Abstract The telescopic lever carries a spring loaded cam follower bearing against a cam contoured flipper blade pivotally supported in a center terminal to rock about a pivot point to contact an adjacent stationary contact. The contoured cam surface of the flipper blade combined with the pivot action and the direction of force application by the spring loaded follower acts to give the desired action to the toggle switch (momentary or sustained). All terminals and the flipper are stamped flat pieces which easily assemble into the base with great accuracy and low cost. Simple substitution of parts will change the characteristics of the switch while ensuring use of many common parts. A simple change can apply the concept to single pole or double pole operation. The toggle can be two or three position. Simple changes allow ten different switches. A key feature is the use of a flat center terminal and a flat flipper blade coplanar with one another whereby all necessary contours are formed in stamping operations with resultant accuracy.
In a rocking contact-type switch, a base having fixed planar terminals mounted therein and supported thereby, a planar contact blade supported by one of the terminals in edge to edge relationship with interfitting curved shapes providing for rocking the contact blade, the rocking blade being coplanar with the terminal upon which it is mounted and presenting a contoured edge, a cam having an edge bearing against the contoured edge of the blade and carried by a rockable bat-type lever with interposed spring means urging the cam edge against the edge of the rocking blade at all times while imparting a motion to the rocking blade in accordance with the relationship of the spring force relative to the pivot point of the rocking blade during actuation and to the pivot point of the bat lever.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
In a rocking contact-type switch, a base having fixed planar terminals mounted therein and supported thereby, a planar contact blade supported by one of the terminals in edge to edge relationship with interfitting curved shapes providing for rocking the contact blade, the rocking blade being coplanar with the terminal upon which it is mounted and presenting a contoured edge, a cam having an edge bearing against the contoured edge of the blade and carried by a rockable bat-type lever with interposed spring means urging the cam edge against the edge of the rocking blade at all times while imparting a motion to the rocking blade in accordance with the relationship of the spring force relative to the pivot point of the rocking blade during actuation and to the pivot point of the bat lever.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The construction of claim 1 including means constraining motion of the cam to the plane including the rocking blade and said one terminal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The construction according to claim 2 in which said one terminal supporting the rocking blade has two spaced pivot points about which the blade may rock depending upon the action imparted by the bat lever, said one terminal and the rocking blade supported thereby having cooperating generally circular surface portions constraining the rocking blade to limited motion relative to the terminal.