US4531030A — Electrical switch and actuating mechanism therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 176 words

An electrical switch of the type comprising a dielectric frame having a series of electrical contact members secured in the frame, aligned contact sections of the contact members disposed in an upper surface of the frame and terminal sections of the contact members extending outwardly from the frame, movable electrical contact members pivotally mounted on one of the contact sections, a housing mounted on the frame, actuating members movably mounted in the housing from one position to another position and associated with respective movable contact members to move them from an actuated position electrically connecting the contact sections to a non-actuated position disconnecting the contact sections, characterized in that: said actuating members comprise slide members, each of the slide members having an opening extending therethrough, a spring member disposed in said opening and including one section extending along a respective movable contact member to move the movable contact member to the actuated or non-actuated position and another section engaging an inside top surface of said housing and movable therealong to the one or the other position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 176 words

An electrical switch of the type comprising a dielectric frame having a series of electrical contact members secured in the frame, aligned contact sections of the contact members disposed in an upper surface of the frame and terminal sections of the contact members extending outwardly from the frame, movable electrical contact members pivotally mounted on one of the contact sections, a housing mounted on the frame, actuating members movably mounted in the housing from one position to another position and associated with respective movable contact members to move them from an actuated position electrically connecting the contact sections to a non-actuated position disconnecting the contact sections, characterized in that: said actuating members comprise slide members, each of the slide members having an opening extending therethrough, a spring member disposed in said opening and including one section extending along a respective movable contact member to move the movable contact member to the actuated or non-actuated position and another section engaging an inside top surface of said housing and movable therealong to the one or the other position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said spring member has an E-shape configuration including a U-shape central section, said one section and said other section integrally connected to said central section.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said inside top surface has spaced recesses, said other section of said spring member having an arcuate section cooperating with said spaced recesses thereby defining a detent arrangement to maintain said slide members in the one or the other position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 46 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said upper surface of said frame has recesses in which said contact sections are exposed, and a membrane is sealingly secured to said upper surface covering said contact sections and said movable contact members.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 4 characterized in that one of the contact sections has a pivot section, said movable contact members have an embossment engaging said pivot section.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 192 words

An electrical switch comprising: a dielectric frame having at least one recess, aligned electrical contact members including opposed stationary electrical contact sections disposed in said recess of said frame; a movable electrical contact member pivotally mounted onto one of said opposed stationary electrical contact sections; a housing secured onto said frame and including openings in sidewalls which terminate at a top wall thereof; actuating means movably mounted in said housing including a slide member and a spring member linearly movable in said housing relative to said frame, said spring member disposed in said slide member and extending between and movable along an inside surface of said top wall and said movable contact member for actuating said movable contact member to an actuated position or to a non-actuated position upon movement of said slide member along said inside surface and said movable contact member from one position to another position; actuating members of said slide member respectively disposed in said openings which, when force is applied to one of said actuating members, moves said actuating means from one of the actuated or non-actuated positions to the other of the actuated or non-actuated positions.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 192 words

An electrical switch comprising: a dielectric frame having at least one recess, aligned electrical contact members including opposed stationary electrical contact sections disposed in said recess of said frame; a movable electrical contact member pivotally mounted onto one of said opposed stationary electrical contact sections; a housing secured onto said frame and including openings in sidewalls which terminate at a top wall thereof; actuating means movably mounted in said housing including a slide member and a spring member linearly movable in said housing relative to said frame, said spring member disposed in said slide member and extending between and movable along an inside surface of said top wall and said movable contact member for actuating said movable contact member to an actuated position or to a non-actuated position upon movement of said slide member along said inside surface and said movable contact member from one position to another position; actuating members of said slide member respectively disposed in said openings which, when force is applied to one of said actuating members, moves said actuating means from one of the actuated or non-actuated positions to the other of the actuated or non-actuated positions.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 77 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one of said opposed stationary electrical contact sections includes a pivot member and said movable electrical contact member comprises an embossment mounted onto said pivot member to positively position said movable electrical contact member relative to said opposed stationary electrical contact sections and against which a contact-actuating section of said spring member engages to maintain said slide member in one of said actuated or non-actuated positions.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 6 and further comprising a membrane sealingly secured to said frame covering said movable electrical contact member and said stationary electrical contact sections and along which a contact-actuating section of said spring member moves.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 6 wherein said slide member has an opening extending therethrough in which said spring member is movably disposed.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 7 wherein said spring member has a generally E-shape configuration and includes a U-shape central section, an upper section engaging said inside surface of said top wall, and said contact-actuating section.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 54 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein said inside surface of said top wall has spaced recesses, said upper section of said spring member has an arcuate section disposable in either of said spaced recesses thereby defining a detent arrangement to maintain said slide member in the one or other position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 10 wherein said contact-actuating section of said spring member has an arcuate section that moves along said movable contact member.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 169 words

An electrical switch comprising: a dielectric frame member having pairs of aligned stationary electrical contact members secured thereto, said contact members having opposed contact sections spaced from each other and being disposed in an upper surface of said frame member; movable electrical contact members pivotally mounted onto one of said contact sections; a housing member mounted onto said frame member; slide members slidably mounted in the housing member and being movable from one position to another position and being associated with respective movable contact members; spring members associated with respective slide members, each of the spring members including one section extending along a respective movable contact member to move the movable contact member to the actuated or non-actuated position and another section engaging an inside top surface of said housing member and movable therealong to the one or the other position; and means provided by said spring members and said housing member defining a detent arrangement means for maintaining the slide members in the one or the other position.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 169 words

An electrical switch comprising: a dielectric frame member having pairs of aligned stationary electrical contact members secured thereto, said contact members having opposed contact sections spaced from each other and being disposed in an upper surface of said frame member; movable electrical contact members pivotally mounted onto one of said contact sections; a housing member mounted onto said frame member; slide members slidably mounted in the housing member and being movable from one position to another position and being associated with respective movable contact members; spring members associated with respective slide members, each of the spring members including one section extending along a respective movable contact member to move the movable contact member to the actuated or non-actuated position and another section engaging an inside top surface of said housing member and movable therealong to the one or the other position; and means provided by said spring members and said housing member defining a detent arrangement means for maintaining the slide members in the one or the other position.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 39 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 13 wherein said detent arrangement means comprise spaced recesses in said inside top surface and said another section of said spring members having an arcuate section cooperating with said spaced recesses.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 50 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 13 wherein said upper surface of said frame member has recesses in which said opposed contact sections and respective movable contact members are disposed, and a membrane is sealingly secured to said upper surface covering said contact sections and movable contact members.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 30 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 13 wherein one of the contact sections has a pivot section, said movable contact members have an embossment engaging said pivot section.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 34 words

An electrical switch as set forth in claim 13 wherein said spring members have a generally E-shape configuration including a U-shape central section, said one and other sections integrally connected to said central section.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 154 words

A switch-actuating assembly attachable to a switch for moving the contact members of the switch from an open position to a closed position, comprising: a housing member attachable to the switch, said housing member being generally box-like and open at the bottom; an actuator member movably mounted in the housing member; a sheet metal spring member of sinuous configuration associated with said actuator member and having a height in a relaxed condition that is higher than the sidewalls of the housing member, and, when the housing member is attached onto the switch, the spring member extends between an inside surface of the housing member and one of the contact members and is placed in a compressive state so that when the actuator member is moved from one position to another, a section of the spring member engaging the one of the contact members moves the contact members from an open to a closed position.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 154 words

A switch-actuating assembly attachable to a switch for moving the contact members of the switch from an open position to a closed position, comprising: a housing member attachable to the switch, said housing member being generally box-like and open at the bottom; an actuator member movably mounted in the housing member; a sheet metal spring member of sinuous configuration associated with said actuator member and having a height in a relaxed condition that is higher than the sidewalls of the housing member, and, when the housing member is attached onto the switch, the spring member extends between an inside surface of the housing member and one of the contact members and is placed in a compressive state so that when the actuator member is moved from one position to another, a section of the spring member engaging the one of the contact members moves the contact members from an open to a closed position.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 40 words

A switch-actuating assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein the section of the spring member engaging the one of the contact members is in the form of an arcuate section that moves along the one of the contact members.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 50 words

A switch-actuating assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein the arcuate section operates as a detent to maintain the contact members in the open or the closed position until sufficient force is applied to the actuator member to move the spring member from the open to the closed position.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 49 words

A switch-actuating mechanism set forth in claim 18 wherein the other end of the spring member in engagement with the inside surface of the housing member has an arcuate section that moves along the inside surface when the actuator member moves from the one position to the other position.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 52 words

A switch-actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 21 wherein the inside surface of the housing member has spaced recesses with the arcuate section being disposed in one or the other of the recesses depending on the position of the actuator member, said recesses and said arcuate section defining a detent arrangement.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 50 words

A switch-actuating assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said spring member has a generally E-shape configuration and includes a U-shape central section, an upper section engaging said inside surface of said housing member and a lower section which is the section engaging the one of the contact members.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 59 words

A switch-actuating assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein the actuator member is a slide member having an opening extending therethrough in which said spring member is movably disposed, said upper section having an arcuate section engaging said inside surface and said section engaging the one of the contact members is in the form of another arcuate section.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 58 words

A switch-actuating assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein the widths of the central section and the ends of the upper and lower sections are the same but just slightly less than the width of said opening in said slide member so that said spring member is freely movable therein and is stabilized during its movement therein.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1988-07-22	1989-01-21	1989-07-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1992-07-22	1993-01-21	1993-07-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1996-07-22	1997-01-21	1997-07-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electrical switch and actuating mechanism therefor

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