Pressure responsive switch

• US 3,894,206 A
• Filed: 12/13/1972
• Issued: 07/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hatuyoshi Yoshida, Masaru Suzuki
• Original Assignee: Hatuyoshi Yoshida, Masaru Suzuki
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masaru, Yoshida, Hatuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jr., David
• Application Number:
  US05/314,528
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 200/86R,159A 340/272,278 307/15B
• US Class Current: 200/85.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/141 Cushion or mat switches

Abstract

A pressure responsive switch which essentially comprises a first electro-conductive strip formed with a pair of tongues serving as contact members and a second electro-conductive strip for serving as another contact member, these first and second electroconductive strips being fastened to each other with a spacer member sandwiched therebetween. When this switch is fluctuated in a predetermined radius of curvature, the contact members served by the tongues which remain substantially unfluctuated contact the second strip to complete an external electrical circuit in which it is inserted.

Claims

1. A pressure responsive switch comprising a first flexible electro-conductive strip means;

a second flexible electro-conductive strip means;

a flexible spacer member of electrically insulating material, said spacer member having at least one opening;

fastening means for connecting said first and second strip means and said spacer member together in a sandwich with said spacer member disposed between said first and second strip means, said fastening means electrically insulating said first and second strip means; and

at least one contact means having at least a first portion formed integrally with one of said first and second strip means and having at least a second portion freely formed from said one of said first and second strip means for electrically contacting the other of said first and second strip means, said at least one contact means being disposed in the plane of said one of said first and second strip means such that when said first and second strip means are concurrently flexed by a force, said second portion of said at least one contact means remains unflexed and is relatively displaced from a surface of said one of said first and second strip means being concurrently flexed, thereby contacting said other of said first and second strip means through said opening of said flexible spacer member.

2. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said force is in the direction of bending said first and second strip means in a predetermined radius.

3. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electrical circuit is completed when said at least one contact means contacts said other of said first and second strip means.

4. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact means is a tongue member having said first portion formed integrally with said one of said first and second strip means and a remaining portion of said tongue member constituting said second portion of said contact means and being perforated from said one of said first and second strip means.

5. A pressure response switch as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one opening in said spacer member is in register with said tongue member so that said tongue member can contact said other of said first and second strip means.

6. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one opening in said spacer member is in register with said at least one contact means so that said contact means can contact said other of said first and second strip means.

7. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact means comprises two tongue members, each of which has a portion integral with said one of said first and second strip means and a remaining portion constituting said second portion of said contact means and being perforated from said one of said first and second strip means.

8. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein said spacer member has two openings, each of said openings in register with one of said two tongue members.

9. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of lead wires for external electrical connection, one of said lead wires being connected with said first electro-conductive strip means and the other lead wire with said second electro-conductive strip means and further comprising a elastically deformable covering of electrically insulating material for hermetically sealing said switch.

10. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact means is shaped to represent a substantially isosceles triangular shape.

11. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second electro-conductive strips mean and said spacer member are of the same rectangular shape.

12. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact means is disposed in the plane of said one of said first and second strip means when said first and second strip means are unflexed, and said at least one contact means remains approximately in said plane when said first and second strip means are concurrently flexed.

13. A pressure responsive switch comprising a first flexible electro-conductive strip means;

a second flexible electro-conductive strip means;

a flexible spacer member of electrically insulating material, said spacer member having at least one opening;

fastening means for connecting said first and second strip means and said spacer member together in a sandwich with said spacer member disposed between said first and second strip means, said fastening means elecTrically insulating said first and second strip means; and

at least one contact means having at least a first portion formed integrally with one of said first and second strip means and having at least a second portion freely formed from said one of said first and second strip means for electrically contacting the other of said first and second strip means, said at least one contact means being disposed in the plane of said one of said first and second strip means such that when said first and second strip means are concurrently flexed by a force, said second portion of said at least one contact means remains unflexed and is relatively displaced from the surface of said one of said first and second strip means, thereby contacting the other of said first and second strip means through said opening of said flexible spacer member, wherein said at least one contact means comprises two tongue members, each of which has a portion integral with said one of said first and second strip means and a remaining portion constituting said second portion of said contact means and being perforated from said one of said first and second strip means, wherein said spacer member has two openings, each of said openings being in register with one of said two tongue members, and wherein said portions of each tongue member integral with said one of said first and second strip means are disposed symmetrically about a center point of said one of said first and second strip means.

14. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said other of said first and second strip means is formed of an electrically insulating material with an electro-conductive foil secured to a surface of said other of said first and second strip means facing said one of said first and second strip means.

15. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein said force is in the direction of bending of said first and second strip means in a predetermined radius.

16. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein an electrical circuit is completed when said at least one contact means contacts said other of said first and second strip means.

17. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein said other of said first and second strip means is formed of an electrically insulating material with an electro-conductive foil secured to a surface of said other of said first and second strip means facing said one of said first and second strip means.

18. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an elastically deformable covering means of electrically insulating material for hermetically sealing said sandwich of first and second strip means and flexible spacer member.

19. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said remaining portions perforated from said one of said first and second strip means of each of said two tongue members has a substantially isosceles triangular shape.

20. A pressure responsive switch as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first and second electro-conductive strip means and said spacer member are of the same rectangular shape.