Miniature slide switch having movable contact of the folded flat spring type

Claim 1

IN A SLIDE SWITCH OF THE TYPE INTENDED AS A CONTROL DEVICE FOR SMALL APPLIANCES AND THE LIKE, AND INCLUDING A STATIONARY HOUSING A GENERALLY FLAT BASE, A SLIDE MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR BACK-AND-FORTH RECTILINEAR MOVEMENT ABOVE SAID BASE, AND AT LEAST TWO STATIONARY CONTACTS MOUNTED UPON THE BASE AND SPACED APART ALONG THE LINE OF MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A MOVABLE CONTACT THAT IS IN THE FORM OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, GENERALLY FLAT SPRING, IS TENSIONED BETWEEN THE SLIDE AND BASE AND DEFLECTS IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LENGTH, LIES FLATWISE TO AND IS GENERALLY IN PARALLELISM WITH THE PLANE OF THE BASE IN RESILIENT, YIELDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STATIONARY CONTACTS, IS OF A WIDTH SUFFICIENT TO SPAN BOTH STATIONARY CONTACTS UNBROKENLY AND SYMMETRICALLY IN RESPECT THERETO IN ONE POSITION TO WHICH THE SLIDE IS MOVED, AND HAS ITS LENGTH AND HENCE ITS PATH OF DEFLECTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE LINE OF MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE.