US3614360A

US3614360A - A multiple contact switching device for crossbar switches

Info

Publication number: US3614360A
Application number: US875189A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harald Valdemar Alexandersson
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 1968-12-03
Filing date: 1969-11-10
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19
Also published as: FR2025120A1; GB1290906A; DE1959123B2; NL6917855A; NO125868B; BE742503A; DE1959123A1

Abstract

A contact unit for crossbar switches comprises a support body of insulating material of substantially parallelepipedic form carrying fixed contacts and movable contact springs for cooperation with the fixed contacts. The fixed contacts consist of contact bars arranged in a plane parallel to the front and rear surface planes of the body. The movable contact springs are arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the bars which; are fastened to the body at a portion of the same near the rear surface plane and project through slots in the front surface plane. Lifting cards for the contact springs are provided at the movable ends of the springs outside the body.

Description

United States Patent I-Iarald Valdemar Alexandersson Lidingo, Sweden Nov. 10, 1969 Oct. 19, 1971 Teleionaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Stockholm, Sweden Dec. 3, 1968 Sweden Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1951 Knos ..200/l66(.1)X

2,587,458 2/1952 Fritts 200/166 (.1)

2,769,880 11/1956 Holmquist et al 200/166 (.1)

3,096,422 7/1963 Alexandersson et al 200/1 66 (.1)

3,480,744 11/1969 Yamada 200/166 (.1 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,120,020 12/1961 Germany 200/166 (.1)

Primary Examiner-H. 0. Jones Att0rneyHane & Baxley ABSTRACT: A contact unit for crossbar switches comprises a support body of insulating material of substantially parallelepipedic form carrying fixed contacts and movable contact springs for cooperation with the fixed contacts. The fixed contacts consist of contact bars arranged in a plane parallel to the front and rear surface planes of the body. The movable contact springs are arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the bars which; are fastened to the body at a portion of the same near the rear surface plane and project through slots in the front surface plane. Lifting cards for the contact springs are provided at the movable ends of the springs outside the body.

PATENTEDum 19 l97| 3,614,360

INVENTOR BLIMQR "6W ATTORNEY A MULTIPLE CONTACT SWITCHING DEVICE FOR CROSSBAR SWITCHES The invention concerns a contact unit for crossbar switches and the like that comprises fixed contacts in form of parallel bars and movable contact springs for cooperation with these bars, located transversally thereto. In a known device of this kind the movable contact springs are mounted in one assemblage and the fixed bars in another assemblage. The two assemblages are mounted on a common base plate, so that the movable springs are brought into correct position for cooperation with the bars. This construction requires numerous components and also requires great precision for correct functioning. The invention refers to an improvement and simplification of the known device and is defined in the claims.

The invention will be further described by means of two embodiments with reference to the attached drawing which in H6. 1 shows a cross section of the contact unit of one embodiment, and in FIG. 2 shows a partial front view of this same contact unit, and in FIG. 3 and 4 shows the corresponding views of second embodiment.

In the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 a plurality of movable contact springs 2 are fitted in a body 1 of insulating material, which body has a substantially rectangular cross section. The contact springs are anchored to the body 1 at a portion adjacent to the rear surface plane 4 and project through slots 3 which are widened towards the front surface 6 of the body. The contact springs have protruding soldering tags at the rear side of the body and in front of the body there is provided a lifting card 7 for each spring group, only one of said lifting cards being shown in FIG. 2.

Flxed contact wires 8 are arranged along the front side 6 of the body. They extend along the upper edge of the slots 3 and are in a convenient manner anchored to the body 1. When a lifting card is actuated, the movable contacts of the corresponding spring group are connected to the respective contact wires 8.

Because a body, such as the onedescribed in this embodiment, may be manufactured in one piece with all vital dimensions defined by one-half of a casting tool, the tolerance requirements of the construction are easily satisfied. The device requires a minimum of details, and a very compact construction is obtained.

The body I need not necessarily be made in a single solid piece; it can for example be designed in the way shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment the body comprises a plurality of substantially equal plates 10, each one carrying a contact bar or wire 8, which plates are in convenient manner fastened to each other, so that they form an essentially compact body 1. The bars 8 are here located in a plane set back from the front plane 6, while the bars in the first described embodiment are placed in a plane that practically coincides with the front surface 6.

lclaim:

1. A multiple contact switching device for crossbar switches, said device comprising:

a rigid block made of insulation material and having two parallel surfaces, said block including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart slots extending between said parallel surfaces;

a plurality of contact bars, one for each slot, said bars stationarily mounted within said slots parallel to the planes of said parallel surfaces;

an equal plurality of contact springs, each of said springs disposed within one of said slots normal to said parallel surfaces, one end of each spring secured to the block at a point adjacent to one of said parallel surfaces and the other end of each spring protruding from the other parallel surface; and

a lifting card disposed outside of said block parallel to said other one of the parallel surfaces, said card coupled to the protruding ends of the springs and lengthwise displaccable for simultaneously moving the springs into and out of contact with said bars by displacement of the card. 2. The multiple contact switching devree according to clarm

Claims

1. A multiple contact switching device for crossbar switches, said device comprising: a rigid block made of insulation material and having two parallel surfaces, said block including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart slots extending between said parallel surfaces; a plurality of contact bars, one for each slot, said bars stationarily mounted within said slots parallel to the planes of said parallel surfaces; an equal plurality of contact springs, each of said springs disposed within one of said slots normal to said parallel surfaces, one end of each spring secured to the block at a point adjacent to one of said parallel surfaces and the other end of each spring protruding from the other parallel surface; and a lifting card disposed outside of said block parallel to said other one of the parallel surfaces, said card coupled to the protruding ends of the springs and lengthwise displaceable for simultaneously moving the springs into and out of contact with said bars by displacement of the card.

2. The multiple contact switching device according to claim 1 wherein said slots are widened toward the ends thereof from which the springs protrude, and said bars are secured to one of the boundary walls of the slots adjacent to the widened ends thereof.

3. The multiple contact switching device according to claim 1 wherein said block is a substantially rectangular block composed of a plurality of parallel plates secured to each other, said slots formed between each two adjacent plates.