Rocker switch with snap dome contacts

• US 6,545,239 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Pedersen, Michael S., Spedale, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLAUS, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/925,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20030029710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 200/517, 200/550, 200/315, 200/5.R, 200/339
• US Class Current: 200/553
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/30 with stable centre positions and one or both end positions unstable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 5/30 by buckling of disc springs

Abstract

A rocker switch assembly comprises a rocker switch housing having a ground contact and first and second electrical circuit contact pins mounted therein. Snap-dome contacts are operatively associated with, but normally electrically disengaged from, each one of the first and second electrical circuit contact pins, and are normally disposed in electrical contact with the ground plate. A rocker actuator has first and second actuator posts integral therewith and depending therefrom so as to normally be disposed in contact with the snap-dome contacts. Depression of one side of the rocker actuator therefore forces one of the actuator posts to in turn force its associated snap-dome contact into engagement with its respective electrical circuit contact pin so as to CLOSE the electrical circuit controlled by such electrical circuit contact pin. The engagement of the actuator posts with the snap-dome contacts rocker switch facilitates a small-throw movement of the rocker actuator and tactile feedback to the operator confirming contact of the snap-dome contact with the electrical circuit contact pin and closure of the electrical circuit controlled thereby.

Claims

1. A rocker switch assembly, comprising:

a rocker switch housing;

a ground contact and at least one electrical circuit contact pin fixedly mounted within said rocker switch housing, said ground contact and said at least one electrical circuit contact pin being normally electrically disengaged from each other;

at least one snap-dome contact mounted within said rocker switch housing such that a peripheral portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is normally disposed in electrical contact with said ground contact while a central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is normally electrically disengaged from said at least one electrical circuit contact pin;

a rocker actuator pivotally mounted upon said rocker switch housing and comprising a rocker plate portion; and

at least one actuator post integral with said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator and depending substantially vertically downwardly such that a lower end extremity portion of said at least one actuator post is normally disposed in contact with said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact whereby when said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is disposed in a normal, non-depressed state, said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact biases said rocker actuator back to a normal, non-depressed position, whereas when a downward depression force is impressed upon said rocker actuator, said lower end extremity portion of said at least one actuator post causes said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact to be depressed into contact with said at least one electrical circuit contact pin through means of a short actuation stroke so as to electrically connect said ground contact to said at least one electrical circuit contact pin which is sensed by an operator by means of tactile feedback through said at least one dependent actuator post.

2. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said ground contact comprises a ground contact pin and a ground plate.

3. A rocker switch assembly, comprising:

a rocker switch housing;

a ground contact comprising a ground contact pin and a ground plate, and at least one electrical circuit contact pin fixedly mounted within said rocker switch housing, said ground contact and said at least one electrical circuit contact pin being normally electrically disengaged from each other;

at least one snap-dome contact mounted within said rocker switch housing such that a peripheral portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is normally disposed in electrical contact with said ground contact while a central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is normally electrically disengaged from said at least one electrical circuit contact pin;

a rocker actuator pivotally mounted upon said rocker switch housing and comprising a rocker plate portion;

at least one actuator post integral with said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator and depending substantially vertically downwardly such that a lower end extremity portion of said at least one actuator post is normally disposed in contact with said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact whereby when said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact is disposed in a normal, non-depressed state, said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact biases said rocker actuator back to a normal, non-depressed position, whereas when a downward depression force is impressed upon said rocker actuator, said lower end extremity portion of said at least one actuator post causes said central elevated portion of said at least one snap-dome contact to be depressed into contact with said at least one electrical circuit contact pin through means of a short actuation stroke so as to electrically connect said ground contact to said at least one electrical circuit contact pin which is sensed by an operator by means of tactile feedback through said at least one dependent actuator post;

a floor portion integrally formed within said rocker switch housing;

a pair of upstanding posts integrally formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing; and

a pair of first apertures defined within said ground plate for mating with said pair of upstanding posts formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing so as to establish an interference fit therewith by means of which said ground plate is fixedly secured within said rocker switch housing.

4. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

each one of said pair of upstanding posts integrally formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing comprises a plurality of crush ribs for interacting with said apertures of said ground plate in defining said interference fit between said ground plate and said pair of upstanding posts.

5. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said floor portion comprises a pair of downwardly extending tubular posts for housing said ground contact pin and said at least one electrical circuit contact pin.

6. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said ground plate is provided with at least one second aperture which annularly surrounds an upper end portion of said at least one electrical circuit contact pin and which has a diametrical extent which is greater than the diametrical extent of said upper end portion of said at least one electrical circuit contact pin such that said ground plate is normally electrically disconnected from said at least one electrical circuit contact pin.

7. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said floor portion of said rocker switch housing comprises a plurality of scallop-shaped wall members; and

said ground plate comprises a plurality of corresponding scallop-shaped cut-out regions for mating with said scallop-shaped wall members of said floor portion of said rocker switch housing whereby said ground plate is mounted upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing in a positionally confined manner.

8. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said at least one snap-dome contact has a substantially X-shaped configuration.

9. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein said at least one substantially X-shaped snap-dome contact comprises:

a plurality of scallop-shaped side portions for positionally cooperating with said scallop-shaped wall members of said floor portion of said rocker switch housing; and

a plurality of leg members formed within corner regions of said at least one substantially X-shaped snap-dome contact for supporting said at least one substantially X-shaped snap-dome contact upon said ground plate.

10. A rocker switch assembly, comprising:

a rocker switch housing;

a ground contact having a downwardly extending ground contact pin and a ground plate in electrical contact with said ground contact pin;

first and second electrical circuit contact pins fixedly mounted within said rocker switch housing such that said first and second electrical circuit contact pins are normally electrically disengaged from said ground contact;

first and second snap-dome contacts mounted within said rocker switch housing such that a peripheral portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts is normally disposed in electrical contact with said ground plate while a central elevated portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts is normally electrically disengaged from a respective one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins such that first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical circuit contact pins are normally OPEN;

a rocker actuator pivotally mounted upon said rocker switch housing and comprising a rocker plate portion; and

first and second actuator posts integral with said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator and depending substantially vertically downwardly such that a lower end extremity portion of each one of said first and second actuator posts is normally disposed in contact with said central elevated portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts whereby when said central elevated portions of both of said first and second snap-dome contacts are disposed in a normal, non-depressed state, said central elevated portions of both of said first and second snap-dome contacts bias said rocker actuator to a normal, non-depressed central position at which both of said first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical contact pins are disposed in an OPEN state, whereas when a downward depression force is impressed upon one end of said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator, said lower end extremity portion of one of said first and second actuator posts causes said central elevated portion of one of said first and second snap-dome contacts to be depressed into contact with one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins through means of a short actuation stroke so as to electrically connect said ground contact to one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins, which is sensed by an operator by means of tactile feedback through said one of said first and second dependent actuator posts, so as to dispose one of said first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical circuit contact pins in a CLOSED state.

11. A rocker switch assembly, comprising:

a rocker switch housing;

a ground contact comprising a ground contact pin and a ground plate;

first and second electrical circuit contact pins fixedly mounted within said rocker switch housing such that said first and second electrical circuit contact pins are normally electrically disengaged from said ground contact;

first and second snap-dome contacts mounted within said rocker switch housing such that a peripheral portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts is normally disposed in electrical contact with said ground contact while a central elevated portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts is normally electrically disengaged from a respective one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins such that first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical circuit contact pins are normally OPEN;

a rocker actuator pivotally mounted upon said rocker switch housing and comprising a rocker plate portion;

first and second actuator posts integral with said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator and depending substantially vertically downwardly such that a lower end extremity portion of each one of said first and second actuator posts is normally disposed in contact with said central elevated portion of each one of said first and second snap-dome contacts whereby when said central elevated portions of both of said first and second snap-dome contacts are disposed in a normal, non-depressed state, said central elevated portions of both of said first and second snap-dome contacts bias said rocker actuator to a normal, non-depressed central position at which both of said first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical contact pins are disposed in an OPEN state, whereas when a downward depression force is impressed upon one end of said rocker plate portion of said rocker actuator, said lower end extremity portion of one of said first and second actuator posts causes said central elevated portion of one of said first and second snap-dome contacts to be depressed into contact with one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins through means of a short actuation stroke so as to electrically connect said ground contact to one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins, which is sensed by an operator by means of tactile feedback through said one of said first and second dependent actuator posts, so as to dispose one of said first and second electrical circuits controlled by said first and second electrical circuit contact pins in a CLOSED state;

a floor portion integrally formed within said rocker switch housing;

a pair of upstanding posts integrally formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing; and

a pair of first apertures defined within said ground plate for mating with said pair of upstanding posts formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing so as to establish an interference fit therewith by means of which said ground plate is fixedly secured within said rocker switch housing.

12. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

each one of said pair of upstanding posts integrally formed upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing comprises a plurality of crush ribs for interacting with said apertures of said ground plate in defining said interference fit between said ground plate and said pair of upstanding posts.

13. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

said floor portion comprises three downwardly extending tubular posts for housing said ground contact pin and said first and second electrical circuit contact pins.

14. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

said ground plate is provided with a pair of second apertures which annularly surround an upper end portion of each one of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins and which have diametrical extents which are greater than the diametrical extents of said upper end portions of said first and second electrical circuit contact pins such that said ground plate is normally electrically disconnected from said first and second electrical circuit contact pins.

15. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

said floor portion of said rocker switch housing comprises a plurality of scallop-shaped wall members; and

said ground plate comprises a plurality of corresponding scallop-shaped cut-out regions for mating with said scallop-shaped wall members of said floor portion of said rocker switch housing whereby said ground plate is mounted upon said floor portion of said rocker switch housing in a positionally confined manner.

16. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

each one of said first and second snap-dome contact has a substantially X-shaped configuration.

17. The rocker switch assembly as set forth in claim 16, wherein each one of said first and second substantially X-shaped snap-dome contacts comprises:

a plurality of scallop-shaped side portions for positionally cooperating with said scallop-shaped wall members of said floor portion of said rocker switch housing so as to positionally locate said first and second snap-dome contacts within said rocker switch housing; and

a plurality of leg members formed within corner regions of said first and second substantially X-shaped snap-dome contacts for supporting said first and second substantially X-shaped snap-dome contacts upon said ground plate.