GB2100930A

GB2100930A - Electrical contact-making device

Info

Publication number: GB2100930A
Application number: GB08217706A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Erik Bach; Jorgen Peter Juel Gronbjerg
Original assignee: Interlego AG
Current assignee: Interlego AG
Priority date: 1981-06-30
Filing date: 1982-06-18
Publication date: 1983-01-06
Also published as: DK289781A; IT1152991B; ES266071U; ES266071Y; NL8202610A; KR840000959A; IT8221988A0; FR2508333A1; JPS5838417A; DE3224274A1

Abstract

An electrical contact making device for use with toy building sets comprises an insulating base 1 and a cantilevered spring contact 3 which can be depressed by a finger piece 13 into temporary engagement with the upper surface of an L-shaped fixed contact 2 or, for permanent contact, can be moved vertically and horizontally so as to be trapped beneath the longer limb of the fixed contact 2, as illustrated. The base 1 is preferably in the form of a hollow building block with coupling studs 7 on a bridge member 4 and complementary studs 6 in the hollow interior. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Contact-making device This invention relates generally to contact-making devices for electrical circuits and, more particularly, to such devices for use in a setforthe building of electro-magnetic devices useful in entertainment and for teaching the principles and demonstrating the uses of electricity and magnetism.

One object of the present invention is to provide a contact making device of simple, efficient and inexpensive construction as compared with similar previous devices.

According to the invention an electrical contact making device comprises a base made of electrically insulating material having on its upper face a fixed contact member, at least a portion of which extends generally parallel with and spaced from the face, being supported in such a way that the space between the contact and the face is open at one end and a movable contact member in the form of a leaf spring mounted adjacent one end at a point spaced from the fixed contact member and having a free end portion over-lapping and normally spaced above the fixed contact member but being moveable into engagement with the upper face of the fixed contact member and being also moveable horizontally and vertically into engagement with the lower surface of the fixed contact member.

Most simply the fixed contact member is in the form of an L-shaped metal strip of which the shorter limb is fixed to the base and the longer limb extends parallel with the upper face of the base. To make temporary contact the contact spring is merely depressed into engagement with the upper surface of the fixed contact member, springing away when released. For longer periods of contact the spring is moved horizontally and vertically so as to be trapped beneath the fixed contact member, where it remains until released by reverse action. In one form of construction the device includes a bridge structure made of electrically insulating material and extending across the base and the contact spring.This is particularly useful when the base is in the form of a hollow, open-bottomed, box-shaped building block for a toy building set and comprises at least one coupling member in the hollow interior, the top face ofthe bridge structure being provided with at least one complementary coupling member.

An example of a contact-making device in the form of a building component for a toy building set, in accordance with the invention, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side elevation, partly in section, with a moveable contact in a lower, contact-making position; Figure 2 is a similar view with the moveable contact in its upper position; Figure 3 is a plan view; and Figure4 is an end view.

The device illustrated comprises the following components: (a) a base member 1 made of an insulating material and having a top face 1 a, side and end faces 1 b and 1 c, but open at the bottom to define a cavity 1 d; (b) a fixed contact member 2 formed of L-shaped metal strip, mounted on the base member adjacent one end and extending partly across the base member in a plane parallel to the top face 1 a, so as to define an air gap 12 between the contact member 2 and the top face la; (c) A movable contact in the form of a cantilever spring 3 mounted at the other end of the top face 1 a, and provided with a finger piece 13 so as to be movable in a plane perpendicularto the top face la and laterally in a plane parallel to the top face 1 a;; (d) a bridge member 5 bridging the top face 1 a and carrying a pair of coupling studs 7; (e) complementary coupling studs 6 mounted in the cavity 1 d of the base member.

The arrangement is such that the cantilever spring contact 3 may contact the contact member 2 in two different positions:- (i) it may be depressed towards the upper face of the contact 2 for making a temporary contact which will be interrupted when the pressure on the spring is released; (ii) the cantilever spring leaf3 may be moved laterally, as shown at 3a in Figure 3, and depressed in that position to a level below the under face of the contact 2 and then be moved laterally into the air gap 12 whereby the upper face of the spring 3 will permanently contact the under face of the contact 2, so as permanently to close the circuit in which the device is inserted, until released by reverse action.

The studs 6 and 7 provide for detachably mounting the base member 1 on a base plate of a building set or on other components pertaining thereto.

1. An electrical contact making device comprising a base made of electrically insulating material having on its upper face a fixed contact member at least a portion of which extends generally parallel with and spaced from the face, being supported in such a way that the space between the contact and the face is open at one end and a movable contact member in the form of a leaf spring mounted adjacent one end at a point spaced from the fixed contact member and having a free end portion over lapping and normally spaced above the fixed contact member but being moveable into engagement with the upper face of the fixed contact member and being also moveable horizontally and vertically into engagement with the lower surface of the fixed contact member.

2. An electrical contact making device according to claim 1, in which the fixed contact member is in the form of an L-shaped metal strip of which the shorter limb is fixed to the base and the longer limb extends parallel with the upper face of the base.

3. An electrical contact making device according to claim 1 or claim 2 and having a bridge structure

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Contact-making device This invention relates generally to contact-making devices for electrical circuits and, more particularly, to such devices for use in a setforthe building of electro-magnetic devices useful in entertainment and for teaching the principles and demonstrating the uses of electricity and magnetism. One object of the present invention is to provide a contact making device of simple, efficient and inexpensive construction as compared with similar previous devices. According to the invention an electrical contact making device comprises a base made of electrically insulating material having on its upper face a fixed contact member, at least a portion of which extends generally parallel with and spaced from the face, being supported in such a way that the space between the contact and the face is open at one end and a movable contact member in the form of a leaf spring mounted adjacent one end at a point spaced from the fixed contact member and having a free end portion over-lapping and normally spaced above the fixed contact member but being moveable into engagement with the upper face of the fixed contact member and being also moveable horizontally and vertically into engagement with the lower surface of the fixed contact member. Most simply the fixed contact member is in the form of an L-shaped metal strip of which the shorter limb is fixed to the base and the longer limb extends parallel with the upper face of the base. To make temporary contact the contact spring is merely depressed into engagement with the upper surface of the fixed contact member, springing away when released. For longer periods of contact the spring is moved horizontally and vertically so as to be trapped beneath the fixed contact member, where it remains until released by reverse action. In one form of construction the device includes a bridge structure made of electrically insulating material and extending across the base and the contact spring.This is particularly useful when the base is in the form of a hollow, open-bottomed, box-shaped building block for a toy building set and comprises at least one coupling member in the hollow interior, the top face ofthe bridge structure being provided with at least one complementary coupling member. An example of a contact-making device in the form of a building component for a toy building set, in accordance with the invention, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side elevation, partly in section, with a moveable contact in a lower, contact-making position; Figure 2 is a similar view with the moveable contact in its upper position; Figure 3 is a plan view; and Figure4 is an end view. The device illustrated comprises the following components: (a) a base member 1 made of an insulating material and having a top face 1 a, side and end faces 1 b and 1 c, but open at the bottom to define a cavity 1 d; (b) a fixed contact member 2 formed of L-shaped metal strip, mounted on the base member adjacent one end and extending partly across the base member in a plane parallel to the top face 1 a, so as to define an air gap 12 between the contact member 2 and the top face la; (c) A movable contact in the form of a cantilever spring 3 mounted at the other end of the top face 1 a, and provided with a finger piece 13 so as to be movable in a plane perpendicularto the top face la and laterally in a plane parallel to the top face 1 a;; (d) a bridge member 5 bridging the top face 1 a and carrying a pair of coupling studs 7; (e) complementary coupling studs 6 mounted in the cavity 1 d of the base member. The arrangement is such that the cantilever spring contact 3 may contact the contact member 2 in two different positions:- (i) it may be depressed towards the upper face of the contact 2 for making a temporary contact which will be interrupted when the pressure on the spring is released; (ii) the cantilever spring leaf3 may be moved laterally, as shown at 3a in Figure 3, and depressed in that position to a level below the under face of the contact 2 and then be moved laterally into the air gap 12 whereby the upper face of the spring 3 will permanently contact the under face of the contact 2, so as permanently to close the circuit in which the device is inserted, until released by reverse action. The studs 6 and 7 provide for detachably mounting the base member 1 on a base plate of a building set or on other components pertaining thereto. CLAIMS

3. An electrical contact making device according to claim 1 or claim 2 and having a bridge structure made of electrically insulating material and extending across the base above the contact spring.

4. An electrical contact making device according to claim 3 in which the base is in the form of a hollow, open-bottomed, box-shaped building block for a toy building set and comprises at least one coupling member in the hollow interior, the top face of the bridge structure being provided with at least one complementary coupling member.

5. An electrical contact making device substantially as described and as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.