Telephone hook switch

Claim 2

For use in a telephone instrument, a hook-switch combination comprising: a. a base structure; b. an assembly fixed to said base structure; c. an actuator assembly for switching cooperation with said fixed assembly; d. at least one of said assemblies including contact means for establishing the electrical circuits of said instrument; e. means mounting said assemblies including contact means on said base structure for operation by a telephone handset for travel in a path between a projecting and a depressed position; f. said contact means being located for switching said electrical circuits to and from an online condition over a first portion of said path of travel adjacent said projecting position and to and from a hung-up condition over a second portion of said path of travel adjacent said depressed position; g. and spring means including means connecting said spring means between said base structure and said actuator assembly for urging said actuator assembly from said depressed position towards said projecting position; h. said connecting means being positioned for causing said spring means to exert a first force on said actuator assembly in said projecting position and a second force on said actuator assembly in said depressed position; and i. said second force being the total force urging said actuator assembly from said depressed position towards said projecting position, and said second force being substantially smaller than said first force to enable said actuator assembly to be maintained in said depressed position by light pressure from the handset while providing firm actuation of said contact means in said projecting position.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1, wherein said actuator assembly is free of said contact means over said second portion of said path of travel to ensure that said second force is said total free.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1, wherein said first portion of the path of travel is a minor portion of said path of travel and is substantially shorter than said second portion thereof.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3, wherein said first portion is at most a quarter of the path of travel.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1, wherein said contact means includes first contact and second contact means for engagement with said first contact means in said online condition, one of said contact means being resilient so as to exert a third force on said actuator assembly when engaging the other contact means, said third force opposing said first force.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1, wherein said actuator assembly includes means defining an axis of rotation, wherein said mounting means includes means mounting said actuator assembly for rotation about said axis in said path of travel, wherein said spring means includes a tension spring having a first and a second end, and wherein said connecting means includes means connecting said first end to said base structure at a location spaced from said axis in a first direction and means connecting said second end to said actuator assembly at a location spaced from said axis in a second direction, said first and second directions being substantially opposite to each other, but forming an angle smaller than 180*.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said first contact means is mounted on said fixed assembly and said second contact means is fixed to said actuator assembly, said mounting means including means guiding said actuator assembly to move at least partially tangentially to said fixed assembly over said first portion of said path of travel to effect rubbing between said first and second contact means.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 5, wherein said first contact means includes a first contact surface and a seconD contact surface spaced from said first contact surface, wherein said second contact means includes a third contact surface for engaging said first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for engaging said second contact surface, and wherein said mounting means includes means producing a change in the orientation of said first contact means relative to said second contact means during movement of said actuator assembly through said first portion of said path of travel to cause engagement between said first and third contact surfaces at the transition between said first and second portions of said path of travel and engagement between said second and fourth contact surfaces in said projecting position of said actuator assembly.

Claim 10

For use in a telephone instrument, a hook-switch combination comprising: a. a base structure; b. an assembly fixed to said base structure; c. an actuator assembly for switching cooperating with said fixed assembly; d. at least one of said assemblies including first contact means and second contact means for cooperation with said first contact means to establish the electrical circuits of said instrument; e. means mounting said actuator assembly on said base structure for operation by a telephone handset for travel in a path between a projecting and a depressed position; f. said first and second contact means being located for switching said electrical circuits to and from an online condition over a first portion of said path of travel adjacent said projecting position and to and from a hung-up condition over a second portion of said path of travel adjacent said depressed position; g. spring means including means connecting said spring means between said base structure and said actuator assembly for urging said actuator assembly from said depressed position towards said projecting position; h. said first contact means including a first contact surface and a second contact surface spaced from said first contact surface and said second contact means including a third contact surface for engaging said first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for engaging said second contact surface; and i. said mounting means including means producing a change in the orientation of said first contact means relative to said second contact means during movement of said actuator assembly through said first portion of said path of travel to cause engagement between said first and third contact surfaces at the transition between said first and second portions of said path of travel and engagement between said second and fourth contact surfaces in said projecting position of said actuator assembly.

Claim 11

For use in a telephone instrument, a hook-switch combination comprising: a. a base structure; b. an assembly fixed to said base structure; c. an actuator assembly for switching cooperating with said fixed assembly; d. at least one of said assemblies including first contact means and second contact means for cooperation with said first contact means to establish the electrical circuits of said instrument; e. means mounting said actuator assembly on said base structure for operation by a telephone handset for travel in a path between a projecting and a depressed position; f. said first and second contact means being located for switching said electrical circuits to and from an online condition over a first portion of said path of travel adjacent said projecting position and to and from a hung-up condition over a second portion of said path of travel adjacent said depressed position; g. spring means including means connecting said spring means between said base structure and said actuator assembly for urging said actuator assembly from said depressed position towards said projecting position; h. said first contact means including a first contact surface and a second contact surface spaced from said first contact surface and said second contact means including a third contact surface for engaging said first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for engaging said second contact surface; and i. said mounting means including means producing a change in the orientation of said first contact means relative to said second contact means during movement of said actuator assembly through said first portion of said path of travel to cause engagement between said first and third contact surfaces at the transition between said first and second portions of said path of travel and engagement between said second and fourth contact surfaces in said projecting position of said actuator assembly.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9, wherein said first contact means is mounted on said fixed assembly and said second contact means is fixed to said actuator assembly, said mounting means including means guiding said actuator assembly to move at least partially tangentially to said fixed assembly over said first portion of said path of travel to effect rubbing between said first and second contact means.