Snap switch with actuating tongue

Claim 2

An electrical switch having a switch body with an internal cavity and provided with upper and lower seats in the cavity, a switch blade of resilient conductive sheet material having upper and lower end edges received respectively in the upper and lower seats, the seats being spaced closer together than the instressed distance between the blade end edges, and a set of first and second fixed abutment means disposed on opposite sides of the blade substantially midway between the seats, the first abutment means being normally in abutting contact with one face of the blade whereby to impose thereon a generally sinuous contour longitudinally of the blade, the second abutment means being spaced slightly from the opposite face of the blade, characterized in that: said blade includes upper convex and lower concave legs terminating respectively in said upper and lower end edges, the upper leg having formed therein a central opening dividing said leg into a pair of laterally spaced leg segments joined upwardly by a transverse yoke portion, and an actuating tongue formed integrally with the yoke and projecting downwardly from the central portion thereof in lateral alignment with said opening and extending tangentially to the convex face of the upper leg; and including actuator means movable toward actuated position along a path of movement substantially parallel to the plane joining said seats and during said movement slidably flexing said tongue toward the center of curvature of the upper convex leg whereby to create stress in the yoke and and upper leg tending to decrease the curvature of the upper leg and simultaneously increase the curvature of the lower leg, until the blade snaps out of contact with the first abutment means and into contact with the second abutment means.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 including releasable latch means for selectively retaining the actuator in actuating contact with the tongue.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said switch includes a second blade, a second pair of upper and lower seats, and a second set of first and second abutment means, all identical respectively to the first named corresponding elements and disposed within the cavity symmetrically relative thereto, and said actuator means is disposed centrally of the switch body and includes symmetrically placed portions for substantially simultaneously flexing the tongues of both blades during actuator movement toward actuated position.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said seats is conductive and including a common terminal connected to the conductive seat.

Claim 6

In an electrical switch, in combination: a vertically oriented body of dielectric material having formed therein an operating cavity having upper and lower walls, said walls having horizontally extending grooved seats formed therein; a blade of generally cruciform shape and made of resilient conductive sheet material, including upper and lower legs terminating respectively in upper and lower parallel edges, and a pair of laterally extending arms substantially midway between said edges, the upper leg having formed therein a central opening dividing said leg into a pair of laterally spaced leg segments joined by an upper yoke, and a tongue formed integrally with the yoke and extending downwardly therefrom into said opening, the distance between the blade upper and lower edges, when the blade is in unstressed planar shape, being greater than the distance between said seats, and the blade being supported by said body with its upper and lower edges in said upper and lower seats respectively; a first pair of abutment terminals carried by the body in said cavity and abuttable against the outer portions of said arms, whereby to impose on the blade an upper convex bow and a lower concave bow, said tongue projecting tangentially to tHe upper convex bow; a second pair of abutment terminals carried by the body in said cavity on the opposite side of the general plane of said blade from the first named pair of abutment terminals and in general horizontal alignment therewith; and a vertically movable actuator selectively movable between a retracted position above said tongue, and a lower actuated position and in slidable abutting contact with said tongue during at least the terminal portion of its downward movement, whereby to flex the tongue toward the center of curvature of the upper convex portion of the blade, and thereby to cause the switch to snap from its first position wherein said arms are in electrical contact with the first named pair of terminals, to a second or actuated position wherein said arms are in electrical contact with said second pair of abutment terminals.

Claim 7

In an electrical switch, in combination: a vertically oriented body of dielectric material having formed therein an operating cavity having upper and lower walls, said walls having horizontally extending grooved seats formed therein; a blade of generally cruciform shape and made of resilient conductive sheet material, including upper and lower legs terminating respectively in upper and lower parallel edges, and a pair of laterally extending arms substantially midway between said edges, the upper leg having formed therein a central opening dividing said leg into a pair of laterally spaced leg segments joined by an upper yoke, and a tongue formed integrally with the yoke and extending downwardly therefrom into said opening, the distance between the blade upper and lower edges, when the blade is in unstressed planar shape, being greater than the distance between said seats, and the blade being supported by said body with its upper and lower edges in said upper and lower seats respectively; a first pair of abutment terminals carried by the body in said cavity and abuttable against the outer portions of said arms, whereby to impose on the blade an upper convex bow and a lower concave bow, said tongue projecting tangentially to tHe upper convex bow; a second pair of abutment terminals carried by the body in said cavity on the opposite side of the general plane of said blade from the first named pair of abutment terminals and in general horizontal alignment therewith; and a vertically movable actuator selectively movable between a retracted position above said tongue, and a lower actuated position and in slidable abutting contact with said tongue during at least the terminal portion of its downward movement, whereby to flex the tongue toward the center of curvature of the upper convex portion of the blade, and thereby to cause the switch to snap from its first position wherein said arms are in electrical contact with the first named pair of terminals, to a second or actuated position wherein said arms are in electrical contact with said second pair of abutment terminals.

Claim 8

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said switch includes selectively releasable latching means for maintaining the actuator in its lower actuated position.

Claim 9

In an electrical switch having a switch body provided with a cavity therein, a generally vertically oriented elongated blade consisting of integrally formed upper and lower legs of substantially equal length, and made of resilient conductive material, the blade leg ends being mounted in seats in said body spaced closer together than the unstressed length of the blade, whereby to impose a longitudinal compressive stress on the blade, a pair of laterally spaced abutment means on opposite sides of the blade adjacent to the juncture of the legs, one abutment means being in contact with the blade under rest conditions and imposing upper convex and lower concave bows on the legs, the provision of: and opening in the upper leg dividing said leg into a pair of spaced leg segments joined at their upper ends by a transverse yoke, a tongue formed integrally with the yoke and projecting downwardly therefrom and tangentially to the convex face of the upper leg, and actuator means for selectively forcing the tongue toward the center of curvature of the upper leg whereby to create stress in the yoke and upper leg tending to decrease the curvature of the upper leg until the blade snaps away from contact with said one abutment means into contact with the other abutment means, the upper and lower legs retaining their respective convex and concave bowed configurations during movement of the actuator means.

Claim 10

In an electrical switch having a switch body provided with a cavity therein, a generally vertically oriented elongated blade consisting of integrally formed upper and lower legs of substantially equal length, and made of resilient conductive material, the blade leg ends being mounted in seats in said body spaced closer together than the unstressed length of the blade, whereby to impose a longitudinal compressive stress on the blade, a pair of laterally spaced abutment means on opposite sides of the blade adjacent to the juncture of the legs, one abutment means being in contact with the blade under rest conditions and imposing upper convex and lower concave bows on the legs, the provision of: and opening in the upper leg dividing said leg into a pair of spaced leg segments joined at their upper ends by a transverse yoke, a tongue formed integrally with the yoke and projecting downwardly therefrom and tangentially to the convex face of the upper leg, and actuator means for selectively forcing the tongue toward the center of curvature of the upper leg whereby to create stress in the yoke and upper leg tending to decrease the curvature of the upper leg until the blade snaps away from contact with said one abutment means into contact with the other abutment means, the upper and lower legs retaining their respective convex and concave bowed configurations during movement of the actuator means.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein at least one of said seats is conductive and including an external terminal connected thereto.

Claim 12

The invention as defined in claim 8 including a second external terminal connected to one of the abutments.

Claim 13

The invention as defined in claim 7 including releasable latching means for selectively retaining said actuator in actuated position.