Push button switch

Claim 2

In a push button switch including a hollow rectangular case, housing a movable switch operating lever mounted therein for reciprocating movement relative to at least one fixed reed switch and carrying at least one permanent magnet for changing the state of said switch during reciprocation past said switch from a first position to a second position, the improvement wherein: said lever comprises a rectangular block mounted at its edges within aligned grooves of opposed sidewalls of said case and wherein one edge of said lever is wider than the other and the grooves are of corresponding width, whereby said lever is oriented for insuring proper assembly of the same relative to said case.

Claim 3

The push button switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reed switch protecting frame for each switch, said frame comprising a square pillar shaped member of insulating material, said case including means for insertably receiving said square pillar shaped member, the front of said frame being provided with a U-shaped groove and a hole bored within the base of said frame centered with said groove, said reed switch being formed of an elongated glass tube having reed switch contacts therein and axially protruding leads at each end, one lead received within said bore and extending therethrough when said tube occupies said U-shaped groove, the rear of said frame further being grooved along a line parallel with said bore, an inverted L-shaped terminaL having a short end overlying the top of said frame and being electrically coupled to the upwardly protruding lead from said glass tube with the long end, protruding downwardly, within said groove on the rear of said frame, with the free end of the long end extending away from the base of said frame in the same direction and to the same extent as the terminal end of said one lead.

Claim 4

The push button switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for insertably receiving said frame includes an open bottom within said case, and projecting strips extending inwardly from said sidewalls, interiorly of said case, and defining a rectangular pit in conjunction with said sidewalls and receiving said square pillar shaped reed switch protecting frame, and a cover member overlying the open end of said case, said cover member being provided with drilled holes aligned with the terminal end of said one lead and the free end of said terminal and permitting the terminal end of said one lead and said terminal to project exteriorly of said push button switch for permitting external circuit connections therewith and wherein said cover prevents said lever and said switch protecting frame from falling out of said hollow case.

Claim 5

The push button switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lever includes at least one cylindrical cavity therein whose axis is parallel to the reciprocating path of said lever, said cavity opening up on either side of said lever, and wherein said permanent magnet is cylindrical in form and is of a size conforming to said cavity, said lever further comprising deflectable stops at respective ends of said cavity and on opposite sides thereof and partially overlying the cavity openings within the sidewalls of said lever, whereby said permanent magnet is inserted by inclining the same and forcing one end into one of said sidewall openings and towards the opening on the opposite side thereof, and momentarily deforming said deflectable stops until said permanent magnet is aligned with said cylindrical cavity and fully inserted therein.

Claim 6

The push button switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a cylindrical projection depending from the bottom of said lever block, a radially enlarged portion provided on said projection intermediate of its ends, a cup-shaped resilient buffer having an internal diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the major portion of said cylindrical projection forcibly inserted on said cylindrical projection and a coil spring concentrically carried by said cup-shaped buffer captured by the distorted buffer at said radially enlarged portion of said projection, and wherein the bottom of said coil spring engages said cover and tends to bias said lever away from said cover into a first lever position, and wherein depression of said lever to said second position causes said projection and said buffer to move downwardly within said case and to compress said coil spring until said buffer contacts said cover.

Claim 7

The push button switch as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cover includes a cylindrical projection coaxial with said spring, on its upper surface thereof facing said lever and concentrically receives the end of said coil spring not carried by said buffer to assist in maintaining alignment between the reciprocating parts of said switch.

Claim 8

In a push button switch including a hollow rectangular case housing a movable switch operating lever mounted therein for reciprocating movement relative to at least one fixed reed switch and carrying a permanent magnet for changing the state of said switch during lever reciprocation from a first position to a second position, the improvement comprising: at least one cylindrical cavity within said switch operating lever whose axis is parallel to the reciprocating path of said lever, said cavity opening up on either side of said lever, said permanent magnet being cylindrical in form and of a size conforming to said cavity, and deflectable stops at respective ends of said caviTy on opposite sides thereof and partially overlying the cavity openings within the sidewalls of said lever, whereby, said cylindrical permanent magnet is inserted by inclining the same and forcing the free end into one of the sidewall openings and towards the opening on the opposite side thereof, and said permanent magnet is fully inserted within said cavity by momentarily deforming said deflectable stops until said permanent magnet is aligned with said cylindrical cavity and fully seated therein.

Claim 9

In a push button switch including a hollow rectangular case housing a movable switch operating lever mounted therein for reciprocating movement relative to at least one fixed reed switch and carrying a permanent magnet for changing the state of said switch during lever reciprocation from a first position to a second position, the improvement comprising: at least one cylindrical cavity within said switch operating lever whose axis is parallel to the reciprocating path of said lever, said cavity opening up on either side of said lever, said permanent magnet being cylindrical in form and of a size conforming to said cavity, and deflectable stops at respective ends of said caviTy on opposite sides thereof and partially overlying the cavity openings within the sidewalls of said lever, whereby, said cylindrical permanent magnet is inserted by inclining the same and forcing the free end into one of the sidewall openings and towards the opening on the opposite side thereof, and said permanent magnet is fully inserted within said cavity by momentarily deforming said deflectable stops until said permanent magnet is aligned with said cylindrical cavity and fully seated therein.

Claim 10

The push button switch as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a reed switch protecting frame for each switch, said frame comprising a square pillar shaped member of insulating material, said case including means for insertably receiving said square pillar shaped member, the front of said frame being provided with a U-shaped groove and a hole bored within the base of said frame centered with said groove, said reed switch being formed of an elongated glass tube having reed switch contacts therein and actually protruding leads at each end, one lead received within said bore and extending therethrough when said tube occupies said U-shaped groove, the rear of said frame further being grooved along a line parallel with said bore, an inverted L-shaped terminal having a short end overlying the top of said frame and being electrically coupled to the upwardly protruding lead from said glass tube and having the long end protruding downwardly within said groove on the rear of said frame with its free end extending away from the base of said frame in the same direction and to the same extent as the terminal end of said one lead.

Claim 11

The push button switch as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means for insertably receiving said frame includes an open bottom wall within said case and projecting strips extending inwardly from said sidewalls, interiorly of said case and defining a rectangular pit in conjunction with intersecting sidewalls at at least one corner thereof, each pit receiving a square pillar shaped reed switch protecting frame, and a cover member overlying the open end of said case, said cover member being provided with drilled holes aligned with the terminal end lead and the free end of said terminal for each switch and permitting the terminal of said one lead and said terminal thereof to project exteriorly of said push button switch for permitting external circuit connections therewith, and wherein said cover member prevents said lever and said switch protecting frame from falling out of said hollow case.

Claim 12

The push button switch as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a cylindrical projection depending from the bottom of said lever block, a radially enlarged portion provided on said projection intermediate of its ends, a cup-shaped resilient buffer having an internal diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the major portion of said cylindrical projection, said buffer being forcibly inserted on said cylindrical projection and a coil spring concentrically carried by said cup-shaped buffer and captured by the distorted portion of said buffer at said radially enlarged portion of said projection, and wherein the bottom of said coil spring engages said cover and tends to bias said lever away from said cover into a first lever position, whereby: depression of said lever to said second position causes said projection and said buffer to move downwardly within said case to compress said coil spring until said buffer contacts said cover.

Claim 13

The push button switch as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cover includes a cylindrical projection coaxial with said spring on its upper surface thereof facing said lever to concentrically receive the end of said coil spring not carried by said buffer to assist in maintaining alignment between the reciprocating parts of said switch.

Claim 14

In a push button switch including a hollow rectangular case housing a movable switch operating lever mounted therein for reciprocating movement relative to at least one fixed reed switch and carrying a permanent magnet relative to each switch for changing the state of said switch during reciprocation past said switch from a first position to a second position, the improvement comprising: a reed switch protecting frame for each switch, said frame comprising a square pillar shaped member of insulating material, said case including means for insertably receiving said square pillar shaped member, the front of said frame being provided with a U-shaped groove and a hole bored within the face of said frame centered with said groove, said reed switch being formed of an elongated glass tube having reed switch contacts therein and axially protruding leads at each end, one lead received within said bore and extending therethrough when said tube occupies said U-shaped groove, the rear of said frame further being grooved along a line parallel with said bore, an inverted L-shaped terminal having a short end overlying the top of said frame and being electrically coupled to the upwardly protruding lead from said glass tube and having the long end thereof protruding downwardly, within said groove on the rear of said frame with the free end of the long end extending away from the base of said frame in the same direction and to the same extent as the terminal end of said wire lead.

Claim 15

In a push button switch including a hollow rectangular case housing a movable switch operating lever mounted therein for reciprocating movement relative to at least one fixed reed switch and carrying a permanent magnet relative to each switch for changing the state of said switch during reciprocation past said switch from a first position to a second position, the improvement comprising: a reed switch protecting frame for each switch, said frame comprising a square pillar shaped member of insulating material, said case including means for insertably receiving said square pillar shaped member, the front of said frame being provided with a U-shaped groove and a hole bored within the face of said frame centered with said groove, said reed switch being formed of an elongated glass tube having reed switch contacts therein and axially protruding leads at each end, one lead received within said bore and extending therethrough when said tube occupies said U-shaped groove, the rear of said frame further being grooved along a line parallel with said bore, an inverted L-shaped terminal having a short end overlying the top of said frame and being electrically coupled to the upwardly protruding lead from said glass tube and having the long end thereof protruding downwardly, within said groove on the rear of said frame with the free end of the long end extending away from the base of said frame in the same direction and to the same extent as the terminal end of said wire lead.

Claim 16

The push button switch as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means for insertably receiving said frame includes an open bottom within said case and projecting strips extending inwardly from said sidewalls interiorly of said case and defining a rectangular pit in conjunction with intersecting sidewalls at at least one corner thereof, each pit receiving a related square pillar shaped reed switch protecting frame, and a cover member overlying the open end of said case, said cover member being provided with drilled holes aligned with the terminal end of said one lead and the free end of said terminal at each switch location and permitting the terminal end of said one lead and the terminal to project exteriorly of said push button switch for external circuit connections therewith and wherein said cover prevents said lever and said switch protecting frame from falling out of said hollow case.

Claim 17

The push button switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein said lever includes at least one cylindrical cavity whose axis is parallel to the reciprocating path of the lever, said cavity opening up on either side of said lever and wherein said permanent magnet is cylindrical in form and is of a size conforming to said cavity, said lever further comprising deflectable stops at respective ends of said cavity and on opposite sides thereof and partially overlying the cavity openings within the sidewalls of said lever, whereby; said permanent magnet is inserted by inclining the same and forcing one end into one of said sidwall openings and towards the opening on the opposite side thereof and by momentarily deforming said deflectable stops until said permanent magnet is aligned with said cylindrical cavity, said magnet is fully inserted therein.