Switch contact structure

Claim 2

A switch structure comprising, a stab-type electrical contact means, movably mounted elongated contact finger means, means biasing said contact finger means in lateral electrical engagement with said stab-type electrical contact means, lever arm means extending from said contact finger means, and flexible, resilient U-shaped reverse current shunt means having a first arm rigidly secured and a second arm in contact with said lever arm means, said U-shaped reverse current shunt means imparting a rocking motion to said contact finger means through said lever arm means in response to displacement motion of said first arm resulting from magnetic forces developed by reverse current flow through the upper and second arms of said U-shaped reverse current shunt means, said rocking motion occurring about the longitudinal axis of said contact finger means and operating to increase the contact pressure between said contact finger means and said stab-type electrical contact means.

Claim 3

A switch structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said displacement motion of said second arm is substantially perpendicular to the lateral engaging action of said contact finger means, the increase in contact pressure provided by the U-shaped reverse current shunt means being in part a function of the distance between the contact finger means and the point at which said second arm contacts said lever arm means.

Claim 4

In an electric switch apparatus, the combination, of, a stab-type electrical contact means, a support plate means, a first and a second elongated contact finger means, each having a contact surface on one side near one end, said first and second contact fingers means movably mounted on said support plate means with side contact surfaces positioned beyond said support plate means and facing each other, means biasing said contact surfaces toward each other for laterally engaging said stab-type electrical contact, a first lever arm means extending from the side of said first contact finger means opposite to said contact surface, a second lever arm means extending from the side of said second contact finger means opposite to said contact surface, and a first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means operatively associated with said first and second lever arm means respectively, each U-shaped reverse current shunt means having flexible, resilient first and second arms, said first arms rigidly secured and said second arms in contact with said lever arm means, said first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means imparting a rocking motion to said first and second contact finger means through said first and second lever arm means respectively in response to displacement motion of said second arms produced by magnetic forces resulting from reverse current flow through the firSt and second arms of said first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means, said displacement motion being substantially perpendicular to the lateral engaging action of said contact finger means, said rocking motion occurring about the longitudinal axis of said contact finger means.

Claim 5

In an electric switch apparatus, the combination, of, a stab-type electrical contact means, a support plate means, a first and a second elongated contact finger means, each having a contact surface on one side near one end, said first and second contact fingers means movably mounted on said support plate means with side contact surfaces positioned beyond said support plate means and facing each other, means biasing said contact surfaces toward each other for laterally engaging said stab-type electrical contact, a first lever arm means extending from the side of said first contact finger means opposite to said contact surface, a second lever arm means extending from the side of said second contact finger means opposite to said contact surface, and a first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means operatively associated with said first and second lever arm means respectively, each U-shaped reverse current shunt means having flexible, resilient first and second arms, said first arms rigidly secured and said second arms in contact with said lever arm means, said first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means imparting a rocking motion to said first and second contact finger means through said first and second lever arm means respectively in response to displacement motion of said second arms produced by magnetic forces resulting from reverse current flow through the firSt and second arms of said first and second U-shaped reverse current shunt means, said displacement motion being substantially perpendicular to the lateral engaging action of said contact finger means, said rocking motion occurring about the longitudinal axis of said contact finger means.

Claim 6

In an electric switch apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and said second contact finger means include a dome-shaped pivot point on the side of the contact finger means opposite to said lever arm means, said dome-shaped pivot point contacting said support plate means to implement said rocking motion.

Claim 7

In an electric switch apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rocking motion tilts said contact surfaces causing a first portion of the contact surface to be displaced from said stab-type electrical contact while increasing the contact pressure between the second portion of the contact surfaces and the stab-type electrical contact.

Claim 8

In an electric switch as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means biasing includes a spring member acting in compression against said contact finger means to urge said contact surfaces toward each other for laterally engaging said stab-type electrical contact, the design of said spring member being such as to cause the coils of said spring to go to a solid condition in response to a predetermined displacement of said lower portion of said contact surfaces from said stab-type electrical contact.

Claim 9

In an electric switch as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and second lever arm means include means for adjustably varying the lever arm distance between said second arms and said contact finger means.