US2288283A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

P. HUTT ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 29, 1940 June 30, 1942. I

Ifivent-onz Philip Hu 1:, by

lusum rmn 4 m u a a ""3 0 Z a, ,0 0 0 r 3 F 4. M 7 J a 3 His Attorn e Patented June 30, 1942 ELECTRIC SWITCH Philip Hutt, New Haven,

Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,700

5 Claims.

My invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to snap switches of the type which are used in residence wiring systems.

The object of my invention is the provision of a new and improved electric switch of the type described, which comprises relatively few parts and which may be manufactured at low cost.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of my electric switch; Fig. 2 is a cross-secticnal view through the switch showing the elements thereof in off position; Fig. 3 is another sectional view through theend of the switch, and Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the switch elements.

Referring to the drawing, my switch includes a housing terial, such as a phenolic condensation product and filler, and which is provided with a recess l I for receiving the operating elements of the switch mechanism. Opposite side walls of the recess II are provided with upstanding abutment members I2 formed with V slots l3 which form bearing surfaces for ears l4 pivotally supporting a rocker member IS. The rocker member I5 is formed of sheet metal and is provided with a central web portion l6 and flexible spring contact arms H which extend in opposite directions on each side of the central web portion. As shown most clearly by Figs. 2 and 4, the contact arms l1 extend from the body of the rocker member at points immediately adjacent the web l6 and then curve upwardly into the plane of the pivot ears I4. This greatly strengthens the construction since the contact arms flex about points adjacent the transverse web It, thereby preventing distortion of the rocker member. Opposite side walls of the recess H are also formed with recesses l8 which provide bearing surfaces for a pin l9 pivotally mounting the operating mechanism of the switch.

The operating mechanism includes a handle 20 which may be formed of insulating material and which is provided with a recess (not shown) for receiving an operating tang 2| pivotally mounted upon the aforementioned pin l9. Attached to one end. of the operating tang 2| is a spring 22; the other end of the spring rests against an upstanding flanged opening 23 formed in the web ii of the rocker member. Normally the spring 22 is in compression so that it acts as an over-center member to snap the rocker member to and fro to open and close a circuit through the switch. The assembly thus far described is held in position within the recess H by a mounting strap 24 which is formed oi! insulating maopposite sides of the handle 20 to maintain the handle in seated position on the pin I9 and the pin in position within the recesses l8. The pin I9 rests within a groove 26 formed in the handle member. The mounting strap 24 is held in position on the insulating base member by means of screws 21 extending into recesses 28 in opposite ends of the housing member. An opening 24 in the mounting strap receives the switch handle 20.

At one end the opposite walls ll of the housing are cut away, as shown at 30, to receive stationary contact members 3t. Opposite walls of the housing defining the cutout portion 30 are provided with grooves 32 which receive opposite upstanding edges 33 of the fixed contact members to position them on the base. member. The contact members are simply slipped into position in the grooves. Each contact member is provided with a flat terminal portion 34 extending at right angles to the contact body and which rests on the flat surface 35 of an ear 36 projecting outwardly from the housing II at a point below the slot 30. Each terminal plate 34 is provided with a terminal screw 3'! for connection to the residence wiring system, the screw extending into an opening 38 in the car 36. Each contact member is also provided with a contact face 39 which extends inwardly into the recess in the housing away from the plane of the edges 33 to provide, in eflect, an offset" portion forming a ledge 40.

The contact members are held in fixed position on the base by means of an insulating bearing member 42 which is provided with a central web portion and opposed arms or wings 43 which extend at right angles thereto. The bearing member is conveniently made of insulating sheet fiber, or the like. In assembled position the arms or wings 43 of the bearing member extend downwardly into the space between the contact faces 39 and the contact edges 33and rest on the ledge portions 40, as shown most clearly by Fig. 3. The upper edge of the bearing member rests directly beneath the mounting strap 24 flush with which bears against cam surfaces 25 formed on the top edge of the housing, so that as the strap is mounted in position on the base member it bears against the member 42 and thereby-maintains the fixed contact elements in seated position on the base. The web portion of the insulating member 42 is provided with a tongue 45 which extends downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of the recess II to insulate the interior or the housing from the arcing action between the movable contact fingers l1 and the fixed contact surfaces 39.

The construction described greatly simplifies the manner of mounting the fixed contact members on the base inasmuch as separate fastening means are not required. The contact members are held in position simply by the clamping action of the mounting strap 2| appliedthrough the action of the insulating member 42. The depending tongue 45 is somewhat narrower than themain web portion 42 of the insulating clamping member so that the contact finger ll may pass upwardly alongside the tongue to engage the fixed contact surfaces. I

When the switch is in closed position current flows from one terminal through the center rocking member l5 to the other terminal. Upon movement of the handle the rocker member.

15 is oscillated about the pivots It with a snap action under influence of the spring 22 to move the flexible contact arms 11 into and out of engagement with the contact faces 39. The spring 22 bears against the center web portion it of the rocker member and maintains the rocker seated firmly in position on the bearing surfaces [3. The spring cannot become dislocated on the rocker member since it is held in position by the upstanding flange 23, as shown in Fig. 2, which projects into the convolutions of the spring. Rocking movement of the rocker member is limitedin each direction by bosses 46 upstanding from the bottom of the recess.

While I have described and illustrated my invention as applied to a single pole switch, it should be manifest that the invention may be applied equally as well to a three-way switch simply by placing a contact member of the I type shown at the opposite end of the housing H and providing a suitable shunt connection in a manner well understood in the art. This is readily accomplished since the rocker member is a circuit conducting element and may be moved 4 to and fro into and out of engagement with fixed contact members at opposite ends of the housing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material having opposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being provided with a slot, a stationary contact member having edge portions located in a respective slot and having a contact surface extending into the recess, said contact surface being offset from the edge portions to form a ledge, an insulating member having a web portion and spaced arms extending at right angles .thereto, the arms resting on the ledge portions of the stationary contact members in the spaces between the contact surfaces andthe edge portions with the web portion extending between the respective contact members, means secured to said housing and hearing against said insulating member for maintaining said'contact members in fixed position on the housing, and movable contact means within the recess cooperating with the fixed contact members for controlling a circuit through the switch.

2. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material having opposite walls defining'arecess, each of said walls being provided with a means having spaced arms within the recess, the

arms cooperating with the respective fixed contact members, an insulating member having spaced lateral arms, the arms resting on the respective stationary contact members in the spaces between the contact surfaces and the edge portions, said insulating member having an ex-' tending portion disposed between the contact arms of the movable member when the circuit through the switch is closed, and means secured to said housing and bearing against said insulating member for maintaining the spaced contact members in fixed position on the housing.

3. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material having opposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being providedwith a slot, a stationary contact member having edge portions located in a respective slot and having an insulating member resting onthe ledge portion of each contact member in the space between the contact surface and the edge portions, means secured to said housing and bearing against said insulating members for maintaining said fixed contact members in position on the housing and movable contact means within the recess cooperating with the fixed contact members to control a circuit through the switch,

4. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating,material having opposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being provided with a slot, said housing being. formed with ears extending outwardly from the said opposite walls at points adjacent said slots, an L-shaped stationary contact member having a terminal portion resting on each ear and having a portion extending at right angles thereto provided with edges located in a respective slot and having a contact face offset from the last-mentioned portion extending into the recess, an insulating member resting on each stationary contact memher in the space between the contact surfaces and the edge portions, means secured to said housing and bearing against said insulating member for maintaining said spaced contact members in fixed position on the housing and movable contact means within the recess cooperating with the fixed contact members for controlling a circuit through the switch.

slot, a stationary contact member having edge- 5. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material having opposite walls defining a recess, each of said walls being provided with a slot therein, a plurality of stationary coni'a'ctmembers having edge portions located in a corresponding slot, each contact member having a contact face extending into the recess; and being-offset from the edge portions to form a ledge,

a plate of insulating material resting on edge on the ledge portion of each contact member in the space between the contact surface and the edge portions, a mounting strap secured to said housing and bearing against said insulating plates for maintaining sai'd'fixed contact members in position on' the housing and movable, contact means within the recess cooperating with the fixed contact members to control the circuit.

through the switch.

' PHILIP.

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