Touch sensitive multiple electrical switch

• US 6,323,449 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Coactive Technologies Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Janniere, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US09/568,869
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 200/3.A, 200/402-412, 200/512-517
• US Class Current: 200/408
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/12 Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/48 using buckling of disc springs

Abstract

An electrical switch is provided, which is of low height and which uses a single snap dome tripper (36) to close a plurality of switch devices and provide tactile feedback to the person who has depressed the tripper. The switch includes a support (12), a plurality of contacts (26) mounted on the support with each contact having an exposed engaging surface in the lower portion of the support. An intermediate contact member in the form of a plate (44), lies over the engaging surfaces of the contacts, and the snap dome tripper lies over the intermediate contact member. The intermediate contact member has a plurality of blades (50) that are each downwardly deflected against a corresponding engaging surface (29) when the tripper is depressed.

Claims

1. An electrical switch, comprising:

a dielectric support;

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts mounted on said support, with each contact having an inner portion with an upwardly-exposed contact surface;

an intermediate contact member that forms a plurality of resilient blades positioned over and spaced from said contact surfaces to be deflected directly against said contact surfaces;

a tripper which has a peripheral portion and a center portion, said tripper lying above said resilient blades and said tripper constructed so said center portion snaps down when said center portion is downwardly deflected more than a predetermined amount, with said center portion positioned to directly engage and downwardly deflect said resilient blades against said contact surfaces.

2. The switch described in claim 1 wherein:

said intermediate contact member includes a plate portion, and said resilient blades are in the form of straight strips with inner ends merging with the rest of said plate portion and with free outer ends.

3. The switch described in claim 1 wherein:

said support lower portion has a flat center area, and said contact surfaces are substantially flush and coplanar with said flat center area.

4. The switch described in claim 1 wherein:

said support lower portion forms a cavity with a floor, with said inner contact portions lying on said floor, said cavity having a raised periphery forming at least one platform and lying above said floor;

said contact member has a periphery lying on said raised periphery of said support;

said tripper has a peripheral portion that lies directly on said contact member.

5. The switch described in claim 1 wherein:

said contact member has a slot forming an elongated resilient arm that is permanently bent to extend downward and which has a free lower end that permanently engages one of said contact surfaces.

6. An electrical switch comprising:

a dielectric support having a bottom wall;

a plurality of contacts with upwardly-exposed contact surfaces lying on said bottom wall;

a contact member with a largely plate portion having slots forming a plurality of resilient blades that each lies over one of said contact surfaces, with said contact member having a periphery supported on said support, and with said blades each spaced from a corresponding contact surface;

a tripper which lies over said blades of said contact plate and which has a center portion that snaps down when downwardly deflected more than a predetermined amount, to deflect said blades against said contact surfaces.

7. The switch described in claim 6 wherein:

said bottom wall of said support is substantially flat and has a periphery and has a middle part located at the middle of said periphery;

said contact surfaces are substantially flush with said bottom wall, with said resilient blades having free ends and with said contact surfaces and said blade free ends not lying over said middle part of said bottom wall;

said tripper center portion has a middle part that lies over said middle part of said bottom wall, so said middle part of said tripper can closely approach said middle part of said bottom wall when said tripper center portion snaps down.

8. The switch described in claim 6 wherein:

said tripper has a periphery that lies directly on said intermediate contact member.

9. The switch described in claim 6 wherein:

said bottom wall is substantially rectangular and said support has a periphery extending up from the periphery of said bottom wall;

said contact member has a substantially rectangular periphery with laterally opposite sides and longitudinally spaced opposite ends, and said contact member has a slot that leaves a continuous peripheral portion;

two of said resilient blades extend longitudinally from a first of said longitudinally spaced ends of said contact member periphery toward a second of said opposite ends, and a least a third of said resilient blades extends from said second end of said contact member periphery toward said first end.

10. An electrical switch, comprising:

a dielectric support;

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts mounted on said support, with each contact having an inner portion with an upwardly-exposed contact surface;

a plurality of resilient blades with inner ends lying at a fixed position with respect to said support and with free outer ends lying over and spaced from said contact surfaces to be deflected directly against said contact surfaces;

a tripper which has a peripheral portion and a center portion, said tripper lying above said resilient blades and said tripper constructed so said center portion snaps down when said center portion is downwardly deflected more than a predetermined amount, with said center portion positioned to directly engage and downwardly deflect said resilient blades against said contact surfaces.

11. The switch described in claim 10 including:

a plate portion with slots forming said resilient blades, with said resilient blades being in the form of straight strips with said inner ends merging with the rest of said plate portion.

12. The switch described in claim 10 wherein:

said support lower portion has a flat center area, and said contact surfaces are substantially flush and coplanar with said flat center area.

14. The switch described in claim 10 wherein:

said support lower portion has a flat center area, and said contact surfaces are substantially flush and coplanar with said flat center area.

13. An electrical switch, comprising:

a dielectric support;

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts mounted on said support, with each contact having an inner portion with an upwardly-exposed contact surface;

a sheet metal contact member mounted on said support and having a largely plate-like portion with slots forming a plurality of blades with inner ends merging with said largely plate-like portion and with free outer ends lying over and spaced from said contact surfaces to be deflected directly against said contact surfaces;

a tripper which has a peripheral portion and a center portion, said tripper lying above said largely plate-like portion and said tripper constructed so said center portion snaps down when said center portion is downwardly deflected more than a predetermined amount, with said center portion positioned to directly engage said largely plate-like portion to downwardly deflect said blades against said contact surfaces.