Rocker-type electrical switch

Claim 2

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type for use with alternating current, which includes: a housing; a rocker having flat angularly disposed outer faces for operating the switch; said rocker being pivotally supported in the housing at a first pivot point and being pivotally movable with limited angular movemeNt of less than 20* between first and second rest positions; a movable contact brush pivotally supported at a second pivot point in the housing; said first and second pivot points being spaced vertically relative to each other and each being aligned with a transverse center line of the housing; a boss carried by the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom; a spring compressed between the downwardly extending boss on said rocker and a lower end of said contact brush; said spring being movable under compression to inclined positions relative to the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker between said rest positions; said movement of the spring transmitting pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush; and a pair of spaced cams carried by the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of an upper end of the brush; said cams engaging, respectively, with said upper end of the brush at a point above said second pivot point; said rocker and cams being movable into engagement with the brush under pressure exerted by the spring on the rocker in said first and second rest position thereof.

Claim 3

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type for use with alternating current as defined in claim 1 which includes: a fixed contact mounted in the housing; a lower end of the brush being movable toward and away from the fixed contact, said upper end of the brush including a shoulder extending above said second pivot point with the cams on the rocker extending downwardly on opposite sides thereof; said cams engaging, respectively with said shoulder and urging the brush in one direction about the second pivot point and urging the lower end of the brush in one direction under the influence of the spring when the rocker is in one of the rest positions.

Claim 4

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type for use with alternating current as defined in claim 2, wherein: said cams engage with the shoulder of the brush at a point closer to the second pivot point than the distance from the second pivot point to the lower end of the brush.

Claim 5

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type comprising; a cover having an opening therein; a rocker pivotally mounted in said cover for limited angular movement of less than twenty degrees between first and second rest positions; said rocker having flat angularly disposed upper faces located in and extending lengthwise of said opening in the cover; a hollow base located beneath the cover; said base containing a cavity communicating with a lower face of the rocker; a boss carried by said lower face of the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom facing said cavity; a fixed contact mounted in the cavity in the base; a common contact mounted in the base and being spaced from the fixed contact; a movable contact brush electrically connected to and being pivotally supported on said common contact; said pivoted brush having a shoulder extending upwardly from the pivot point thereof and a lower end extending into said cavity; said lower end of the brush opposing the fixed contact and being movable into and out of electrical contact therewith; a spring compressed between the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the movable contact brush; said spring urging the rocker about its pivot point in said rest positions thereof and being angularly movable to the inclined positions relative to the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting said pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the shoulder on the brush; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulder on the brush at points above the pivot point of the brush and urging the lower end of the brush in one direction under force exerted on the rocker by the spring in said rest positions thereof; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush in the rest positions of the rocker.

Claim 6

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type comprising; a cover having an opening therein; a rocker pivotally mounted in said cover for limited angular movement of less than twenty degrees between first and second rest positions; said rocker having flat angularly disposed upper faces located in and extending lengthwise of said opening in the cover; a hollow base located beneath the cover; said base containing a cavity communicating with a lower face of the rocker; a boss carried by said lower face of the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom facing said cavity; a fixed contact mounted in the cavity in the base; a common contact mounted in the base and being spaced from the fixed contact; a movable contact brush electrically connected to and being pivotally supported on said common contact; said pivoted brush having a shoulder extending upwardly from the pivot point thereof and a lower end extending into said cavity; said lower end of the brush opposing the fixed contact and being movable into and out of electrical contact therewith; a spring compressed between the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the movable contact brush; said spring urging the rocker about its pivot point in said rest positions thereof and being angularly movable to the inclined positions relative to the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting said pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the shoulder on the brush; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulder on the brush at points above the pivot point of the brush and urging the lower end of the brush in one direction under force exerted on the rocker by the spring in said rest positions thereof; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush in the rest positions of the rocker.

Claim 7

An electrical rocKer switch of the quiet type as defined in claim 4 wherein: the spring comprises a coil spring having one end connected to the boss on the rocker and being held under compression between the rocker and the lower end of the movable contact brush: said one end of the spring being angularly movable under compression relative to the movable contact brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker and transmitting said pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush.

Claim 8

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type as defined in claim 4 wherein: the rocker and the contact brush are pivoted at spaced pivot points in the cover and base respectively and said pivot points are aligned with transverse center lines of the cover and base.

Claim 9

An electrical rocker switch of the quiet type as defined in claim 4 wherein: the spaced cams on the rocker engage with the shoulder on the movable contact brush at points spaced from the pivot point of the brush by a distance less than the distance from the pivot point of the brush to the lower end thereof.

Claim 10

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination as defined in claim 4 which includes: a rigid spacer fitting within the cover; said cover holding the rocker in pivotal engagement with the cover; and securing the fixed contact and the common contact in the cavity in the base.

Claim 11

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination which comprises: a hollow base having a contact receiving cavity formed therein; at least one fixed contact mounted in said cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm displaced from a transverse center line of the base; a movable contact brush; a common contact mounted in the base and pivotally supporting the movable contact brush at the transverse center line of the base; said brush having spaced upwardly extending shoulders and a lower end extending into said cavity; said lower end of the brush being movable toward and away from engagement with said fixed contact; a cover having an opening therein; a rocker pivitally supported in the cover at a transverse center line thereof and in alignment with the pivot of the brush; said rocker being movable between first and second rest positions thereof with an angular movement of 20* or less; a boss carried by the rocker in opposing relation to the cavity in the base; said boss also containing transverse openings into which upper ends of the brush extend; said openings positioning the brush transversely of the cover and the base; a coil spring compressed between the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the contact brush; said spring urging the brush into electrical engagement with the common contact and having an end connected to the boss on the rocker; said end of the spring being angularly moveable relative to the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting said pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the shoulders on the brush; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulders at points above the pivot point of the brush; said pivotal movement of the brush moving the lower end of the brush into and out of engagement with the fixed contact; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush by said spring in the rest positions of the rocker; said movement urging one of the cams on the rocker into engagement with the shoulder on the contact brush; said engagement of the cam with the brush urging the lower end of the contact brush toward one position thereof under pressure exerted on the rocker by the spring.

Claim 12

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination which comprises: a hollow base having a contact receiving cavity formed therein; at least one fixed contact mounted in said cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm displaced from a transverse center line of the base; a movable contact brush; a common contact mounted in the base and pivotally supporting the movable contact brush at the transverse center line of the base; said brush having spaced upwardly extending shoulders and a lower end extending into said cavity; said lower end of the brush being movable toward and away from engagement with said fixed contact; a cover having an opening therein; a rocker pivitally supported in the cover at a transverse center line thereof and in alignment with the pivot of the brush; said rocker being movable between first and second rest positions thereof with an angular movement of 20* or less; a boss carried by the rocker in opposing relation to the cavity in the base; said boss also containing transverse openings into which upper ends of the brush extend; said openings positioning the brush transversely of the cover and the base; a coil spring compressed between the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the contact brush; said spring urging the brush into electrical engagement with the common contact and having an end connected to the boss on the rocker; said end of the spring being angularly moveable relative to the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting said pivotal movement of the rocker to the brush; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the shoulders on the brush; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulders at points above the pivot point of the brush; said pivotal movement of the brush moving the lower end of the brush into and out of engagement with the fixed contact; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush by said spring in the rest positions of the rocker; said movement urging one of the cams on the rocker into engagement with the shoulder on the contact brush; said engagement of the cam with the brush urging the lower end of the contact brush toward one position thereof under pressure exerted on the rocker by the spring.

Claim 13

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination which comprises: a frame-like cover defining an opening; a rocker pivotally supported in said cover at a transverse center line thereof; said rocker having flat angularly disposed upper faces exposed through said opening and being movable through an angle of less than tweNty degrees to first and second rest positions; a base containing a cavity and having a transverse center line coinciding with the transverse center line of the cover; at least one fixed contact mounted in said base adjacent a bottom of the cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm displaced relative to the transverse center line of the base; a common contact mounted in said base in spaced relation to the fixed contact; said common contact having spaced arms extending along opposite sides of the cavity at an upper end thereof; a movable contact brush pivotally mounted on said arms of the common contact at the transverse center line of the base and in electrical contact therewith; said contact brush having spaced upper ends extending upwardly therefrom and having a lower end extending into the cavity in the base in opposing relation to the fixed contact; said upper ends including shoulders extending upwardly from the pivot points of the brush; said lower end of the contact brush being movable into and out of opposing electrical engagement with the fixed contact; a boss formed on the rocker cooperating with the upper ends of the brush and positioning the brush transversely relative to the cavity in the base; said boss facing the cavity; a coil spring held under compression between the lower end of the pivoted brush and the boss on the pivoted rocker; said spring having one end connected to the boss on the rocker and being angularly movable relative to a plane extending through the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting pivotal movement of the rocker to the contact brush and moving the lower end of the brush into and out of engagement with the fixed contact; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly from the rocker on opposite sides of the shoulders; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulders on the brush at points above the pivot points thereof; said cams also being movable relative to the brush under the influence of the spring in the rest positions of the rocker; said movement urging the lower end of the brush to one position under pressure from the spring.

Claim 14

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination which comprises: a frame-like cover defining an opening; a rocker pivotally supported in said cover at a transverse center line thereof; said rocker having flat angularly disposed upper faces exposed through said opening and being movable through an angle of less than tweNty degrees to first and second rest positions; a base containing a cavity and having a transverse center line coinciding with the transverse center line of the cover; at least one fixed contact mounted in said base adjacent a bottom of the cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm displaced relative to the transverse center line of the base; a common contact mounted in said base in spaced relation to the fixed contact; said common contact having spaced arms extending along opposite sides of the cavity at an upper end thereof; a movable contact brush pivotally mounted on said arms of the common contact at the transverse center line of the base and in electrical contact therewith; said contact brush having spaced upper ends extending upwardly therefrom and having a lower end extending into the cavity in the base in opposing relation to the fixed contact; said upper ends including shoulders extending upwardly from the pivot points of the brush; said lower end of the contact brush being movable into and out of opposing electrical engagement with the fixed contact; a boss formed on the rocker cooperating with the upper ends of the brush and positioning the brush transversely relative to the cavity in the base; said boss facing the cavity; a coil spring held under compression between the lower end of the pivoted brush and the boss on the pivoted rocker; said spring having one end connected to the boss on the rocker and being angularly movable relative to a plane extending through the brush in response to pivotal movement of the rocker; said angular movement of the spring imparting pivotal movement of the rocker to the contact brush and moving the lower end of the brush into and out of engagement with the fixed contact; and a pair of spaced cams formed on the rocker and extending downwardly from the rocker on opposite sides of the shoulders; said cams engaging, respectively, with the shoulders on the brush at points above the pivot points thereof; said cams also being movable relative to the brush under the influence of the spring in the rest positions of the rocker; said movement urging the lower end of the brush to one position under pressure from the spring.

Claim 15

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination as defined in claim 10 which includes a mounting strap, said mounting strap having an opening therein and having sides engaging with and holding the cover and the rocker in operating position on the base.

Claim 16

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combinatin as defined in claim 10 which includes a rigid spacer fitted within the cover and supporting the cover on the base; said spacer supporting the rocker in pivotal engagement with the cover and having an opening therein through which the upper end of the brush extends into engagement with the rocker.

Claim 17

In an electrical rocker switch of the quiet type, the combination as defined in claim 12 wherein: the fixed contact includes a terminal plate extending vertically along a side wall of the cavity in the base; the common contact includes a terminal plate extending vertically along a side wall of the cavity in the base in spaced relation to the fixed contact; said terminal plates having upper edges engaging with the spacer and being held in the cavity in the base thereby.

Claim 18

In a rocker-type electrical switch, the combination which comprises a base having a cavity formed therein; said cavity having a bottom with upstanding side and end walls; at least one fixed contact mounted in said cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm angularly displaced relative to a transverse center line of the base, a common contact mounted in the cavity in said base in spaced relation to the fixed contact; said common contact including oppositely disposed spaced arms extending along upper side edges of the cavity and across said transverse center line; said spaced arms containing V-shaped notches aligned with each other and with the transverse center line of the base; a movable coNtact brush; oppositely disposed trunnions carried by the brush; said trunnions pivotally supporting the brush in the V-shaped notches in said arms and in electrical contact therewith; said brush having spaced upper ends with shoulders formed thereon extending upwardly from said trunnions and a lower end extending downwardly into the cavity in opposing relation to the contact arm of the fixed contact; said lower end of the contact brush being movable into and out of opposing engagement with said fixed contact in pivotal movement of the brush; a cover supported on the base; a rocker pivotally mounted in the cover at points aligned with the V-shaped notches in the arms of the common contact; said cover containing a frame-like opening surrounding flat angularly disposed upper faces of the rocker; said rocker being pivotally movable between first and second rest position with limited angular movement of less than 20*; a boss formed on the rocker and facing the cavity; said boss containing transverse slots into which the upper ends of the brush extend; said slots positioning the brush transversely of the cavity; a spring compressed betweeen the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the pivoted contact brush; said spring urging the brush into electrical engagement with the common contact and having an end connected to the boss on the rocker; said end of the spring being angularly movable relative to a plane extending through the brush in response to the pivotal movement of the rocker; said movement of the spring imparting angular movement of the rocker to the pivoted contact brush and moving the lower end of the contact brush into and out of engagement with the contact arm of the fixed contact; and a pair of spaced cams carried by the rocker and extending downwardly on opposite sides of the shoulders on the upper ends of the contact brush; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush under force exerted by the spring in said rest positions of the rocker; said force urging the cams, respectively, into engagement with the shoulders on the brush at points above the pivot point of the brush the rest positions of the brush; said spring also urging the rocker and the cams thereon into engagement with the shoulders on the contact brush and urging the lower end of the contact brush toward one position thereof under the force exerted on the rocker by the spring in one of the rest positions of the rocker.

Claim 19

In a rocker-type electrical switch, the combination which comprises a base having a cavity formed therein; said cavity having a bottom with upstanding side and end walls; at least one fixed contact mounted in said cavity; said fixed contact having a contact arm angularly displaced relative to a transverse center line of the base, a common contact mounted in the cavity in said base in spaced relation to the fixed contact; said common contact including oppositely disposed spaced arms extending along upper side edges of the cavity and across said transverse center line; said spaced arms containing V-shaped notches aligned with each other and with the transverse center line of the base; a movable coNtact brush; oppositely disposed trunnions carried by the brush; said trunnions pivotally supporting the brush in the V-shaped notches in said arms and in electrical contact therewith; said brush having spaced upper ends with shoulders formed thereon extending upwardly from said trunnions and a lower end extending downwardly into the cavity in opposing relation to the contact arm of the fixed contact; said lower end of the contact brush being movable into and out of opposing engagement with said fixed contact in pivotal movement of the brush; a cover supported on the base; a rocker pivotally mounted in the cover at points aligned with the V-shaped notches in the arms of the common contact; said cover containing a frame-like opening surrounding flat angularly disposed upper faces of the rocker; said rocker being pivotally movable between first and second rest position with limited angular movement of less than 20*; a boss formed on the rocker and facing the cavity; said boss containing transverse slots into which the upper ends of the brush extend; said slots positioning the brush transversely of the cavity; a spring compressed betweeen the boss on the rocker and the lower end of the pivoted contact brush; said spring urging the brush into electrical engagement with the common contact and having an end connected to the boss on the rocker; said end of the spring being angularly movable relative to a plane extending through the brush in response to the pivotal movement of the rocker; said movement of the spring imparting angular movement of the rocker to the pivoted contact brush and moving the lower end of the contact brush into and out of engagement with the contact arm of the fixed contact; and a pair of spaced cams carried by the rocker and extending downwardly on opposite sides of the shoulders on the upper ends of the contact brush; said rocker and cams being movable relative to the brush under force exerted by the spring in said rest positions of the rocker; said force urging the cams, respectively, into engagement with the shoulders on the brush at points above the pivot point of the brush the rest positions of the brush; said spring also urging the rocker and the cams thereon into engagement with the shoulders on the contact brush and urging the lower end of the contact brush toward one position thereof under the force exerted on the rocker by the spring in one of the rest positions of the rocker.