Switch with peripheral cam actuator

Claim 2

A switch mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced apart housing walls having major and minor sides, said plurality of housing walls including a pair of adjacent housing walls one of which has a major side facing and extending parallel to a major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls including surface means defining a plurality of contact mounting recesses in the major side of the housing wall, a plurality of fixed contact members extending between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, said fixed contact members being associated in pairs, each of said fixed contact members including a first mounting portion disposed in a contact mounting recess formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second mounting portion disposed in a contact mounting recess formed in the major side of the other wall of the pair of housing walls, and a contact portion disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of movable contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, each of said movable contact members being associated with a pair of fixed contact members and including a pair of contact portions movable between a first position spaced apart from the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members and a second position disposed in abutting engagement with the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members, a plurality of carrier means disposed between facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for supporting said movable contact members for movement between the first and second positions, cam means disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for moving said carrier means relative to said fixed contact members to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions, means for supporting said cam means for rotation about an axis extending transversely to said major sides of the pair of housing walls, and means for rotating said cam means relative to said pair of housing walls.

Claim 3

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls includes second surface means defining a plurality of carrier guide slots, each of said carrier means including a first portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of the other wall of the pair of housing walls, an intermediate portion disposed between said first and second portions and the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, and means for connecting said intermediate portion with one of said movable contact members, said cam means being operaBle to effect reciprocation of said plurality of carrier means in the associated carrier guide slots to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions.

Claim 4

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said carrier guide slots have longitudinally extending central axes which intersect the axis of rotation of said cam means.

Claim 5

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said surface means for defining a plurality of contact mounting recesses in the major side of a housing wall includes means for defining a plurality of contact mounting recesses in one of the major sides of the housing wall and means for defining a plurality of contact mounting recesses in another major side of the housing wall opposite from said one major side of the housing wall to enable fixed contact members to be mounted on the two opposing major sides of the housing wall.

Claim 6

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second surface means for defining a plurality of carrier guide slots includes means for defining a plurality of carrier guide slots in said one of the major sides of the housing wall and means for defining a plurality of carrier guide slots in said other major side of the housing wall to enable carrier means to be slidably disposed in carrier guide slots on the two opposing sides of the housing wall.

Claim 7

A switch assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a plurality of bellow means for inducing a flow of air between the contact portions of said fixed and movable contact members upon movement of said movable contact members from said second position to said first position to retard arcing between said contact portions.

Claim 8

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said bellow means includes a bellow plate connected with an associated one of said carrier means and movable therewith to induce a flow of air.

Claim 9

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said bellow means further includes a first shield member disposed adjacent to one end of a bellow plate and extending between said major sides of said pair of housing walls to block flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate, and a second shield member disposed adjacent to an end of said bellow plate opposite from said one end and extending between said major sides of said pair of housing walls to further block a flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate.

Claim 10

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls includes second surface means for defining a plurality of barrier mounting slots, said switch mechanism further including a plurality of barrier plates extending between the major sides of the pair of housing walls adjacent to the contact portions of said fixed contact members to further block a flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate, each of said barrier plates including a first portion disposed in a barrier mounting slot formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second portion disposed in a barrier mounting slot in the major side of the other wall of the pair of housing walls, and an intermediate portion disposed between said first and second portions and the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls.

Claim 11

A switch mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced apart housing walls having major and minor sides, said plurality of housing walls including a pair of adjacent housing walls one of which has a major side facing and extending parallel to a major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of fixed contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, said fixed contact members being associated in pairs, each of said fixed contact members including a contact portion disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, a pLurality of movable contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, each of said movable contact members being associated with a pair of fixed contact members and including a pair of contact portions movable between a first position spaced apart from the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members and a second position disposed in abutting engagement with the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members, each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls including surface means defining a plurality of longitudinally extending carrier guide slots in the major side of the housing wall, a plurality of carrier means disposed between facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for supporting said movable contact members for movement between the first and second positions, each of said carrier means including a first portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, an intermediate portion disposed between said first and second portions and the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, and means for connecting said intermediate portion with one of said movable contact members, cam means disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for moving said carrier means in said carrier guide slots relative to said fixed contact members to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions, means for supporting said cam means for rotation about an axis extending transversely to said major side of the pair of housing walls, and means for rotating said cam means relative to said pair of housing walls.

Claim 12

A switch mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced apart housing walls having major and minor sides, said plurality of housing walls including a pair of adjacent housing walls one of which has a major side facing and extending parallel to a major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of fixed contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, said fixed contact members being associated in pairs, each of said fixed contact members including a contact portion disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, a pLurality of movable contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, each of said movable contact members being associated with a pair of fixed contact members and including a pair of contact portions movable between a first position spaced apart from the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members and a second position disposed in abutting engagement with the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members, each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls including surface means defining a plurality of longitudinally extending carrier guide slots in the major side of the housing wall, a plurality of carrier means disposed between facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for supporting said movable contact members for movement between the first and second positions, each of said carrier means including a first portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second portion slidably disposed in a carrier guide slot formed in the major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, an intermediate portion disposed between said first and second portions and the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, and means for connecting said intermediate portion with one of said movable contact members, cam means disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for moving said carrier means in said carrier guide slots relative to said fixed contact members to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions, means for supporting said cam means for rotation about an axis extending transversely to said major side of the pair of housing walls, and means for rotating said cam means relative to said pair of housing walls.

Claim 13

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 10 further including a plurality of spring means disposed in said carrier guide slots for urging said carrier means toward said cam means, each of said spring means having a first end portion which presses against one end of the associated one of said carrier slots and a second end portion which presses against the associated one of said carrier means.

Claim 14

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 10 wherein said carrier means includes a body having a generally H-shaped configuration with the legs of said H-shaped body forming said first and second portions of said carrier means and the cross bar of said H-shaped body forming said intermediate portion of said carrier means.

Claim 15

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 10 further including a plurality of bellow means for inducing a flow of air between the contact portions of the fixed and movable contact members upon movement of said movable contact members from said second position to said first position to retard arcing between said contact portions, each of said bellows means including a bellow plate connected with the intermediate portion of an associated one of said carrier means and movable therewith to induce a flow of air.

Claim 16

A switch mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced apart housing walls having major and minor sides, said plurality of housing walls including a pair of adjacent housing walls one of which has a major side facing and extending parallel to a major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of fixed contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, said fixed contact members being associated in pairs, each of said fixed contact members including a contact portion disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of movable contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, each of said movable contact members being associated with a pair of fixed contact members and including a pair of contact portions movable between a first position spaced apart from the contact portions of the asSociated pair of fixed contact members and a second position disposed in abutting engagement with the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members, a plurality of carrier means disposed between facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for supporting said movable contact members for movement between the first and second positions, cam means disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for moving said carrier means relative to said fixed contact members to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions, means for supporting said cam means for rotation about an axis extending transversely to said major side of the pair of housing walls, means for rotating said cam means relative to said pair of housing walls to move said carrier means, and a plurality of bellow means for inducing a flow of air between the contact portions of said fixed and movable contact members upon movement of said movable contact members from said second position to said first position to retard arcing between said contact portions.

Claim 17

A switch mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced apart housing walls having major and minor sides, said plurality of housing walls including a pair of adjacent housing walls one of which has a major side facing and extending parallel to a major side of the other housing wall of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of fixed contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, said fixed contact members being associated in pairs, each of said fixed contact members including a contact portion disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, a plurality of movable contact members disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls, each of said movable contact members being associated with a pair of fixed contact members and including a pair of contact portions movable between a first position spaced apart from the contact portions of the asSociated pair of fixed contact members and a second position disposed in abutting engagement with the contact portions of the associated pair of fixed contact members, a plurality of carrier means disposed between facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for supporting said movable contact members for movement between the first and second positions, cam means disposed between the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls for moving said carrier means relative to said fixed contact members to thereby move said movable contact members between said first and second positions, means for supporting said cam means for rotation about an axis extending transversely to said major side of the pair of housing walls, means for rotating said cam means relative to said pair of housing walls to move said carrier means, and a plurality of bellow means for inducing a flow of air between the contact portions of said fixed and movable contact members upon movement of said movable contact members from said second position to said first position to retard arcing between said contact portions.

Claim 18

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said bellow means includes a bellow plate connected with an associated one of said carrier means and movable therewith to induce a flow of air.

Claim 19

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 15 wherein each of said bellow means further includes a first shield member disposed adjacent to one end of a bellow plate and extending between said major sides of said pair of housing walls to block a flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate, and a second shield member disposed adjacent to an end of said bellow plate opposite from said one end and extending between said major sides of said pair of housing walls to further block a flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate.

Claim 20

A switch mechanism as set forth in claim 16 wherein each of the housing walls of the pair of housing walls includes second surface means for defining a plurality of carrier mounting slots, said switch mechanism further including a plurality of barrier plates extending between the major sides of the pair of housing walls adjacent to the contact portions of said fixed contact members to further block a flow of air in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said bellow plate, each of said barrier plates including a fixed portion disposed in a barrier mounting slot formed in the major side of one of the pair of housing walls, a second portion disposed in a barrier mounting slot in the major side of the other wall of the pair of housing walls, and an intermediate portion disposed between said first and second portions and the facing major sides of the pair of housing walls.