Electrical switch with phased contact operation

Claim 1

SWITCH APPARATUS COMPRISING: A HOUSING (10) STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CONTACTS (41,29 OF FIGS. 1-4; 41'', 29 OF FIGS. 6-9 IN SAID HOUSING; A SUPPORT MEMBER (20) FOR SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STATIONARY CONTACT; A PRELOADED DISK SPRING (22, 22'') HAVING LATERALLY SPACED, RELATIVELY FIXED AND AXIALLY MOVABLE PORTIONS, THE MOVABLE PORTION OF SAID DISK SPRING ENGAGING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER (20) AND OPERABLE WHEN MOVED TO CAUSE SAID MOVABLE CONTACT TO MAKE AND BREAK CONTACT WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACT; A STOP MEMBER (41 OF FIGS. 1-4; 41'' OF FIGS. 6-9), SAID MOVABLE PORTION OF SAID DISK SPRING NORMALLY BIASING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER SO THAT SAID MOVABLE CONTACT ENGAGES SAID STATIONARY CONTACT, SAID DISK SPRING THROUGHOUT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE OF MOVEMENT TO THE MOVABLE PORTION THEREOF FROM SAID STOP MEMBER HAVING A DEFLECTION LOAD CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEVIATES FROM NORMAL AND INCLUDES A POSITIVE SLOPE PRECEDING A NEGATIVE SLOPE; FOLLOWER SPRING MEANS INCLUDING AN AUXILLIARY CONTACT ELEMENT (61 OF FIGS. 1-4; 72 OF FIGS. 6-9); A CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION (63 OF FIGS. 1-4; 31 81 OF FIGS. 6-9) BETWEEN SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT ELEMENT AND ONE OF SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CONTACTS; AND MEANS BIASING SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT ELEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CONTACTS THROUGHOUT SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE (CONE SHAPE OF LEAF SPRING 61 OF FIGS. 1-4; TONGUE 70 OF DISK SPRING 22'' IN FIGS. 6-9).