Traversing conductor pressure sensitive switch

• US 5,554,835 A
• Filed: 07/27/1994
• Issued: 09/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JT Posey Company (TIDI Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bed-Check Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newham, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/281,431
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 A, 200/292, 200/512,514, 200/85 R, 200/85 A, 200/86 R, 73/146, 307/119, 307/147, 307/148, 340/933, 340/940, 340/665, 340/667, 340/666
• US Class Current: 200/85.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/141 Cushion or mat switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A pressure sensitive switch has upper, middle and lower laminar elongated members, the middle member having an opening therethrough defining a cavity between the upper and lower members. A first array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrically conductive bands is fixed to a lower surface of the upper member and traverses the cavity. A second array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrically conductive bands is fixed to an upper surface of the lower member and traverses the cavity and the upper member bands, selected lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical input lead and other lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical output lead. An array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart dielectric bands narrower than the conductive bands is fixed to the lower member upper surface and traverses the cavity between the arrays of conductive bands at alternate overlapping points thereof and partially separates the arrays of conductive bands from electrical contact therebetween at said alternate overlapping points. The upper and lower members are resiliently flexible to permit the overlapping points of the arrays of conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshold external compressive force to the cavity.

Claims

1. A pressure sensitive switch comprising:

upper, middle and lower laminar elongated nonconductive members, said middle member having an opening therethrough defining a cavity between said upper and lower members;

an array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed to a lower surface of said upper member and traversing said cavity;

an array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed to an upper surface of said lower member and traversing said cavity and said upper member bands, selected lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical input lead and other lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical output lead; and

an array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart dielectric bands fixed to said lower member upper surface and traversing said cavity between said arrays of conductive bands at alternate overlapping points thereof and partially separating said arrays of conductive bands from electrical contact therebetween at said alternate overlapping points;

said upper and lower members being resiliently flexible to permit said overlapping points of said arrays of conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshold external compressive force to and from said cavity.

2. A switch according to claim 1, said upper member conductive band array being orthogonal to said lower member conductive band array.

3. A switch according to claim 2, said conductive bands of said upper member array having centerlines substantially equally spaced.

4. A switch according to claim 2, said conductive bands of said lower member array having centerlines substantially equally spaced.

5. A switch according to claim 2, said conductive bands of said upper and lower member arrays having centerlines substantially equally spaced whereby overlapping of said centerlines defines a matrix of squares and said bands of dielectric have one edge diagonally overlapping alternate ones of said squares.

6. A switch according to claim 5, said conductive bands of said upper and lower member arrays being of substantially equal width.

7. A switch according to claim 6, said dielectric bands being of substantially equal width.

8. A switch according to claim 7, said dielectric bands being narrower than said conductive bands of said upper and lower arrays.

9. A switch according to claim 7, said dielectric bands having widths equal to one half the diagonal of an area of overlapping of said conductive bands.

10. A switch according to claim 1, said laminar members being heat stabilized polyester.

11. A switch according to claim 1, said conductive bands being formed of a conductive ink.

12. A switch according to claim 1, said conductive bands being formed of a blend of graphite/silver ink.

13. A pressure sensitive switch comprising:

upper, middle and lower laminar substantially rectangular elongated members, said middle member having a plurality of longitudinally aligned substantially rectangular openings therethrough defining a plurality of cavities between said upper and lower members;

an array of substantially parallel and equally spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed in longitudinal alignment to a lower surface of said upper member and traversing said cavities;

an array of substantially parallel and equally spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed transversely across said upper member bands to an upper surface of said lower member, selected lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical input lead and other lower member bands being discretely connected to an electrical output lead; and

an array of substantially parallel and equally spaced-apart dielectric bands fixed in diagonal alignment to said lower member upper surface and traversing said cavity between said arrays of conductive bands at alternate overlapping points thereof and partially separating said arrays of conductive bands from electrical contact therebetween at said alternate overlapping points;

said upper and lower members being resiliently flexible to permit said overlapping points of said arrays of conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshold external compressive force to and from said cavities.

14. A pressure sensitive switch comprising:

upper, middle and lower laminar nonconductive elongated members, said middle member having at least one opening therethrough defining a cavity between said upper and lower members;

an array of spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed to a lower surface of said upper member and traversing said cavity;

an array of spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed to an upper surface of said lower member and traversing said cavity and said upper member bands, selected lower member bands being discreetly connected to an electrical input lead and other lower member bands being discreetly connected to an electical output lead; and

an array of spaced-apart dielectric bands fixed to said lower member upper surface and traversing said cavity between said arrays of conductive bands at alternate overlapping points therof and partially separating said arrays of conductive bands from electrical contact therebetween at said alternate overlapping points;

said upper and lower members being resiliently flexible to permit said overlapping points of said arrays of conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshold external compressive force to and from said cavity.

15. A pressure sensitive switch comprising:

first and second laminar members having opposed interior faces spaced apart to define a cavity therebetween;

at least one electrically conductive band fixed to said interior face of said first member and traversing said cavity; and

an array of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed to said interior face of said second member and traversing said cavity and said at least one first member band, selected second member bands being discretely connected by a first electrical lead into a first electrically conductive network and other second member bands being discretely connected by a second electrical lead into a second electrically conductive network,

said first and second electrically conductive networks being electrically isolated from each other;

said first and second members being resiliently flexible to permit overlapping points of said first and second member conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshhold external compressive force to said cavity.

16. A switch according to claim 15, said laminar members being heat stabilized polyester.

17. A switch according to claim 15, said conductive bands being formed of a conductive ink.

18. A pressure sensitive switch comprising:

first and second laminar members having spaced apart opposed interior laminar faces defining a plurality of substantially rectangular longitudinally aligned cavities therebetween;

at least one electrically conductive band fixed longitudinally to said interior face of said first member and traversing said cavities; and

an array of substantially parallel and equally spaced-apart electrically conductive bands fixed transversely across said at least one first member band to said interior face of said second member and traversing said cavities, selected second member bands being discretely connected by a first electrical lead into a first electrically conductive network and other second member bands being discretely connected by a second electrical lead into a second electrically conductive network,

said first and second electrically conductive networks being electrically isolated from each other;

said upper and lower members being resiliently flexible to permit overlapping points of said arrays of conductive bands to close into and open out of electrical contact therebetween upon exertion and removal, respectively, of a threshhold external compressive force to said cavities.