Push button switch

Abstract

An improved push button switch has a highly desirable tactile feel. The switch includes a face plate having a front surface, a rear surface and an opening extending from the front to the rear surface, the opening having a geometric center as viewed from a position in front of the face plate. A push button is located in the opening. A pair of leaf springs are provided for coupling the push button to the face plate with at least a portion of the push button being biased against the rear surface of the face plate. A normally open electro-mechanical switch having a stationary contact and a movable contact is provided. The movable contact is biased against a portion of the rear surface of the push button at a location corresponding to the geometric center of the opening in the face plate. The push button, the face plate, the leaf springs and the mechanical switch cooperate to ensure that whenever the operator of the push button switch depresses the push button at a first location which is removed from the geometric center of the opening, the push button will contact the stationary surface at a second location which is on the opposite side of the center of the opening relative to the first location, and thus provide a force to the moveable contact to close the push button switch.