ELECTRIC SWITCHES

• US 3,622,924 A
• Filed: 08/17/1970
• Issued: 11/23/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael David Harcourt
• Original Assignee: Michael David Harcourt
• Inventors: Harcourt, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Harold
• Application Number:
  US05/064,300
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 335/112 200/176,177
• US Class Current: 335/112
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 67/26 Co-ordinate-type selector switches not having relays at cross-points but involving mechanical movement, e.g. cross-bar switch, code-bar switch

Abstract

A crossbar switch comprising a rectangular array of contact sets formed by intersecting wires. Each contact set is operated by an individual interposer member, each row of interposer members being moved by a select magnet armature into operative positions and each column of interposer members being driven, if in an operative position, to operate their respective contact sets. The travel of the select magnet armature is limited in one direction by a stop member and in the other by the magnet core which is itself biased against the stop member.

Claims

1. A crossbar switch comprising an array of contact sets arranged in rows and columns, an interposer member in respect of each contact set, a set of row coordinate members, each row coordinate member being coupled to a respective row of interposer members, means for operating each row coordinate member selectively to drive the associated row of interposer members into respective driving positions, a set of column coordinate members, each column coordinate member being coupled to a respective column of interposer members, means for operating each column coordinate member selectively, to drive any interposer member of the associated column which interposer member is in a said driving position, into operative engagement with the associated contact set, wherein said means for operating the coordinate members of one of said sets comprises electromagnetic armature means, an electromagnetic core, and a stop member in respect of each coordinate member of the set, said armature means having unoperated and operated positions determined by, respectively, said stop member and said electromagnetic core, and further comprising means for biasing said core into engagement with the stop member and means for biasing said armature means into engagement with the stop member in the unoperated position of the armature means.

2. A crossbar switch according to claim 1, wherein said armature means comprises a magnetic armature and a nonmagnetic member.

3. A crossbar switch according to claim 2, wherein said nonmagnetic member is integral with a respective coordinate member of said one set.

4. A crossbar switch according to claim 2, wherein said nonmagnetic member is coupled to a respective coordinate member of said one set.

5. A crossbar switch according to claim 2, wherein said nonmagnetic member engages said stop member to determine the unoperated position of said armature means.

6. A crossbar switch accOrding to claim 5, wherein said magnetic armature and said core have cooperating plane surfaces, said magnetic armature and said nonmagnetic member have plane surfaces in permanent engagement, said nonmagnetic member and said stop member have cooperating plane surfaces, and the plane surfaces of said nonmagnetic member respectively in engagement with said magnetic armature and cooperating with said stop member, are parts of a common plane surface, the movement of said nonmagnetic member between the unoperated and operated positions of the armature means being determined by the displacement between said plane surface of said stop member and the position of engagement of said core with said stop member.

7. A crossbar switch according to claim 2, wherein said stop member is common to a plurality of the armature means and cores associated with said one set of coordinate members.

8. A crossbar switch according to claim 2, wherein said nonmagnetic member is engaged by a respective coordinate member of said one set, the coordinate member being a longitudinal member, the switch further comprising means for biasing said longitudinal member into end-on engagement with the respective said nonmagnetic member so as to be driven against this bias by operation of the associated armature.

9. A crossbar switch according to claim 8, and comprising a rigid housing in which said cores, armatures, nonmagnetic members and the stop member associated with said one set of coordinate members are all mounted to form a subassembly of the switch, the switch further comprising a main frame on which said rigid housing is mounted and means for mounting said coordinate members of said one set on said main frame separately from said subassembly.