Cutler-hammer, Inc.

Stuart W Grebner

Tony O Woodard

Leonardus J Josemans

James V Johnson, Jr

A pushbutton switch having an extremely small size for its number of contacts and capability. The switch has a tubular insulating housing with the snap-in pushbutton non-rotatably keyed in and extending through the upper reduced bushing end thereof for longitudinal reciprocal movement. Bifurcated spring contacts are molded into a snap-in base and extend upwardly therefrom into the housing. A ring-shaped common terminal is snap-in attached to the base before snap-in assembly thereof in the housing. A cylindrical bar movable contact guided in grooves in the housing is snap-in assembled between tabs in the bifurcated inner end of the snap-in pushbutton and keeps the snap-in tabs spread apart to prevent removal of the pushbutton from the housing. A helical return spring lines the walls of the housing and is compressed between the common terminal and the ends of the movable contact bar to act as both a return spring and as a connector. A tactile tongue integral with the pushbutton acts on the housing to provide operating position 'feel' to enable the user to sense when the contacts close.

Miniature multi-contact pushbutton switch

A small light duty multi-pole pushbutton switch is disclosed having a plurality of notched contact pins carried by respective legs of a linearly reciprocal pushbutton actuator for wiping bridging engagement with respective pairs of spaced stationary leaf spring contacts. The actuator is telescopically received in one end of a housing for longitudinal movement therein with the legs extending longitudinally thereinto. The leaf spring contacts are mounted by circuit modules at the other end of the housing and extend longitudinally thereinto. In preferred form, the switch may be front of panel mounted in a 3/4 inch square panel hole. The switch may be illuminated and may provide alternate or momentary action.

Pushbutton switch

A rocker switch having a spring-biased lock lever within the contact actuator that extends out to catch beneath the rim of the hole in the frame to lock the rocker button in the 'off' position. An insertable key, which may include the entire face of the rocker button, has a projecting cam effective when inserted to retract the lock lever to allow normal operation. Removal of the key prevents unlocking of the rocker switch for operation to 'on' position. The lock lever has an angular end that allows actuation of the rocker button from 'on' to 'off' position even when the key is removed. This angular end cams on the frame to momentarily depress the lock lever and allow it to snap below the rim of the hole in the frame. This lock lever is then inaccessible except to the projecting cam of the key.

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Stuart W Grebner