US3251972A - Alternate action switch having alternating latching means - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1966 3,251,972

ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATCHING MEANS D. W. FLYGSTAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

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ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATGHING MEANS Filed Dec. 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 1/3 FI L3. 5'

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I N VEN TOR. D54 M Fzmsma Arne/vars United States' Patent Ofilice 3,251,972 ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATCHING MEAN Dean W. Flygstad, Roseviile, Minn, assignor to The Telex Corporation, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,914 12 Claims. (Cl. 200-469) mechanism whereby successive operations of the push button serve to successive.y reverse the position, or state,

of the contacts adapted to be actuated by the push button.

The mechanism for preforming this function has, in the development of the electrical switch art, taken many forms, all of which have required the use of a number of moving parts which have proven to be relatively complicated and uneconomical to manufacture and which inherently possess a large amount of actual, or potential, friction when operated to perform the desired operation.

As will be explained more fully below, my invention provides an improved alternate action for use in combination with electrical switching means which, upon relative motion between moving and stationary portions of electrical switching apparatus, the desired alternate action is accomplished with a minimum of operative elements and which substantially eliminates the factors noted above.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved alternate action switching apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for alternating latching and unlatching the movable actuator in a push button switch.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved and novel alternate action for a push button switch which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved alternate action switching apparatus in which frictional forces are reduced to a minimum.

These and other more detailed and specific objects of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the appended specification, claims and drawings, in Which FIG. 1 is an exploded plan view of a push button i electrical switch, partly in section, which embodies the principles of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a complete switch assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a complete switch assembly mounted on a panel;

FIG. 5 is a complete plan view, partly in section, of an assembled push button switch; and

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are broken away sectional views showing the relative positions of the portions of a push button switch embodying the principles of my invention during one cycle of operation thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like elements may be identified by like reference numerals, there is shown a push button electrical switch which is comprised generally of a housing member 10, a switch contact assembly 30, a pair of stationary base members 50 and 90, a movable actuator 70, a removable lamp holder assembly 110 and a push button cover member 130.

Patented May 17, 1966 Housing 10 is comprised of a top section 20, which may be generally rectangular cross section, to which is appended bottom .section 11 which is shown as having a generally square cross sectional configuration. Dcpending upwardly from the top ends of the sides of upper section 20 of housing 10 are a pair of barrier flanges 1-5 and positioned slightly below barrier flanges 15 are a pair of apertures 18 which extend completely through the sides of upper section 20 which, along the upper edge thereof are of slightly increased cross sec- .-tion as indicated by the reference numeral 16. The

raised portions of the sides of upper section 20 terminate in a downwardly facing groove 17 which is adapted to receive and hold a spring biased, detenting, panel engaging member 21 which are positioned on either side of upper section 20 and are adapted, when engaged with the panel as shown in FIG. 4, to rigidly hold housing 10 in position in a suitable aperture therefor in a panel. A pair of grooves 14 are shown in the top and bottom portions of upper portion 20 and extend longitudinally thereof for slidably receiving an actuator mechanism, 70, to be described below. A similar pair of grooves ware provided on the inside of the sides of a portion 20 and are adapted to receive a pair of contact members 100 and a removable lamp holder assembly 110. The lower extremity of lower portion 11 includes an inwardly extending flange portion 12 and is adapted to receive and provide a mounting for a contact assembly 30. Referring to the view of FIG. 1, a portion of housing 10 which is intermediate upper section 20 and lower section 11 contains a plurality of apertures 13 through which suitable contact members for energizing illumination means to be described below may be inserted.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a top and side view of switch contact assembly which is adapted to be positioned within lower portion 11 of housing 10 as may be seen from a consideration of the sectioned assembly drawing of FIG. 5. Switch contact assembly 30 is comprised of a housing indicated generally by reference numeral 31 which includes a plurality of pairs of contact members 32 which are comprised of generally longitudinally extending parallel conductors that are adapted to cooperate with a like plurality of actuators 33 which are suitably journaled on a transverse shaft 38 extending through the sides of housing 31. Actuators 33 are operable between positions of engagement and disengagement to effect contact between like corresponding pairs of conductors as indicated by the reference numerals 33 and 33a on FIG. 2. Also stationarily positioned on switch contact assembly housing 31 is a cam means indicated generally by the reference numeral 34 which includes a ramp portion 36 and first and second stop portions and 37 which will be further described below in conjunction with the operation of my invention. For a more complete discussion of the particular form of switch contacts utilized in the described embodiment of my invention, reference is made to the Daniels Patent No. 3,019,323 issued January 30, 1962 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

A pair of base members and are adapted to be stationarily positioned in the bottom of the upper portion 20 of housing 10. Base member 50 includes a plurality of contact apertures '51 which are adapted to register wit-h a like plurality of contact apertures 13 provided in the bottom of upper portion 20 of housing 10. The sides of' base member 50 are provided with a square boss, or raised portion 52 which is adapted to receive and hold a pair of contact members to be described below. Base member 50 also includes a more or less centrally located recess for receiving a spring biasing member 55 and a plurality of recesses 56 adapted- :to slidably receive a plurality of contact pins slidably mounted in registration therewith on base member 91 The top edge of base member 50 is provided with a notch 57 which extends axially thereof and is adapted to receive an axially extending projection on an actuator member 7t) and further contains a transversely extending notch 58 which is adapted to receive a transversely extending portion on actuator 70.

Base member 90 is provided with a like corresponding transverse groove 92 adapted to receive the transverse portion of actuator 70 and a like corresponding axially extendin groove 93 that is also adapted to slidably receive an axially extending portion of actuator 70; A plurality of contact members include legs 91 which extend axially from base member 90 and are provided with apertures 97 for connection to a suitable source of electrical energy and, at the upper ends thereof extend laterally inwardly and are provided with an aperture adapted to register with an opening extending through base member 9% and a contact pin 95'- and spring biasing means therefor, 96, are positioned on the aperture in contact members 91 for ei fecting electrical contact with the base of, for example, a light bulb'to provide suitable illumination. It may be'seen that contact pin 95 is slidably journaled through the aperture in contact member 91 and is spring biased upwardly through the force exerted thereon by spring member 96. Base members 59 and 90 may be comprised of any suitable dielectric material.

An actuator 70 is comprised of a transversely extending body portion having an axially extending protrusion 77 at its center for receiving and holding spring biasing means 55, a pair of laterally disposed axially extending portions 71 and 72 and a laterally displaced axially extending portion 78. Portions 71 and 72 are provided with inwardly extending boss members 75 and 76 respectively, for cooperation with corresponding recesses in a push button for engaging and holding the same in position on actuator 70, and a pair of longitudinally extending rib portions 74 and 73 respectively extending inwardly of members 71 and 72. Axially extending portion 78 includes a recess 81 for receiving and holding a longitudinally extending latching member 813. A laterally extending pin member 79 is positioned on portion 78 to coact with and engage the notches shown in switch contact actuators 33 for imparting reciprocal movement thereto upon reciprocation of actuator 71). The outward end of latching member 80' is provided with a transversely inwardly extending portion 82. Latching 7 'member 80 may be comprised of material exhibiting sufficient resilience characteristics to allow lateral displacement of its outward end upon engagement with cam 34 on switch contact assembly 30', as will be explained in detail below, and as shown on FIGS. and

8 of the drawing.

Light assembly 110 is comprised of a generally rectangular base member 118 which is adapted to be slidably received in the upper end of housing 16 and has at the top and bottom edges thereof grooves 116 and 117 adapted to allow reciprocating motion of portions 71 and 72 and inwardly depending rib members 74 and 73 on actuator iii. A plurality of apertures 112 are provided for receiving a like plurality of light bulbs 111. A contact member 113 formed of suitable conductive material contains a plurality of apertures for light bulbs which are adapted to lie in registration with apertures 112 in base member 118 and contains a pair of axially extending portions which extend from an edge surface of base member 118 and depend upwardly with respect to the normal position of the light assembly 110 in the housing. Each of the upwardly depending portions eontains a laterally extending latching portion 114, positioned intermediate the ends thereof, that is adapted to coact with contact member 160 to releasably hold lamp Contacts 100 are provided with an aperture 102 for connection to an external source of electrical energy, a square aperture itll intermediate the ends thereof that is adapted to be placed upon the square boss members 52 on the sides of base member 551 to thereby securely retain contact members 190 in position in an assembled switch, and a further aperture 163 which is adapted to receive and coact with the laterally extending portions 114 on contact member 113. A lateral portion 104 depending from one edge of aperture 193 is adapted to lie in groove 19 in upper portion 20 of housing It? to tend to retain contact member 1% in operative position within the housing in an assembled switch assembly.

A push button member 139 is provided with suitable recesses 131 at its top and bottom inside edges to coact with the raised portions 75 and 76 on axially extending portions 71 and 72 on actuator 70 for removably securing push button 136 in operating relationship to actuator 70.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a sectional plan view illustrates the relative positions of the various members described above in an assembled electrical switch.

Housing 10 is shown with switch contact assembly 30 and base members 56 and 9t stationarily mounted. therein by suitable fastening means, for example, epoxy ad besive and the like. Actuator 70 is positioned with its transversely extending body 85 intermediate grooves 57 in body member 56 and 92 in body member 90 and spring biasing means extends intermediate the projection 77 on body and recess 54 on body member 50 to maintain actuator 70 in the position shown on the drawing. The longitudinally extending portions 71 and 72 are slidably journaled in grooves 14 on the top and bottom of the upper portion 20 of housing 10. Shaft 79 on axially extending transversely disposed portion 78 on actuator 70 is in engagement with the notches in actuators 33 on switch contact assembly 30 and push button 130 is removably attached to the top end of actuator 70; Light assembly 110 is removably mounted in the top portion 20. of housing 10 and the latching portions 114 on contact member 113 are in electrical and mechanical latching relationship with apertures 103 on contact members 100. The lower portion of the bulbs 111 on light assembly 110 are in electrical conductive contact with conductive pins which are in turn conductively journaled in the apertures in the laterally extending top portions of contact member 91. Contact members 91 and may be connected to a suitable source of electric energy through circuit means (not shown). It may thus be seen that in normal operation of the switch assembly shown in FIG. 5, actuator 70 and push button attached thereto are mounted for reciprocation within housing 10 and with respect to switch contact assembly 30, :base member 50, base member 90 and light assembly 110. The direction of movement is indicated by the arrow shown on the upper portion of actuator 70 and the distance through which actuator 70 may be moved longitudinally of housing 10 is indicated by the reference characters X and Y shown on the lower portion of housing 10. As noted above, spring biasing means 55 serves to tend to bias actuator 70 in its uppermost position, that shown on FIG. 5, and transversely extending body portion 85 on actuator members 70 may move between limits of operation determined by its abutment with the extremities of transversely extending grooves 58 and 92 in stationarily mounted body members 50 and 90, respectively. Therefore, the application of a downwardly directed force to the top of push button member 130 will serve to move actuator 70 in a downward direction and pin member 79 on axially extending portion 78 on actuator 70 will position contact actuators 33 in accordance with such movement and, in the embodiment shown, between the positions indicated by the reference characters 33 and 33a 011 FIG. 2. While the illustrated embodiment of my invention utilizes a particular form of electrical contact assembly, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, upon becoming familiar with the principles of my invention, that other suitable mechanisms and arrangements for actuating, for example, miniature snap-acting switches, may easily be provided as long as reliable switching actuation is provided consistent with the limits of movement of actuators 7 0.

It might also be noted at this point that the longitudinally extending resilient member .80 which is securely mounted in recess 81 on axially extendingportion 78 of actuator 70 is, in the illustrated embodiment, transversely displaceable through engagement with the ramp and stop members associated with camming means 34 stationarily mounted on the lower end of base 31 of electrical contact assembly 30. Latching member 80 is provided at its outermost extremity with a laterally extending portion 82 that extends into the plane in which the various elements comprising camming means 34 are stationarily positioned and latching means 80, being comprised of resilient material, is mounted and adapted .to maintain the position indicated on FIG. 5 of the drawing, namely in axial alignment with actuator 70 whereby the relationship between latching member 80 and camming means 34 is maintained for an unlatched position. The dotted line and the several positions of laterally extending portion 82 on latching member 80 illustrate one complete cycle of operation of my invention. FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the relationship between the several parts at intermediate positions during such a complete cycle.

Starting with the position shown in FIG. 5, a downward force imparted to push button 130 and actuator 70 results in a deflection of the end of latching member 80 transversely toward the left along the ramp surface 36 and continued deflection through the distance indicated by the reference character X, positions the laterally extending end 82 of latching member 80 against the side of a first stop member 35 and, of course, no further downward movement of actuator 70 is possible. This is the position indicated in FIG. 6. Subsequent release of push button 130 and upward movement of actuator 70 under the force exerted thereon through biasing spring member 55, results in positioning of the end 82 of latching member 80 in second stop member 36 which is an inverted substantially V-shaped notch provided in the bottom of the raised portion of camming means 34 and the end, 82, of latching member 80 is securely held to retain the push button in a depressed position of actuation of the contacts in contact assembly as indicated by the reference character Y. This is also shown in FIG. 7 and it will be noted that the end, 82, of latching member 80 is transversely displaced from its normal position but that the cooperation of the springbiasing means 55 and stop means 37 serves to maintain actuator 70 in such a position. A second downward force imparted to push button 130 again moves the end of latching member 80 in a downward direction and because of the resiliency of latching member 80, a transverse movement to the right to the position substantially that of FIG. -8 occurs and further downward movement of actuator 70 is prevented either by abutment of transverse body portion 85 with the bottom of transverse groove 58 in body member 50 or engagement of the end 82 of latching member 80 with the lower portion of contact assembly 30. Upon removal of the downwardly directed force on actuator 70, it will move upwardly under the influence of spring biasing means 55 and the lower edge of ramp surface 36 will deflect the lower end 82 of latching member 80 transversely to the right past its normal position and the actuator 70 will proceed to the position shown in FIG. 5. It may thus be seen that an alternate action or push-push latching arrangement is effected by the cooperation of latching member 80 and cam means 34 including ramp surface 36, first stop means 35 and second stop means 37 to provide a substantially frictionless, trouble free, un-

complicated and economical apparatus.

A suitable material for latching member is music wire and cam means 34 may be molded, for example,

, from a suitable plastic such as Delrin.

scribed my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. An alternate action switch comprising in combination;

(a) an elongated hollow housing member;

(b) an actuator member having a driving e'nd including a push button and a driven end, said actuator being reciprocably journaled in said housing member;

(c) a latching member mounted on and extending longitudinally of one of said first named members, said latching member being resiliently transversely displaceable at its free end and including laterally disposed :means for engaging a camming means;

((1) camming means stationarily mounted on the other of said first named members, said camming means being adapted to transversely displace the cam engaging means on initial relative movement between said first named members in a first direction, maintain a transverse displacement upon subsequent movement in a reverse direction, to latchably engage and hold said cam engaging means after a limited movement in said reverse direction and to release said cam engaging means upon subsequent movement in said first direction whereby subsequent unrestricted relative movement between said first named members in said reverse direction is provided; and

(e) switch means stationarily mounted on said housing for engagement with the driven end of said push button when said latching member is latchably engaged with said camming means.

2. An alternate action switch comprising in combination;

(a) a longitudinally extending housing means;

(b) actuator means reciprocably journaled in said housing for operation between first and second positions;

(c) a latching member having one end stationarily mounted on one of said means, said latching member extending longitudinally of one of said means and having its other end adapted to be resiliently transversely displaceable from its normal position and including means adapted to cooperate with further means for transversely displacing and engaging said other end;

((1) further means stationarily positioned on the other of said means, said further means being adapted;

' (l) to cooperatively engage said other end of said latching member upon movement of said push button means from said first to said secmeans from said second position towards said first position;

(3) to allow said latching member to return to its normal position upon subsequent movement to said second position from said intermediate position; and

(4) to allow said actuator means to return to said first position upon subsequent movement from said second position to said first position; and

(e) switching means stationarily mounted on said housing whereby said switching means is operatively engaged by said actuator means when said actuator means is in said second and said intermediate positions.

3. Alternate action apparatus comprising in corn-bination;

(a) housing and actuator members, said housing member being longitudinally elongated and said actuator member being reciprocably journaled therein; (b) longitudinally elongated latching means, said means having one end stationarily mounted on one of said members and extending longitudinally thereof and the other end including a laterally disposed portion, said latching means being comprised of material exhibiting resilience characteristics;

(c) ramp means and first and second stop means stationarily mounted on the other of said members, and adapted to successively engage the laterally disposed portion on'the other end of said latching means so that upon successive relative reciprocating motion of said members, the laterally disposed portion on the other end of said latching means is;

(1) transversely displaced by said ramp means;

(2) is retained in a transversely displaced position by said first stop means;

(3) is retained in transversely displacedengagement with said second stop means; and

(4) returned to a position of no transverse displacement and ((1) means stationarily mounted on said housing and being responsive to the relative positions of said housing and said actuator to provide an output in dicative of said positions.

4. In an electrical switch, alternate action apparatus for controlling the relative positions of a pair of reciprocating members comprising in combination;

(a) first and second members;

(b) means mounting said first and second members for restricted relative reciprocating motion therebetween;

(c) biasing means tending to maintain said members in a first position and operative to allow relative reciprocating motion to a second position;

(d) a resilient member extending inthe direction of relative movement of said first and second members, said resilient member having a lateral-1y extending cam engaging portion at one end and being mounted on said first member at its other end; and

(e) cam means stationarily mountedon said second member, said cam means including means engageable by the laterally extending portion of said resilient member to transversely displace said resilient 5 member in a plane other than the plane of the laterally extending .cam engaging portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the cam means includes a transversely extending surface for engaging and transversely displacing the cam engaging portion, a first stop member for retaining the cam engaging portion in a transversely displaced position, and a second stop member for releasably retaining the first and second members in a predetermined position intermediate said first and second positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which at least one switch means responsive to the relative position of the first and second members is stationarily mounted on one of the members.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the latching means is disposed on the actuator member and the ramp means and first and second stop means are stationarily mounted on the housing member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which biasing means are disposed intermediate the housing and the actuator members.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the latching member is disposed on the actuator means and the further means are disposed on the housing means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which biasing means are disposed intermediate the housing means and the actuator means totend to maintain the actuator means in a first position with respect to said housing means and the further means stationarily positioned on the housing means. 35 11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the latching memher is disposed on the actuator member and the camming means are disposed on the housing member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which biasing means are disposed intermediate the housing member and the w actuator member.

3,047,698 7/1962 Walker 20c 153 3,153,714 10/1964 Bury 200-153 ROBERT S.- MACON, Acting Primary Examiner.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 4. IN AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH, ALTERNATE ACTION APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF A PAIR OF RECIPROCATING MEMBERS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; (A) FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS; (B) MEANS MOUNTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS FOR RESTRICTED RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOTION THEREBETWEEN; (C) BIASING MEANS TENDING TO MAINTAIN SAID MEMBERS IN A FIRST POSITION AND OPERATIVE TO ALLOW RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOTION TO A SECOND POSITION; (D) A RESILIENT MEMBER EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS, SAID RESILIENT MEMBER HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING CAM ENGAGING PORTION AT ONE END AND BEING MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST MEMBER AT ITS OTHER END; AND (E) CAM MEANS STATIONARILY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND MEMBER, SAID CAM MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY THE LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEMBER TO TRANSVERSELY DISPLACE SAID RESILIENT MEMBER IN A PLANE OTHER THAN THE PLANE OF THE LATERALLY EXTENDING CAM ENGAGING PORTION.

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