Slide switch with retraction features

Claim 2

An switch, comprising: a dielectric base member having an elongated slot and a series of notches spaced along said slot, an elongated strip contact on said base member, a carriage protruding through said slot, an electrical terminal mounted on said carriage and in slidable engagement on said strip contact, said base member having an open side, a resilient spring in compression between said base member and said carriage and resiliently urging said carriage and said terminal to project toward said open side of said base and to establish an electrical terminal projecting toward said open side of said base, said carriage being displaceable along said slot, said carriage including a knob portion selectively positionable in registration within at least a selected one of said notches, said spring resiliently urging said knob portion into detenting engagement within said selected notch, said knob portion and said carriage and said terminal being displaceable to compress resiliently said spring and also to disengage said knob portion from said selected notch and to retract said terminal from said open side of said base member, said carriage being displaceable along said slot with said terminal being retracted from said open side of said base member and with said knob portion being disengaged from said series of notches.

Claim 3

A slide switch for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: a housing provided with an elongated slot and a plurality of detents distributed along said slot, an elongated strip contact in said housing parallel to said slot, a carriage within said housing and slidably mounted along said slot, an electrical terminal on said carriage in continuous slidable engagement on said strip contact, said housing having an open side for registration over a plurality of circuit paths of a printed circuit board, a resilient spring in resilient compression between said housing and said carriage for urging both said carriage and said terminal to project toward said open side of said housing enabling engagement of said electrical teRminal on a selected circuit path of a printed circuit board, said carriage having thereon latching means urged resiliently by said spring into registration with said detent means for detenting said carriage in a selected position along said slot and for detenting said electrical terminal in desired position along said strip contact, said carriage being displaceable to collapse resiliently said spring, upon resilient collapse of said spring said latching means being disengageable from said detent means and said terminal being retractable into said housing for disengaging said terminal from a selected circuit path of the printed circuit board, and said carriage being displaceable along said slot while said latching means is disengaged from said detent means and while said terminal is retracted into said housing.

Claim 4

A slide switch for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising: a housing provided with an elongated slot and a plurality of detents distributed along said slot, an elongated strip contact in said housing parallel to said slot, a carriage within said housing and slidably mounted along said slot, an electrical terminal on said carriage in continuous slidable engagement on said strip contact, said housing having an open side for registration over a plurality of circuit paths of a printed circuit board, a resilient spring in resilient compression between said housing and said carriage for urging both said carriage and said terminal to project toward said open side of said housing enabling engagement of said electrical teRminal on a selected circuit path of a printed circuit board, said carriage having thereon latching means urged resiliently by said spring into registration with said detent means for detenting said carriage in a selected position along said slot and for detenting said electrical terminal in desired position along said strip contact, said carriage being displaceable to collapse resiliently said spring, upon resilient collapse of said spring said latching means being disengageable from said detent means and said terminal being retractable into said housing for disengaging said terminal from a selected circuit path of the printed circuit board, and said carriage being displaceable along said slot while said latching means is disengaged from said detent means and while said terminal is retracted into said housing.

Claim 5

A slide switch having a buss bar contact for connection selectively in turn to each of a plurality of external connection locations externally of the switch by a terminal contact of the switch being displaceable in turn to a plurality of said locations, comprising: a housing provided with an elongated slot therein, a plurality of detents provided in said housing and distributed along said slot, an elongated buss bar contact on said housing extending parallel to said slot, a carriage mounted in said housing and being displaceable along said slot to one of a plurality of selected locations, latching means on said carriage for engagement in at least a selected one of said detents, a terminal contact mounted on said switch and slidably engaged on said buss bar contact, a spring resiliently in compression between said housing and said carriage and resiliently urging said latching means into registration within said selected one of said detents for latching said carriage at said selected location, said spring further resiliently urging said terminal contact in a direction to project toward one side of said housing to establish at least one electrical connection at said one side of said housing at a location externally of said switch, said carriage being displaceable to further resiliently compress said spring and to retract said terminal contact from said one side of said housing, said spring being further resiliently compressible to disengage said latching means from said selected one of said detents and allow displacement of said carriage along said slot while said terminal contact remains retracted from said one side of said housing.

Claim 6

A slide switch having a buss bar contact for connection selectively in turn to each of a plurality of external connection locations externally of the switch by a terminal contact of the switch being displaceable in turn to a plurality of said locations, comprising: a housing provided with an elongated slot therein, a plurality of detents provided in said housing and distributed along said slot, an elongated buss bar contact on said housing extending parallel to said slot, a carriage mounted in said housing and being displaceable along said slot to one of a plurality of selected locations, latching means on said carriage for engagement in at least a selected one of said detents, a terminal contact mounted on said switch and slidably engaged on said buss bar contact, a spring resiliently in compression between said housing and said carriage and resiliently urging said latching means into registration within said selected one of said detents for latching said carriage at said selected location, said spring further resiliently urging said terminal contact in a direction to project toward one side of said housing to establish at least one electrical connection at said one side of said housing at a location externally of said switch, said carriage being displaceable to further resiliently compress said spring and to retract said terminal contact from said one side of said housing, said spring being further resiliently compressible to disengage said latching means from said selected one of said detents and allow displacement of said carriage along said slot while said terminal contact remains retracted from said one side of said housing.

Claim 7

A switch, comprising: a base member provided with an elongated slot and detents distributed along said slot, a carriage protruding through said slot, an elongated strip contact on said base member, an electrical terminal contact carried on said carriage and in continuous slidable engagement on said strip contact, latching means carried on said carriage, said base member having attached thereto a member on which is provided a plurality of electrical circuits, said carriage being displaceable along said slot for selective location adjacent at least a selected one of said detents, a spring in compression between said base member and said carriage resiliently urging said latching means and said carriage in a direction seating said latching means in said selected detent and also urging said electrical terminal contact in said same direction for pressure engagement on a selected one of said circuits on said member which is attached to said base member, said carriage being manually displaceable in a direction opposite to said first direction to compress further said spring and to disengage said latching means from said selected detent and to disengage said electrical terminal contact from said circuit provided on said member which is attached to said base member, and said carriage being displaceable along said slot for selective location therealong while said latching means remains disengaged from said detents and whilE said electrical terminal contact remains disengaged from said member which is attached to said base member.

Claim 8

A switch, comprising: a base member provided with an elongated slot and detents distributed along said slot, a carriage protruding through said slot, an elongated strip contact on said base member, an electrical terminal contact carried on said carriage and in continuous slidable engagement on said strip contact, latching means carried on said carriage, said base member having attached thereto a member on which is provided a plurality of electrical circuits, said carriage being displaceable along said slot for selective location adjacent at least a selected one of said detents, a spring in compression between said base member and said carriage resiliently urging said latching means and said carriage in a direction seating said latching means in said selected detent and also urging said electrical terminal contact in said same direction for pressure engagement on a selected one of said circuits on said member which is attached to said base member, said carriage being manually displaceable in a direction opposite to said first direction to compress further said spring and to disengage said latching means from said selected detent and to disengage said electrical terminal contact from said circuit provided on said member which is attached to said base member, and said carriage being displaceable along said slot for selective location therealong while said latching means remains disengaged from said detents and whilE said electrical terminal contact remains disengaged from said member which is attached to said base member.

Claim 9

The structure as recited in claim 4, wherein, said detents comprise a plurality of notches in said base member and communicating with said slot, said carriage having a portion thereof engageable in at least a selected one of said notches, and said carriage being displaceable in opposition to the resilient action of said spring to disengage said latching means from said selected one of said notches and thereby permit displacement of said carriage along said slot.

Claim 10

The structure as recited in claim 4, wherein, said terminal contact is compressed between said carriage and said electrical circuit provided on said member which is attached to said base member, thereby establishing said pressure engagement of said terminal contact on said selected circuit.

Claim 11

An switch having an electrical contact adapted for connection externally of said connector, comprising: a housing provided with a slot, an elongated contact in said housing, a carriage mounted for displacement along said slot, an electrical terminal on said carriage slidably engaged on said elongated contact, said carriage being displaceable along said slot to locate said carriage in turn at a plurality of selected positions while said terminal remains engaged on said elongated contact, said housing being provided with a plurality of detents defining said plurality of selected positions, latching means on said carriage for registration in said detents, and a resilient spring in compression between said housing and said carriage urging said latching means in registration within at least a selected one of said detents to latch the carriage in a desired position along said slot, said resilient spring further resiliently urging said terminal to project in a direction for establishing an electrical connection along one side of said housing, said spring being further resiliently compressible to retract said terminal within said housing and to disengage said latching means from said selected detent and allow displacement of said carriage along said slot.

Claim 12

An switch having an electrical contact adapted for connection externally of said connector, comprising: a housing provided with a slot, an elongated contact in said housing, a carriage mounted for displacement along said slot, an electrical terminal on said carriage slidably engaged on said elongated contact, said carriage being displaceable along said slot to locate said carriage in turn at a plurality of selected positions while said terminal remains engaged on said elongated contact, said housing being provided with a plurality of detents defining said plurality of selected positions, latching means on said carriage for registration in said detents, and a resilient spring in compression between said housing and said carriage urging said latching means in registration within at least a selected one of said detents to latch the carriage in a desired position along said slot, said resilient spring further resiliently urging said terminal to project in a direction for establishing an electrical connection along one side of said housing, said spring being further resiliently compressible to retract said terminal within said housing and to disengage said latching means from said selected detent and allow displacement of said carriage along said slot.

Claim 13

The structure as recited in claim 7, wherein, said detents comprise a plurality of notches communicating with said slot, and said latching means comprises a knob secured to said carriage and resiliently urged by said spring into registration within at least a selected one of said notches to latch the carriage in a desired position along said slot.

Claim 14

The structure as recited in claim 7, and further including: a printed circuit board, said housing having an open side mounted over the surface of said printed circuit board, said spring urging said terminal to project toward said open side of said housing for engagement against said printed circuit board surface when said latching means is in registration within a selected detent, and said spring being further compressible to disengage said knob from said selected notch and to disengage said terminal from said printed circuit board and allow displacement of said carriage along said slot.

Claim 15

An switch having a selectively positioned terminal in sliding engagement upon an elongated strip contact, comprising: a base member provided with a slot having a series of detent means distributed along said slot, a carriage protruding through said slot, an elongated strip contact on said base member, an electrical terminal on said carriage in slidable engagement on said strip contact, latching means carried by said carriage, a resilient member in resilient compression between said carriage and said base member and resiliently urging said carriage and said electrical terminal in a first direction to project said electrical terminal toward one side of said base member and to displace said latching means into registration within at least a selected portion of said series of detent means, said carriage beinG manually displaceable to deflect resiliently said spring and to retract said terminal from said one side of said base member and to disengage said latching means from said series of detent means, and while said spring remains resiliently deflected, said carriage being selectively displaceable along said slot to selectively position said terminal at a desired location along said strip contact.

Claim 16

An switch having a selectively positioned terminal in sliding engagement upon an elongated strip contact, comprising: a base member provided with a slot having a series of detent means distributed along said slot, a carriage protruding through said slot, an elongated strip contact on said base member, an electrical terminal on said carriage in slidable engagement on said strip contact, latching means carried by said carriage, a resilient member in resilient compression between said carriage and said base member and resiliently urging said carriage and said electrical terminal in a first direction to project said electrical terminal toward one side of said base member and to displace said latching means into registration within at least a selected portion of said series of detent means, said carriage beinG manually displaceable to deflect resiliently said spring and to retract said terminal from said one side of said base member and to disengage said latching means from said series of detent means, and while said spring remains resiliently deflected, said carriage being selectively displaceable along said slot to selectively position said terminal at a desired location along said strip contact.

Claim 17

An switch having a selectively positioned terminal in sliding engagement on an elongated buss type electrical contact, comprising: a base member provided with a series of detents, a carriage assembly, means on said base member receiving said carriage assembly for displacement along said base member, an electrical terminal mounted on said carriage assembly and slidably engageable along said buss type electrical contact for location at a selected one of a plurality of positions, resilient means continuously in compression between said base member and said carriage and resiliently urging said electrical terminal to project in a first direction toward one side of said base member when said terminal is located at one of said selected positions along said buss type electrical contact for establishing a pressure type electrical contact member projecting along said one side of said base member, said resilient means further urging said carriage assembly to project in said first direction and into registration within at least a selected one of said detents and thereby detent said terminal in said selected one of said positions along said buss type electrical contact, said carriage assembly together with said terminal being manually displaceable in a second direction opposite said first direction to further resiliently compress said spring and to disengage said carriage assembly from said selected one of said detents and to retract said terminal from said one side of said housing, and said carriage thereby being displaceable manually along said base member with said spring being in further resilient compression to position said terminal selectively along said buss type electrical contact.

Claim 18

An switch having a selectively positioned terminal in sliding engagement on an elongated buss type electrical contact, comprising: a base member provided with a series of detents, a carriage assembly, means on said base member receiving said carriage assembly for displacement along said base member, an electrical terminal mounted on said carriage assembly and slidably engageable along said buss type electrical contact for location at a selected one of a plurality of positions, resilient means continuously in compression between said base member and said carriage and resiliently urging said electrical terminal to project in a first direction toward one side of said base member when said terminal is located at one of said selected positions along said buss type electrical contact for establishing a pressure type electrical contact member projecting along said one side of said base member, said resilient means further urging said carriage assembly to project in said first direction and into registration within at least a selected one of said detents and thereby detent said terminal in said selected one of said positions along said buss type electrical contact, said carriage assembly together with said terminal being manually displaceable in a second direction opposite said first direction to further resiliently compress said spring and to disengage said carriage assembly from said selected one of said detents and to retract said terminal from said one side of said housing, and said carriage thereby being displaceable manually along said base member with said spring being in further resilient compression to position said terminal selectively along said buss type electrical contact.