Door-operated electric switch

Claim 2

A door-operated switch comprising a housing having means for mounting the same in a door frame, switch contacts in said housing and having a closed condition and an open condition, said switch contacts including a movable contact, and a rockable dooroperated actuator on said housing and having a door-open position and a door-closed position, spring means biasing said actuator to its door-open position, said actuator having cam means in engagement with said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-closed position and biasing said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in one of said conditions, the contacts being in the other condition when said actuator is in its door-open position, said cam means and said movable contact having coacting surface means shaped such that in an initial increment of movement of said actuator from its door-open position toward its door-closed position the cam means moves said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in said one condition, and in the remaining movement of said actuator toward its door-closed position the cam means continues to bias said movable contact to cause said switch contacts to remain in said one condition, said initial increment being a minor fractional part of the movement of said actuator from its dooropen position to its door-closed position, said cam means and said movable contact being spaced apart when the actuator is in its door-open position so that in an initial part of said initial increment of movement, the actuator moves into engagement with the movable contact.

Claim 3

A switch according to claim 1 in which said movable contact has angularly related legs joined by an arcuate apex portion and said apex portion is engaged by said cam means.

Claim 4

A door-operated switch comprising a housing having means for mounting the same in a door frame, switch contacts in said housing and having a closed condition and an open condition, said switch contacts including a movable contact, and a rockable door-operated actuator on said housing and having a door-open position and a door-closed position, spring means biasing said actuator to its door-open position, said actuator having cam means in engagement with said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-closed position and biasing said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in one of said conditions, the contacts being in the other condition when said actuator is in its door-open position, said cam means and said movable contact having coacting surface means shaped such that in an initial increment of movement of said actuator from its door-open position toward its door-closed position the cam means moves said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in said one condition, and in the remaining movement of said actuator toward its door-closed position the cam means continues to bias said movable contact to cause said switch contacts to remain in said one condition, said initial increment being a minor fractional part of the movement of said actuator from its door-open position to its door-closed position, said housing having an opening through which said actuator projects, a wall in said housing between said opening and the region of engagement of said contacts, and said housing having passage means between said wall and said opening for draining fluid from the housing.

Claim 5

A door-operated switch comprising a housing having means for mounting the same in a door frame, switch contacts in said housing and having a closed condition and an open condition, said switch contacts including a movable contact, and a rockable door-operated actuator on said housing and having a door-open position and a door-closed position, spring means biasing said actuator to its door-open position, said actuator having cam means in engagement with said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-closed position and biasing said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in one of said conditions, the contacts being in the other condition when said actuator is in its door-open position, said cam means and said movable contact having coacting surface means shaped such that in an initial increment of movement of said actuator from its door-open position toward its door-closed position the cam means moves said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in said one condition, and in the remaining movement of said actuator toward its door-closed position the cam means continues to bias said movable contact to cause said switch contacts to remain in said one condition, said initial increment being a minor fractional part of the movement of said actuator from its door-open position to its door-closed position, said housing having an opening through which said actuator projects, a wall in said housing between said opening and the region of engagement of said contacts, and said housing having passage means between said wall and said opening for draining fluid from the housing.

Claim 6

A switch according to claim 3 in which said wall has a slot through which said movable contact projects.

Claim 7

A door-operated switch comprising a housing having means for mounting the same in a door frame, switch contacts in said housing and having a closed condition and an open condition, said switch contacts including a movable contact, and a rockable actuator door-operated on said housing and having a door-open position and a door-closed position, spring means biasing said actuator to its door-Open position, said actuator having cam means with a cam surface for engagement with said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-closed position and biasing said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in one of said conditions, the contacts being in the other condition when said actuator is in its door-open position, said cam surface including a first surface portion that is spaced from said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-open position and which initially engages said movable contact, and an adjacent second surface portion for subsequently engaging said movable contact, said first surface portion having a smaller radius of curvature than that of said second surface portion.

Claim 8

A door-operated switch comprising a housing having means for mounting the same in a door frame, switch contacts in said housing and having a closed condition and an open condition, said switch contacts including a movable contact, and a rockable actuator door-operated on said housing and having a door-open position and a door-closed position, spring means biasing said actuator to its door-Open position, said actuator having cam means with a cam surface for engagement with said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-closed position and biasing said movable contact to a position in which said contacts are in one of said conditions, the contacts being in the other condition when said actuator is in its door-open position, said cam surface including a first surface portion that is spaced from said movable contact when the actuator is in its door-open position and which initially engages said movable contact, and an adjacent second surface portion for subsequently engaging said movable contact, said first surface portion having a smaller radius of curvature than that of said second surface portion.

Claim 9

A door-operated switch comprising a housing, switch contacts in said housing, means carried by said housing for actuating said switch contacts, an opening in said housing and through which said means projects, and a wall in said housing and forming a fluid barrier between said opening and the region of engagement of said contacts, said housing having passage means between said wall and said opening for draining fluid from said housing.

Claim 10

A door-operated switch comprising a housing, switch contacts in said housing, means carried by said housing for actuating said switch contacts, an opening in said housing and through which said means projects, and a wall in said housing and forming a fluid barrier between said opening and the region of engagement of said contacts, said housing having passage means between said wall and said opening for draining fluid from said housing.

Claim 11

A switch according to claim 6 in which said housing includes means for mounting the same in a door frame, said opening being approximately flush with said frame.

Claim 12

A switch according to claim 6 in which said switch contacts include a movable contact that projects through said wall.

Claim 13

A door-operated switch according to claim 6 in which said housing has a bottom wall and a cover opposite to said bottom wall, the wall forming the fluid barrier projecting from said bottom wall toward said cover.

Claim 14

A door-operated switch according to claim 9 in which said switch contacts includes a movable switch contact projecting through said wall forming the fluid barrier, and said actuating means includes a cam portion engaging said movable switch contact.