Claims
- 1. A contact switch apparatus, which comprises:
- (a) a non-conductive housing with a base and sides forming an aperture therebetween;
- (b) a first conductive terminal disposed through the housing with a contact portion extending within the housing aperture;
- (c) a conductive spring member disposed within the housing aperture adjacent to the first terminal means, the conductive spring member having a centrally raised spring portion in spaced relation between substantially flat side portions and adjoining substantially flat end portions, with the first conductive terminal means in continuous contact with at least one of the substantially flat side or end portions of the spring member;
- (d) a second terminal disposed through the housing with a contact portion extending within the housing aperture in spaced proximity beneath the centrally raised spring portion of the spring member;
- (e) an actuator means slidably disposed at least partially within the housing aperture, with a non-conductive biasing portion disposed adjacent to the centrally raised spring portion of the spring member; and
- (f) opposing conductive third terminals disposed in spaced relation through the housing with a portion formed to resiliently receive an illuminating means therebetween, and a tab positioned on the third terminals to limit travel of the actuator means between a second position wherein the actuator means is depressed to bias the centrally raised spring portion to make contact with the second terminal causing a closed circuit, and a first position wherein the actuator means is biased by the spring member to break electrical contact between the centrally raised portion of the conductive spring member and the second terminal.
- 2. The contact switch apparatus of claim 1, wherein a raised ridge is disposed across the substantially flat sides of the conductive spring member to resist straightening of the centrally raised spring portion during repeated switch actuation.
- 3. The contact switch apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one boss is disposed on a flat portion of the conductive spring member adjacent to the first terminal to provide continuous contact between the boss on the conductive spring member and the first terminal.
- 4. The contact switch apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third terminal portion formed to resiliently receive an illuminating means therebetween is formed with lamp lead indentations therein; and
- an illuminating lamp with lamp leads is disposed between the opposed third terminals with the lamp leads formed to contact and releasably secure the lamp leads in the lamp lead indentations formed in the third terminals means, to provide electrical communication therebetween.
- 5. The contact switch apparatus of claim 4, wherein a switch cap is disposed at least partially within the housing aperture for resilient securement to the actuator means, the switch cap having sides forming a central aperture means, the switch cap having sides forming a central aperture therethrough sized to receive a portion of the third terminals therein, and a translucent insert is secured across the central aperture in spaced proximity to the illuminating lamp to transmit illumination through the translucent insert when the third terminals are electrically energized.
- 6. The contact switch apparatus of claim 5 wherein graphics selected from at least one of numerals, letters and symbols are disposed upon the translucent insert to aid in identification of a switching function.
- 7. An electrical contact switch apparatus for mounting to a substrate, which comprises:
- (a) a non-conductive housing with a base and sides forming an aperture therebetween;
- (b) a first conductive terminal disposed through the housing with a contact portion extending within the housing aperture;
- (c) a conductive spring member disposed within the housing aperture, a portion of the spring member in continuous contact with the first terminal, the conductive spring member having a centrally raised spring portion thereon, with substantially flat sides disposed in spaced relation from the centrally raised portion, and with substantially flat ends connecting the sides and the centrally raised portion;
- (d) a second terminal disposed through the housing with a contact portion within the housing aperture disposed in spaced relation beneath the centrally raised spring portion;
- (e) a non-conductive actuator member with a base, and opposing sides disposed for slidable movement within the housing aperture, with the base of the actuator member disposed adjacent to the centrally raised spring portion of the conductive spring member;
- (f) third opposing conductive lamp terminals disposed through the housing and extending into the housing aperture, with a portion of the lamp terminal formed to limit travel in an outward direction of the actuator member within the housing aperture;
- (g) an illuminating lamp with leads formed to contact and secure the lamp between the third opposed lamp terminals;
- (h) a non-conductive cap with sides forming a centrally disposed aperture therethrough; the cap with opposed tabs extending from the cap sides within the housing aperture to engage and releasably secure the cap to the actuator member; and
- (i) a translucent insert disposed and secured across the aperture in the cap in spaced relation from the illuminating lamp,
- wherein;
- the non-conductive cap is manually actuated for slidable movement within the housing aperture to urge the actuator member against the centrally raised spring portion of the conductive spring member to make contact with the second terminal, providing electrical communication between the first terminal, the conductive spring member and the second terminal, and wherein the lamp terminals may be energized by a remote electrical power source to illuminate the lamp independently of actuation means.
- 8. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the substantially flat sides of the conductive spring member have a centrally disposed raised ridge extending across the sides, and the raised ridge is formed at an angle in relation to the centrally raised spring portion to resist straightening during repeated switch actuation.
- 9. The contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein a cap shell is adapted to be closely received and secured about the cap sides.
- 10. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the opposing sides of the actuator member form lower bearing surfaces slidably received within the housing opening, and the opposed tabs of the caps extending within the housing opening are configured with upper bearing surfaces slidably received within the housing opening to provide a spaced relation between upper and lower bearing surfaces to improve stability of the actuator member during actuation.
- 11. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the actuator member has a guide means disposed on opposed sides of the actuator member, with complementary guide means disposed upon the opposed tabs of the cap, to align the cap in relation to the actuator member during assembly.
- 12. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the opposed tabs of the cap are sized to be urged outward during insertion over the sides of the actuator member and upon complete insertion, the opposed tabs of the cap spring inward to releasably engage the opposed tabs of the cap beneath the opposed sides of the actuator member.
- 13. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 12, wherein a substantial pulling force on the cap will outwardly bias the assembled cap tabs, to release the cap from engagement with the opposed sides of the actuator member to expose the lamp for replacement without removing the lamp terminals from the substrate.
- 14. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein a lamp lead indentation is formed on opposing lamp terminals to receive the lamp leads therein, to position and releasably secure the lamp between the opposed lamp terminals at assembly.
- 15. The electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lamp may be removed from the lamp terminals to provide a non-lighted electrical contact switch, without effecting operation of the electrical contact switch assembly.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein graphics, comprising at least one of symbols, numerals and lettering are marked upon the translucent insert to aid in identification of a switching function.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cap is not installed until after flow soldering the terminals onto a substrate, and a tape barrier is temporarily secured to cover and seal the housing aperture during flow soldering, washing and cleaning.
- 18. An electrical contact switch apparatus having a housing, with base and sides forming an opening therebetween; a conductive spring means with a biased spring portion, the conductive spring means disposed within the housing opening; a first and second terminal disposed through the housing; the first terminal in continuous contact with the conductive spring means, and the second terminal aligned in spaced relation to the biased portion of the conductive spring means; an actuator means slidably disposed within the housing opening to bias the spring portion of the conductive spring means when the actuator means is manually biased, wherein the improvement comprises:
- opposed lamp terminals disposed in spaced relation within the housing opening, with a portion extending through the housing, a portion of the lamp terminals formed to limit travel of the actuator means in an outward direction, and a portion of the lamp terminals formed to closely receive an illuminating lamp therebetween; and, an illuminating lamp with external leads formed to contact and releasably secure the illuminating lamp between the lamp terminals at assembly to provide electrical contact therebetween, wherein: the lamp terminals may be energized from a remote electrical energy source independently of actuation of the contact switch.
- 19. An electrical contact switch apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a cap with sides forming an aperture therebetween and opposed tabs extending at least partially within the housing openings, wherein the tabs are adapted to releasably engage and secure the cap to the actuator means at assembly; and a translucent insert is secured across the cap aperture to illuminate the insert when the lamp is energized.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein markings selected from at least one of graphics, numerals and letters, are marked upon said translucent insert to identify a switching function.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 677,514 filed Dec. 3, 1984, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
677514 |
Dec 1984 |
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