The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 02, 1997
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1996
James Ray Fetterolf, Sr, Mechanicsburg, PA (US);
David Keay Fowler, Boiling Springs, PA (US);
Randall Robert Henry, Harrisburg, PA (US);
David William Rupnik, Mechanicsburg, PA (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
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.