Pressure switch

• US 5,069,759 A
• Filed: 04/26/1991
• Issued: 12/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Hodate, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Tufariello, T. M.
• Application Number:
  US07/691,882
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: 204/3, 204/4, 204/9
• US Class Current: 205/73
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/32 actuated by bellows

Abstract

A pressure switch for use in a device for alarming the reduction of pneumatic pressure of vehicle tire is disclosed. The switch comprises a base board, a bellofram secured to the base board and having conductive coating of one electric contact applied to the inner surface and the outer surface thereof and having both bellows and diaphragm characteristics, a housing provided to enclose the bellofram and for defining a hermetic chamber, and a conductor provided at inner portion and outer portion of the bellofram near the center of the diaphragm portion thereof and for forming another electric contact. A back pressure is applied to the inner portion or outer portion of the bellofram against the pneumatic pressure of a vehicle tire.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a bellofram comprising a metal cylindrical bellows and a metal diaphragm, said method comprising:

providing a metal having a relatively low melting point;

subjecting said provided metal to a molding process to form a mold having desired dimensions and a desired shape;

plating a gold layer onto said formed mold;

applying a metal layer on said plated gold layer, said applied metal layer having a relatively high melting point, corrosion resistance and a high elastic modulus; and

dissolving said mold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gold layer is plated to a thickness of between 1 and 3 μ

m.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said applied metal layer has a thickness of between 30 and 100 μ

m.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subjecting step forms a male mold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mold is chemically dissolved.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mold is dissolved by a molten process.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subjecting step forms a female mold.