US3562462A

US3562462A - Tilt switch with flat spring centering means

Info

Publication number: US3562462A
Application number: US724809A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eric L Long
Original assignee: Cherry Electrical Products Corp
Current assignee: Cherry Corp
Priority date: 1968-04-29
Filing date: 1968-04-29
Publication date: 1971-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-09

Abstract

A switch having a tiltable actuator for pivoting a switch blade about a pivot terminal post in a make and break movement with respect to a pair of associated terminal contacts. A flat spring engages a cooperating flat portion on the bottomside of the actuator, and serves to bias the actuator to the center, untilted position. The title has been changed to: ''

Description

United States Patent Inventor Eric L. Long Highland Park. Ill.

Appl. No. 724,809

Filed Apr. 29, 1968 Patented Feb. 9, l97I Assignee Cherry Electrical Products Corporation Highland Park, III.

a corporation of Illinois TILT SWITCH WITH FLAT SPRING CENTERING MEANS 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

200/153, 200/6, 200/67 Int. Cl H0lh 21/24 Field of Search ZOO/6C, 67, 67.7, 159A, 67C. 1661, 5 (Cursory), I54, 172, 1728, 153.10

Primary ExaminerRobert K. Schaefer Assistant ExaminerRobert A. Vanderhye Attorney-Edward C. Threedy ABSTRACT: A switch having a tiltable actuator for pivoting a switch blade about a pivot terminal post in a make and break movement with respect to a pair of associated terminal contacts. A flat spring engages a cooperating flat portion on the bottomside of the actuator, and serves to bias the actuator to the center, untilted position.

The title has been changed to: Tilt Switch With Flat Spring Centering Means."

TILT SWITCH WITH FLAT SPRING CENTERING MEANS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A switch, including a housing for a plurality of terminal contacts, with one of the terminal contacts providing a fulcrum for a tiltable switch blade; a preformed switch blade so arranged as to have its opposite ends movable into and out of contact with certain of the terminal contacts when the blade is tilted about the fulcrum. A tiltable actuator mounted on the housing in a neutral position, and having an actuating element in contact with the tiltable blade, and in operative relationship to the fulcrum provided by one of the terminals to effect tilting of the blade thereabout, as the actuator is tilted in either direction out of its neutral position against a spring that yieldably maintains the actuator in its neutral position.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing one form of construction and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tilt switch;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational detailed view of the tilt switch in its neutral position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational detailed view of the switch in one actuated position;

FIG. 4 is a plan underside view of the switch actuator;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the tilt switch with the actuator removed;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the actuator;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fulcrum terminal post;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one of the switch blades of the switch;

FIG. 9 is a schematic circuit representing the different operations of the tilt switch; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic circuit representing the different operations of modified tilt switch.

The tilt switch 10 as shown in FIG. 1 provides a hollow base 11 having a portion thereof covered by a protective sleeve 12. A tiltable actuator 13 is pivotally mounted on a pin shaft 14 extending between triangularly

shaped side walls

15 and 16 of the base 11. The base 11 also provides

end walls

17 and 18 which together with the

sidewalls

15 and 16 define a center cavity 19.

Extending through the bottom wall 20 of the base 11 are a plurality of aligned

tenninals

21, 21' and 21 as well as parallelly aligned

corresponding terminals

22, 22 and 22". d

The terminals 21 and 22' are of the construction shown in FIG. 7, and as such each provides a fulcrum 23.

The switch 10 as shown in the drawings includes two

switch blades

24 and 25. Each of the

switch blades

24 and 25 are of a similar construction and one is more specifically. shown in FIG. 8 wherein the blade 24 has a contact bearing end 26, and its opposite end reversely bent as at 27 so as to provide a yieldable finger 28 which terminates into an angular tab 29. The medial portion of the blade has formed therein an inverted V-shaped seat 30 which is adapted to sit on the fulcrum head 23 of either of the

terminals

21 or 22. As shown in FIG. 5 the

switch blades

24 and 25 are reversely positioned within the cavity 19 so that a specific operation may be achieved and which is hereinafter explained. The yieldable actuator 13 has, as shown in FIG. 4, its underside 31 formed to provide a center block 32 which includes side edges 33 as well as triangularly shaped

pivot bearings

34 and 35, which pivot bearings have their apexes offset horizontally with respect to each other as clearly shown in FIG. 6. The center block 32 also provides a center support 36 having a substantial flat surface, which lies below the horizontal plan of the side edges 33 as seen in FIG. 6.

The

end walls

17 and 18 of the base 11 are provided with

posts

37 and 38 which form recesses 39 which in turn receive the opposite ends of a flat spring 40. When the actuator 13 is mounted between the

sidewalls

15 and 16 the flat surface of the center support 36 of the center block 32 formed on underside 31 thereof will lie in facial abutment on the flat spring 40 as seen in FIG. 2, maintaining the switch 10 in its neutral position. To actuate the switch so as to establish a circuit through certain of its terminals and switch blades. the actuator l3 may be pivoted in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction about the pin shaft 14 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. As specifically shown in FIG. 3 the actuator 13 has been tilted about the pin shaft 14 in a clockwise direction and this movement has caused the triangularly shaped pivot bearing 34 to move against the yieldable finger 28 of the switch blade 24 to a position where its line of force upon the yieldable finger 28 extends to the opposite side of the fulcrum head 23 causing the blade 24 to pivot thereabout into the position shown in FIG. 3. At the same time pivot bearing 35 has been moved further along the finger portion of blade 25 to maintain it in its unactuated position. In the pivoted position of the blade 24. as shown in FIG. 3, its contacting end 36 has been moved into contact with the terminal head 41 of the terminal 22 while its opposite end 27 has been pivoted out of contact with the contact head 42 of the terminal 22 In the event the actuator 13 is tilted in an opposite direction, the other oppositely disposed switch blade 25 will pivot about its fulcrum 23 when the pivot bearing 35 moves against the yieldable finger 28 of the switch blade 25.

The operation of the switch 10 is schematically shown in FIG. 9 wherein the uppermost diagram illustrates the tilt switch 10 in its neutral position. In such a position the switch blade 24 is depicted as making a connection between terminal 22' and terminal 22" while switch blade 25 is shown as completing a circuit between

terminals

21 and 21 The tilting movement of the actuator 13 effects the change in circuitry as illustrated in the second diagram of FIG. 9 wherein switch blade 24 has now been pivoted about its fulcrum so that it now makes contact between tenninals 22' and 22 while switch blade 25 has not been affected by the movement of the actuator 13. If, however, the actuator 13 is pivoted in an anticlockwise direction from its position as shown in FIG. 2, then the third diagram of FIG. 9 depicts the circuitry established by the pivotal movement of the switch blade 25.

A switch embodying the structural characteristics as heretofore described but employing only two sets of two terminals each is depicted by the schematical circuitries of FIG. 10. In such an arrangement the two switch blades are positioned to have their contact ends juxtapositioned in one end of the housing, and have the pivot bearings on the actuator reversed from that shown in FIG. 6. Upon tiltable movement of the actuator in one direction the one blade 24' will be moved from its position shown in the first diagram of FIG. 10 and be disconnected from the

terminals

50 and 50 will make a circuit as shown in the second diagram of FIG. 10. In the event the actuator is tilted in an opposite direction both

switch blades

24 and 25 will make a circuit connection between their

respective terminals

50 and 50' and 51 and 51'.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred fonn of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A momentary electrical tilt switch having an open housing providing a center cavity and including a plurality of terminals extending through one wall of the housing and providing head portions within the cavity with certain head portions of a pair of the plurality of terminals providing juxtapositioned pivot seats for a plurality of switch blades, wherein the improvement comprises:

a. an actuator pivotally connected to the housing for tiltable movement in opposite directions;

b. first and second elongated switch blades each positioned upon one of the pivot seats within said cavity and each providing a contact-bearing and extending in opposite directions and to either side of the pivot seats;

c. said switch blades each providing at their opposite ends a yieldable arm reversely bent with respect to their longitudinal axis and of a length such that their free ends project over and beyond their respective pivot seats;

d. actuating members on the bottom of said actuator for each of said switch blades, with each actuating member spaced laterally and horizontally from each other so as to contact said yieldable arms of said switch blades inwardly of their free ends and at a point on opposite sides of their respective pivot seats so as to maintain each of said switch l blades in an unbalanced condition;

e. a flat spring within the housing extending parallelly between said switch bladesand in an elevated plane with respect thereto and in contact with a flat portion on the bottom of said actuator between said actuating members wherein said actuating members are inverted 'triangularly shaped pivot bearings depending from the bottom of said actuator to either side of the flat portion thereof that is in contact with said flat spring and having their apexes in sliding contact with said yieldable arms of said switch blades.

for yieldably maintaining said actuator in an untilted posi- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentfNo. 3,562,462 Dated FeBruayy 9, 1971 Inventofls) E L Long It is certified that error appears in the above-identified paten' and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 74, "and" should read end Signed and sealed this 14th day of January 1975.

- (SEAL) Atteat:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1D50 (10-69) uscoMM-Dc u

Claims

1. A momentary electrical tilt switch having an open housing providing a center cavity and including a plurality of terminals extending through one wall of the housing and providing head portions within the cavity with certain head portions of a pair of the plurality of terminals providing juxtapositioned pivot seats for a plurality of switch blades, wherein the improvement comprises: a. an actuator pivotally connected to the housing for tiltable movement in opposite directions; b. first and second elongated switch blades each positioned upon one of the pivot seats within said cavity and each providing a contact-bearing and extending in opposite directions and to either side of the pivot seats; c. said switch blades each providing at their opposite ends a yieldable arm reversely bent with respect to their longitudinal axis and of a length such that their free ends project over and beyond their respective pivot seats; d. actuating members on the bottom of said actuator for each of said switch blades, with each actuating member spaced laterally and horizontally from each other so as to contact said yieldable arms of said switch blades inwardly of their free ends and at a point on opposite sides of their respective pivot seats so as to maintain each of said switch blades in an unbalanced condition; e. a flat spring within the housing extending parallelly between said switch blades and in an elevated plane with respect thereto and in contact with a flat portion on the bottom of said actuator between said actuating members for yieldably maintaining said actuator in an untilted position; f. said actuating members movable with said actuator so as to reposition the downward contact force of either one of said actuating members onto the free end of said yieldable arm of one of said switch blades at a point to the other side of the pivot seat to pivot the contact-bearing end of said switch blade into contact with a head portion of one of the terminals.

2. A momentary electrical tilt switch as defined by claim 1, wherein said actuating members are inverted triangularly shaped pivot bearings depending from the bottom of said actuator to either side of the flat portion thereof that is in contact with said flat spring and having their apexes in sliding contact with said yieldable arms of said switch blades.