US3857003A - Microswitch - Google Patents

Microswitch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3857003A
US3857003A US00396487A US39648773A US3857003A US 3857003 A US3857003 A US 3857003A US 00396487 A US00396487 A US 00396487A US 39648773 A US39648773 A US 39648773A US 3857003 A US3857003 A US 3857003A
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United States
Prior art keywords
spring
push button
deadcenter
contact
grooves
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
Application number
US00396487A
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English (en)
Inventor
M Nishio
N Sagawa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Panasonic Electric Works Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Matsushita Electric Works Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Matsushita Electric Works Ltd filed Critical Matsushita Electric Works Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3857003A publication Critical patent/US3857003A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/02—Details
    • H01H13/26—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members
    • H01H13/36—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members using flexing of blade springs
    • H01H13/40—Blade spring with at least one snap-acting leg and at least one separate contact-carrying or contact-actuating leg

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A microswitch employing a movable contact actuating spring made of a single resilient metal plate so as to comprise a contact spring section having the movable contact and an operating spring section branched from the contact spring section.
  • the contact spring section is resiliently hinged between a common terminal metal fitting and an insulative support member so as to be substantially in an S-shape and to have the movable contact engaged with a normally closed fixed contact, and the operating spring section engages at a free end with a push button. Actuation of the button causes the actuating spring to be snapped over to its position in which the movable contact engages a normally opened fixed contact and releasing of the button causes the spring to return to its original position.
  • This invention relates to a microswitch including an S-shaped actuating spring and, more particularly, to a microswitch having a high contact pressure and operatable under a light load.
  • microswitches of this kind include such component elements of a spring system of a switch mechanism as an actuating lever, movable contact maker and turning spring respectively as independent members. Therefore, they are high in the number of component parts, complicated in the assembling work and high in the cost.
  • the present invention is suggested to eliminate the above mentioned defects.
  • a main object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch wherein a spring system of snap action switch can be completed by using a single actuating spring.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch which is capable of operating under a light load.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch wherein a relatively high contact pressure is obtained in spite of a light load.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch wherein the push button operating stroke is large.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch wherein wiping and rolling actions are given to the movable contact so that the contact action will be stable and the contacts will be prevented from sticking to one another.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch wherein the turning position of the movable contact is stable.
  • a yet further object of the present invention is to provide a microswitch which is easy to assemble.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a microswitch according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a vertically sectioned view of the switch shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a partly sectioned view with the lid, plate spring and push button removed in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an actuating spring used in the microswitch according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a spring supporting metal fitting and fixed contact member
  • FIG. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing other embodiments of the actuating spring
  • FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of conventional switches of the type referred to:
  • FIG. 9 is a force line view showing a balance of forces in the spring system of the microswitch of the present invention.
  • FIG. 10 is a diagram for the sake of comparison with FIG. 9.
  • a movable contact 31 is secured to an actuating spring 30 substantially at an intermediate position thereof and the actuating spring'30 is operated directly by a push button 32.
  • FIG. 1 showing in a perspective view'a microswitch according to the present invention, a lid 1 is fixed as fitted to a base 2 provided with terminal metal fittings 3, 4 and 5.
  • the terminal metal fitting 3 is of a common terminal type
  • 4 is of a normally opened terminal
  • 5 is of a normally closed terminal.
  • 6 is a push button slidably fitted in a'hole made in the lid 1 so that the push button will be pushed to switch the contacts ON and OFF.
  • FIG. 2 is a vertically sectioned view of a microswitch of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a sectioned view with the lid 1, push button 6 and actuating plate spring 14 removed from the switch shown in FIG. 2.
  • the terminal metal fitting 3 is extended upright into the lid 1 through the base 2 and has an L-shaped supporting metal member 7 shown in FIG. 5 as secured at the inner end part.
  • This supporting metal member 7 is provided with a slot 8 to engage thereto an end of the actuating plate spring 14.
  • an L-shaped contact member 9 is fitted to an end of the terminal metal fitting 4 similarly extended into the lid 1, and the contact member 9 is provided at the inner end with a fixed contact 10.
  • an L-shaped contact member 11 is secured to a similarly extended end of the terminal metal fitting 5 into the lid 1, and this contact member 11 is provided with a fixed contact 12.
  • the actuating plate spring 14 supports a movable contact 22 substantially on the right-hand side in the drawing of its intermediate point, and is branched at a point W located further rightward from the contact 22 so as to form an operat ing spring section 15 and contact spring section 16.
  • Said contact spring section 16 is bent slightly downward preliminarily before the mounting at a bending part 16a which is close to and a little leftward side of the movable contact 22.
  • the contact section 16 is provided at left-hand end in the drawing with an engaging section 17 for engaging with the slot 8 in the supporting member 7 and a projection 18 and at the other end with an engaging section 19 for engaging with the bearing member 13 and a projection 20.
  • the actuating plate spring 14 is spported as hinged in position in such that the engaging section 17 will engage in the slot 8 in the supporting member 7 and the other engaging section 19 will engage with the bearing member 13.
  • the both side sections of the. bent part 16a of the spring are respectively bent to be curved so that the spring will show substantially an S-shape in its hinged position.
  • the operating spring section 15 abuts resiliently against the lower surface of the push button 6 at a point adjacent its free end.
  • the bent part 16a is formed in such that the spring section 16 is once bent upward and then again downward.
  • the bent part 16a of the actuating spring 14 according to the present invention- is made for the purpose of providing, in the mounted position of the spring 14 as bent in an S-shape, two separate sections which are curved in opposite directions respectively as definitely separated by the bent part 16a as a boundary.
  • FIG. 1 shows the state in which the contact 22 of the actuating spring 14 is in contact with the fixed contact 12.
  • the force relation in such case is as follows (See FIG. 9):
  • the operating spring section 15 is branched further on the right from the movable contact fixing position and bears the push button 6 at the free end, so that the operating stroke will be taken to be longer and more freely than in the case of directly pressing the contact.
  • the switch can be operated by a light force. Therefore, a microswitch of a light load and high contact pressure can be realized.
  • the actuating spring of the present invention is branched so that the operating spring section 15 will be parallel with the contact spring section 16, a twisting force will be able tobe added to the contact spring section 16 during the push button operation, so that wiping and rolling actions will be given to the contacts and, therefore, the contacting performance will be stable and any possible sticking of the contacts due to fusion between them will be prevented from occurring.
  • the spring system of the switch mechanism of microswitches referred to having all the effects in the above paragraphs (a) (c) is made possible by usingonly a single actuating spring so that the number of the component parts can be reduced and the assembling operation can be made easy.
  • the terminal mechanism can be handled as one block and the assembling work as of a switch can be made easy. Further, there is no fluctuation in the terminalmechanism.
  • FIG. 6A shows another embodiment of the actuating spring to be used in the present invention.
  • the actuating spring 14 in this embodiment is branched into an upper leg 25 andlower leg 26 from the vicinity of the contact-22 so as to be substantially Y-shaped.
  • the lower leg 26 is made larger than the upper leg 25 which is secured to the lower leg 26.
  • it is also possible to make the upper leg 25 larger than the lower leg 26 In assembling this actuating spring 14, the upper leg 25 is brought into abutment against the push button 6 and the lower leg 26 is bent, as shown in FIG. 68, so that the spring will be hinged between the supporting member 7 and bearing member 13 (See FIG. 2).
  • FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the actuating spring in the present invention, in which a pair of legs 15 and 16 are formed by punching the spring 14 comprising a single plate so that the respective legs will extend upward and each in the direction of each end of the plate from the intermediate part thereof.
  • the contact 22 is secured to the free end of one leg 16 of the pair of legs, and the other leg 15 is butted tothe push button 6.
  • a housing which defines a central chamber.
  • a leaf spring 14 having spade-like ends seated in grooves formed at the respective ends of the chamber.
  • the spring has an unstressed length which is greater than the groove-to-groove dimension so that the spring is stressed in shallow S configuration incident to installing it in the grooves.
  • Thespring acting between the grooves, has a deadcenter position but is movable overcenter from such deadcenter position.
  • An electrical contact 22 is located along the length of the spring. This contact cooperates with opposed stops 10, 12 which are in the form of contacts. Electrical connection is provided at a groove at-at least one end of the spring.
  • the stops are so located and the spring is so stressed as to tend to return to one of its overcenter positions.
  • a cantilever element 15 Secured to the body of the spring is a cantilever element 15.
  • Means in the form of a push button are provided for applying lateral force to the remote end portion of the cantilever element for urging the spring temporarily into its opposite overcenter position as long as the push button is depressed.
  • the effect of the cantilever, and the force exerted on the cantilever is to shift the nominal deadcenter position of the spring with respect to the stops, so that when the spring is depressed by the push button the spring tends to seek one of the stops and so that when the push button is released, the spring tends to seek the opposite stop.
  • the cantilever element is sufficiently long, in addition, to provide leverage so that the force required to operate the push button is decreased, while the operating stroke is increased.
  • the leaf spring is permanently creased or bent, as indicated at 16a, with the bend extending transversely of the spring in a position near the center of the spring and adjacent the spring contact.
  • This causes the second or left-hand end portion 16, prior to installation, to occupy a plane which differs from the plane of the first or right-hand end portion.
  • the plane of the secone end portion 16 is at an angle with respect to the first end portion, the portion 16 being bent downwardly away from the pushbutton.
  • the bend 16a provides a well defined line of demarcation between the first and second end portions of the spring which are, as illustrated in FIG. 2, bowed in opposite directions.
  • microswitch leaf spring which includes the bend 16a, with the vertical components of reaction forces T and T" both directed in the same direction, that is, upwardly, provides a more stable, that is, predictable, switch operating point when the pushbutton is pressed.
  • a bend 16a is also provided at the center of the spring. but instead of being a single bend is a double bend so that the first and second (right and left-hand) portions prior to installation lie in planes which are spaced from one another. in this version, as in the earlier version, the bent portion 16a provides a well defined region of demarcation between the two end portions of the spring when such end portions are bowed in opposite directions.
  • the cantilever element is integrally joined to the leaf spring in the region 19 so that the leaf spring and cantilever both may be conveniently stamped out of a single sheet of springy metal, with the cantilever portion preferably being rigidified by the longitudinally extending embossment 23.
  • a microswitch comprising a case, a push button slidably fitted to said case, an actuating plate spring to be pushed by said push button, a supporting member engaging with an end of said actuating plate spring, said supporting member being fixed to a common terminal metal fitting, a pair of fixed contacts opposed to a movable contact provided on said actuating plate spring, said fixed contacts being fixed respectively to a terminal metal fitting through a supporting member, a bearing section engaging with the other end of said actuating plate spring and an insulating base supporting said terminal metal fittings, wherein said actuating plate spring has a pair of legs formed by punching so as toextend respectively toward each end substantially from intermediate part of the spring, one of said legs has a movable contact near the base and the free end of the other leg is opposed to the push button.
  • a microswitch including a housing defining a central chamber and mounting a slideable push button, means defining opposed and alined grooves at the respective ends of the chamber, a leaf spring having first and second end portions seated spade-like in the respective grooves and having a normal unstressed length greater than the groove-to-groove dimension so that the spring is stressed upon installation into a shallow S configuration, the spring having a deadcenter position and having a contact adjacent the center of the spring, opposed stops in the, housing located at the spring contact on opposite sides of the deadcenter position for defining a normal position of the spring on one side of deadcenter and an alternate position on the other side of deadcenter, means at at least one of the grooves and at at least one of the stops for providing electrical switch connections, the spring having an integral arm extending along the edge of the spring and integralwith the first end portion to form a cantilever-element, the tip of the cantilever element being arranged in the path of movement of the push button for applying lateral pressure to the spring for urging the
  • a microswitch including a housing defining a central chamber and mounting a slideable push button, means defining opposed and alined grooves at the respective ends of the chamber, a leaf spring having first and second end portions seated spadelike in the respective grooves and having a normal uunstressed length greater than the groove-to groove dimension so that the spring is stressed upon installation into a shallow S configuration, the spring having a deadcenter position and having a contact adjacent the center of the spring, opposed stops in the housing located on opposite sides of the deadcenter position at least one of which cooperates with the spring contact for defining a normal position of the spring on one side of deadcenter and an al ternate position on the other side of deadcenter, means at at least one of the grooves and at at least one of the stops for providing electrical switch connections, and means including a cantilever element having a base anchored to the first end portion of the spring and extending along the spring to a point adjacent the second end portion thereof, the tip of the cantilever element being arranged in the path of movement
  • a microswitch including a housing defining a central chamber and mounting a slideable push button, means defining opposed and alined grooves at the respective ends of the chamber, a leaf spring having first and second end portions seated spadelike in the respective grooves andhaving a normal unstressed length greater than the groove-to-groove dimension so that the spring is stressed upon installation into a shallow S configuration, the spring having a deadcenter position and having a contact adjacent the center of the spring, opposed stops in the housing located at the spring contact on opposite sides of the deadcenter position for defining a normal position of the spring on one side of deadcenter and an alternate position on the other side of deadcenter, means at at least one of the grooves and at at least one of the stops for providing electrical switch connections, and means including a cantilever element anchored to the'edge of the first end portion of the spring and extending along the spring toward the second end portion thereof, the tip of the cantilever element being arranged in the path of movement of the push button for applying lateral pressure to the spring for
  • a microswitch including a housing defining a central chamber and mounting a slideable push button
  • a leaf spring having first and second end portions seated spadelike in the respective grooves and having a normal unstressed length greater than the groove-to-groove dimension so that the spring is stressed upon installationinto a shallow S configuration, the spring having a deadcenter position and having a spring contact, opposed stops in the housing located at. the spring contact on opposite sides of the deadcenter position for defining a normal position of the spring on one side of dead-center and an alternate position on thepther side of deadcenter, means at at least one of the.
  • the stops for providing electrical switch connections
  • means including a cantilever element anchored to the edge of the first end portion of the spring and extending along the spring toward the second end portion thereof, the tip of the cantilever element being arranged in the path of movement of the pushbutton for applying lateral pressure to the spring for urging the spring over dead-center into its alternate position, the spring having a permanent bend transversely in the general region of the center thereof so that prior to installation the first and second end portions of the spring lie in differ.- ent planes, bearing an angle to'one another, with the second end portion being bent in a direction away from the push button so that when the spring is installed in the grooves both end portions are subject to respective vertical components of reaction force at the grooves in a direction toward the'push button, the spring contact being positioned between the bend in the spring and the region of anchoring of the cantilever element.

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  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
US00396487A 1972-09-14 1973-09-12 Microswitch Expired - Lifetime US3857003A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1972107490U JPS4963475U (US06256357-20010703-M00001.png) 1972-09-14 1972-09-14

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US3857003A true US3857003A (en) 1974-12-24

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JP (1) JPS4963475U (US06256357-20010703-M00001.png)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5111010A (en) * 1989-03-31 1992-05-05 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho Switch device
US5808248A (en) * 1994-10-18 1998-09-15 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Switch
EP1533822A1 (fr) * 2003-11-20 2005-05-25 Crouzet Automatismes Minirupteur avec differenciation par la lame
US20140299453A1 (en) * 2013-04-08 2014-10-09 Dolphin Technology Co., Ltd. Switch device and switch base body thereof
USD743336S1 (en) * 2013-01-31 2015-11-17 Omron Corporation Microswitch
USD765040S1 (en) * 2014-08-06 2016-08-30 Omron Corporation Microswitch
USD776065S1 (en) * 2014-08-06 2017-01-10 Omron Corporation Microswitch

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1215665A (en) * 1915-04-05 1917-02-13 Heinrich Landis Spring arrangement especially for contact devices.
US1719096A (en) * 1925-11-24 1929-07-02 Burke Controller Corp Electric switch
US2133309A (en) * 1937-01-12 1938-10-18 Schmldinger Joseph Circuit controlling mechanism
US2167543A (en) * 1937-08-23 1939-07-25 George H Bugenhagen Electric switch
US2395698A (en) * 1943-12-18 1946-02-26 Walter J Mathieu Electric switch
US2584460A (en) * 1947-12-24 1952-02-05 Acro Mfg Co Snap action switch

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS4425387Y1 (US06256357-20010703-M00001.png) * 1967-04-24 1969-10-24
JPS4326531Y1 (US06256357-20010703-M00001.png) * 1967-06-26 1968-11-04

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1215665A (en) * 1915-04-05 1917-02-13 Heinrich Landis Spring arrangement especially for contact devices.
US1719096A (en) * 1925-11-24 1929-07-02 Burke Controller Corp Electric switch
US2133309A (en) * 1937-01-12 1938-10-18 Schmldinger Joseph Circuit controlling mechanism
US2167543A (en) * 1937-08-23 1939-07-25 George H Bugenhagen Electric switch
US2395698A (en) * 1943-12-18 1946-02-26 Walter J Mathieu Electric switch
US2584460A (en) * 1947-12-24 1952-02-05 Acro Mfg Co Snap action switch

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5111010A (en) * 1989-03-31 1992-05-05 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho Switch device
US5808248A (en) * 1994-10-18 1998-09-15 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Switch
EP1533822A1 (fr) * 2003-11-20 2005-05-25 Crouzet Automatismes Minirupteur avec differenciation par la lame
FR2862808A1 (fr) * 2003-11-20 2005-05-27 Crouzet Automatismes Minirupteur avec differenciation par la lame
USD743336S1 (en) * 2013-01-31 2015-11-17 Omron Corporation Microswitch
US20140299453A1 (en) * 2013-04-08 2014-10-09 Dolphin Technology Co., Ltd. Switch device and switch base body thereof
USD765040S1 (en) * 2014-08-06 2016-08-30 Omron Corporation Microswitch
USD776065S1 (en) * 2014-08-06 2017-01-10 Omron Corporation Microswitch

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Publication number Publication date
JPS4963475U (US06256357-20010703-M00001.png) 1974-06-04

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