US3609619A - Snap-acting flasher switch - Google Patents
Snap-acting flasher switch Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3609619A US3609619A US869068A US3609619DA US3609619A US 3609619 A US3609619 A US 3609619A US 869068 A US869068 A US 869068A US 3609619D A US3609619D A US 3609619DA US 3609619 A US3609619 A US 3609619A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- vane
- ribbon
- terminal
- base
- resistance wire
- 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
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H61/00—Electrothermal relays
- H01H61/06—Self-interrupters, i.e. with periodic or other repetitive opening and closing of contacts
- H01H61/066—Self-interrupters, i.e. with periodic or other repetitive opening and closing of contacts making use of an extensible wire, rod or strips
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
- B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- B60Q1/34—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction
- B60Q1/38—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction using immovably-mounted light sources, e.g. fixed flashing lamps
- B60Q1/387—Mechanical temporisation
Definitions
- a thermally expansible and contractable ribbon is arranged in spaced relation along the inner face of the vane and secured under tension at its ends to the edges of the vane so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly.
- the vane is provided with a movable contact cooperative with the stationary contact attached to the supporting terminal.
- a high-resistance wire is wrapped with its end electrically connected to said ribbon while the other end being connected to the terminal.
- the principal object of this invention is to provide an improved snap-acting flasher switch, which is particularly adaptable for use in directional turn signal systems for automotive vehicles, and which opens and closes the turn signal electric circuits in regular and uniform fashion to provide substantially equal on and off periods; which is sturdy in construction and reliable in operation, and which is inexpensive to manufacture andinstall.
- FIG. 1 is a plan view of thesnap acting vane before deformation
- FIG. 2 shows the vane in the first deformed state
- FIG. 3 shows the vane in the second deformed state
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the thermally expansible and contractable heater ribbon
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the other end of the heater ribbon attached to the vane
- FIGS. 6A and 6B show the twosteps involved for securing the high resistance wire to its tenninal
- FIG. 7 is a front view of the snap-acting flasher switch of this invention.
- FIG. 8 is its wiring diagram
- FIG. 9 shows the snap-acting vane with relative dimensions.
- the snap-acting flasher switch of this invention includes an insulating base 12 formed of suitable insulating material such as Bakelite or the like.
- the base 12 carries a supporting terminal l3 and the other terminal 8 for high-resistance wire 7.
- the snap-acting vane l incorporated in the flasher is made of relatively thin electrically conductive spring metal such as beryllium copper or spring steel and is of an elongated rectangular form, with consideration being given to its spring factor, stiffness, temperature coefficient, and the like, in accordance with the desired rate of operation of the snap action.
- the vane is deformed. This deformation is effected by providing a circular opening A and a laterally extending triangular opening B connected therewith in the face of the vane and by crimping the edge C of the vane adjacent to the base of said triangular opening B. C is the crimped portion. This crimp C shortens the side edge of the vane so as to cause the other side edge thereof to have a greater effective length larger than the crimped side as shown in FIG. 2 edge.
- one end of said ribbon is folded and spot welded to one side edge of the vane as shown in FIG. 5 while the other end thereof is spot welded to a tab 6 attached to the other side edge of the vane.
- the vane can .move freely and further, by manipulating the tab 6 with a suitable tool, the tension in the ribbon 5 may be adjusted at will.
- the vane l is preferably provided with projections 3 and 4 at the top and bottom side edges of the vane respectively.
- the projection 3 is for spot welding the vane to the supporting terminal l3 and the projection 4 is for attaching a movable contact [4.
- a stationary contact 15 is attached to the supporting terminal 13 (FIG. 5).
- the ribbon 5 is heated by a high-resistance insulated wire'7 wrapped around the ribbon and having one end electrically connected thereto. After the other end of said wire is wrapped around the terminal 8 (FIG. 6(l) the terminal is bent double as shown in FIG. 6 (II) so as to effect good contact between said wire and terminal without soldering or welding.
- the wire 7 being very flne, this is the best way of connecting it to the terminal.
- the operation of the device will be understood from FIG. 8 and the following description.
- the unit is inserted into an appropriate receptacle so that the terminal 13 is electrically con nected to one side of a grounded battery 9, terminal 8 is connected to parallel grounded signal lamps 11 through a switch 10.
- switch 10 When the switch 10 is closed, the current flows as follows;
- Ribbon 5 now cools and contacts to snap vane 1 back to its stressdeformed condition disengaging contacts 14 and 15 to extinguish lamps l l, and the cycle repeats.
- Snap-acting flasher switch comprising, an insulated base, a vane-supporting terminal carried by the base, a high-resistance wire terminal carried by the base, an elongated rectangular resilient vane having a combined circular and triangular opening, said vane being prestressed by the provision of crimps in the edge of the vane adjacent the base of the triangular opening and provided with projections at the centers of the upper and lower edges of the vane respectively, the upper projection being secured to the upper end of the supporting terminal and the lower projection being provided with a movable contact, a thermally expansible and contractable ribbon arranged in spaced relation along the vane and stretched obliquely so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly, one end of said ribbon being folded over and secured to one side of the vane and the other end being welded to a tab attached to the opposite side of the vane, a stationary contact attached to said vane supporting terminal, and high resistance wire, one end of
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
Abstract
The snap-acting flasher switch comprising an insulated base, a supporting terminal and a high-resistance wire terminal carried by said base, an elongated rectangular resilient vane secured at the top to the supporting terminal. Said vane is provided with a combined circular and triangular opening and prestressed by crimping the edge adjacent to the base of the triangular opening. A thermally expansible and contractable ribbon is arranged in spaced relation along the inner face of the vane and secured under tension at its ends to the edges of the vane so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly. The vane is provided with a movable contact cooperative with the stationary contact attached to the supporting terminal. Around the ribbon, a high-resistance wire is wrapped with its end electrically connected to said ribbon while the other end being connected to the terminal.
Description
United States Patent [72] Inventors Masamitsu Nakano Yokohama; Kazumi Shinozuka, ltakomachi, .Namekatagun, both of Japan [21 1 Appl. No. 869,068 [22] Filed Oct. 24, 1969 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 {73] Assignec Nagatoshi Suzuki Otaku, Tokyo Japan [32] Priority Nov. 30, 1968 [33] Japan [31 43/103908 [54] SNAP-ACTING FLASHER SWITCH 1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figs.
[52] US. Cl 337/136 [51] Int. Cl ..H0lh 3 7/02, HOlh 37/46 [50] Field of Search 337/135, 136,138, 140,391
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,349,205 10/1967 Taylor 337/138 X Primary Examiner-Harold Broome Assistant Examiner-Dewitt M. Morgan AttorneyJoseph J. .Iuhass ABSTRACT: The snap-acting flasher switch comprising an insulated base, a supporting terminal and a high-resistance wire terminal carried by said base, an elongated rectangular resilient vane secured at the top to the supporting terminal. Said vane is provided with a combined circular and triangular opening and prestressed by crimping the edge adjacent to the base of the triangular opening. A thermally expansible and contractable ribbon is arranged in spaced relation along the inner face of the vane and secured under tension at its ends to the edges of the vane so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly. The vane is provided with a movable contact cooperative with the stationary contact attached to the supporting terminal. Around the ribbon, a high-resistance wire is wrapped with its end electrically connected to said ribbon while the other end being connected to the terminal.
PATENIEUSEP28|9Y| v 3.609519 I saw 2 0F 2 I INVENTOR maocdmw WATTORNEY SNAP-ACTING FLASIIER SWITCH The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved snap-acting flasher switch, which is particularly adaptable for use in directional turn signal systems for automotive vehicles, and which opens and closes the turn signal electric circuits in regular and uniform fashion to provide substantially equal on and off periods; which is sturdy in construction and reliable in operation, and which is inexpensive to manufacture andinstall.
Further objects of this invention reside in the detail of construction of the snap acting flasher switch of this invention and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts, including the construction and operation of the snap acting vane and its associated heater ribbon and contracts and the manner of mounting the same to form a sturdy and reliable flasher switch unit.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings in which: i
FIG. 1 is a plan view of thesnap acting vane before deformation, 7
FIG. 2 shows the vane in the first deformed state,
'FIG. 3 shows the vane in the second deformed state,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the thermally expansible and contractable heater ribbon,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the other end of the heater ribbon attached to the vane,
FIGS. 6A and 6B show the twosteps involved for securing the high resistance wire to its tenninal,
FIG. 7 is a front view of the snap-acting flasher switch of this invention,
FIG. 8 is its wiring diagram, and
FIG. 9 shows the snap-acting vane with relative dimensions.
The snap-acting flasher switch of this invention includes an insulating base 12 formed of suitable insulating material such as Bakelite or the like. The base 12 carries a supporting terminal l3 and the other terminal 8 for high-resistance wire 7. The snap-acting vane l incorporated in the flasher is made of relatively thin electrically conductive spring metal such as beryllium copper or spring steel and is of an elongated rectangular form, with consideration being given to its spring factor, stiffness, temperature coefficient, and the like, in accordance with the desired rate of operation of the snap action.
To provide an initial set to the vane 1 and to give the same some depth so that it will resemble a beam in its action, the vane is deformed. This deformation is effected by providing a circular opening A and a laterally extending triangular opening B connected therewith in the face of the vane and by crimping the edge C of the vane adjacent to the base of said triangular opening B. C is the crimped portion. This crimp C shortens the side edge of the vane so as to cause the other side edge thereof to have a greater effective length larger than the crimped side as shown in FIG. 2 edge.
When the vane-bending forces are applied by means of a thermally expansible and contractable ribbon 5 stretched across the vane along the line which is somewhat oblique to the upper edge of the vane and when the value of these forces equals or overbalances the inherent tendency of the vane to stay in its normal condition, the vane snaps into a new bend or a second deformed position forming another arc.
When the stretching force is decreased to a point where it is overbalanced by a kinetic energy stored in the vane 1 due to such distorting force, the vane snaps back to the previous position.
In order to arrange the ribbon 5 in spaced relation along the inner face of the vane 1, one end of said ribbon is folded and spot welded to one side edge of the vane as shown in FIG. 5 while the other end thereof is spot welded to a tab 6 attached to the other side edge of the vane.
As the space between the ribbon 5 and vane I may be kept sufficiently wide, the vane can .move freely and further, by manipulating the tab 6 with a suitable tool, the tension in the ribbon 5 may be adjusted at will.
The vane l is preferably provided with projections 3 and 4 at the top and bottom side edges of the vane respectively. The projection 3 is for spot welding the vane to the supporting terminal l3 and the projection 4 is for attaching a movable contact [4. A stationary contact 15 is attached to the supporting terminal 13 (FIG. 5).
The ribbon 5 is heated by a high-resistance insulated wire'7 wrapped around the ribbon and having one end electrically connected thereto. After the other end of said wire is wrapped around the terminal 8 (FIG. 6(l) the terminal is bent double as shown in FIG. 6 (II) so as to effect good contact between said wire and terminal without soldering or welding. The wire 7 being very flne, this is the best way of connecting it to the terminal.
The operation of the device will be understood from FIG. 8 and the following description. The unit is inserted into an appropriate receptacle so that the terminal 13 is electrically con nected to one side of a grounded battery 9, terminal 8 is connected to parallel grounded signal lamps 11 through a switch 10. When the switch 10 is closed, the current flows as follows;
The current flow is now sufficient to light lamps ll. Ribbon 5 now cools and contacts to snap vane 1 back to its stressdeformed condition disengaging contacts 14 and 15 to extinguish lamps l l, and the cycle repeats.
For reference, the dimensions of the typical snap acting vane according to this invention (FIG. 9) are:
l. Snap-acting flasher switch comprising, an insulated base, a vane-supporting terminal carried by the base, a high-resistance wire terminal carried by the base, an elongated rectangular resilient vane having a combined circular and triangular opening, said vane being prestressed by the provision of crimps in the edge of the vane adjacent the base of the triangular opening and provided with projections at the centers of the upper and lower edges of the vane respectively, the upper projection being secured to the upper end of the supporting terminal and the lower projection being provided with a movable contact, a thermally expansible and contractable ribbon arranged in spaced relation along the vane and stretched obliquely so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly, one end of said ribbon being folded over and secured to one side of the vane and the other end being welded to a tab attached to the opposite side of the vane, a stationary contact attached to said vane supporting terminal, and high resistance wire, one end of which being wrapped around the ribbon and the other end being wrapped around said high resistance wire terminal and secured thereto by folding said terminal.
Claims (1)
1. Snap-acting flasher switch comprising, an insulated base, a vane-supporting terminal carried by the base, a high-resistance wire terminal carried by the base, an elongated rectangular resilient vane having a combined circular and triangular opening, said vane being prestressed by the provision of crimps in the edge of the vane adjacent the base of the triangular opening and provided with projections at the centers of the upper and lower edges of the vane respectively, the upper projection being secured to the upper end of the supporting terminal and the lower projection being provided with a movable contact, a thermally expansible and contractable ribbon arranged in spaced relation along the vane and stretched obliquely so as to stress the vane against the force of the prestressing thereof to hold the vane inwardly, one end of said ribbon being folded over and secured to one side of the vane and the other end being welded to a tab attached to the opposite side of the vane, a stationary contact attached to said vane supporting terminal, and high resistance wire, one end of which being wrapped around the ribbon and the other end being wrapped around said high resistance wire terminal and secured thereto by folding said terminal.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP10390868 | 1968-11-30 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3609619A true US3609619A (en) | 1971-09-28 |
Family
ID=14366509
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US869068A Expired - Lifetime US3609619A (en) | 1968-11-30 | 1969-10-24 | Snap-acting flasher switch |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3609619A (en) |
DE (2) | DE1958092C3 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2024630A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB1232177A (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3953817A (en) * | 1974-08-05 | 1976-04-27 | Littelfuse, Inc. | Flasher device |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102017222840A1 (en) * | 2017-12-15 | 2019-06-19 | Audi Ag | Operating device for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle |
-
1969
- 1969-10-24 US US869068A patent/US3609619A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1969-11-19 DE DE1958092A patent/DE1958092C3/en not_active Expired
- 1969-11-19 DE DE6944890U patent/DE6944890U/en not_active Expired
- 1969-11-28 FR FR6941047A patent/FR2024630A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
- 1969-12-01 GB GB1232177D patent/GB1232177A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3953817A (en) * | 1974-08-05 | 1976-04-27 | Littelfuse, Inc. | Flasher device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB1232177A (en) | 1971-05-19 |
DE1958092B2 (en) | 1979-05-31 |
DE1958092C3 (en) | 1980-01-31 |
DE6944890U (en) | 1970-07-23 |
FR2024630A1 (en) | 1970-08-28 |
DE1958092A1 (en) | 1970-06-11 |
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