US3879592A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Switch having pivoted u-shaped resilient conductive blade
Assignee: Eaton Corp
•
Filing: 1974-02-11
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Granted: 1975-04-22
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Expires: 1994-02-11
Abstract
Abstract The switch has a pair of blades each of which is a piece of flat stock formed into a generally U shape with the shorter leg pivoted on the notched center terminal and normally contacting the N.C. terminal while the longer leg overlies the N.O. terminal. When the actuator (as distinct from the handle) is moved towards the N.O. terminal, the free end engages the terminal with considerable contact pressure while the actuator engages the upstanding tab forcing the blade to the left to wipe the blade on the terminal. The centering spring returns the actuator to normal. When the actuator is moved towards the N.C. terminal, the sloping tab is engaged and the blade wipes the N.C. terminal. In the foregoing the distinction between the actuator and the handle should be kept in mind - the handle moves opposite to the actuator. This switch can handle large DC current without using precious metals, thus achieving greatly improved performance at low cost.
Inventors
- 👤 John Comerford
- 👤 Richard L Lauritsen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:54
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H1/00; H01H1/12; H01H1/14; H01H1/18; H01H21/00; H01H21/54; H01H21/60; H01H23/00; H01H23/02; H01H23/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A switch comprising, a housing, spaced terminals mounted in the housing, an electrically conductive resilient blade formed in a generally U shape having a long and a short leg with the end of the short leg pivoted on one terminal and the long leg normally overlying and spaced from the other (N.O.) terminal with the U bend in the blade being spaced from the said one terminal in the direction opposite that of said other terminal relative to said one terminal, an actuator pivotally mounted in the housing and normally engaging the long leg of the blade at a point lying between said bend and an imaginary line from said pivot to the pivot center of the actuator, movement of said actuator to move the point of contact of the actuator with the blade past said imaginary line to an active position being operative to force the free end of the long leg of the blade into contact with said N.O. terminal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A switch comprising, a housing, spaced terminals mounted in the housing, an electrically conductive resilient blade formed in a generally U shape having a long and a short leg with the end of the short leg pivoted on one terminal and the long leg normally overlying and spaced from the other (N.O.) terminal with the U bend in the blade being spaced from the said one terminal in the direction opposite that of said other terminal relative to said one terminal, an actuator pivotally mounted in the housing and normally engaging the long leg of the blade at a point lying between said bend and an imaginary line from said pivot to the pivot center of the actuator, movement of said actuator to move the point of contact of the actuator with the blade past said imaginary line to an active position being operative to force the free end of the long leg of the blade into contact with said N.O. terminal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
A switch according to claim 1 in which the long leg of the blade is provided with an upstanding tab which is engaged by the actuator when the actuator moves from its normal position to said active position whereby continued motion of the actuator after the blade end contacts said N.O. terminal is operative to force the end of the long leg to wipe across said other terminal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
89 words
A switch according to claim 1 including a third (N.C.) terminal mounted in the housing in proximity to the bend of the blade and normally engaged by the short leg of the blade when the actuator is in its normal position, said short leg being moved out of contact with said N.C. terminal when the actuator is moved to its active position and contact pressure between the blade and the N.C. terminal increasing when the actuator is moved from said normal posItion in the direction opposite the active position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
A switch according to claim 3 in which the long leg of the blade is provided with an upstanding tab which is engaged by the actuator when the actuator moves from its normal position to said active position whereby continued motion of the actuator after the blade end contacts said N.O. terminal is operative to force the end of the long leg to wipe across said other terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
A switch according to claim 4 in which the blade is provided with a second tab sloping upwardly from the long leg on the side of the actuator opposite the first or upstanding tab, the second tab being engaged by the actuator when the actuator is moved in said opposite direction whereby the contact pressure between the short leg and said N.C. terminal and the wiping motion of the blade across the N.C. terminal are increased as a function of the angle between the second tab and the blade.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
A switch including a second blade and terminal arrangement as defined in claim 5 arranged alongside the arrangement of claim 5 but in the opposite sense whereby a single actuator acting on both blades is operative to close the N.O. terminal in one switch when moved in one direction and to close the other N.O. terminal when moved in the opposite direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A switch including a second blade and terminal arrangement as defined in claim 1 arranged alongside the arrangement of claim 1 but in the opposite sense whereby a single actuator acting on both blades is operative to close the N.O. terminal in one switch when moved in one direction and to close the other N.O. terminal when moved in the opposite direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
A switch comprising, a housing, spaced terminals in the housing, an electrically conductive resilient blade bent into a generally U shape with the free end of one leg pivoted on one terminal, an actuator pivotally mounted in the housing and normally engaging the other leg at a point offset from the imaginary line connecting the center of the actuator pivot and the pivot of said blade, movement of said actuator to move the point of engagement with the blade through said imaginary line being operative to move the blade relative to said other terminal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
94 words
A switch comprising, a housing, spaced terminals in the housing, an electrically conductive resilient blade bent into a generally U shape with the free end of one leg pivoted on one terminal, an actuator pivotally mounted in the housing and normally engaging the other leg at a point offset from the imaginary line connecting the center of the actuator pivot and the pivot of said blade, movement of said actuator to move the point of engagement with the blade through said imaginary line being operative to move the blade relative to said other terminal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-21 | 1978-10-21 | 1979-04-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-21 | 1982-10-21 | 1983-04-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-21 | 1986-10-21 | 1987-04-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |