the contact 2 or 3 to a conductor on the substrate which may be a printed circuit board.
  • the outer face of the base 1 from which the pin portions of the contacts 2 and 3 project is formed with two diametrically opposed circular bosses 4 which in use of the switch are received in holes in the substrate to locate the switch on the substrate.
  • the inner ends of the output contacts 3 project above the adjacent surface of the base 1 to constitute contact points while the inner end of the input contact 2 has a flat head on which is welded a substantially planar bridging contact 5 having four contact arms 6 associated with the four output contacts 3 respectively.
  • the output contacts 3 are located at positions spaced at about 90° around the centre of the base 1 and at mutually different distances, that is radii, from the centre of the base 1, and the input contact 2 is offset from the centre of the base 1 such that it is substantially equi-spaced from each of the output contacts 3.
  • the effective lengths of the four contact arms 6 of the bridging contact 5 are also equal.
  • the base 1 is formed with an upstanding peripheral flange 7 within which is received a circular operating member 8 which completes the switch.
  • the flange 7 has an inwardly directed lip 9 which engages over an annular shoulder 10 on the operating member 8 to mount the operating member 8 on the base 1.
  • the inner surface of the operating member 8 is formed with a plurality of arcuate cam projections 11-having mutually different radii measured from the centre of the operating member 8, that is from the axis of rotation thereof, which axis passes through the centre of the base 1.
  • cam projection 11 having a radius of curvature equal to the distance of each of the output contacts 3 from the centre of the base 1.
  • Each cam projection has end surfaces 12 which slope from the surface of the operating member 8 up to a level middle surface 13 which is parallel to the suface of the operating member 8.
  • the operating member 8 is formed with an outwardly directed bar 14 which can be gripped by a user's fingers to rotate the operating member 8 relative to the base 1.
  • the flange 7 on the base 1 is divided into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments 15 by ten slots 16, and the operating member is formed with a projection 17 on its peripheral edge, which projection 17 is engageable in the slots 16 to provide an indexing action on rotation of the operating member relative to the base 1, the slots 16 and projection 17 thus together defining ten rotary positions of the operating member 8 relative to the base 1.
  • each contact arm 6 of the bridging contact 5 comprises a single limb 18 extending from the input contact 2 and carrying at its outer end a three-legged arrangement comprising three outwardly extending substantially equal length legs 19 lying in a common plane.
  • the free end of the centre leg 19 constitutes a contact portion for engagement with the associated output contact 3 positioned beneath the centre leg 19, and the two outer legs 19 are joined by an arcuate linking member 20 which extends towards the operating member 8 for engagement by the cam projection or projections 11 associated therewith.
  • the arrangement is such that when the linking member 20 of a contact arm 6 is not engaged with an. associated cam projection 11 on the operating member 8, the centre leg 19 of that contact arm 6 is out of engagement with the associated output contact 3, as shown in Figure 2, but when the operating member 8 is rotated relative to the base 1 to a position in which the linking member 20 is engaged by an associated projection 11, then the centre leg 19 is held in engagement with the associated output contact 3 whereby the bridging contact 5 provides a connection between the input contact 2 and that output contact 3.
  • the cam projections 11 are arranged such that for each of the ten rotational positions of the operating member 8 relative to the base 1 a unique combination of connections between the input contact 2 and the output contacts 3 is established by the bridging contact 5, these connections enabling a binary coded decimal output to be obtained from the output contacts 3 from a voltage applied to the input contact 2.
  • each of the contact arms 6 of the bridging contact 5 is advantageous in that it gives a two stage closing of the centre leg 19 onto the associated output contact 3, this ensuring ease of operation of the.switch with a final high contact force between the centre leg 19 and the output contact 3.
  • the input contact 2 is constituted by an arm of the bridging contact 5, which is bent to extend through the base 1.
  • Each contact arm 6 of the bridging contact 5 is a single limb the free end 21 of which is bent to extend away from the base 1 to be received in a respective annular groove 22 in the operating member 8.
  • the cam projections 11 engaged by the free ends 21 of the contact arms 6 are formed by changes in the depths of the grooves 22, such that as the operating member "8 is rotated relative to the base 1 the contact arms 6 are deflected towards the base 1 such that a point on the contact arm 6 intermediate the ends thereof is urged into contact with the associated output contact 3.
  • Each contact arm 6 is received between a respective pair of bosses 23 upstanding from the base 1 adjacent the free end of the contact arm 6, which bosses 23 serve to restrain the contact arm 6 from rotary movement with the operating member 8 relative to the base 1.
  • the flange 7 of the base 1 is provided with six slots 16 defining rotational positions of the operating member 8 relative to the base 1, the cam projections 11 being such that for each of these positions a particular combination of connections between the input contact 2 and the output contacts 3 is established by the bridging contact 5.
  • the base 1 is formed with five locating bosses 4 on its outer surface.
  • a particular advantage of the switches described above are that simply by changing the operating member to one with a different arrangement of cam projections, the coding of the switch can be changed. Further, since there is substantially no sliding contact between the output contacts and the contact arms of the bridging contact, it is possible to have high contact forces with only little wear of the contact surfaces. The only slight sliding contact which takes place is however sufficient to provide cleaning of the contact surfaces. It is thus possible to use tin-plated members for the contacts. rather than the often used more expensive gold-plated contacts.

Landscapes

  • Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
  • Relay Circuits (AREA)
  • Oscillators With Electromechanical Resonators (AREA)
EP79300326A 1978-03-17 1979-03-06 Interrupteur électrique à code Expired EP0004420B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1058178 1978-03-17
GB1058178 1978-03-17

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0004420A2 true EP0004420A2 (fr) 1979-10-03
EP0004420A3 EP0004420A3 (en) 1979-10-31
EP0004420B1 EP0004420B1 (fr) 1981-08-26

Family

ID=9970476

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP79300326A Expired EP0004420B1 (fr) 1978-03-17 1979-03-06 Interrupteur électrique à code

Country Status (12)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0004420B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPS54129491A (fr)
AR (1) AR215378A1 (fr)
AT (1) AT374962B (fr)
AU (1) AU517410B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR7901664A (fr)
DE (1) DE2960674D1 (fr)
DK (1) DK145478C (fr)
ES (1) ES478645A1 (fr)
FI (1) FI790785A (fr)
MX (1) MX144630A (fr)
NO (1) NO147576C (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0036263B1 (fr) * 1980-03-14 1984-07-25 AMP INCORPORATED (a New Jersey corporation) Interrupteur électrique

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0637826Y2 (ja) * 1987-04-16 1994-10-05 ブラザー工業株式会社 ミシンの模様指示装置

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE506808A (fr) *
GB519536A (en) * 1938-09-19 1940-03-29 Charles Albert Turner Improvements in and relating to multi-position electric switches
US3126462A (en) * 1964-03-24 schrader
US3257535A (en) * 1959-09-04 1966-06-21 Infranor Sa Commutator comprising radially positioned camming balls for actuating switch means
US3281552A (en) * 1965-10-12 1966-10-25 Ark Les Switch Corp Cam operated rotary switch using leaf spring and overlying actuator
DE1251409B (fr) * 1967-10-05
DE1297665B (de) * 1966-05-05 1969-06-19 Phoenix Telephones Ltd Elektrischer Kodierungsschalter
US3699279A (en) * 1971-02-26 1972-10-17 Amp Inc Rotary switch with improved printed circuit contact and terminal connection array
GB2000378A (en) * 1977-06-27 1979-01-04 Globe Union Inc Rotary switches

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE506808A (fr) *
US3126462A (en) * 1964-03-24 schrader
DE1251409B (fr) * 1967-10-05
GB519536A (en) * 1938-09-19 1940-03-29 Charles Albert Turner Improvements in and relating to multi-position electric switches
US3257535A (en) * 1959-09-04 1966-06-21 Infranor Sa Commutator comprising radially positioned camming balls for actuating switch means
US3281552A (en) * 1965-10-12 1966-10-25 Ark Les Switch Corp Cam operated rotary switch using leaf spring and overlying actuator
DE1297665B (de) * 1966-05-05 1969-06-19 Phoenix Telephones Ltd Elektrischer Kodierungsschalter
US3699279A (en) * 1971-02-26 1972-10-17 Amp Inc Rotary switch with improved printed circuit contact and terminal connection array
GB2000378A (en) * 1977-06-27 1979-01-04 Globe Union Inc Rotary switches

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0036263B1 (fr) * 1980-03-14 1984-07-25 AMP INCORPORATED (a New Jersey corporation) Interrupteur électrique

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2960674D1 (en) 1981-11-19
EP0004420B1 (fr) 1981-08-26
DK145478B (da) 1982-11-22
NO147576B (no) 1983-01-24
EP0004420A3 (en) 1979-10-31
AU517410B2 (en) 1981-07-30
NO147576C (no) 1983-05-04
MX144630A (es) 1981-10-30
BR7901664A (pt) 1979-10-16
AU4459579A (en) 1979-09-20
ATA195279A (de) 1983-10-15
NO790663L (no) 1979-09-18
JPS54129491A (en) 1979-10-06
FI790785A (fi) 1979-09-18
AR215378A1 (es) 1979-09-28
ES478645A1 (es) 1979-11-01
DK109679A (da) 1979-09-18
AT374962B (de) 1984-06-25
DK145478C (da) 1983-04-18

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