Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Solid contact – Push button operated
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-01
2004-03-30
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Solid contact
Push button operated
C200S408000, C200S461000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06713702
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrical switch. More particularly, the invention provides an electrical switch having a height that is at least half reduced in comparison with that the prior art.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
is a sectional view illustrating a micro switch of the prior art, usually used in command output of mouse, keyboard, or power supply switch of electrical devices. As illustrated, the traditional micro switch principally comprises an assembly of a base
2
b
and an upper cover
1
b
. First and second insertion legs
3
b
,
4
b
are arranged through the base
2
b
. First and second positioning portions
31
b
,
32
b
are formed on the first insertion leg
3
b
. A hole
11
b
is defined through the upper cover
1
b
. A conductor resilient plate
5
b
is further mounted over the first and second insertion legs
3
b
,
4
b
. The plate
5
b
includes a first portion having a mounting part
51
b
mounted to the first positioning portion
31
b
, and a second portion provided with a contact pad
52
b
that is placed vis-à-vis the second insertion leg
4
b
. A resilient tongue
53
b
, integrally formed with the plate
5
b
, further extends and bends toward the base
2
b
, the tongue
53
b
having an end portion fastened to the second positioning portion
32
b
. A push button
6
b
is mounted over the plate
5
b
and is exposed through the hole
11
b
. When the user presses the push button
6
b
, the push button
6
b
consequently presses the plate
5
b
. With the mounting part
51
b
of the plate
5
b
electrically connected to the first insertion leg
3
b
, a pressing on the push button
6
b
thus causes an electrical contact of the contact pad
52
b
with the second insertion leg
4
b
by deflection of the plate
5
b
. An electrical switch having small contact deflection is hence traditionally constructed.
As illustrated in the drawings, mounting spaces have to be necessary left to allow pushing of the push button
6
b
and bending of the resilient tongue
53
b
. As a result, the height of the traditional switch (without the insertion legs
3
b
,
4
b
) is usually 7.3 mm. As electrical equipment become increasingly smaller, a traditional approach to accommodate the above electrical switch is to reduce the thickness of the upper cover
1
b
and the thickness of the base
2
b
. However, this approach negatively results in weakening the electrical switch, and causes cracks in the upper cover
1
b
or base
2
b
during product transportation or when the user pushes on the electrical switch. As the thickness of the base
2
b
or/and upper cover
1
b
is reduced, the switch further is more subject to deformation during injection molding or assembly in its fabrication process. As a result, the yield is negatively reduced.
Moreover, the above switch suffers another disadvantage. Because the resilient tongue
53
b
is positioned on the second positioning portion
32
b
by fitting, if only the plate
5
b
presents a defective deviation due to various fabrication deviations, the tongue
53
b
easily separates from the second positioning portion
32
b
after a certain time of utilization. Moreover, because the tongue
53
b
is proximate to the second insertion leg
4
b
, the tongue
53
b
when separated thus easily contacts with the second insertion leg
4
b
, thereby establishing an undesirable electrical contact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electrical switch that can overcome the above deficiencies and has a height that is dimensionally reduced a half.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, the electrical switch of the invention comprises a conductor resilient plate having a resilient tongue that extends and bends toward the upper cover and is placed parallel with the push button on a same side of the conductor resilient plate. Thereby, traditional mounting spaces are not required. Furthermore, even if the resilient tongue inadvertently separates from the second positioning portion, the resilient tongue would upwardly deviate and therefore would not causes an electrical contact with the second insertion leg. A secure control of the command output is thereby achieved.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the base of the electrical switch further includes a reinforcement integrally formed with the base by injection molding. By means of the reinforcement, the thickness of the base and/or the upper cover can be reduced without adversely weakening the electrical switch.
To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3270156 (1966-08-01), Stewart
patent: 4904832 (1990-02-01), Nagahara et al.
patent: 5459295 (1995-10-01), Ohta et al.
patent: 5875887 (1999-03-01), Tsai
Friedhofer Michael
Shin Jiuh Corp.
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