US3717738A

US3717738A - Electric switch contacts

Info

Publication number: US3717738A
Application number: US00230565A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Lewis
Original assignee: Lucas Industries Ltd
Current assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
Priority date: 1971-03-05
Filing date: 1972-03-01
Publication date: 1973-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-20
Also published as: AU3955072A; IT952087B; DE2210498A1; FR2128616A1; FR2128616B1; GB1365071A; AU466986B2

Abstract

An electrical switch contact comprises having contacts including a generally cylindrical stem and an integral head which takes the form of a right triangular prism with an edge thereof perpendicular to the stem axis. A movable contact arm supported by a pair of said contacts for pivotal movement relative thereto on the edges thereof.

Description

0 United States Patent 1191 1111 3,717,738 Lewis 1 51 Feb. 20, 1973 [541 ELECTRIC SWITCH CONTACTS [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Keith Lewis, Burnley, England UNITED STATES PATENTS [73] Assignee: Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, 3,297,851 1/1967 Jaquet ..200/l66 BH Birmingham, England 3,294,932 12 1966 Barlow ..200 166 BH x 3,316,370 4/1967 Ardizzi ..200/67 G 1 Filed: March 19 3,225,156 12/1965 Sahrbacker .200 153 K x 5 [21] Appl No 65 Primary Examiner-H. 0. Jones Attorney-John C. Holman et al. [30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 5, 1971 Great Britain ..6,2l 1/71 [57] ABSTRACT An electrical switch contact comprises having con- 52 US. Cl ..200/166 B11 was including a generally cylindrical Stem and an 51 1111; C1. ..H0lh 1/06 tegral head which takes the form of a right triangular [58] Field Of Search....200/166 BH, 166 c, 67 G, 68, Prism with an edge thereof Perpendicular to the Stem 200/153 K axis. A movable contact arm supported by a pair of said contacts for pivotal movement relative thereto on the edges thereof.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ELECTRIC SWITCH CONTACTS This invention relates to contacts for use in electric switches.

According to the invention an electric switch contact adapted to be engaged, in use, by a relatively movable further contact, comprises a stem and an integral head on said stem, said head having a first face whose plane is substantially parallel to the axis of said stem and a second face which intersects said first face at an acute angle so as to define an edge which is substantially perpendicular to said stem axis.

The invention further resides in an electric switch which includes contacts as above defined.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a contact according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a view on arrow 2 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a part section through a switch which includes contacts as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The contact shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a stem and .an integral head 1 l in the form of a right triangular prism.- The head 11 includes a face 12 normal to the axis of the stem 10, a face 13 normal to the face 12 i.e., parallel to the axis of the stem 10, and a face 14 which intersects face 13 at an acute angle so as to define an edge 15 which is perpendicular to the axis of the stem 10.

In use, a plurality of the above contacts are supported within an electric switch, as shown in FIG. 3, on a base 16 and are associated with a contact arm which is movable by a switch mechanism 17. Edges 15 of

contacts

18, 19 provide pivots about which arm 20 can be moved by mechanism 17. Face 14 of

contacts

21, 22 are engageable by

respective ends

23, 24 of the arm 20.

I claim:

1. An electrical switch contact adapted to be engaged, in use, by a relatively movable further contact, comprising a stem and an integral head on said stem,

said head having a first face whose plane is substantially parallel to the axis of said stem, and a second face which intersects said first face at an acute angle so as to define an edge which is substantially perpendicular to said stem axis.

2. An electrical switch contact as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head has a further face whose plane is disposed normally with respect to the axis of the stem, said further face forming, with the first and second faces, a right triangle whereby the head takes the form of a right triangular prism.

3. An electrical switch including a plurality of contacts each comprising a stem and an integral head on said stem, said head having a first face whose plane is substantially parallel to the axis of said stem, and a second face which intersects said first face at an acute angle so as to define an edge which is substantially perpendicular to said stem axis.

4. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each contact head has a further face whose plane is disposed normally with respect to the axis of the stem, said further face forming with the first and second faces a right triangle whereby each head takes the form of a rigglt trian ular prism,

. An e ectrlcal switch as claimed in claim 3, including a base and wherein two of the contacts are mounted on the base with their first faces in spaced, facing relationship, a contact arm is pivotally supported on the said two edges of the contacts, and a pair of further contacts on the arm are engageable with a further two of said contacts on the base by pivotable movements of the contact arm on the said edges.

6. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 4, including a base and wherein two of the contacts are mounted on the base with their first faces in spaced, facing relationship, a contact arm is pivotally supported on the said two edges of the contacts, and a pair of further contacts on the arm are engageable with a further two of said contacts on the base by pivotable movements of the contact arm on the said edges.

Claims

1. An electrical switch contact adapted to be engaged, in use, by a relatively movable further contact, comprising a stem and an integral head on said stem, said head having a first face whose plane is substantially parallel to the axis of said stem, and a second face which intersects said first face at an acute angle so as to define an edge which is substantially perpendicular to said stem axis.

4. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each contact head has a further face whose plane is disposed normally with respect to the axis of the stem, said further face forming with the first and second faces a right triangle whereby each head takes the form of a right triangular prism.

5. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 3, including a base and wherein two of the contacts are mounted on the base with their first faces in spaced, facing relationship, a contact arm is pivotally supported on the said two edges of the contacts, and a pair of further contacts on the arm are engageable with a further two of said contacts on the base by pivotable movements of the contact arm on the said edges.