US3408462A - Electrical switch with improved actuator means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 29, 1968 DAVlEs 3,408,462

ELECTRICAL SWITCH WITH IMPROVED ACTUATOR MEANS Filed Dec. '19, 1966 United States Patent 3,408,462 ELECTRICAL SWITCH WITH IMPROVED ACTUATOR MEANS Gwyn Davies, Cwmbach, Aberdare, Wales, assignor to A.B. Metal Products Limited, Abercynon, Glamorgan, Wales, a British company Filed Dec. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 602,918 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 9, 1966, 40,467/ 66 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical switch of simple construction wherein moving contacts are pivotally mounted intermediate the end for rocking movement on supporting members which are yieldable. A rotary cam is located between the yieldable supporting members and has a pair of lobes which bear continually on the moving contacts and press them towards or away from the fixed contacts depending on the relative position of the lobes and pivot points. During movement of the lobes the yieldable supporting members tend to part and reclose to maintain mechanical engagement between the lobes and the movable contacts.

This invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly to a simple and compact switch construction adapted generally for switching low power circuits in such systems as radio, television and other electronic apparatus.

A previous proposal has been made for an electrical switch comprising movable contact members pivotally mounted intermediate their ends for rocking movement on spring urged supporting members, and actuating means movable between the supporting members to part them against the spring action and to rock the moving contact members about the supporting members.

This arrangement has only been used hitherto with a longitudinally movable actuating means, and it is an object of the invention to provide such an arrangement with a rotary actuating means.

The invention consists in an electrical switch comprising movable contact members pivotally mounted intermediate their ends for rocking movement on spring urged supporting members, and rotary actuating means located between the supporting members and having portions bearing on the movable contact members, rotation of the actuating means causing the said portions to cross over the supporting members, which part against the spring action and re-close, and rock the movable contact members.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of switch according to the invention, with a cover removed for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a detail.

Referring first to FIGURES l and 2, a switch embodying the present invention is mounted on a supporting member 1. The supporting member is generally manufactured from metal but can be of a moulded construction.

This supporting member has apertures for accommodating an operating device 2a of generally conventional construction mounted on a rotor 2 of a potentiometer or the like and co-operating with lugs 11 projecting from a tumbler 3 carried by a body 4 or base of the switch.

The body 4 or base of the switch is of general circular ice section and houses all the metal contacts. The body 4 or base is preferably of moulded construction using phenolic or alkyd plastics.

The body 4 or base of the switch is suitably formed with apertures and barriers to house the contacts 5, 6, 7,8, 9 and 10 and a suitable pivot 3a to locate the tumbler 3 centrally between the moving contacts 7 and 8 and the supporting contacts 5 and 6. The said pivot is of suitable length to locate the switch body 4 onto the support memher.

The various contacts are made of a suitable metal such as copper, brass or phosphor bronze and may be silver plated. The contacts are six in number and are deployed three each side of the body 4. The spring contacts and supports 5 and 6 are made from phosphor bronze or similar spring material and are fixed to the body 4 by means of staking or deforming the metal so as to fix them rigidly into the body 4. The free ends of these spring contacts are short marginal extensions forming a fork capable of locking and pivoting moving contact arms 7 and 8 which are notched part Way along their length and located in the forked ends of the spring contacts 5 and 6 providing a keying of the two parts and a good electrical connection.

The fixed contacts 9 and 10 located at the opposite end of the body 4 provide two electrical connections required on this switch unit and are staked or deformed so as to rigidly fix them into the body 4.

The tumbler 3 (see FIGURE 3) is made from high quality insulation moulding material such as phenolicglass-filled nylon or alkyd and is pivotally mounted on the pivot 3a and is held in position by the supporting member 1.

The tumbler 3 mounted upon the pivot pin is of suit able proportions to cover the width of the moving contacts 7 and 8 and moves through a prescribed arc limit by abutments 13 cooperating with a projection 14 on the body 4. The tumbler 3, upon being turned by the operating device 2a upon the pivot, maintains mechanical contact with the two moving contacts 7 and 8 the whole time.

Because of the pivot effect brought about by the forked form on the spring contacts 5 and 6 and the notching of the moving contact arms 7 and 8 the spring contacts 5 and 6 deflect as lobes 12 on the tumbler 3 pass over the fulcrum points. At the same time, the lobes 12 create a rocking action upon the moving contact arms 7 and 8, causing the contacts to complete the two circuits. Reversal of the aforesaid operation opens the two circuits and switches the unit off.

The switch embodying the present invention is well suit- I ed for switching such circuits as those embodying silicone diode rectifiers used in modern television receivers and provides a rugged construction having great operational adaptability.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an electrical switch comprising a body, a pair of fixed contacts, a pair of spring urged supporting members mounted in the body and each having one free end, the said free ends being spaced apart, a pair of movable contacts having intermediate portions mounted one on each of the free ends for rocking movement of the movable contacts about the said intermediate portions into and out of engagement with the fixed contacts; the improvement comprising rotary actuating means mounted in the body and located between the free ends of the supporting members and having a pair of actuating portions bearing directly on the movable contacts adjacent the said intermediate portions whereby rotation of the actuating means causes the actuating portions to pass over the free ends of'the supporting members, which yield against the spring action and return to maintain continuous mechanical engagement between the actuating portions and the movable cont-acts, the movable contact members being thus rocked about their said intermediate portions for actuation of the switch.

2. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary actuating means is rotatable about an axis coplanar with the free ends the actuating portions are diametrically opposed lobes-causing simultaneous rocking of the movable contacts;

3. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, in which the rotary actuating means has abutments thereon, and in which the body has abutments thereon cooperating with the abutments in the actuating means to limit rotation of the actuating means to a minor arc.

4. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, comprising drive lugs projecting from the rotary actuating means.

1 5. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, in which the supporting members inherently resilient and are elec- -trically connected to the moving contact-members.

6. An electrical switch as claimed in claim 1, in which the supporting members have short extensions and the movable contact members are notched for cooperation with andlocation on the said short extensions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,698 5/1940- Latta 200-6 2,776,356 l/195'Z Kling 338198 X 2,970,199 1/1961 Dull et a1 2006 X 3,050,604 8/1962 ,Kusche 200-6 X 3,251,956 5/1966 Rasor et a1. 200-6 X 3,310,642 3/1967 Zeller 2006 X LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

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