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:
Jul. 16, 2002
Filed:
May. 08, 2000
David Shenker, Oceanside, NY (US);
David B. Balaban, Hauppauge, NY (US);
Michael Ostrovsky, Brooklyn, NY (US);
John LiBretto, N. Massapequa, NY (US);
Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc., Little Neck, NY (US);
Abstract
A modular toggle mechanism assembly has a housing assembly, a toggle handle pivotally mounted in the housing assembly and movable between a first position and a second position, biasing means for selectively biasing the toggle handle in the first position or the second position, and an actuator arm connected to the toggle handle and capable of selectively actuating an external switching device as a function of the position of the toggle handle. The modular toggle assembly also includes an external switching device in selective association with the toggle handle. The housing assembly includes an upper housing and a lower housing configured to be secured together, wherein a portion of the toggle handle extends from an opening in the upper housing for user operation of the handle. The biasing means is a toggle spring positioned in the lower housing, and the assembly further includes a toggle arm extending from the toggle handle which contacts at least a portion of the toggle spring when the toggle handle is moved between the first and second positions. The toggle spring is a flat spring member located in a channel and supported on substantially distal ends by a pair of support arms. The toggle arm makes contact with substantially the middle of the spring member through a predetermined arc defined by the rotational movement of the toggle arm.