Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

David W Rupnik

David T Shaffer

William H Rose

David J Gingerich

Randall Robert Henry

Billy E Olsson

James R Fetterolf, Sr

David Keay Fowler

John J Ashman

William P Moyer

This invention relates to a make-before-break switch of the type for electrical connector, where the connector is intended to be mated with a complementary coaxial cable connector. The switching connector comprises a pair of spaced-apart, cantilevered switch contacts mounted within a dielectric housing, where such mating is between the pair of switch contacts. A unique feature hereof is that the shank portion of one of the switch contacts has a contact arm extending toward and in contact with the shank portion of the other switch contact in an unmated condition, and that the respective mating ends of the switch contacts are axially offset from one another. By this arrangement, upon mating by the complementary connector, contact is made sequentially with the mating ends and the contact arm is caused to wipe along the shank portion of the first switch contact to counter the effects of contaminants and oxides which may be present at the contact point.

Switching contact mechanism with wipe and backwipe

A miniature bulkhead connector (10) is disclosed having a novel anti-rotational mechanism for preventing rotation of the center conductor (90) during mating with a mating connector. The connector includes a metal housing (14) arranged to be mounted to a bulkhead (20) and an insulating insert (40) in a cavity (38) within the housing. The insert (40) has a central hole (54) therethrough on the longitudinal axis (43) of the insert. A series of ribs (62) are formed on the interior surface of the central hole (54) parallel with the axis and are arranged to form channels (64) between adjacent ribs. the channels (64) are sized to receive edges (94) that project from opposite sides of the contact (56). The edges (94) slide into the channels (64) allowing the contact to freely move along the longitudinal axis (43) but will not permit relative rotation thereof. Since there are a number of channels, there is a similar number of angular positions from which the contact may be inserted into the insulating insert.

Mini connector with anti-rotational contact

A spring for a switch actuating assembly is of generally E-shape or sinuous configuration wherein inwardly-curved free ends of outer sections are adapted to engage the legs of a central U-shape section when the spring member is compressed, thereby limiting the movement of the outer sections and increasing the spring characteristics of the spring member. The spring can be disposed in a slide member in a housing and be movable from one selected position to another so that the spring moves a movable contact member from an electrically connected condition to a disconnected condition.

Sinuous spring

A contact assembly for a rotary switching unit incorporated in a vehicle suspension unit in which a pair of stamped and formed metal terminals are moulded in a plastics stator block of a stator with contact portions precisely flush with a contact face of the block and wire-connecting portions with wire-receiving slots protruding radially from the side of the block in alignment with wire-confining grooves formed in the block periphery. A rotor comprises a plastics disc heat staked to a support plate and carrying a brush arranged to wipe around the contact face of the block and make electrical contact with the flush contact portions.

Contact assembly

A plug and socket assembly (20, 31) includes a guide member for guiding a plug (20) through a panel aperture into a receptacle (31) comprises a face plate (12) having a generally rectangular plug admitting orifice (13) therein and a channel section base portion (14) outstanding perpendicularly from one side of the face plate (12) and extending completely through the thickness thereof to define a lower edge portion of the orifice. An apron (15) outstands perpendicularly from an upper edge portion of the orifice (13) to overlie the center of the channel and latch admitting openings (16, 16') extend between the channel side walls and the apron (15).

Electrical connector assembly with guide member

An electrical switch comprises an electrical contact assembly which includes a dielectric frame in which a series of aligned stationary contact members are disposed. Electrical contact sections of the stationary contact members are exposed in recesses in a top surface of the dielectric frame. A movable electrical contact member is pivotally mounted on one of the contact sections in each of the recesses to electrically connect the stationary contact sections in one position and to disconnect the contact sections in another position. A housing is latchably secured onto the dielectric frame and has linearly-movable actuating members mounted therein in operative association with respective movable contact members. Each of the linearly-movable actuating members comprises a slide member in which a spring is disposed. The slide member is movable to one position in the housing so that the spring moves the movable contact member to the one position electrically connecting the stationary contact sections and the spring and the housing maintain the slide member in this one position. The slide member is movable to another position in the housing so that the spring moves the movable contact member to another position disconnecting the stationary contact sections and the spring and the housing maintain the slide member in this other position.

Electrical switch and actuating mechanism therefor

A push-push switch comprises a dielectric housing in which electrical contact members are secured; contact sections of the contact members are in normal electrical engagement and terminal sections of the contact members are to be electrically connected to conductive members. An actuating member is mounted in the housing for reciprocal and rotational movement therein; a spring biases the actuating member to a normal rest position. Cam members on the actuating member engage the contact members in one position to disengage them and are out of engagement with the contact members in another position causing them to be normally engaged. First and second rows of cam segments are on the actuating member; the cam segments in each of the rows are spaced from one another and the cam segments in the first row are offset with respect to the cam segments in the second row so that cam surfaces of the cam segments of the first row face the cam segments in the second row and cam surfaces of the cam segments of the second row face the cam segments in the first row. Projections extend outwardly from the housing and are normally positioned between adjacent cam segments in the first row whereby, upon movement of the actuating-member from its normal rest position against the spring, the projections engage respective cam surfaces of the cam segments of the second row causing the actuating member to rotate so that the projections are in alignment with respective cam surfaces of the cam segments of the first row; and, upon movement of the actuating member back to the normal rest position, the projections engage the respective cam surfaces of the cam segments of the first row causing the actuating member to rotate further so that the projections are disposed between adjacent cam segments of the first row and the cam members move into engagement with the contact members to disengage the contact sections or move out of engagement with the contact members so that the contact sections are engaged.

Push-push switch

A rotary switch assembly comprises dielectric housing members stacked together, each of the housing members having electrical brush contact members extending into a cavity formed between pairs of housing members. A printed circuit board is disposed in each cavity and has a profiled opening mounting the printed circuit board on a corresponding profiled section of a shaft for rotating the printed circuit boards relative to their respective brush contact members to selected positions for electrical engagement on a selected electrical circuit on the printed circuit boards. Bushing members are located on the printed circuit boards and have profiled bores substantially in coincidence with the profiled openings in the printed circuit boards increasing the area of engagement on the shaft for rotating and accurately positioning the printed circuit boards relative to the brush contact members and adjacent bushing members engage one another to accurately position the printed circuit boards in their respective cavities.

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Mechanicsburg, PA, United States of America

David W Rupnik