Non-snap-acting switch devices with s-shaped contact spring blade

Claim 2

An electrical switching device comprising a housing having spaced apart end wall means; a pair of fixed contacts supported in spaced apart relationship from one of said end wall means between it and the other of said end wall means; a movable contact means; a resilient, generally S-shaped contact arm supporting the movable contact means between and biasing it into engagement with one of said fixed contacts, one end of said resilient contact arm being fixed relative to said one end wall means of said housing and the other end thereof freely terminating adjacent the other of said end wall means; and actuator means movable relative to and accessible from the exterior of said housing and having a porition engageable with said resilient contact arm adjacent said other end wall means of the housing for displacing said resilient contact arm and transferring said movable contact means out of engagement with said one fixed contact and into engagement with the other fixed coNtact, said resilient contact arm having thee generally straight legs, a first arcuate portion connecting the first and second of said legs adjacent said other end wall means of said housing, and a second arcuate portion connecting said second and the third of said legs adjacent said one end wall means of said housing, said first leg of said resilient contact means lying between said fixed contacts and the second and third legs thereof being between said one of said fixed contacts and the contact support arm engaging portion of said actuator means.

Claim 3

A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said movable contact means comprises first and second contacts, said contacts being fixed to opposite sides of said resilient contact arm.

Claim 4

A switching device according to claim 1, including a pair of generally rigid contact arms supported from and extending through said one end wall means of said housing, said arms having terminal means exteriorly of said housing to which electrical conductors can be attached and one of said fixed contacts being supported from one of said rigid contact arms, and a resilient contact arm fixed to the other of said generally rigid contact arms and supporting the other of the fixed contacts therefrom.

Claim 5

A switching device according to claim 3, together with a further resilient contact arm fixed to said one of said contact arms and supporting said one of said fixed contacts therefrom.

Claim 6

A switching device according to claim 1, together with a generally rigid contact arm supported from and extending through said one end wall means of said housing, said one end of said resilient contact arm being fixed to said generally rigid contact arm and said generally rigid contact arm having a terminal means exteriorly of the housing to which an electrical conductor can be attached.

Claim 7

A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a wall means extending between said end wall means, there being an aperture through said last-mentioned wall means and said actuator means having a shank portion extending through said aperture, the resilient contact arm engaging portion of said actuator means being a head having a diameter exceeding that of said aperture and said head being disposed between the interiorly facing side of the wall means in which the aperture is formed and said other end of said resilient contact arm.

Claim 8

A switching device according to claim 6, together with a bracket fixed to the exterior of the wall means in which the aperture is formed and a further actuator pivotally supported from said just-mentioned wall means by said bracket, said further actuator having a first portion engageable with the shank portion of the first-mentioned actuator and a second portion engageable to pivot said further actuator relative to said bracket means and thereby cause said first portion thereof to effect a movement of the first-mentioned actuator relative to said wall means.

Claim 9

An electrical switching device comprising a housing having wall means at one end thereof; first, second and third flexible contact arms interiorly of said housing; a first fixed contact cantilever supported in said housing by one of said flexible contact arms; a movable contact means supported by the second of said flexible contact arms in said housing opposite the first fixed contact; an actuator means accessible from the exterior of said housing for so flexing said second contact arm as to move said movable contact means toward or away from said first fixed contact; a second fixed contact cantilever supported from said housing wall means in spaced relation to said first fixed contact and on the other side of the movable contact means therefrom by said third flexible contact arm whereby, when said actuator means is operated, the movable contact means is transferred out of engagement with said first fixed contact and into engagement with the second of the fixed contacts; and rigid contact arms supported from said wall means, said flexible contact arms each beinG supported at one end thereof from one of said rigid contact arms, said rigid contact arms having terminal means to which electrical leads can be connected exteriorly of the housing, and the resilient contact arm by which the movable contact means is supported having three generally straight legs, a first arcuate portion connecting the first and second of said legs adjacent the end of said housing opposite the end at which it is supported by the rigid contact arm, and a second arcuate portion connecting said second and the third of said legs adjacent said one end of said housing, the first leg of said resilient contact means lying between said fixed contacts, the second and third legs thereof being between said second of said fixed contacts and the housing, and said third leg being engageable by said actuator means.

Claim 10

An electrical switching device comprising a housing having wall means at one end thereof; first, second and third flexible contact arms interiorly of said housing; a first fixed contact cantilever supported in said housing by one of said flexible contact arms; a movable contact means supported by the second of said flexible contact arms in said housing opposite the first fixed contact; an actuator means accessible from the exterior of said housing for so flexing said second contact arm as to move said movable contact means toward or away from said first fixed contact; a second fixed contact cantilever supported from said housing wall means in spaced relation to said first fixed contact and on the other side of the movable contact means therefrom by said third flexible contact arm whereby, when said actuator means is operated, the movable contact means is transferred out of engagement with said first fixed contact and into engagement with the second of the fixed contacts; and rigid contact arms supported from said wall means, said flexible contact arms each beinG supported at one end thereof from one of said rigid contact arms, said rigid contact arms having terminal means to which electrical leads can be connected exteriorly of the housing, and the resilient contact arm by which the movable contact means is supported having three generally straight legs, a first arcuate portion connecting the first and second of said legs adjacent the end of said housing opposite the end at which it is supported by the rigid contact arm, and a second arcuate portion connecting said second and the third of said legs adjacent said one end of said housing, the first leg of said resilient contact means lying between said fixed contacts, the second and third legs thereof being between said second of said fixed contacts and the housing, and said third leg being engageable by said actuator means.

Claim 11

A switching device according to claim 8, wherein therein is an aperture through the wall means and wherein said actuator means has a shank portion extending through said aperture and a head portion interiorly of the housing, said head portion having a diameter exceeding that of the aperture in said housing wall means and said head portion bring engageable with said third leg of said actuator.