Reversible contact bridge arrangement for electrical switches

Claim 2

A rotary electric switch comprising a rotatably mounted switching arm of insulating material, a contact plate of insulating material disposed parallel to the switching arm and mountably supporting at least two concentrically disposed electrical contact paths thereon, at least one of the contact paths consisting at least partly of individual spaced stationary contacts, a contact bridge arrangement detachably mounted on the switching arm for rotary movement therewith, the contact bridge having contacts thereon adapted to slideably engage and cooperate with the contact paths to connect the individual contacts of the contact paths in a selEcted predetermined manner, the contact bridge contacts including a set of bridging contacts and a set of break contacts with respect to the contact paths, the bridging contacts being disposed on one side of the switching arm with the break contacts being disposed on the opposite side of the switching arm, the contact bridge arrangement adapted for removal from the switching arm and reversed through an angle of 180* about an axis extending in the radial direction so as to select the side of the contact bridge and associated bridging or break contacts to be brought into operative sliding engagement with the contact paths.

Claim 3

The rotary electric switch of claim 1 wherein the contact bridge arrangement is a resilient U-shaped spring plate having substantially parallel leg portions and an interconnecting web portion, the plate being detachably supported on the switching arm by the clamping action of the resilient leg portions on the switching arm, the plate adapted to be detached from the switching arm in the radial direction, rotated 180* about the longitudinal axis of the plate, and again mounted on the switching arm whereby a new set of contacts are now disposed for slideably engaging the contact paths.

Claim 4

The rotary electric switch of claim 2 wherein recesses are provided on opposite sides of the switching arm, and the leg portions of the U-shaped spring plate are adapted to engage into the recesses so as to position the spring plate on the switching arm.

Claim 5

The rotary electric switch of claim 2, wherein a recess is provided in the outermost edge of the switching arm, and the web portion of the U-shaped spring plate is received in the edge recess so that no portion of the contact bridge projects from the outermost end of the switching arm.

Claim 6

The rotary electric switch of claim 2 wherein the outermost edge of the switching arm has chamfers adapted to co-operate with each of the free ends of the leg portions of the U-shaped spring plate to facilitate the attachment of the contact bridge arrangement onto the switching arm.

Claim 7

The rotary electric switch of claim 2 wherein the bridging and break contacts on the contact bridge arrangement are integral portions of the leg portions of the spring plate produced by being punched out of the spring plate.

Claim 8

The rotary electric switch of claim 1 wherein the two contact paths consist of one continuous uninterrupted contact path and one contact path consisting of individual spaced stationary contacts, the contact bridge arrangement includes an identical contact positioned on each side of the switching arm directly above the continuous contact path, and a bridging contact on one side of the switching arm and a break contact on the other side of the switching arm, respectively, directly above the contact path of individually spaced contacts.

Claim 9

The rotary electric switch of claim 1 wherein the contact of each set of contacts which are disposed to engage the same contact path are circumferentially offset relative to each other.

Claim 10

A rotary electric switch comprising: a stationary contact mounting plate of insulating material; a rotatable switching arm of insulating material disposed parallel to the mounting plate and spaced therefrom, the switch arm rotatable relative to the contact mounting plate about an axis generally perpendicular to the mounting plate, the switching arm having a top side surface and a bottom side surface with the bottom surface being in spaced juxtaposition with said mounting plate; a first contact path defined on said mounting plate by a plurality of individual spaced stationary first contacts mounted on said mounting plate about the circumference of an approximate circle having its center common with said axis of rotation of said switching arm; a second contact path defined on said mounting plate concentric to said first contact path and radially spaced therefrom; a U-shaped contact bridge arrangement detachably mounted on said switching arm for rotation therewith, said contact bridge including two legs interconnected at one end by a web portion, one leg of said bridge being received on the top surface of the switching arm with the other leg of said bridge being received on the bottom surface of said switching arm, said contact bridge being removable from said switching arm, rotated 180* about its longitudinal axis, and mounted in this reversed position on said switching arm so that said one bridge leg would then be received on said bottom surface of said switching arm with said other bridge leg then being received on said top surface of said switching arm thereby permitting the selective choosing of the particular bridge leg to be received by said bottom surface of said switching arm for juxtapositioning with said contact paths; said one bridge leg having electrically connected first and second contacts formed thereon arranged for sliding engagement with said first and second contact paths respectively when said one bridge leg is placed in juxtaposition thereto on said switching arm, said first contact being smaller in size than the spacing between adjacent said first individually spaced stationary contacts on said mounting plate so that no bridging occurs between adjacent stationary contacts when said one bridge leg first contact is moved therebetween; said other bridge leg having electrically connected third and fourth contacts thereon arranged for sliding engagement with said first and second contact paths respectively when said other bridge leg is positioned on said switching arm in juxtaposition with said contact paths on said mounting plate, said other bridge leg third contact being larger in size than the spacing between adjacent said first individually spaced stationary contacts on said mounting plate so that bridging occurs between adjacent individually spaced stationary contacts when said third contact is slideably moved therebetween; said contact bridge being selectively disposed on said switching arm with said one leg in juxtaposition with said mounting plate so as to bring by choice individual of said first individually spaced stationary contacts into electrical connection with said second contact path by said first and second contacts when said one bridge leg is positioned on said switching arm in juxtaposition with said mounting plate, and by reversing said contact bridge on said switching arm so that said other leg is in juxtaposition with said mounting plate, to bridge by choice adjacent said first individually spaced contacts on said mounting plate thereby electrically interconnecting such adjacent contacts by the bridging of said third contact on said other bridge leg and placing the bridged adjacent contacts in electrical connection with said second contact path by said fourth contact.

Claim 11

A rotary electric switch comprising: a stationary contact mounting plate of insulating material; a rotatable switching arm of insulating material disposed parallel to the mounting plate and spaced therefrom, the switch arm rotatable relative to the contact mounting plate about an axis generally perpendicular to the mounting plate, the switching arm having a top side surface and a bottom side surface with the bottom surface being in spaced juxtaposition with said mounting plate; a first contact path defined on said mounting plate by a plurality of individual spaced stationary first contacts mounted on said mounting plate about the circumference of an approximate circle having its center common with said axis of rotation of said switching arm; a second contact path defined on said mounting plate concentric to said first contact path and radially spaced therefrom; a U-shaped contact bridge arrangement detachably mounted on said switching arm for rotation therewith, said contact bridge including two legs interconnected at one end by a web portion, one leg of said bridge being received on the top surface of the switching arm with the other leg of said bridge being received on the bottom surface of said switching arm, said contact bridge being removable from said switching arm, rotated 180* about its longitudinal axis, and mounted in this reversed position on said switching arm so that said one bridge leg would then be received on said bottom surface of said switching arm with said other bridge leg then being received on said top surface of said switching arm thereby permitting the selective choosing of the particular bridge leg to be received by said bottom surface of said switching arm for juxtapositioning with said contact paths; said one bridge leg having electrically connected first and second contacts formed thereon arranged for sliding engagement with said first and second contact paths respectively when said one bridge leg is placed in juxtaposition thereto on said switching arm, said first contact being smaller in size than the spacing between adjacent said first individually spaced stationary contacts on said mounting plate so that no bridging occurs between adjacent stationary contacts when said one bridge leg first contact is moved therebetween; said other bridge leg having electrically connected third and fourth contacts thereon arranged for sliding engagement with said first and second contact paths respectively when said other bridge leg is positioned on said switching arm in juxtaposition with said contact paths on said mounting plate, said other bridge leg third contact being larger in size than the spacing between adjacent said first individually spaced stationary contacts on said mounting plate so that bridging occurs between adjacent individually spaced stationary contacts when said third contact is slideably moved therebetween; said contact bridge being selectively disposed on said switching arm with said one leg in juxtaposition with said mounting plate so as to bring by choice individual of said first individually spaced stationary contacts into electrical connection with said second contact path by said first and second contacts when said one bridge leg is positioned on said switching arm in juxtaposition with said mounting plate, and by reversing said contact bridge on said switching arm so that said other leg is in juxtaposition with said mounting plate, to bridge by choice adjacent said first individually spaced contacts on said mounting plate thereby electrically interconnecting such adjacent contacts by the bridging of said third contact on said other bridge leg and placing the bridged adjacent contacts in electrical connection with said second contact path by said fourth contact.

Claim 12

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein a plurality of circumferally spaced radially extending recesses are formed in opposite sides of said switching arm, and said leg portions of said contact bridge resiliently detachably engage into one of said recesses for positioning the contact bridge on the switching arm.

Claim 13

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein a plurality of circumferally spaced recesses are formed in the outermost edge of said switching arm, said web portion of said contact bridge being fully received in said recess so that no portion of the contact bridge projects radially outwardly from said switching arm.

Claim 14

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein the outermost edges of the switching arm have chamfers formed therein adapted to co-operate with the free end of each bridge leg to facilitate the selective attachment of the contact bridge onto the switching arm.

Claim 15

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth contacts on said contact bridge are defined by punching out integral portions of each bridge leg.

Claim 16

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein said first and third contacts on said contacT bridge are positioned on opposite sides of said switching arm directly above said first contact path, and said second and fourth contacts contact bridge are positioned on opposite sides of said switching arm directly above said second path.

Claim 17

The rotary electric switch of claim 9 wherein said first contact is circumferentially offset relative to said third contact, and said second contact is circumferentially offset relative to said fourth contact.