Miniature oil-tight push button and selector switch assembly and improved contact unit therefor

Claim 2

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, contact means secured to the rear end portion of said switch housing, said contact means including a pair of separable contacts and contact indicator means movable to one indicating position as a result of opening of said contacts to indicate an open condition of said contacts and movable to another indicating position as a result of closing of said contacts to indicate a closed condition of said contacts, switch operating means in said switch housing, and camming means secured to said switch operating means for controlling the condition of said contacts and the position of said contact indicator means.

Claim 3

A switch assembly as in claim 1 wherein said contact means includes a contact module containing said pair of contacts and said contact indicator means.

Claim 4

A switch assembly as in claim 2 wherein said contact module includes a contact operator means having a first position, wherein said pair of contacts is closed, and a second position, wherein said pair of contacts is open, and wherein said camming means is operable to move said contact operator means selectively into said first and second positions.

Claim 5

A switch assembly as in claim 3 wherein said contact operator means has an end portion, and contact camming means is provided on said contact operator means for changing the condition of said pair of contacts, said contact camming means being located a first distance from said end portion of said contact operator means, and said contact means includes an additional contact module containing an additional pair of said contacts, an additional contact operator means having an end portion, and an additional contact camming means on the additional contact operator means for changing the condition of said additional pair of contacts, said additional contact camming means being located a second distance from the end portion of the additional contact operator means different from the first distance.

Claim 6

A switch assembly as in claim 3 wherein said contact module includes a housing having an opening therein and said contact indicator means has one position to display, at said opening, an indicia indicating a closed condition of said pair of contacts and an other posItion to display, at said opening, an indicia indicating an open condition of said contacts.

Claim 7

A switch assembly as in claim 5 wherein said contact module includes spring means for biasing said contact indicator means into said one position, and means on said contact operator means for biasing said contact indicator means into said other position when said contact operator means is in said second position.

Claim 8

A switch assembly as in claim 1 wherein said contact means comprises a contact housing having forward and rear end portions and inner and outer side walls, each of said side walls having an aperture therethrough, the rear end portion of the contact housing having a pair of openings therein, said pair of contacts being disposed in said contact housing and normally biased into the closed condition, a pair of terminals held respectively in said pair of openings and connected respectively to said pair of contacts, said contact indicator means being disposed in said contact housing and visible through the aperture in said outer side wall, a biasing spring disposed in said contact housing and biasing said contact indicator means toward one of its indicating positions, and a contact operator disposed in said contact housing between said contacts and having a pair of opposite end portions, a camming nose at one of said end portions extending through the aperture in said inner side wall, contact camming surfaces proximate to said contacts, and means at the other of said end portions for moving said contact indicator means to the other of its indicating positions.

Claim 9

A switch assembly as in claim 7 wherein interlocking tongue in groove and threaded attachment means are provided on the forward end portion of said contact housing and the back end portion of said switch housing.

Claim 10

A switch assembly as in claim 1 wherein said switch operating means comprises push button switch operating means.

Claim 11

A switch assembly as in claim 1 wherein said switch operating means comprises selector switch operating means.

Claim 12

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, contact means secured to the rear end portion of said switch housing, a selector switch stem rotatably mounted in said switch housing and rotatable selectively to a plurality of positions and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, stop means in said switch housing for determining the number of positions for said selector switch stem, camming means removably secured to the rear end portion of said selector switch stem for controlling the condition of said contact means, and detent means for said selector switch stem comprising a cam surface disposed on a portion of said selector switch stem within said switch housing and defining depressions, a pair of indexing pins reciprocably mounted in and guided by said switch housing and selectively seating in said depressions as said cam surface is moved during rotation of said selector switch stem, and means in said switch housing for biasing the indexing pins against said cam surface for defining positions of said selector switch stem.

Claim 13

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, contact means secured to the rear end portion of said switch housing, a selector switch stem rotatably mounted in said switch housing and rotatable selectively to a plurality of positions and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, stop means in said switch housing for determining the number of positions for said selector switch stem, camming means removably secured to the rear end portion of said selector switch stem for controlling the condition of said contact means, and detent means for said selector switch stem comprising a cam surface disposed on a portion of said selector switch stem within said switch housing and defining depressions, a pair of indexing pins reciprocably mounted in and guided by said switch housing and selectively seating in said depressions as said cam surface is moved during rotation of said selector switch stem, and means in said switch housing for biasing the indexing pins against said cam surface for defining positions of said selector switch stem.

Claim 14

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, contact means secured to the rear end portion of said switch housing, a selector switch stem rotatably mounted in said switch housing, having a cam surface thereon defining a depression and a planar portion having an end portion, having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, and being rotatable selectively to a rest position and to a maintained position and a momentary position respectively on opposite sides of the rest position, camming means removably secured to the rear end portion of said selector switch stem for controlling the condition of said contact means, reciprocatable indexing means seating in the depression of said cam surface in the maintained position of said selector switch stem, seating at the end portion of the planar portion of said cam suRface in the rest position of said selector switch stem, and sliding across the planar portion of said cam surface when said selector switch stem is moved between the rest position and the momentary position, means for biasing the indexing means against said cam surface, a return spring mounted for rotation with said selector switch stem and having an end portion, holding means in said switch housing for holding the end portion of the return spring upon rotation of said selector switch stem from the rest position toward the momentary position, and stop means for determining the number of positions for the selector switch stem.

Claim 15

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, contact means secured to the rear end portion of said switch housing, a selector switch stem rotatably mounted in said switch housing, having a cam surface thereon defining a depression and a planar portion having an end portion, having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, and being rotatable selectively to a rest position and to a maintained position and a momentary position respectively on opposite sides of the rest position, camming means removably secured to the rear end portion of said selector switch stem for controlling the condition of said contact means, reciprocatable indexing means seating in the depression of said cam surface in the maintained position of said selector switch stem, seating at the end portion of the planar portion of said cam suRface in the rest position of said selector switch stem, and sliding across the planar portion of said cam surface when said selector switch stem is moved between the rest position and the momentary position, means for biasing the indexing means against said cam surface, a return spring mounted for rotation with said selector switch stem and having an end portion, holding means in said switch housing for holding the end portion of the return spring upon rotation of said selector switch stem from the rest position toward the momentary position, and stop means for determining the number of positions for the selector switch stem.

Claim 16

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, a switch operating stem movably mounted in said switch housing and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, a plurality of separate contact modules each including a contact housing having a single pair of separable contacts and a movable contact operator disposed therein, means for mounting said contact modules on the rear end portion of said switch housing in surrounding relationship to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem, and camming means secured to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem and movable therewith to move the contact operators of said contact modules.

Claim 17

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, a switch operating stem movably mounted in said switch housing and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, a plurality of separate contact modules each including a contact housing having a single pair of separable contacts and a movable contact operator disposed therein, means for mounting said contact modules on the rear end portion of said switch housing in surrounding relationship to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem, and camming means secured to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem and movable therewith to move the contact operators of said contact modules.

Claim 18

A switch assembly as in claim 13 wherein there are four contact modules in said plurality.

Claim 19

A switch assembly as in claim 13 wherein said switch operating stem is reciprocably mounted in said switch housing.

Claim 20

A switch assembly as in claim 13 wherein said switch operating stem is rotatably mounted in said switch housing.

Claim 21

A switch assembly as in claim 39 wherein each of said contact modules also includes a contact indicator means indicating whether the respective pair of contacts are open or closed.

Claim 22

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, a switch operating stem movably mounted in said switch housing and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, four separate contact modules each including a contact housing having a pair of separable contacts and a movable contact operator disposed therein, means for mounting said contact modules on the rear end portion of said switch housing in surrounding relationship to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem, and camming means secured to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem and movable therewith to move the contact operators of said contact modules.

Claim 23

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing having forward and rear end portions, a switch operating stem movably mounted in said switch housing and having a rear end portion extending rearwardly of said switch housing, four separate contact modules each including a contact housing having a pair of separable contacts and a movable contact operator disposed therein, means for mounting said contact modules on the rear end portion of said switch housing in surrounding relationship to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem, and camming means secured to the rear end portion of said switch operating stem and movable therewith to move the contact operators of said contact modules.

Claim 24

A switch assembly as in claim 18 wherein said switch operating stem is reciprocably mounted in said switch housing.

Claim 25

A switch assembly as in claim 18 wherein said switch operating stem is rotatably mounted in said switch housing.

Claim 26

A switch assembly as in claim 18 wherein each of said contact modules also includes a contact indicator means indicating whether the respective pair of contacts are open or closed.