ELECTRICAL SWITCH, AS FOR CONTROLLING A FLASHLIGHT
First Claim
1. An electrical switch comprising:
- a base having at least first, second and third electrical conductors thereon;
a housing cover disposed adjacent said base, said housing cover having walls defining a central cavity, and having an opening therethrough;
an electrically conductive flexible dome disposed in the cavity of said housing cover, said flexible dome having a plurality of relatively longer legs extending from a dome portion thereof and being in electrical contact with the first electrical conductor of said base, said flexible dome having a relatively shorter leg extending from the dome portion thereof and overlying the second electrical conductor of said base, and the dome portion of said flexible dome overlying the third electrical conductor of said base, said flexible dome having an actuation distance,wherein the relatively shorter leg of said flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the second electrical conductor when said flexible dome is pressed with a first actuation force, and wherein the dome portion of said flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the third electrical conductor when said flexible dome is pressed with a second actuation force;
a pushbutton disposed in the opening of said housing cover, wherein said pushbutton is movable in the opening of said housing cover for exerting force on said flexible dome via said spring and is urged away from said flexible dome; and
at least one spring extending from said base for providing an electrical connection to at least one of the first, second and third electrical conductors of said base.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical switch and a flashlight employing the switch may comprise a base having three electrical conductors thereon and an electrically conductive flexible dome adjacent the base. The flexible dome has plural longer legs extending from its dome and in electrical contact with a first conductor, has a shorter leg extending from its dome and overlying a second conductor, and has its dome overlying a third conductor. A spring may extend from the base of the switch. A pushbutton may be moved to apply sufficient force to cause the shorter leg to contact the second conductor and the dome to contact the third conductor. A spring may be between the pushbutton and the flexible dome to couple force to the flexible dome.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electrical switch comprising:
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a base having at least first, second and third electrical conductors thereon; a housing cover disposed adjacent said base, said housing cover having walls defining a central cavity, and having an opening therethrough; an electrically conductive flexible dome disposed in the cavity of said housing cover, said flexible dome having a plurality of relatively longer legs extending from a dome portion thereof and being in electrical contact with the first electrical conductor of said base, said flexible dome having a relatively shorter leg extending from the dome portion thereof and overlying the second electrical conductor of said base, and the dome portion of said flexible dome overlying the third electrical conductor of said base, said flexible dome having an actuation distance, wherein the relatively shorter leg of said flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the second electrical conductor when said flexible dome is pressed with a first actuation force, and wherein the dome portion of said flexible dome comes into electrical contact with the third electrical conductor when said flexible dome is pressed with a second actuation force; a pushbutton disposed in the opening of said housing cover, wherein said pushbutton is movable in the opening of said housing cover for exerting force on said flexible dome via said spring and is urged away from said flexible dome; and at least one spring extending from said base for providing an electrical connection to at least one of the first, second and third electrical conductors of said base. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electrical flashlight comprising:
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a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery; an electrical light source disposed proximate the head end of said housing; and a pushbutton switch disposed on said housing for providing at least two switch contacts, wherein said pushbutton switch includes an electrically conductive flexible dome having a plurality of relatively longer legs extending from a dome portion thereof, a relatively shorter leg extending from the dome portion thereof, wherein the relatively shorter leg of said flexible dome closes a first normally open switch contact of the at least two switch contacts when said flexible dome is pressed with a first actuation force, and wherein the dome portion of said flexible dome closes a second normally open switch contact of the at least two switch contacts when said first flexible dome is pressed with a second actuation force; a controller disposed in said housing and electrically connected to said electrical light source and to the battery when a battery is provided in the cavity of said housing for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source, wherein said controller is electrically connected to said pushbutton switch and is responsive to closure, or opening, or both, of the at least two switch contacts thereof for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source when the battery is present in the cavity of said housing, and whereby said electrical light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to said pushbutton switch without electrical power to energize the light source flowing through the pushbutton switch. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification