Rotary switch with particular feeder contact

Claim 2

A rotary switch comprising a housing having a plurality of wire receiving apertures therein; a rotatable electrically conductive contactor having a peripheral edge of preselected configuration mounted within said housing for rotation about an axis; a plurality of mutually spaced contacts positioned within said housing radially about said axis for contact with portions of said contactor peripheral edge in rotatably selected contactor positions; and a unitary feeder contact positioned within said housing, said unitary feeder contact having an annular portion positioned in pressure contact with said contactor in all rotatably selectable contactor positions, a pressure locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of one of said wire receiving apertures in said housing for locking engagement with a wire inserted through said one wire receiving aperture, and a linking portion electrically and mechanically linking said annular portion with said pressure locking tongue portion.

Claim 3

A rotary switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thickness of said unitary feeder contact annular portion, of said locking tongue portion, and of said linking portion is substantially the same whereby the feeder contact may be formed from a sheet of material of substantially uniform thickness.

Claim 4

A rotary switch in accordance with claim 1 comprising a shaft rotatably disposed along said axis to which shaft said contactor is mounted, and wherein said annular portion of said unitary feeder contact is disposed about said shaft in pressure contact with said contactor.

Claim 5

A rotary switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein said annular portion of said unitary feeder contact is disposed substantially along a plane, said locking tongue portion of said unitary feeder contact is disposed of said plane, and said plurality of contacts is positioned readially about said unitary feeder contact annular portion.

Claim 6

A rotary switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said mutually spaced contacts is Z-shaped and includes a locking tongue portion which overlays at least a portion of another of said wire receiving apertures in said housing.

Claim 7

A rotary switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein said linking portion of said unitary feeder contact includes a linking strip segment which extends substantially normally said plane from the periphery of said annular portion of said unitary feeder contact.

Claim 8

A rotary switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and an integral conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said integral conductive feeder contact having a planar portion disposed between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, and a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess.

Claim 9

A rotary switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and an integral conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said integral conductive feeder contact having a planar portion disposed between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, and a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess.

Claim 10

A switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and a conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said feeder contact having a planar portion disposed between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess, and a linking portion electrically and mechanically linking said planar portion with said locking tongue portion, and wherein said linking portion extends substantially normally from the periphery of said planar portion into said recess.

Claim 11

A switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and a conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said feeder contact having a planar portion disposed between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess, and a linking portion electrically and mechanically linking said planar portion with said locking tongue portion, and wherein said linking portion extends substantially normally from the periphery of said planar portion into said recess.

Claim 12

A rotary switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and a conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said feeder contact having an annular planar portion disposed about said axis between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, and a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess.

Claim 13

A rotary switch comprising: a housing having a hollow, unitary, dielectric base with said base having an interior floor, a plurality of walls extending from said floor, a central bearing formed in said floor, and a recess formed in said floor to one side of said central bearing, said recess and at least one of said walls having a wire receiving aperture formed therein communicating to the exterior of said housing; a shaft journalled in said bearing for rotation about a shaft axis; an electrically conductive, rotatable contactor mounted to said shaft for rotation about said shaft axis and having a substantially planar surface; at least one contact positioned within said hollow, unitary base adjacent the periphery of said contactor, said contact having a contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said one wall; and a conductive feeder contact positioned within said base, said feeder contact having an annular planar portion disposed about said axis between said floor and said contactor in sliding engagement with said contactor planar surface, and a feeder contact locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said wire receiving aperture in said recess.

Claim 14

A feeder contact for electrically coupling as electric contactor mounted within the housing of a rotary switch for rotation about an axis with an external wire inserted into the electric switch housing through an aperture therein, said feeder contact comprising an annular portion positioned about said axis in pressure contact with said electric contactor, a locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said aperture, and a linking portion electrically and mechanically linking said annular portion with said locking tongue portion, said annular portion being disposed along a first plane and said locking tongue portion beiNg disposed off said first plane, whereby the electric contactor may be electrically coupled in a plurality of rotational contactor positions by the feeder contact to a wire inserted into the housing through the aperture and into locking engagement with the feeder contact locking tongue portion.

Claim 15

A feeder contact for electrically coupling as electric contactor mounted within the housing of a rotary switch for rotation about an axis with an external wire inserted into the electric switch housing through an aperture therein, said feeder contact comprising an annular portion positioned about said axis in pressure contact with said electric contactor, a locking tongue portion overlaying at least a portion of said aperture, and a linking portion electrically and mechanically linking said annular portion with said locking tongue portion, said annular portion being disposed along a first plane and said locking tongue portion beiNg disposed off said first plane, whereby the electric contactor may be electrically coupled in a plurality of rotational contactor positions by the feeder contact to a wire inserted into the housing through the aperture and into locking engagement with the feeder contact locking tongue portion.

Claim 16

A feeder contact in accordance with claim 10 wherein said annular portion is disposed along a first plane, said locking tongue is disposed along a second plane and at least a portion of said linking portion is disposed along a third plane, and wherein said first, second and third planes intersect each other at substantially right angles.