Pressure actuated switch and method for making same

Claim 2

A generally flat, pressure actuated switch comprising: a. a rigid, flat base member, b. a first flat screen member formed from an electrically conducting material and supported on one surface of said base member, c. a second flat flexible screen member formed from an electrically conducting material, d. a layer of resilient, porous material formed from a nonelectrically conducting material, said porous material being disposed intermediate said screen members to maintain said screen members in a normally spaced apart relationship, said porous material being yieldably compressible when subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material whereby, upon removal of said force, said porous material returns to its original configuration, the size of the openings formed in said porous material being sufficiently large to prevent complete closure thereof when said porous material is subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to the plane in which is disposed said porous material, e. the mesh size of one of said screen members differing from the mesh size of the other screen member and the sIze of the openings formed in said layer of porous material varying between the mesh sizes of said screen members, f. means for securing the edges of said screen members relative to the surface of said base member to permit thermal expansion of said base member relative to thermal expansion of said screen members without adversely changing the sensitivity of said pressure actuated switch, g. a flexible layer of material cooperating with said base member for forming a chamber in which is disposed said screen members and said porous layer of material, said flexible layer of material being disposed against one surface of said second flexible screen member, h. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, i. a pair of electrical conductors each of which is attached to a respective one of said screen members, said electrical conductors being insulated one from the other and extending exteriorly of said chamber, and j. means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof for controlling the pressure within said chamber.

Claim 3

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 1 in which the layer of porous material is formed from a polyurethane foam.

Claim 4

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 1 in which the size of the openings of said second flexible screen member varies up to a mesh size of approximately 18 and the size of the openings of said first screen member varies down to a mesh size of approximately 32.

Claim 5

A generally flat, pressure actuated switch comprising: a. a rigid, flat base member, b. a flat member formed from an electrically conducting material and supported on one surface of said base member, c. a flat flexible screen member formed from an electrically conducting material, d. a layer of resilient, porous material formed from a non-electrically conducting material, said porous material being disposed intermediate said electrically conducting members to maintain said members in a normally spaced apart relationship, said porous material being yieldably compressible when subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material whereby, upon removal of said force, said porous material returns to its original configuration, the size of the openings formed in said porous material being sufficiently large to prevent complete closure thereof when said porous material is subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to the plane in which is disposed said porous material, e. a flexible layer of material cooperating with said base member for forming a chamber in which is disposed said electrically conducting members and said porous layer of material, said flexible layer of material being disposed against one surface of said flexible screen member, f. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and g. a pair of electrical conductors each of which is attached to a respective one of said electrically conducting members, said electrical conductors being insulated one from the other and extending exteriorly of said chamber.

Claim 6

A generally flat, pressure actuated switch comprising: a. a rigid, flat base member, b. a flat member formed from an electrically conducting material and supported on one surface of said base member, c. a flat flexible screen member formed from an electrically conducting material, d. a layer of resilient, porous material formed from a non-electrically conducting material, said porous material being disposed intermediate said electrically conducting members to maintain said members in a normally spaced apart relationship, said porous material being yieldably compressible when subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material whereby, upon removal of said force, said porous material returns to its original configuration, the size of the openings formed in said porous material being sufficiently large to prevent complete closure thereof when said porous material is subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to the plane in which is disposed said porous material, e. a flexible layer of material cooperating with said base member for forming a chamber in which is disposed said electrically conducting members and said porous layer of material, said flexible layer of material being disposed against one surface of said flexible screen member, f. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and g. a pair of electrical conductors each of which is attached to a respective one of said electrically conducting members, said electrical conductors being insulated one from the other and extending exteriorly of said chamber.

Claim 7

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 4 in which said flat, electrically conducting member comprises a screen member, and said switch includes means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof whereby the pressure maintained within said chamber may be controlled.

Claim 8

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 4 in which the size of the openings formed in said layer of porous material is approximately equal to the mesh size of said flexible screen member.

Claim 9

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 5 in which the mesh size of one screen member differs from the mesh size of the other screen member and the size of the openings formed in said layer of porous material varies between the mesh sizes of said screen members.

Claim 10

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 5 in which the size of the opEnings of said flexible screen member is larger than the size of the openings of the other screen member, and the size of the openings formed in said layer of porous material varies between the sizes of the openings of said screen members.

Claim 11

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 5 in which the size of the openings of said flexible screen member varies up to a mesh size of approximately 18 and the size of the openings of the other screen member varies down to a mesh size of approximately 32.

Claim 12

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 4 including means for securing the edges of said electrically conducting members relative to said base member to permit thermal expansion of said base member relative to thermal expansion of said screen members without appreciably changing the sensitivity of said pressure actuated switch.

Claim 13

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 10 in which said securing means includes a double sided adhesive foam tape.

Claim 14

A pressure actuated switch as defined in claim 4 in which said layer of porous material is formed from a polyurethane foam.

Claim 15

In a system for sensing a swimmer has reached the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool by physically contacting the end of said swimming lane, said end of said swimming lane including a vertically extending surface, a. a generally flat, pressure actuated switch supported along a vertically extending surface formed across the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool and extending substantially across said swimming lane, said switch comprising: i. a rigid flat base member having first and second, oppositely disposed surfaces for being disposed in a generally vertical plane and an upper surface interconnecting said first and second oppositely disposed surfaces, said upper surface being constructed for disposition in a generally horizontal plane, said first surface being constructed to be mounted against a vertically extending surface formed at the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool, said first surface being generally planar, ii. a flat member formed from an electrically conducting material and supported on the second surface of said flat base member, iii. a flat flexible screen member formed from an electrically conducting material, iv. a layer of resilient, porous material formed from a non-electrically conducting material, said porous material being disposed intermediate said electrically conducting members to maintain said members in a normally spaced apart relationship, said porous material being yieldably compressible when subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material whereby, upon removal of said force, said porous material returns to its original configuration, the size of the openings formed in said porous material being sufficiently large to prevent complete closure thereof when said porous material is subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material, v. a flexible layer of material cooperating with said base member for forming a chamber in which is disposed said electrically conducting members and said porous layer of material, said flexible layer of material being disposed against one surface of said flexible screen member, vi. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and vii. means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof whereby the pressure maintained within said chamber may be controlled; b. a pressure actuated tape switch mounted within said chamber along the upper part of the second surface of said base member, said tape switch including an upstanding, longitudinally extending, actuating rib portion, said rib portion extending generally upwardly and outwardly from the second surface of said flat base member, said tape switch including a pair of normally spaced apart electrically conducting members; c. a pair of electrical coNductors each being electrically connected to a respective one of said screen members and one of said electrically conducting members of said tape switch, said electrical conductors being insulated one from the other and extending exteriorly of said chamber; d. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and e. means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof whereby the pressure maintained within said chamber may be controlled.

Claim 16

In a system for sensing a swimmer has reached the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool by physically contacting the end of said swimming lane, said end of said swimming lane including a vertically extending surface, a. a generally flat, pressure actuated switch supported along a vertically extending surface formed across the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool and extending substantially across said swimming lane, said switch comprising: i. a rigid flat base member having first and second, oppositely disposed surfaces for being disposed in a generally vertical plane and an upper surface interconnecting said first and second oppositely disposed surfaces, said upper surface being constructed for disposition in a generally horizontal plane, said first surface being constructed to be mounted against a vertically extending surface formed at the end of a swimming lane in a swimming pool, said first surface being generally planar, ii. a flat member formed from an electrically conducting material and supported on the second surface of said flat base member, iii. a flat flexible screen member formed from an electrically conducting material, iv. a layer of resilient, porous material formed from a non-electrically conducting material, said porous material being disposed intermediate said electrically conducting members to maintain said members in a normally spaced apart relationship, said porous material being yieldably compressible when subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material whereby, upon removal of said force, said porous material returns to its original configuration, the size of the openings formed in said porous material being sufficiently large to prevent complete closure thereof when said porous material is subjected to a force in a direction generally normal to a plane in which is disposed said porous material, v. a flexible layer of material cooperating with said base member for forming a chamber in which is disposed said electrically conducting members and said porous layer of material, said flexible layer of material being disposed against one surface of said flexible screen member, vi. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and vii. means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof whereby the pressure maintained within said chamber may be controlled; b. a pressure actuated tape switch mounted within said chamber along the upper part of the second surface of said base member, said tape switch including an upstanding, longitudinally extending, actuating rib portion, said rib portion extending generally upwardly and outwardly from the second surface of said flat base member, said tape switch including a pair of normally spaced apart electrically conducting members; c. a pair of electrical coNductors each being electrically connected to a respective one of said screen members and one of said electrically conducting members of said tape switch, said electrical conductors being insulated one from the other and extending exteriorly of said chamber; d. means for sealing said chamber to effect a fluid tight chamber, and e. means for effecting fluid communication between said chamber and exteriorly thereof whereby the pressure maintained within said chamber may be controlled.

Claim 17

In a system as defined in claim 13 in which the flat, electrically conducting member of said pressure actuated switch comprises a screen member.

Claim 18

In a system as defined in claim 13 in which the size of the openings formed in said layer of porous material is approximately equal to the mesh size of said flexible screen member.

Claim 19

In a system as defined in claim 13 including means for securing the edges of said electrically conducting members of said pressure actuated switch relative to said base member to permit thermal expansion of said base member relative to thermal expansion of said screen members without appreciably changing the sensitivity of said pressure actuated switch.

Claim 20

In a system as defined in claim 16 in which said securing means includes a double sided adhesive foam tape.

Claim 21

In a system as defined in claim 13 in which said layer of porous material is formed from a polyurethane foam.

Claim 22

In a system as defined in claim 14 in which the size of the openings of said flexible screen member is larger than the size of the openings of the other screen member, and the size of the openings formed in said layer of porous material varies between the sizes of the openings of said screen members.

Claim 23

In a system as defined in claim 19 in which the size of the openings of said flexible screen member varies up to a mesh size of approximately 18 and the size of the opernings of the other screen member varies down to a mesh size of approximately 32.