Pressure-actuated electrical switch having flat support at closure for prevention of overpressure damage

Claim 1

A VERY SENSITIVE PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE DEVICE, INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: A METAL HOUSING; A METAL DIAPHRAGM IN SAID HOUSING AND DIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING A CIRCULAR AREA BOUNDED BY A PERIPHERAL RIM THAT IS RIGIDLY FIXED TO SAID HOUSING, SAID AREA BEING DEFORMED BEYOND TRHE ELASTIC LIMIT OF SAID METAL INTO GENERALLY SPHERICAL SEGMENT, HAVING A CONCAVE SIDE AND A CONVEX SIDE, THAT ALWAYS TEND TO RESUME THE SPHERICAL SHAPE TO WHICH IT HAS BEEN FORMED AND THAT IS FLEXED TOWARD A FLATTENED CONDITION IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER ON ITS CONVEX SIDE, SAND MOVING, WHEN IT MOVES, IN A SNAP ACTION, SAID HOUSING AND DIAPHRAGM BEING ELECTRICALLY A SINGLE UNIT; MEANS FOR APPLYING FLUID PRESSURE TO THE CONVEX SIDE OF SAID DIAPHRAGM; AND AN ELECTRODE SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE PLANE OF SAID RIM AND ELECTRICALLY-INSULATED FROM SAID HOUSING LYING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE AND CENTRALLY LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SPHERICAL SEGMENT ON THE SIDE THEREOF AWAY FROM WHICH SAID SEGMENT IS NORMALLY DEFLECTED, WHEREBY DEFLECTION OF SAID SEGMENT TOWARD SAID ELECTRODE RESULTS IN ELECTRICAL AND PHYSICAL CONTACT OF SAID ELECTRODE AND SAID SEGMENT, SAID HOUSING BEING FLAT ON THE SIDE FACING THE CONCAVE SIDE OF SAID DIAPHRAGM IN THE PLANE OF SAID RIM AND PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING LARGELY FILLED BY THE ELECTRODE, WHICH LIES SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANE, TO PROVIDE A FLAT SUPPORT TO ITS ACTUATED PHRAGM WHEN THE DIAPRAGM IS SNAPPED TO ITS ACTUATED POSITION, THEREBY PROTECTING SAID DIAPHRAGM BLISTER FROM BEING PUSHED BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT AND FROM BEING DEFORMED DURING ACTUATION DUE TO PRESSURE GREATLY EXCEEDING THE PRESSURE REQUIRED FOR ACTUATION.