Cam operated, pivoted contact switch assembly having split housing and safety cover

Claim 2

A switch assembly comprising: a housing including a top wall and opposed side walls defining a cavity; a pair of similar terminals mounted in said cavity, each including a spring contact portion having a base and a loop extending from said base; said bases being positioned against said opposed side walls and said loops extending toward one another within said cavity, portions of said loops normally abutting one another; a switch operator pivotally mounted within said cavity for rotational movement between first and second positions about an axis between said side walls and generally parallel to said side and top walls; and cam means on said operator engageable with at least one said spring contact portion for separating said contact portions upon pivoting of said operator from said first to said second position.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1, a plurality of said pairs of terminals and of said operators.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 2, said housing including an open bottom, and a base member attached to said housing to close said bottom, said housing and said base member having latching means so that said housing and said base member may be attached with a snap fit.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3, each terminal including an additional contact portion extending from said housing out of said cavity through said base member.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4, said additional contact portions comprising solder tails disposed in two parallel rows.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1, further comprising indexing surface means on said cam means and said loop portions for resiliently retaining said operator in said first and second positions.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 1, a pair of trunnions on said operator, and wall means integral with said housing forming an opposed set of bearings, said wall means and bearings being constructed and arranged for a snap fit of said trunnions into said bearings.

Claim 9

A switch assembly comprising: a housing including a top wall and opposed side walls defining a cavity; a plurality of pairs of similar terminals mounted in said cavity, each terminal including a spring contact portion having a base and a loop extending from said base; said bases being positioned against said opposed side walls and said loops of each pAir of terminals extending toward one another within said cavity, portions of said loops normally engaging one another; a plurality of switch operators pivotally mounted within said cavity for rotational movement between first and second positions about an axis between said side walls and generally parallel to said side and top walls; cam means on each said operator engageable with at least one said spring contact portion of each pair of terminals for separating said contact portions upon pivoting of said operator from said first to said second position, each said operator including an actuating arm extending radially from said axis through said top wall; a cover member releasably engeable with said housing and overlying said top wall; and projection means on said cover in the path of movement of said actuating arms for preventing pivoting of said operators between positions when said cover is in place.

Claim 10

A switch assembly comprising: a housing including a top wall and opposed side walls defining a cavity; a plurality of pairs of similar terminals mounted in said cavity, each terminal including a spring contact portion having a base and a loop extending from said base; said bases being positioned against said opposed side walls and said loops of each pAir of terminals extending toward one another within said cavity, portions of said loops normally engaging one another; a plurality of switch operators pivotally mounted within said cavity for rotational movement between first and second positions about an axis between said side walls and generally parallel to said side and top walls; cam means on each said operator engageable with at least one said spring contact portion of each pair of terminals for separating said contact portions upon pivoting of said operator from said first to said second position, each said operator including an actuating arm extending radially from said axis through said top wall; a cover member releasably engeable with said housing and overlying said top wall; and projection means on said cover in the path of movement of said actuating arms for preventing pivoting of said operators between positions when said cover is in place.

Claim 11

The assembly of claim 8, said cover member being transparent.

Claim 12

A switch assembly comprising a housing, wall means integral with said housing forming an opposed set of bearings, an operator member having trunnion means for supporting said operator member in said bearings for pivotal movement, terminal means supported in said housing and including switch contact means, and cam means on said operator member engageable with said contact means for operating said contact means between open and closed conditions in response to pivotal movement of said operator member, said wall means each including a bearing wall in the form of a segment of a circle having an entry gap therein, the portions of said bearing wall adjacent said entry gap being defined by a pair of flexible wall portions, and said trunnion means comprising a pair of trunnion shafts extending from opposed sides of said operator member and having a diameter larger than said entry gap, thereby allowing a snap fit between the trunnions and the bearing means.

Claim 13

A switch assembly comprising a housing, wall means integral with said housing forming an opposed set of bearings, an operator member having trunnion means for supporting said operator member in said bearings for pivotal movement, terminal means supported in said housing and including switch contact means, and cam means on said operator member engageable with said contact means for operating said contact means between open and closed conditions in response to pivotal movement of said operator member, said wall means each including a bearing wall in the form of a segment of a circle having an entry gap therein, the portions of said bearing wall adjacent said entry gap being defined by a pair of flexible wall portions, and said trunnion means comprising a pair of trunnion shafts extending from opposed sides of said operator member and having a diameter larger than said entry gap, thereby allowing a snap fit between the trunnions and the bearing means.

Claim 14

The assembly of claim 10, said housing including a top wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls, said wall mans comprising first and second wall structures integral with said end walls and at least one intermediate third wall structure parallel to and spaced from said first and second wall structures, and at least two said operators disposed between and supported by said first, second and third wall structures.

Claim 15

The assembly of claim 11, said housing having an open bottom, said entry gaps being directed toward said bottom.

Claim 16

The assembly of claim 12 further comprising a base member engageable with said side walls and end walls to close said open bottom.

Claim 17

A switch assembly comprising a housing having an interfacing pair of walls, a cavity between said walls, a pair of similar terminals mounted in said cavity, each terminal including a generally flat base portion and a loop portion overlying the base portion, said base portions being positioned against said walls and said loop portions extending toward one another within said cavity, portions of said loops normally engaging one another, a switch operator mounted for rotation about an axis between and generally parallel to the planes of said walls, cam means on said operator for separating said loop portions upon rotation of said operator from a first to a second position, and indexing surface means on said cam means and said loop portions for resiliently retaining said operator in said first and second positions, said loop portions each including a terminal surface directed toward said cam means, said cam means including first, second, third and fourth cam surfaces, said first and third cam surfaces engaging said terminal surfaces in the first operator position and said second and fourth cam surfaces engaging said terminal surfaces in the second operator position, each of said terminal surfaces and said first, second, third and fourth cam surfaces being generally flat.

Claim 18

A switch assembly comprising a housing having an interfacing pair of walls, a cavity between said walls, a pair of similar terminals mounted in said cavity, each terminal including a generally flat base portion and a loop portion overlying the base portion, said base portions being positioned against said walls and said loop portions extending toward one another within said cavity, portions of said loops normally engaging one another, a switch operator mounted for rotation about an axis between and generally parallel to the planes of said walls, cam means on said operator for separating said loop portions upon rotation of said operator from a first to a second position, and indexing surface means on said cam means and said loop portions for resiliently retaining said operator in said first and second positions, said loop portions each including a terminal surface directed toward said cam means, said cam means including first, second, third and fourth cam surfaces, said first and third cam surfaces engaging said terminal surfaces in the first operator position and said second and fourth cam surfaces engaging said terminal surfaces in the second operator position, each of said terminal surfaces and said first, second, third and fourth cam surfaces being generally flat.

Claim 19

The assembly of claim 14, further comprising a pair of rounded cornErs, one joining said first and second cam surfaces and the other joining said third and fourth cam surfaces, and a sharp corner joining said second and third cam surfaces.

Claim 20

A switch assembly comprising in combination a housing having an exterior surface, opening means in said surface extending in a first direction, a plurality of switch operating elements extending through said opening means and out of said housing, said housing including means engageable with said elements and mounting said elements for movement in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction between first positions and second positions, switching means in said housing operable between closed circuit and open circuit conditions in response to movement of said elements between said first and second positions, and a cover removably engageable with said housing and overlying said surface, said cover including obstruction means located between said first and second positions for preventing movement of said elements between positions when said cover is in place.

Claim 21

A switch assembly comprising in combination a housing having an exterior surface, opening means in said surface extending in a first direction, a plurality of switch operating elements extending through said opening means and out of said housing, said housing including means engageable with said elements and mounting said elements for movement in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction between first positions and second positions, switching means in said housing operable between closed circuit and open circuit conditions in response to movement of said elements between said first and second positions, and a cover removably engageable with said housing and overlying said surface, said cover including obstruction means located between said first and second positions for preventing movement of said elements between positions when said cover is in place.

Claim 22

The assembly of claim 16, switch position indicator means on said operating elements, said cover being formed of transparent material.

Claim 23

The assembly of claim 16, said operating elements comprising arms pivotable around a common axis within said housing parallel with said first direction.

Claim 24

A switch assembly consisting essentially of a first part, a second part, a plurality of substantially identical third parts, and a plurality of substantially identical fourth parts; said first part comprising a generally box-shaped housing having an open bottom wall and including integral opposed bearings formed therein; said second part comprising a removable bottom wall for said housing; said third parts each comprising a switch operator having trunnions received in said bearings, having an eccentric cam carried by said trunnions, and having an operating lever extending from said housing for rotating said operator between first and second positions; and said fourth parts each comprising a conductive terminal having a spring contact portion within said housing and an additional contact portion extending from the housing, said spring contact portions being arranged in pairs, each pair being mounted adjacent one said cam for movement between closed and open positions in response to rotation of said operator.

Claim 25

A switch assembly consisting essentially of a first part, a second part, a plurality of substantially identical third parts, and a plurality of substantially identical fourth parts; said first part comprising a generally box-shaped housing having an open bottom wall and including integral opposed bearings formed therein; said second part comprising a removable bottom wall for said housing; said third parts each comprising a switch operator having trunnions received in said bearings, having an eccentric cam carried by said trunnions, and having an operating lever extending from said housing for rotating said operator between first and second positions; and said fourth parts each comprising a conductive terminal having a spring contact portion within said housing and an additional contact portion extending from the housing, said spring contact portions being arranged in pairs, each pair being mounted adjacent one said cam for movement between closed and open positions in response to rotation of said operator.

Claim 26

In combination, the switch assembly of claim 19 and a cover releasably engageable with said housing for covering the portion of said housing from which said operating levers extend.