Cutler-hammer, Inc.

Eaton Corporation

Harry W Brown

Erich E Heider

Precision snap switches having improved forms of integral one piece contact support and wire terminal members that reduce electrical heating, enhance the current carrying ratings of such switches, and facilitate the use of larger size wire terminal securing screws.

Precision snap switch with improved one piece contact support and

A connector socket terminal structure of the integrated wire termination system (IWTS) type is disclosed for accepting wires with complemental mating pins, and is especially suitable for use in environmentally sealed aircraft switches. A retainer is disposed in a hollow terminal and serves to lock the wire termination pin in place in the terminal and ensure good electrical contact. The retainer is integrally bonded in the terminal by a tin reflow process. The terminal is plated with silver, and the retainer with tin. The retainer is inserted into the terminal and the assembly is immersed in a hot oil bath to melt the tin, the oil preventing the formation of oxides on the tin and silver surfaces and also reducing surface tension of the tin to facilitate good tin flow. Upon cooling, a good electrical and mechanical bond is formed between the tin on the retainer and the silver on the terminal. A wire termination pin may then be inserted into the terminal, to be locked therein by the retainer.

Integrated wire termination system with reflow bonded retainer

A small toggle lever switch with positive position feel is disclosed. A toggle lever is pivotally mounted to a housing and has a shaft extending thereinto. Upper and lower plungers are slidably disposed on the shaft and are biased apart by a compression spring encircling the shaft. The lower plunger is biased downwardly into engagement with a teeter-totter type contactor for actuation thereof. The upper plunger is biased upwardly into engagement with a stationary block having a clearance aperture through which the shaft extends. The block has grooved detents which variously receive a complemental apex of the upper plunger to afford indexing as the toggle lever is pivoted.

Switch with indexing detent block

EMI (electromagnetic interference) is prevented by grounding the switch operator. This is done by placing an electrically conductive spring brush within the switch housing to connect the toggle lever to the metal frame of the switch. Since the metal frame is connected through its mounting panel to ground, the toggle lever becomes grounded to prevent EMI.

Grounded lever toggle switch

A snap-action pressure switch has an adjustable trip point for controlling the switching pressure. A flexible bracket has a bearing portion pivotally mounting a lever between the ends thereof. Contact means are actuated by one end of the lever. A toggle spring is biased between the other end of the lever and a pressure-responsive actuator for causing snap-action pivoting of the lever when the toggle spring passes through an overcenter force-reversing toggle point as the actuator moves in response to pressure. The bearing portion of the flexible bracket is adjustably movable with respect to the actuator, thus moving the pivot point of the lever to change the toggle point of the spring with respect to movement of the actuator, whereby to afford an adjustable switching pressure. The trip point is further controlled by an adjustble range spring biasing the actuator against pressure-induced movement.

Pressure switch with snap-toggle adjusting means

A rocking contactor switch of the two-circuit progressive action type having three spaced stationary contacts, a flexible contactor connected to the first stationary contact and self-biased to disengage the second stationary contact, and a three-position rocking contactor. The switch is operable from an 'off' position wherein the rocking contactor engages only the first stationary contact and the flexible contactor to a one circuit 'on' position wherein the rocking contactor rocks over to press the flexible contactor into engagement with the second stationary contact while remaining in engagement with the first stationary contact, and then to a two circuit 'on' position wherein the rocking contactor rocks further to engage the third stationary contacts while maintaining the flexible contactor pressed against the second stationary contact thereby to connect electrically all three stationary contacts.

Plural-circuit progressive switch

A double-throw rocker switch having a selectively shiftable lockout member which when shifted to one lateral position allows depression of only one end of the rocker button and when shifted to the opposite lateral position allows depression of only the other end of the rocker button. This lockout member is secured to the center of a mounting shaft having pushbuttons at its ends and this shaft is mounted to the switch housing for limited lateral sliding movement sufficient to shift the lockout member, this shaft serving also as a pivot pin for the rocker button and the contact actuator. This selective lockout may be used in a tool reversing application where plugging of the motor could be hazardous.

Double-throw rocker switch with selective lockout means

A multi-position selector switch of the sliding bridging contact type having a molded plastic base and a metal cover closing the open top of the base and also serving to pivot the operating lever. A plurality of similar one-piece stationary contact-terminals are inserted through holes in the bottom of the base and are held in place by a plastic liner that is dropped in to hug the walls of the base and is clamped down by the cover. The stationary contact-terminals have pairs of wings recessed in the bottom of the base whereby they are held in place by the plastic liner. A movable bridging contact is spring-biased on a reciprocal actuator block that is detented to the cover. The inner end of the operating lever extends into a slot in the actuator block whereby the latter is moved over the stationary contacts from one detent to another. The switch parts are designed for simplicity and east of manufacture and automated assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Big Bend, WI, United States of America

Harry W Brown