Switch with light supported in operating member

• US 20050263380A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coactive Technologies Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubat, Laurent, Rochon, Sylvain, Bouvier, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/023 Light-emitting indicators for multi-layer switches H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/64 wherein the switch has more than two electrically distinguishable positions, e.g. multi-position push-button switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/5888 Terminals of surface mounted devices [SMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/04 Attachments; Connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD

Abstract

A switching device includes a vertically moveable operating member (14) with a cavity (66) in which a light (20) lies. The light is supported on tongues (80) of a pair of sheet metal energizing members (70A, 70B). Each energizing member has laterally opposite sides that form a pair of legs (74). The legs extend downward along opposite sides of the switch casing (12), and the legs have lugs (76) at their lower ends for soldering to traces on a circuit board.

Claims

1. A switching device of a type that has a casing with an upwardly opening casing cavity, a switching mechanism lying in said casing, an operating member that is moveable to operate said switching mechanism, a light lying above at least part of said operating member and having a pair of light terminals, and at least two energizing conductors mounted on said casing for carrying electricity to said light, wherein:

said energizing conductors each has a top part that lies above a part of said operating member and that engages one of said light terminals, each energizing conductor having a leg that extends downwardly to the bottom of said casing, and each energizing conductor having a lug that lies at the bottom of its leg and that forms a terminal.

2. The switching device described in claim 1 wherein:

said operating member has an operator base and a pair of laterally spaced protuberances projecting upward from laterally opposite sides of said base and leaving an operator cavity between said protuberances;

said energizing conductors are each formed of a piece of sheet metal, the top part of each of said energizing conductors having side portions lying at longitudinally opposite sides of said operating member and said top parts having tongues projecting towards each other into said operator cavity, said side portions each extending laterally to a top of one of said legs.

3. The switching device described in claim 2 wherein said light has at least three terminals and said energizing conductors comprises at least three sheet metal energizing conductors, and wherein:

first and second of said energizing conductors have longitudinal side parts that lie on the same longitudinal side of said operating member and have first and second tongues that are laterally spaced and that each projects into said base cavity portion, said first and second energizing member top parts of said first and second energizing members extend laterally away from each other and each is joined by a right angle bend to one of said legs, each leg having a lower end joined to one of said lugs that extends under said base.

4. The switching device described in claim 1 wherein:

said operating member has an operating base and a pair of laterally spaced protuberances projecting upward from laterally opposite sides of said operating base and leaving a middle base portion between said protuberances;

said top parts of said energizing conductors are each formed of a piece of sheet metal, each energizing conductor has a pair of legs including said leg, and the top part of each energizing conductor extends to laterally opposite sides of said casing and forms a right angle bend that joins to an upper end of one of said legs.

5. The switching device described in claim 4 including:

a frame of insulative material that is molded around at least a portion of the top part of each of said energizing conductors but not around the tongue thereof.

6. A switching device of a type that has a casing with an upwardly opening casing cavity, a switching mechanism lying in said casing, an operating apparatus that is depressable to operate said switching mechanism, a light having at least first and second light terminals, and at least first and second energizing conductors for carrying electricity to said light, wherein:

said operating apparatus has a depressable button and an operating member that is depressed by said button and that operates said switching mechanism when said button is depressed, and said operating apparatus forms an empty region under said button and above at least part of said operating member;

said first and second energizing conductors are each formed of sheet metal, are each fixed to said casing, and each has a top part with a tongue that projects into said empty region;

said light lies in said empty region and said light terminals are each joined to a different one of said tongues.

7. The switching device described in claim 6 wherein:

each of said energizing conductors has a leg that extends downward from the top part of the energizing conductor, and has a lug at the bottom of each leg that forms a terminal lying at the level of the bottom of said casing.

8. The switching device described in claim 7 wherein:

said first and second energizing conductors have laterally opposite side portion that lie beyond opposite sides of said operating apparatus and that each connects one of said tongues to one of said legs.

9. The switching device described in claim 6 wherein:

each of said energizing conductor top parts lies against a top of said casing and lies against said operating member when the operating member is not depressed, and each of said energizing conductors is fixed to said casing.

10. The switching device described in claim 9 wherein:

each of said legs lies outside the casing and each lug extends under the casing, to thereby fix the energizing conductor to the casing.

11. The switch device described in claim 6 wherein:

said sheet metal energizing conductors closely surround portions of said operating apparatus to guide said operating apparatus in down and up movement.