Electrical switch for automobile deck lid latches and the like

Claim 1

An electrical switch adapted to be mounted on a primary supporting member having a switch mounting surface and to be mechanically engaged by and to have a wiping electrical contact with an associated switch actuating part forming part of an electrical circuit and having a back and forth movement adjacent to said mounting surface, said switch comprising a case having a bottom seating surface adapted to be supported on the mounting surface of said primary member and to be fastened to the latter in a predetermined position with respect to said switch actuating part; a plurality of parallel, longitudinal channels in the forward portion of the case opening through the top thereof and through the bottoms of said channels at the forward ends of the latter; means forming transverse retainer bars at the forward ends of said channels above said bottom openings; blade retainer means carried by said case rearwardly of said channels; and a plurality of elongate, flexible and resilient terminal blades, one for each of said channels, each of said blades having a forward position and a rear terminal portion and being insertable into its respective channel through the bottom opening of the latter and being longitudinally slidable in said channel into engagement with said blade retainer means; the forward portions of said terminal blades extending under and beyond said transverse retaining bars and in the path of travel of said switch actuating part when said case is mounted on and fastened to said primary supporting member, whereby said transverse retaining bars limit upward movement of said blades in said channels and cooperate with said blade retainer means to hold said blades in said channels, the rearward ends of said bottom openings defining bearing edges for said blades and the forward portions of said blades being cantilevered from said bearing edges for free, normally unsupported and restricted downward flexing movement about said bearing edges, whereby said switch actuating part engages and overrides the cantilevered forward portions of said blades in use to flex the same downwardly about said bearing edges with a soft action that results in a relatively long life for the switch and at the same time provides an effective electrical contact between the blade and said switch actuating part.