US3310644A - Snap-action electrical switch - Google Patents

Snap-action electrical switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3310644A
US3310644A US508939A US50893965A US3310644A US 3310644 A US3310644 A US 3310644A US 508939 A US508939 A US 508939A US 50893965 A US50893965 A US 50893965A US 3310644 A US3310644 A US 3310644A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
spring
housing
leaf spring
lever arm
chord
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US508939A
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English (en)
Inventor
Kittel Gunther
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.)
Alex Neher AG Metallwaren & We
Alex Neher AG Metallwaren- & Werkzeugfabrik
Original Assignee
Alex Neher AG Metallwaren & We
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 Alex Neher AG Metallwaren & We filed Critical Alex Neher AG Metallwaren & We
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3310644A publication Critical patent/US3310644A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical switch which comprises fixed contact parts, and movable contact means which are arranged on a metal blade, this blade being movable by a loaded spring, when the switch is operated, to bring its contact means into impacting engagement with one of the fixed contact parts.
  • the spring which comprises a leaf spring, has a part of bowed curvature and a part which follows a chord of this curve, and one end of this spring is connected to the free end of the movable metal blade, whilst the other end of the spring is connected either to a lever or to a fixed part, whilst a press button for operating the switch, for the purpose of actuating the spring, engages the latter or directly engages the movable metal blade, through a lever arm which is mounted for free pivotal movement in the switch.
  • FIGURES 1 to 6 illustrate six embodiments of the switch in side view, with the side wall of the switch housing removed, and
  • FIGURES 7 and 8 are respectively a side view and a plan view of a modified form of spring which can be used in the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6.
  • switch In all the embodiments of switch illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 6, use is made of a housing 1 of electricallyinsulating material.
  • Metal plates 2 are embedded in the material of this housing, and one end thereof projects from the housing to provide for connections to electrical equipment with which the switch is used.
  • a metal blade 3 is inserted in the central plate, and the part thereof projecting into a recess 4 in the housing has contacts 5 for cooperation with the two outer plates 2.
  • the housing 1 is formed with a bore 6 which opens into this recess, and with a number of slotted recesses 7 which extend outwards from the recess 4 and have their ends cocked off at an angle.
  • a press button 8 is displace-ably mounted in the wall of the housing 1.
  • the switch illustrated in FIGURE 2 differs from that of FIGURE 1 in that a holder 12 is inserted in one of the recesses 7 and is connected to the free end of the chordforming part of the spring 9, and the end of the lever arm, in this case denoted 10a, bears against the chord-forming part of the spring 9.
  • a second spring 13, of similar form to spring 9, is disposedbeneath the press button 8 and is arranged to transmit the motion of the latter to the lever arm (here denoted 10b).
  • the secondary spring 13 is of like form to spring 9, i.e. has a curved portion adjoined to a chord-forming portion,
  • FIGURE 4 the end of the chord-forming part of the spring 9 is anchored by a holder 15' mounted in one of the slots 7 in the body of the housing in a similar fashion to the holder 12 of FIGURE 2.
  • the section 10 of the lever arm (which is somewhat similar to that carrying the same reference numeral in FIGURE 3) bears at its lower end against a point on the chord-forming part of spring 9 away from the anchored end of this part.
  • the spring 13 is connected between the lever arm 10c and a holder 14, similarly to the arrangement of spring 13 in FIGURE 3.
  • the spring 9 is mounted in similar fashion to the arrangement depicted in FIGURES 2 and 4, that is to say it is connected at one end to the blade 3 and at the opposite end, i.e. the ultimate end of the chord-forming part, is engaged by a holder 17, corresponding to the holders 12 and 15 previously described.
  • the secondary spring 13 is in this case generally similar in form to the secondary springs 13 in the embodiments previously described, but is, in effect, reversed in relation to the press butt-on 8, the end of the straight chord-forming part of spring 13 being disposed at the right-hand side of press button 8 and there being anchored to a holder 18 engaged in the wall of the housing.
  • the other end of this secondary spring 13 is connected to the lever arm, here denoted 10d, and it will be observed that the latter has a knee-forming portion which bears slidingly against the chord-forming part of the main impact spring 9.
  • the secondary spring 13 is mounted similarly to the corresponding spring in the FIG- URE 3 construction, that is to say the free end of the chord-forming part is engaged by a holder 20 which is mounted in the slot 7 in the upper wall of the housing, whilst the opposite end of the spring, i.e. the free end of the curved part thereof, is engaged with the upper portion of the lever arm (here denoted 102).
  • This lever 10e is formed with a downwardly extending section 10g which is provided with an opening which receives the blade 3.
  • spring 9 devised in accordance with this invention, has a spring characteristic providing for a relatively high stress build up when the button 8 is depressed, and this characteristic is further augmented where use is made of the similar form of secondary spring 13.
  • the blade 3 will be flipped over abruptly as soon as the transmission to the blade 3 is suflicient to flex this beyond the rest position of the blade.
  • the blade 3 will make or break the contacts very rapidly and cleanly, and any arcing will be immediately extinguished.
  • the form of the spring(s) devised in accordance with the invention and the resulting spring characteristics,fhave the effect of increasing the ratio between the pressure applied to the button 8, and the pressure applied between the contacts.
  • leaf springs 9 and 13 may be made in two parts. This modification is illustrated in side view and plan view in FIGURES 7 and 8, here being shown on a somewhat larger scale. As will be observed from these figures, in this modification the chord-forming part 21 of the spring is articulated adjacent one end with the part 22 of the spring which is of curved form.
  • an electrical switch having a housing containing spaced apart fixed contacts and a metal contact blade movable in said housing between said fixed contacts to selectively engage the latter; the combination of an impact-controlling leaf spring having a curved section and a straight section extending chordally in relation to said curved section to define first and second termini of said leaf spring at free ends of said curved section and said straight section, respectively, one of said termini of the leaf spring being articulately connected to said movable contact blade, and actuating means including a lever arm pivotally mounted in said housing and articulately connected to the :other of said termini of the leaf spring to move said contact blade through said leaf spring in response to rocking of said lever arm and a press button mounted in said housing and operable from the exterior of the latter to rock said lever arm.
  • said actuating means further includes a second leaf spring of a form similar to that of the first mentioned leaf spring and having one of said termini of said second leaf spring connected to said lever arm and said press button engaging said straight section of said second leaf spring so that the latter forms a motion-transmitting means between said press button and said lever arm.

Landscapes

  • Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Tumbler Switches (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Mechanisms For Operating Contacts (AREA)
US508939A 1964-11-25 1965-11-22 Snap-action electrical switch Expired - Lifetime US3310644A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH1520364A CH424923A (de) 1964-11-25 1964-11-25 Elektrischer Schalter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3310644A true US3310644A (en) 1967-03-21

Family

ID=4407217

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US508939A Expired - Lifetime US3310644A (en) 1964-11-25 1965-11-22 Snap-action electrical switch

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3310644A (xx)
BE (1) BE672812A (xx)
CH (1) CH424923A (xx)
DE (1) DE1540240C3 (xx)
ES (1) ES319732A1 (xx)
FR (1) FR1454744A (xx)
GB (1) GB1132863A (xx)
NL (1) NL6515264A (xx)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5749875Y2 (xx) * 1978-07-14 1982-11-01
EP0024922B1 (en) * 1979-08-31 1984-01-25 Unimax Switch Limited Snap action switches

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2487374A (en) * 1945-08-29 1949-11-08 First Ind Corp Electric switch
US3176109A (en) * 1963-05-02 1965-03-30 Robertshaw Controls Co Circuit flutter preventing switch construction
US3210497A (en) * 1962-11-06 1965-10-05 Dole Valve Co Condition responsive snap-action electrical switch

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2487374A (en) * 1945-08-29 1949-11-08 First Ind Corp Electric switch
US3210497A (en) * 1962-11-06 1965-10-05 Dole Valve Co Condition responsive snap-action electrical switch
US3176109A (en) * 1963-05-02 1965-03-30 Robertshaw Controls Co Circuit flutter preventing switch construction

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1540240B2 (de) 1973-02-01
BE672812A (xx) 1966-03-16
ES319732A1 (es) 1967-01-01
GB1132863A (en) 1968-11-06
NL6515264A (xx) 1966-05-26
DE1540240C3 (de) 1973-10-25
FR1454744A (fr) 1966-10-07
CH424923A (de) 1966-11-30
DE1540240A1 (de) 1970-01-02

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