Claims
- 1. A switch comprising a molded housing having a cavity, and a set of electrical terminals formed within said cavity, with a displaceable elongated contact arm selectively forming a circuit between said set of terminals, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm comprises a base having a formed edge which mates with said molded housing inside said cavity, to align said displaceable elongated contact arm with respect to said set of terminals, said formed edge being provided on a first portion of said base displaced out of a plane defined by a second portion of said base.
- 2. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said housing is a standard dual inline pin type package.
- 3. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said housing is a standard TO-220 type package.
- 4. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm forms a fixed contact with one of said set of electrical terminals and a variable contact with respect to another of said set of terminals.
- 5. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm is displaced by a bimetal element, forming a thermostat.
- 6. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm is formed on a reel having a plurality of displaceable elongated contact arms in parallel.
- 7. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm is formed on a reel having a plurality of displaceable elongated contact arms in parallel, and wherein a said displaceable elongated contact arm does not have a residual cutoff tab.
- 8. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said displaceable elongated contact arm has a nominal flexion angle to displace said arm from a plane of said second portion of said base, wherein said formed edge of said base defines an axis which extends in a same direction as said displaceable elongated contact arm.
- 9. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said formed edge of said base comprises a pair of lateral bent edges adapted for engaging respective lateral sidewalls of said cavity.
- 10. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said formed edge of said base comprises a pair of lateral bent edges adapted for engaging respective lateral sidewalls of said cavity, wherein a force of said respective lateral sidewalls compresses said bent edges, to provide an alignment force for said displaceable elongated contact arm.
- 11. The switch according to claim 1, wherein said formed edge of said base comprises a pair of lateral formed appendages supporting said formed edge at a end thereof distal with respect to said base, adapted for engaging respective lateral sidewalls of said cavity, said lateral formed appendages being spaced such that said respective lateral sidewalls compress said lateral formed appendages.
- 12. In a thermostatic switch for mounting to a circuit board, having:a molded dielectric housing of boxlike shape having a cavity bounded by a floor, opposed parallel endwalls, and opposed parallel sidewalls, first and second terminals having inner parts disposed inside said housing in said floor toward respective endwalls, the inner part of said second terminal having a fixed contact thereon, each said terminal having an external mounting pin, said inner parts connecting to said pins through one of said sidewalls. an elongate contact arm having a first end fixed to the inner part of said first terminal and an opposed second end biased away from the inner part of said second terminal but movable theretoward, said second end having a movable contact fixed thereto, a fulcrum having a fulcrum point disposed between said sidewalls and said endwalls, a hysteretic thermal sensing element arranged between said fulcrum and said contact arm, so that in one stable position the movable contact is against said fixed contact and in the other stable position the movable contact is displaced from said fixed contact, the improvement comprising: a pair of laterally opposed locating walls having a recess therebetween; and a pair of bent tabs on said elongate contact arm, configured to form fit with said locating walls, wherein said locating walls and bent tabs cooperate to align the elongate contact arm along its elongate axis during insertion in said recess.
- 13. A thermostatic switch as in claim 12 wherein said housing is molded onto said terminals.
- 14. A method for forming a switch, comprising the steps of providing a molded housing having interior sidewalls defining a cavity, and a set of electrical terminals formed within the cavity; inserting a displaceable elongated contact arm within the cavity, the displaceable elongated contact arm having a base having a plane with formed edges displaced from said plane which mate with the sidewalls, to align the displaceable elongated contact arm with respect to the set of terminals.
- 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of forming, with the displaceable elongated contact arm, a fixed contact with one of the set of electrical terminals and a variable contact with respect to another of the set of terminals.
- 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of displacing the displaceable elongated contact arm with a bimetal element.
- 17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of welding the displaceable elongated contact arm to form the fixed contact with one of the set of electrical terminals.
- 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the displaceable elongated contact arm is formed on a reel having a plurality of displaceable elongated contact arms in parallel, further comprising the step of eliminating a residual cutoff tab from the displaceable elongated contact arm.
- 19. The method according of claim 14, wherein the formed edges comprises a pair of lateral bent edges adapted for engaging the sidewalls of the cavity laterally, wherein a force of the respective lateral sidewalls compresses the bent edges, to provide an alignment force for the displaceable elongated contact arm.
- 20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the displaceable elongated contact arm is inserted in the cavity with an automated pick and place system.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/337,293 filed Nov. 8, 2001.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/337293 |
Nov 2001 |
US |