Electrical switch with improved contact structure

• US 3,902,032 A
• Filed: 06/07/1974
• Issued: 08/26/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John A. Koepke
• Original Assignee: John A. Koepke
• Inventors: Koepke, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaefer, Robert K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, William J.
• Application Number:
  US05/477,219
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 200/159A,153M,153LA,159R,275,279,283,246,61.19
• US Class Current: 200/506
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/24 with resilient mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/26 with spring blade support
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/50 Means for increasing contact pressure, preventing vibration of contacts, holding contacts together after engagement, or biasing contacts to the open position
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/10 Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 15/102 comprising cam devices

Abstract

An electrical switch with an improved contact structure of the type having a depressible plunger with a contact separator for separating two flexible contacts when the plunger is in one position and for allowing the contacts to close when the plunger is in a second position is disclosed. The improved contact structure consists of two identical bifurcated contacts, one arm of which has a flat contact surface and the other arm of which has a curved contact surface. The contacts are positioned so that the curved arm of each contact engages the flat arm of the other contact when the switch is closed.

Claims

1. In an electrical switch comprising a housing, a depressible plunger, means for biasing the plunger to its undepressed state and a separator member which is depressible when said plunger is depressed;

an improved contact structure comprising first and second contacts secured in said housing each of which comprise an angled section which provides a bias on said contacts that tends to force said contacts towards each other, and a bifurcated contact portion consisting of a first arm on each contact having an arcuate curved contact surface and a second arm on each contact having a substantially flat contact surface wherein the curved contact surface of said first arm of said first contact is positioned so as to engage the flat contact surface of said second arm of said second contact and the curved contact surface of said first arm of said second contact is positioned so as to engage the flat contact surface of said second arm of said first contact when said first and second contacts are closed by movement of said separator member due to depression of said plunger to a position where it no longer separates said first and second contact members from each other.