Pressure actuated switching device and method and system for making same

• US 20070068787A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lester Burgess, Richard Lerch
• Original Assignee: Lester Burgess, Richard Lerch
• Inventors: Burgess, Lester, Lerch, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/512
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/032 Conductive polymer; Rubber
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/056 Laminating
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/058 Curing or vulcanising of rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/142 of the elongated strip type

Abstract

A pressure actuated switching device is made by applying at least a first layer of fluid conductive polymeric coating material to a surface of a sheet of green rubber material. The conductive polymeric coating is solidified to form an electrode, and the sheet of green rubber material is vulcanized. Two strips of green rubber may be simultaneously processed and then joined such that the respective layers of conductive coating are in spaced apart opposing relationship. The conductive polymeric coating may optionally be formulated with green rubber. Optionally, a blowing agent may be included in the conductive coating formulation so as to provide a cellular polymeric foam piezoresistive material from which the electrode is constructed. The green rubber sheets may be processed by a continuous rotary method or by a linear method using a clamping press having opening and closing dies for heating and joining the strips of green rubber.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing,

wherein the housing comprises a flat base and a corrugated top cover joined to the flat base so as to form a plurality of elongated parallel cells.

29-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer,

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing, wherein the housing comprises an elongated upper portion and an elongated base, the upper portion having opposite lengthwise edges configured to engage corresponding lengthwise slots in the base, the base comprising an upwardly projecting ridge wherein one said conductive electrode layer is chemically bonded by cross linking to an upper surface of the ridge and the other of said conductive electrode layers is chemically bonded to a lower surface of the upper portion.

32. The pressure actuated switching device of claim 31 wherein the upper portion has an arcuate cross section and the upper surface of the ridge is arcuate.

33. The pressure actuated switching device of claim 31 wherein the upper portion includes at least one outwardly projecting lengthwise extending protrusion.

34. The pressure actuated switching device of claim 33 wherein the upper portion includes at least three outwardly projecting lengthwise extending protrusions.

35. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing, wherein the housing comprises an elongated single piece member folded along a lengthwise bend to define an upper portion and a base portion, wherein one of said conductive electrode layers is chemically bonded by cross linking to the upper portion and the other of said conductive electrode layers is chemically bonded by cross linking to the base portion.

36. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing, wherein the housing includes a lengthwise extending outer cover configured to form a tubular portion and a flange, wherein the two conductive electrode layers are disposed opposite each other along an inside surface of the tubular portion and are chemically bonded by cross linking thereto, and the flange comprises two walls of the outer cover bonded to each other along a common interface.

37. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing, wherein the housing includes a lengthwise extending outer cover configured to form a tubular portion having an inner surface defining a bore and first and second flange-forming walls, and a second member having a flange portion and an end portion extending into the bore of the tubular portion, wherein the flange portion of the second member is disposed between the first and second flange-forming walls of the outer cover so as to form a first interface between the first flange-forming wall and a first side surface of the flange portion and a second interface between the second flange-forming wall and a second side surface of the flange portion, wherein one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross linking to the outer cover and extends along the first interface and along the inner surface of the tubular portion, and the other of the conductive electrode layers is chemically bonded by cross linking to the second member and extends along the second interface and around the end portion of the second member.

38. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing wherein the housing includes a lengthwise extending outer cover configured to form a tubular portion having an inner surface defining a bore and first and second flange-forming walls, and a second member disposed between the first and second flange-forming walls of the outer cover so as to form a first interface between the first flange-forming wall and a first side surface of the second member and a second interface between the second flange-forming wall and a second side surface of the second member, wherein one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross linking to the outer cover and extends along the first interface and along a first portion of an inside surface of the bore of the tubular portion, and the other conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross linking to the outer cover and extends along the second interface and along a second portion of the inside surface of the bore of the tubular portion, wherein the conductive electrode layers have a crenelate shaped edge.

39. (canceled)

40. A pressure actuated switching device which comprises:

a) a housing fabricated from a non-conductive elastomeric polymer;

b) at least two separate conductive electrode layers fixedly attached to the housing and positioned in spaced apart opposing relationship to each other, at least one of the conductive electrode layers being fabricated from a composition containing the elastomeric polymer and a conductive particulate filler, wherein said at least one conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the housing,

wherein the housing comprises an elongated flat base and an elongated upper portion having an arcuate cross-section, and wherein a first conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to an upper surface of the base and a second conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to lower surface of the elongated upper portion of the housing, and

further comprising an elongated member having an arcuate cross section disposed between the base and the upper portion of the housing, said elongated member having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein a third conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the upper surface of the elongated member and a fourth conductive electrode layer is bonded by chemical cross links to the lower surface of the elongated member.

41-45. -45. (canceled)