Electrical switch

Claim 2

An electrical switch comprising a base member, an operating member supported by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between one and another switching position, contact spring means carried by one of the members and having two projecting free end portions, said contact spring means engaging said other member when said operating member is in its one switching position to maintain said operating member in assembly with said base member, means defining three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base member and having at leat two contact surfaces, said terminals being electrically isolated from each other when said operating member is in said one switching position, each of said free end portions engaging one of said contact surfaces as said operating member is moved in said one direction from said one to said other switching position, said contact spring means electrically connecting said three terminals when said operating member is in said other switching position.

Claim 3

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contact spring means engages said other member when said operating member is in its one switching position to maintain said operating member in assembly with said base member.

Claim 4

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contact spring means comprises at least one torsion spring having a coil portion and defining at least one of said free end portions.

Claim 5

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contact spring means a single torsion spring defining said two free end portions.

Claim 6

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 4 wherein said one member comprises said operating member.

Claim 7

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 5 wherein said base member has a bore, said operating member comprises a push button operator which has an axially elongated shank slidably received in said bore and a recess in said shank, and said spring is disposed within said recess.

Claim 8

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 6 wherein said spring includes a helically coiled body portion disposed in said recess with its axis genrally normal to the axis of said shank and said free end portions project tangentially outwardly from said body portion and beyond said shank.

Claim 9

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said contact surfaces is defined by an associated one of said terminals, said body portion is genrally aligned with an associated one of said contact surfaces and each of said free end portions is aligned with an associated other of said contact surfaces.

Claim 10

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said free end portions biasingly engages said associated other of said contact surfaces before said body portion engages said one conact surface when said push button operator is moved from its one to its other switching position.

Claim 11

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base member comprises said one member.

Claim 12

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein said contact spring means comprises a pair of torsion springs and each of said torsion springs defines one of said free end portions.

Claim 13

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of said torsion springs has another end portion which defines an associated one of said terminals.

Claim 14

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said contact surfaces is defined by the other of said three terminals.

Claim 15

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 13 wherein one of said free end portions biasingly engages an associated one of said contact surfaces before the other of said free end portions engages another of said contact surFaces when said operating member is moved from its one to its other switching position.

Claim 16

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 14 wherein said contact surfaces comprise two contact surfaces spaced apart in the direction of travel of said operating member.

Claim 17

An electrical keyboard switch comprising a base, a push button operator supported on said base for movement in one and an opposite direction generally toward and away from said base between one and another switching position, means for biasing said push button operator to and maintaining it in its one switching position, a torsion spring carried by said push button operator and having a helically coiled body portion supported with its axis genrally normal to the path of push button operator movement and two free end portions projecting tangentially outwardly from said body portion, said free end portions engaging said push button operator and said base when said operator is in its one switching position to maintain said push button operator in assembly with said base, three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base, each of said electrical terminals being electrically isolated from the other of said electrical terminals when said push button operator is in its onw switching position, each of said terminals having a contact surface thereon, said body portion engaging one of said contact surfaces and each of said free end portions biasingly engaging an associated other of said contact surfaces when said push button operator is in its other switching position to electrically connect said electrical terminals.

Claim 18

An electrical keyboard switch comprising a base, a push button operator supported on said base for movement in one and an opposite direction generally toward and away from said base between one and another switching position, means for biasing said push button operator to and maintaining it in its one switching position, a torsion spring carried by said push button operator and having a helically coiled body portion supported with its axis genrally normal to the path of push button operator movement and two free end portions projecting tangentially outwardly from said body portion, said free end portions engaging said push button operator and said base when said operator is in its one switching position to maintain said push button operator in assembly with said base, three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base, each of said electrical terminals being electrically isolated from the other of said electrical terminals when said push button operator is in its onw switching position, each of said terminals having a contact surface thereon, said body portion engaging one of said contact surfaces and each of said free end portions biasingly engaging an associated other of said contact surfaces when said push button operator is in its other switching position to electrically connect said electrical terminals.

Claim 19

An electrical keyboard switch as set forth in claim 16 wherein each of said other contact surfaces engages an associated one of said free end portions and biases it in said opposite direction before said body portion engages said one contact surface when said push button operator is moved from its one switching postion toward and to its other switching position.

Claim 20

An electrical switch comprising a base member, an operting member supporting by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between one and another switching position, a pair of torsion springs carried by said base member, each of said torsion springs having a free end portion, and means defining three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base member, one of said terminals defining two contact surfaces spaced apart in the direction of travel of said operating member, each of the other of said terminals electrically connected to an associated one of said torsion springs, said three terminals being electrically isolated from each other when said operating member is in its one switching position, one of said free end portions engaging an associated one of said contact surfaces before the other of said free end portions engages the other of said contact surfaces when said operating member is moved from its one to its other switching position, said contact springs electrically connecting said terminals when said operating member is in its other switching position.

Claim 21

An electrical switch comprising a base member, an operting member supporting by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between one and another switching position, a pair of torsion springs carried by said base member, each of said torsion springs having a free end portion, and means defining three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base member, one of said terminals defining two contact surfaces spaced apart in the direction of travel of said operating member, each of the other of said terminals electrically connected to an associated one of said torsion springs, said three terminals being electrically isolated from each other when said operating member is in its one switching position, one of said free end portions engaging an associated one of said contact surfaces before the other of said free end portions engages the other of said contact surfaces when said operating member is moved from its one to its other switching position, said contact springs electrically connecting said terminals when said operating member is in its other switching position.

Claim 22

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 18 wherein said torsion springs have said free end portions thereof normally biased toward contacting engagement with said contact surfaces and held out of contacting engagement with said contact surfaces by said operating member when said operating member is in its one switching position and during an initial portion of its travel from said one switching position to said other switching position.

Claim 23

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 19 wherein said free end portions engage said base member and said operating member when said operating member is in said one switching position to retain said operating member in assembly with said base member.

Claim 24

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 18 wherein said base member has a bore, said operating member comprises a push button operator and has an axially elongated shank slidably reCeived in said bore for movement in said one and said opposite directions generally toward and away from said base, said shank has a recess therein opening through one end thereof and toward said base, said free end portions project inwardly through said shank and into said recess and said one terminal is mounted on said base in alignment with said recess.

Claim 25

An electrical switch comprising a base member, an operating member supported by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between one and another switching position, contact spring means carried by one of the members and having two free end portions projecting in generally opposite directions and engaging said other member in said one switching position, and means defining three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base member and having at least two contact surfaces, said terminals being electrically isolated from each other when said operating member is in said one switching position, each of said free end portions engaging one of said contact surfaces as said operating member is moved in said one direction from said one to said other switching position, said contact spring means electrically connecting said three terminals when said operating member is in said other switching position.

Claim 26

An electrical switch comprising a base member, an operating member supported by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between one and another switching position, contact spring means carried by one of the members and having two free end portions projecting in generally opposite directions and engaging said other member in said one switching position, and means defining three spaced apart electrical terminals mounted in fixed position on said base member and having at least two contact surfaces, said terminals being electrically isolated from each other when said operating member is in said one switching position, each of said free end portions engaging one of said contact surfaces as said operating member is moved in said one direction from said one to said other switching position, said contact spring means electrically connecting said three terminals when said operating member is in said other switching position.

Claim 27

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 22 wherein said base member has a bore, said operating member comprises a push button operator and has an axially elongated shank slidably received in said bore and a recess therein, and said free end portions project in generally radial directions through the wall of said shank and through the wall of said bore.

Claim 28

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 23 wherein said free end portions are normally spring biased into contacting engagement with said contact surfaces and held out of contacting engagement with said contact surfaces by said operating member in its one switching position and during a portion of its travel to its other switching position and including means for biasing said push button operator to and maintaining it in its one switching position.

Claim 29

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 24 wherein said biasing means comprises a compression spring coaxially surrounding said shank and acting between said push button operator and said base member.

Claim 30

An electrical keyboard switch comprising a base member, a push button operator supported by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between projected and depressed positions, means for continuously biasing said push button operator toward its projected position, a pair of torsion springs mounted on said base member, each of said springs having a free end portion projecting into the path of said push button operator, and means defining two contact surfaces spaced apart in the direction of travel of said push button operator, each of said free end portions aligned with an associated one of said contact surfaces and normally spring biased into contacting engagement therewith when said push button operator is in its depressed position, each of said free end portions held out of contacting engagement with its associated contact surface by engagement with said push button operator, when said push button operator is in its projected position and during a portion of its travel from its projected to its depressed position, each of said free end portions exerting biasing force on said push button operator in the direction of its depressed position when said push button operator is in its projected positions and during only a portion of its travel from its projected position to its depressed position, each of said free end portions being out of engagement with said push button operator and spring biased into contacting engagement with its associated contact surface during the final portion of push button operator travel from its projected to its depressed position, one of said free end portions engaging its associated contact surface before the other of said free end portions engages its associated contact surface when said push button operator is moved from its projected position to its depressed position.

Claim 31

An electrical keyboard switch comprising a base member, a push button operator supported by said base member for movement in one and an opposite direction between projected and depressed positions, means for continuously biasing said push button operator toward its projected position, a pair of torsion springs mounted on said base member, each of said springs having a free end portion projecting into the path of said push button operator, and means defining two contact surfaces spaced apart in the direction of travel of said push button operator, each of said free end portions aligned with an associated one of said contact surfaces and normally spring biased into contacting engagement therewith when said push button operator is in its depressed position, each of said free end portions held out of contacting engagement with its associated contact surface by engagement with said push button operator, when said push button operator is in its projected position and during a portion of its travel from its projected to its depressed position, each of said free end portions exerting biasing force on said push button operator in the direction of its depressed position when said push button operator is in its projected positions and during only a portion of its travel from its projected position to its depressed position, each of said free end portions being out of engagement with said push button operator and spring biased into contacting engagement with its associated contact surface during the final portion of push button operator travel from its projected to its depressed position, one of said free end portions engaging its associated contact surface before the other of said free end portions engages its associated contact surface when said push button operator is moved from its projected position to its depressed position.

Claim 32

An electrical keyboard switch as set forth in claim 26 wherein said free end portions cooperate with said base member and said push button operator to retain said push button operator in assembly with said base member.