US3609619A

US3609619A - Snap-acting flasher switch

Info

Publication number: US3609619A
Application number: US869068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Masamitsu Nakano; Kazumi Shinozuka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-11-30
Filing date: 1969-10-24
Publication date: 1971-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-28
Also published as: GB1232177A; DE1958092B2; DE1958092C3; DE6944890U; FR2024630A1; DE1958092A1

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;

Battery 9 wire 7 switch 10 lamps 11. Due to the ie-- sistance of wire 7, the current flow is insufficient to light lamps ll. Wire 7 heats up, the ribbon Sexpands and vane l snaps to engage its contact 14 with the contact 15. Engagement of

contacts

14 and 15 completes a second circuit shunting wire 7. Current flows as follows;

Battery 9 vane l lamps 11.

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:

contacts

14 and 15 switch 10 What I claim is:

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. 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.