Claims
- 1. A switch comprising a base of insulating plastic and defining an upwardly open cavity, a plurality of fixed contacts spaced along the bottom wall of said base cavity, said switch having means defining actuator support regions, actuator means including support means cooperating with said support regions to slidably support said actuator, said actuator means including a depending portion, a movable contact element slidably received inside said switch base cavity for movement generally across the upper ends of certain of said spaced contacts to selectively bridge said certain fixed contacts, spring means retained by said depending actuator portion and engaging said movable contact element to bias said movable element in engagement with said fixed contacts, said movable contact element having at least one upwardly open recess to loosely receive the lowermost end of said depending actuator portion and said movable contact element having portions adjacent said recess for engaging said spring means during actuator movement, whereby said element is moved in response to such actuator movement.
- 2. The switch according to claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of fixed contacts has a planar upstanding portion in said switch base cavity, said planar portion being so oriented that its uppermost edge engages the underside of said movable conact, and said dpending actuator end portion adapted to move through the plane of said upstanding planar portion during movement of said movable contact element responsive to said actuator movement.
- 3. The switch according to claim 2 wherein said movable contact element recess for receiving said depending actuator end portion comprises an opening through said contact element, said depending portion loosely received in said opening to permit rocking motion of said contact element as it moves over said upstanding portion of said one fixed contact.
- 4. The switch according to claim 3 wherein said actuator means is molded from plastic and wherein said support means for movable supporting said actuator comprises projections integrally formed in said plastic actuator, said projections received in complementary shaped openings in side wall means defined by said plastic base, said depending portion also integrally formed as part of said plastic actuator, said spring means having a lower end engaging said movable contact element and an upper end engaging a downwardly facing surface also integrally defined in said actuator.
- 5. The switch according to claim 1 wherein said actuator defined support means for movably supporting said actuator comprises integrally formed projections received in complementary shaped openings in side wall means defined by said plastic base, said depending portion also integrally formed as part of said actuator, said spring means having a lower end engaging said movable contact element and an upper end engaging a downwardly facing surface also integrally defined in said actuator.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 234,664, filed Feb. 11, 1981 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,417 dated Aug. 31, 1982. This patent is incorporated by reference herein and assigned to the assignee herein. The term of the patent to issue from this application will be shortened to expire concurrently with that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,417.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2847772 |
May 1979 |
DEX |
2447086 |
Sep 1980 |
FRX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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Parent |
234664 |
Feb 1981 |
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