US3194933A - Arc reducing snap switch - Google Patents

Arc reducing snap switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3194933A
US3194933A US286585A US28658563A US3194933A US 3194933 A US3194933 A US 3194933A US 286585 A US286585 A US 286585A US 28658563 A US28658563 A US 28658563A US 3194933 A US3194933 A US 3194933A
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Prior art keywords
contact
spring
snap
operating
movable contact
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Expired - Lifetime
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US286585A
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Ramstetter Rudolf
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/02—Details
    • H01H13/26—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members
    • H01H13/36—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members using flexing of blade springs
    • H01H13/46—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members using flexing of blade springs two separate blade springs forming a toggle
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
    • H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
    • H01H1/24—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting
    • H01H1/26—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with resilient mounting with spring blade support
    • H01H1/28—Assembly of three or more contact-supporting spring blades
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/38—Auxiliary contacts on to which the arc is transferred from the main contacts

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an are reducing snap action switch comprising a movable contact arranged on a leaf spring and actuated by way of a snap member and at least one spring-loaded auxiliary co-operating contact, and further comprising a rigid stop for the movable contact and the spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contact.
  • the invention is therefore based on the problem of developing, without the said disadvantages, a snap action switch of the type named at the beginning, in which the said labile region, in which the contact pressure reverts to zero, is located in the snapping over movement of the movable contact, and in which moreover only a small number of individual parts is necessary, so that simple mounting and adjustment of the switch is possible. Furthermore, the new snap action switch is characterized by a particularly low degree of contact burning and a switching operation free from vibration or chatter.
  • a common rigid stop in the form of a further contact conductively connected with the co-operating contact is provided for the movable contact and the spring loaded co-operating contact, the said stop being of annular form and being arranged concentrically with the spring loaded co-operating contact acting as making and breaking contact.
  • the movable contact is applied practically without vibration or chatter to the further contact acting as a stop.
  • the further contact acting as a stop is made from a material with a low electrical resistance and the spring loaded cooperating contact is made from a material particularly resistant to burning.
  • the snap switch contains a movable contact 1, which is arranged on a leaf spring 2.
  • the leaf spring 2 is connected at its end with a stirrup-shaped snap member 3, which is actutaed through a spring 4 by an operating push rod 5.
  • the snap action switch contains furthermore two spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contacts 6, 7 and two further contacts 8, 9.
  • the contacts 8, 9 are of annular form and arranged concentrically with the spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contacts 6, 7.
  • the contacts 8, 9 are mounted on rigid metal contact supports 10, 11 and are electrically connected with the co-operating contacts 6, 7 arranged on leaf springs 12, 13.
  • the auxiliary contacts 6 and 7 are surrounded by the annular contacts 8 and 9 and the contacts 6 and 7 are of a length to project through the contacts 8 and 9 when disengaged from removable contact 1.
  • the contacts 8, 9 constitute at the same time stops for the movable contact 1 and for the leaf springs 12, 13 carrying the co-operating contacts 6, 7.-
  • contact 1 first meets the cooperating contact 7, which thus acts as a making contact.
  • the movable contact 1 has reached its upper end position when it is applied against the annular contact 9. This contact 9 acts as main contact and takes the major part of the current.
  • the co-operating contact 6 follows the movable contact 1 until the leaf spring 12 is applied against the contact 3. Only in this moment, i.e. during the snapping over operation taking place more or less instantaneously, does the contact pressure between the contact 1 and the co-operating contact 6 revert to Zero. This labile region is thus located in the snapping over movement.
  • the spring loaded co-operating contacts 6, 7 which must take up the making and breaking arc, are preferably made of a material resistant to burning, such as cadmium silver oxide.
  • a material resistant to burning such as cadmium silver oxide.
  • material with a particularly low electrical resistance for example refined silver, is advantageously used.
  • a snap switch comprising a leaf spring, a movable contact carried by said spring for movement between two positions, a switch operating member, a snap member connecting said operating member and said spring, whereby upon actuation of said operating member said spring and movable contact will be moved from either of said two positions to the other with a snap action, a fixed annular contact disposed at one of said two positions'and providing a stop for said movable contact at said one position, a second leaf spring, and an auxiliary contact carried by said second spring, said auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said fixed contact, said auxiliary contact being electrically connected to said fixed contact.
  • a snap action switch comprising a leaf spring, a movable contact carried by said spring for movement between two positions, a switch operating member, a snap member Connecting said operating member and said spring, whereby upon actuation of said operating member said spring and movable contact will be moved from either of said two positions to the other with a snap action, a fixed annular contact disposed at one of said two positions and providing a stop for said movable contact at said one position, a second fixed annular Contact disposed at the other of said two positions and providing a stop for said movable contact at said other position, a second leaf spring, an auxiliary contact carried by said second spring, said auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said first fixed contact, a third leaf spring, and a second auxiliary contact carried by said third spring, said second auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said second fixed contact, said first and second auxiliary contact being electrically connected to said first and second fixed contacts respectively.

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  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)

Description

July 13, 1965 R. RAMSTETTER ARC REDUCING SNAP SWITCH Filed June 10, 1963 United States Patent ,660 3 Claims. or. 200-166) This invention relates to an are reducing snap action switch comprising a movable contact arranged on a leaf spring and actuated by way of a snap member and at least one spring-loaded auxiliary co-operating contact, and further comprising a rigid stop for the movable contact and the spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contact.
In the case of snap action switches the reversing of the movable contact from one contact position to the other takes place suddenly when a certain point in the movement of the snap member has been reached. Shortly before this point, however, in most known snap switches a relatively low contact pressure exists between the movable contact and the co-operating contact. This labile region is extremely undesirable particularly in view of the increasing of the electrical resistance caused by the reduction of the contact pressure.
To avoid this deficiency, snap action switches have already been developed, in which the co-operatitng contact is spring loaded and a rigid stop is provided for the cooperating contact. In such switches, during the reversing operation, the spring loaded co-operating contact first of all runs a certain distance with the movable contact, until it bears against the rigid stop, contact then being broken, because the movable contact is continuing its movement at this time. In snap switches of this kind the labile region, in which the contact pressure reverts to zero, is thus located in the snapping over movement and therefore does not matter owing to the extraordinarily short snapping over time.
Known snap switches of this type have, however, a few substantial disadvantages. That is to say, as in addition to the rigid stop provided for the spring loaded co-operating contact, a further stop is provided for the movable contacts, in order to fix its end position, a relatively complicated structure of the switch results and makes mounting and adjustment substantially more difficult.
The invention is therefore based on the problem of developing, without the said disadvantages, a snap action switch of the type named at the beginning, in which the said labile region, in which the contact pressure reverts to zero, is located in the snapping over movement of the movable contact, and in which moreover only a small number of individual parts is necessary, so that simple mounting and adjustment of the switch is possible. Furthermore, the new snap action switch is characterized by a particularly low degree of contact burning and a switching operation free from vibration or chatter.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the feature that a common rigid stop in the form of a further contact conductively connected with the co-operating contact is provided for the movable contact and the spring loaded co-operating contact, the said stop being of annular form and being arranged concentrically with the spring loaded co-operating contact acting as making and breaking contact.
The use according to the invention of a further contact acting at the same time as a rigid double stop has the following advantages:
(a) Owing to the elimination of separate stops for the movable contact and for the spring loaded co-operating contact, the number of individual parts and hence also mounting is made much less complicated.
(b) Adjustment is considerably simplified, as it is not necessary to adjust the stops for the movable contact and the spring loaded co-operating contact separately; the further contact provided according to the invention in fact determines the stop positions through its dimensions and in this way makes adjustment unnecessary to a large extent.
(c) As in the snap action switch according to the invention, the making and breaking arc is taken over by the spring loaded co-operating contact, practically no contact burning occurs on the further contact acting as main contact, so that the stop position does not vary even after a long time in operation.
If the elastic force of the movable contact and that of the co-operating contact are tuned to one another in a suitable manner, the movable contact is applied practically without vibration or chatter to the further contact acting as a stop.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the further contact acting as a stop is made from a material with a low electrical resistance and the spring loaded cooperating contact is made from a material particularly resistant to burning.
This and further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment illustrated in the drawing. In the drawing only the important parts of the new snap action switch necessary to an understanding of the inventive idea have been illustrated.
The snap switch contains a movable contact 1, which is arranged on a leaf spring 2. The leaf spring 2 is connected at its end with a stirrup-shaped snap member 3, which is actutaed through a spring 4 by an operating push rod 5.
The snap action switch contains furthermore two spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contacts 6, 7 and two further contacts 8, 9.
The contacts 8, 9 are of annular form and arranged concentrically with the spring loaded auxiliary co-operating contacts 6, 7. The contacts 8, 9 are mounted on rigid metal contact supports 10, 11 and are electrically connected with the co-operating contacts 6, 7 arranged on leaf springs 12, 13. The auxiliary contacts 6 and 7 are surrounded by the annular contacts 8 and 9 and the contacts 6 and 7 are of a length to project through the contacts 8 and 9 when disengaged from removable contact 1.
The contacts 8, 9 constitute at the same time stops for the movable contact 1 and for the leaf springs 12, 13 carrying the co-operating contacts 6, 7.-
During the reversal of the movable contact 1 from the lower to the upper position, contact 1 first meets the cooperating contact 7, which thus acts as a making contact. The movable contact 1 has reached its upper end position when it is applied against the annular contact 9. This contact 9 acts as main contact and takes the major part of the current.
In the reversing operation from the lower to the upper position, the co-operating contact 6 follows the movable contact 1 until the leaf spring 12 is applied against the contact 3. Only in this moment, i.e. during the snapping over operation taking place more or less instantaneously, does the contact pressure between the contact 1 and the co-operating contact 6 revert to Zero. This labile region is thus located in the snapping over movement.
The spring loaded co-operating contacts 6, 7 which must take up the making and breaking arc, are preferably made of a material resistant to burning, such as cadmium silver oxide. For the main contacts 8, 9, which undergo practically no burning, material with a particularly low electrical resistance, for example refined silver, is advantageously used.
Patented July 13, 1965 As no perceptible burning occurs at the contacts 8, 9 acting at the same time as stops, the stop positions do not vary in the snap switch according to the invention even after a fairly long time in operation.
With suitable arrangement of the spring loaded co-opcrating contacts 6, 7, one can easily ensure that these contacts carry out a sliding'movement on the surface of the movable contact during the making and breaking operation, so that a self-cleaning of the corresponding contact points takes place. The edge of the movable contact 1 coming into contact with the contacts 8, 9 remains in any case free from burning.
I claim:
1. A snap switch comprising a leaf spring, a movable contact carried by said spring for movement between two positions, a switch operating member, a snap member connecting said operating member and said spring, whereby upon actuation of said operating member said spring and movable contact will be moved from either of said two positions to the other with a snap action, a fixed annular contact disposed at one of said two positions'and providing a stop for said movable contact at said one position, a second leaf spring, and an auxiliary contact carried by said second spring, said auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said fixed contact, said auxiliary contact being electrically connected to said fixed contact.
2. A snap switch as defined in claim 1, in which the material of said fixed contact has a low electrical resistance and in which the material of said auxiliary contact is highly resistant to burning.
3. A snap action switch comprising a leaf spring, a movable contact carried by said spring for movement between two positions, a switch operating member, a snap member Connecting said operating member and said spring, whereby upon actuation of said operating member said spring and movable contact will be moved from either of said two positions to the other with a snap action, a fixed annular contact disposed at one of said two positions and providing a stop for said movable contact at said one position, a second fixed annular Contact disposed at the other of said two positions and providing a stop for said movable contact at said other position, a second leaf spring, an auxiliary contact carried by said second spring, said auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said first fixed contact, a third leaf spring, and a second auxiliary contact carried by said third spring, said second auxiliary contact being surrounded by and of a length to project through said second fixed contact, said first and second auxiliary contact being electrically connected to said first and second fixed contacts respectively.
References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,532,468 12/50 Sweger 200-l66 2,644,052 6/53 Martin 200l66 X 3,033,965 5/62 VJolak et a1 200166 3,146,327 8/64 Ohki et a1 200-166 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SNAP SWITCH COMPRISING A LEAF SPRING, MOVABLE CONTACT CARRIED BY SAID SPRING FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS, A SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER, A SNAP MEMBER CONNECTING SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND SAID SPRING, WHEREBY UPON ACTUATION OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER SAID SPRING AND MOVABLE CONTACT WILL BE MOVED FROM EITHER OF SAID TWO POSITIONS TO THE OTHER WITH A SNAP ACTION, A FIXED ANNULAR CONTACT DISPOSED AT ONE OF SAID TWO POSITIONS AND PROVIDING A STOP FOR SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AT SAID ONE POSITION, A SECOND LEAF SPRING, AND AN AUXILIARY CONTACT CARRIED BY SAID SECOND SPRING, SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT BEING SURROUNDED BY AND OF A LENGTH TO PROJECT THROUGH SAID FIXED CONTACT, SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIXED CONTACT.
US286585A 1962-06-20 1963-06-10 Arc reducing snap switch Expired - Lifetime US3194933A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEP29660A DE1166322B (en) 1962-06-20 1962-06-20 Snap switch with pre- and main contact

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US3194933A true US3194933A (en) 1965-07-13

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Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3613037A (en) * 1970-08-27 1971-10-12 John O Kurtz Electrical contacts
US3651294A (en) * 1969-03-10 1972-03-21 Siemens Ag Contact assembly with an unchangeable switching state at the instant of welding
US3683144A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-08-08 Columbus Electric Mfg Co Non-snap-acting switch devices with s-shaped contact spring blade
JPS51124484U (en) * 1975-04-04 1976-10-08
JPS51155371U (en) * 1975-06-05 1976-12-10
FR2555802A1 (en) * 1983-08-22 1985-05-31 Sodeco Compteurs De Geneve Hard and soft contact tension microswitch
US6366000B1 (en) * 2000-01-25 2002-04-02 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Alternator
US20100084250A1 (en) * 2007-04-12 2010-04-08 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Electric switch
US20100140060A1 (en) * 2008-12-10 2010-06-10 Honeywell International Inc. Ignition key switch apparatus with improved snap action mechanism
CN102592856A (en) * 2011-01-06 2012-07-18 杨泰和 Sequence switch device with surrounding characteristic joint structure

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1242285B (en) * 1966-03-03 1967-06-15 Heinrich Kissling Fabrik Fuer Snap switch with double contacts
DE1690399B1 (en) * 1967-04-12 1971-08-26 Vierling Oskar Prof Dr Snap microswitch
CH484503A (en) * 1967-06-19 1970-01-15 Polycontact Ag Snap-action switch for switching low electrical voltages and / or currents
DE1665412B1 (en) * 1968-02-14 1971-04-01 Polycontact Ag SNAP SWITCH FOR SWITCHING LOW ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE AND CURRENT
US4045635A (en) * 1976-01-22 1977-08-30 Robertshaw Controls Company Electrical switch construction and improved overtravel switch blade therefor and method of making the same
FR2849713B1 (en) * 2003-01-06 2006-02-17 Schneider Electric Ind Sas SWITCHING POLE FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC APPARATUS

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2532468A (en) * 1945-05-31 1950-12-05 Barber Colman Co Movable contact structure
US2644052A (en) * 1951-02-02 1953-06-30 Honeywell Regulator Co Nonbounce switch
US3033965A (en) * 1962-05-08 Chatter-free sealed-in contacts
US3146327A (en) * 1962-11-06 1964-08-25 Nippon Electric Co Sealed magnetically operable switch

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3033965A (en) * 1962-05-08 Chatter-free sealed-in contacts
US2532468A (en) * 1945-05-31 1950-12-05 Barber Colman Co Movable contact structure
US2644052A (en) * 1951-02-02 1953-06-30 Honeywell Regulator Co Nonbounce switch
US3146327A (en) * 1962-11-06 1964-08-25 Nippon Electric Co Sealed magnetically operable switch

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3651294A (en) * 1969-03-10 1972-03-21 Siemens Ag Contact assembly with an unchangeable switching state at the instant of welding
US3613037A (en) * 1970-08-27 1971-10-12 John O Kurtz Electrical contacts
US3683144A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-08-08 Columbus Electric Mfg Co Non-snap-acting switch devices with s-shaped contact spring blade
JPS51124484U (en) * 1975-04-04 1976-10-08
JPS568102Y2 (en) * 1975-04-04 1981-02-23
JPS51155371U (en) * 1975-06-05 1976-12-10
JPS5540899Y2 (en) * 1975-06-05 1980-09-25
FR2555802A1 (en) * 1983-08-22 1985-05-31 Sodeco Compteurs De Geneve Hard and soft contact tension microswitch
US6366000B1 (en) * 2000-01-25 2002-04-02 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Alternator
US20100084250A1 (en) * 2007-04-12 2010-04-08 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Electric switch
US7932475B2 (en) 2007-04-12 2011-04-26 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Electric switch
US20100140060A1 (en) * 2008-12-10 2010-06-10 Honeywell International Inc. Ignition key switch apparatus with improved snap action mechanism
US8173915B2 (en) * 2008-12-10 2012-05-08 Honeywell International Inc. Ignition key switch apparatus with improved snap action mechanism
CN102592856A (en) * 2011-01-06 2012-07-18 杨泰和 Sequence switch device with surrounding characteristic joint structure
EP2474989A3 (en) * 2011-01-06 2013-03-20 Tai-Her Yang Sequential switching device with surrounding heterogeneous joint points structure
CN102592856B (en) * 2011-01-06 2016-10-26 杨泰和 Has the sequence switch device around different characteristic contact point structure

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DE1166322B (en) 1964-03-26
GB995933A (en) 1965-06-23

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