Claims
- 1. A method for making a pressure switch assembly having at least one switching station comprising the steps of forming a lead frame into a plurality of circuit paths,
- forming at least one center contact on the distal end of a circuit path of said plurality of circuit paths disposed in alignment with the at least one switching station, the at least one center contact having an upwardly extending projection circumscribed by a retention flange and an intermediate portion therebetween, the upwardly extending projection extending vertically to a selected position relative to a reference plane,
- forming an electrically conductive disc seat member on another circuit path for the at least one switching station and disposing the disc seat member around the at least one center contact, placing the plurality of circuit paths in a mold with the disc seat member of the at least one switching station referenced against a first stop surface, clamping the intermediate portion of the at least one center contact to maintain the intermediate portion at a selected location, moving a gauge surface from a position above the reference plane downwardly to the reference plane against the upwardly extending projection to insure that the upwardly extending projection is spaced at a selected vertical distance relative to the disc seat member, molding electrically insulating material around the lead frame including a portion of the at least one center contact leaving exposed the upwardly extending projection and at least a portion of the disc seat member.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 including the step of forming distal end portions of at least some of said plurality of circuit paths into pin configurations to serve as connectors.
- 3. A method according to claim 2 in which the distal end portions of the at least some of said plurality of circuit paths are tin plated.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 in which at least some of the circuit paths are interconnected by runners when the insulating material is molded around the lead frame and including the step after molding of severing the runners to electrically separate the circuit paths from one another.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 including the steps of forming first and second circuit paths of said plurality of circuit paths from portions of the lead frame which have been tin plated and extending the tin plated first and second circuit paths into a thermistor area.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 in which the electrically conductive disc seat member is a partial annulus.
- 7. A method according to claim 1 including the step of bending a portion of the lead frame generally 180.degree. so that said portion of the lead frame extends over the at least one center contact to serve as a disc seat for an electrically conductive disc to be placed between the at least one center contact and the lead frame portion.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 in which the disc seat member is bent generally 180.degree. to extend back over the at least one switching station to provide a normally closed switching station.
- 9. A pressure switch assembly comprising an electrically insulating base, a plurality of circuit paths embedded in the base, at least one switching station including a center contact having an upwardly extending projection surrounded by a retention flange, the retention flange embedded in the base with the upwardly extending projection extending out of the base, an electrically conductive disc seat member disposed around but spaced from the center contact of the at least one switching station with at least a portion of the disc seat member extending out of the base, the base forming a rib surrounding said at least one switching station, an electrically conductive disc movable between first and second configurations received on the disc seat member, a layer of flexible insulating material disposed over the electrically conductive disc and extending essentially to the rib surrounding the at least one switching station, a generally O-shaped elastomeric sealing member lockingly received on the layer of flexible material and disposed contiguous with the rib surrounding the at least one switching station, said disc seat member comprising a circuit path portion of said plurality of circuit paths bent generally 180.degree. so as to extend over said center contact, the electrically conductive disc disposed between the disc seat member and the center contact.
- 10. A pressure switch according to claim 9 in which the electrically conductive disc seat member is a partial annulus.
- 11. A pressure switch assembly according to claim 9 in which the base is formed of first and second portions, the first portion of the base has the plurality of circuit paths embedded in it and the disc seat member extends out of it, the second portion of the base is attached to the first portion of the base with the disc seat member therebetween, and a movable piston member is disposed in the second portion of the base member between the layer of flexible material and the electrically conductive disc.
- 12. A pressure switch assembly according to claim 9 in which a movable piston member is disposed between the layer of flexible material and the electrically conductive disc member.
Parent Case Info
This application claims priority under 35 USC .sctn. 119(c)(1) of provisional application number 60/000,346, filed Jun. 20, 1995.
US Referenced Citations (10)