The present invention relates to an electrical system, and in particular to an electrical switch.
Electrical switches are used to make electrical connections between electrical wires. Many electrical system failures result from bad contacts at electrical switches. The bad contacts may result from contaminations at contact surfaces or terminals, or may result from wearing of the contact surfaces and/or terminals.
The present invention provides a method and system for making a reliable and durable contact between electrical terminals.
In one aspect, an electrical contact assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electrical terminal, a push button, and a contact member. When the push button is compressed, the contact member comes in electrical contact with the terminal. The contact member has a first contact portion forming a first angle with a surface of the electrical terminal, and a second contact portion forming a second angle with the surface of the electrical terminal. The second angle is smaller than the first angle, and the second contact portion is adapted to slide on the surface of the electrical terminal when the push button is compressed.
The electrical contact assembly may include a spring member coupled to the contact member and to the push button. The assembly may have a housing and a cover together substantially enclosing the electrical terminal and the contact member. The electrical terminal may be adapted for retaining, and being in electrical contact with, an electrical wire.
The contact member of the assembly may be formed unitarily, for example, using beryllium copper. Alternatively, portions of the contact member may be formed separately and then coupled together.
The contact member is adapted to provide a resilient force between the contact member and the electrical terminal when in electrical contact with the electrical terminal. The resilient force at least partially results from a change in a relative angle between the first contact portion and the second contact portion.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures.
The present invention provides a switch for connecting, for example, paired electrical wires. As shown in
The terminals 11a and 11b have retaining portions 11a-2 and 11b-2 that are adapted to retain electrical wires 101a and 101b (e.g.,
The contact member 13 has a first contact portion 13a and a second contact portion 13b. The second contact portion 13b as shown is at an angle in relation to the first contact portion 13a, i.e., the portion 13b is “bent” in relation to the portion 13a. The second contact portion 13b is adapted to come in contact with a surface 11a-1 of the first terminal 11a. The contact member 13 may further include a third contact portion 13c and a fourth contact portion 13d. The fourth contact portion 13d is bent in relation to portion 13c, and is adapted to come in contact with a surface 11b-1 of the second terminal 11b.
The contact member 13 is overall “U” shaped, with contact portions 13a and 13b forming a first “leg” 13-1, and contact portions 13c and 13d forming a second “leg” 13-2. The contact member 13 may also be of other shapes such as “V” shaped, etc. The contact member 13 may have more “legs” and contact portions, and may be unitarily formed using, for example, beryllium copper. Alternatively, different portions, such as the first contact portion 13a and the second contact portion 13b, may be formed separately and then coupled together.
The push button 14 has an internal extrusion 14a adapted to extend through an aperture 13f of the top portion 13e of the contact member 13, and extend through a first portion of the spring member 12 thus retaining the first portion of the spring member 12 to a substantially fixed location. For a contact member 13 having a width of about 3.15 mm at the top portion 13e, the aperture 13f has a diameter of about 1.52 mm.
The housing 16 has an aperture 16a adapted to have the push button 14 extend therethrough. As shown in
As shown in
The second contact portion 13b forms a second angle β with the surface 11a-1 of the terminal 11a. The second angle β is smaller than the first angle α, i.e., 0°<β<α, and preferably is about 25°. The first portion 13a and the second portion 13b form a relative angle γ=180°−α+β, which is preferably about 130°.
In one exemplary implementation, the second portion 13b is angled (bent) about γ=130° from the first contact portion 13a. In other words, the second portion 13b is angled (bent) about 50° vertically from the first contact portion 13a.
As shown in
The contact assembly 10 remains closed (providing electrical connection between the terminals 11a, 11b) so long as the spring member 12 remains compressed, allowing the contact member 13 to maintain electrical contact with both the terminals 11a and 11b.
As illustrated in
The relative angle between the contact portions 13a and 13b decreases until the angle γ′=180−α′ as shown, where the angle α′ between the contact portion 13a and the surface 11a-1 may also have decreased, depending on the flexibility between the portion 13a and the top portion 13e of the contact member 13.
As shown earlier in
The tapered width of the contact member 13 provides a softer resilient force between the contact portions 13a and 13b as compared with the resilient force between the top portion 13e and the contact portion 13a when the contact member 13 is compressed. Thus, it is easier to bend the second contact portion 13b from the first contact portion 13a as compared with bending the first contact portion 13a from the top contact portion 13e. As illustrated in
As shown in
The resilient force causes an outwardly sliding tendency of the second portion 13b on the surface 11a-1. When the sliding tendency overcomes the friction between the second portion 13b and the surface 11a-1, at least a tip of the second contact portion 13b slides outwardly on the surface 11a-1, in the direction shown as a block arrow 71 in
Even after repetitive open and close state cycles of the contact 20 assembly (switch 10) such that wearing on the contact portions 13b, 13d and the surfaces 11a-1 and 11b-1 may occur, proper electrical contact may still be ensured as a result of the range of relative positions (between position 23 and position 33) the contact member 13 can move while trying to make electrical contact with terminals 11a and 11b. Thus, the contact assembly 10 of the invention provides a reliable electrical connection through the “self cleaning” function and the range of contact positions.
As noted, when the push button 14 is pressed, the spring member 12 is compressed. When the push button 14 is partially released, the second portion 13b slides back on the surface 11a-1 of the terminal 11a as a result of the resilient force between the contact member 13 and the surface 11a-1. When the push button 14 is further released, the contact member is moved by the spring member 12 passing the second position 23, and the second portion 13b breaks electrical contact with the surface 11a-1.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the push button 14 may be locked into one or more lock positions using mechanisms known in the art.
As shown in
Advantageously, the invention provides a reliable and durable electrical switch. The switch has a “self-cleaning” function that helps maintain a reliable electrical connection.
The present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof; however, other versions are possible.
For example, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many design variations of the contact member 13 may exist without departing the scope of the invention. The contact member 13 may have more “legs,” and each leg may include more than two portions having different relative angles with respect to the corresponding electrical terminal. The dimensions and the materials of the portions may vary.
In addition, the different portions may be made separately and then coupled together. Moreover, although the contact member 13 as shown has two, symmetrical legs each having two portions, the legs may be configured asymmetrically. Moreover, although the contact member as shown in the drawings is “bent” outwardly, it is possible that it can be designed to be bent inwardly; so long the terminals are slanted inwardly accordingly.
Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
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