Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Solid contact – Reciprocating actuator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-04-24
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Solid contact
Reciprocating actuator
C200S00600C, C200S01600R, C200S553000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch that can be used to detect whether a portable telephone, notebook PC, or similar miniature electronic equipment is open or closed.
Heretofore, switches called limit switches have widely been used as “open” and “closed” position detectors for electronic equipment. Many of the limit switches utilize the snap action of a spring contact to drive a movable contact.
The conventional limit switches are so complex in their contact driving mechanism that they cannot be miniaturized. Besides, because of large stroke lengths required for the switching operation of the actuator (a pushbutton), they are not suitable for use as switches to detect the open/closed position of small-sized electronic equipment such as a portable telephone or notebook PC.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pushbutton switch that is small-sized and short in the pushbutton stroke length and hence is suitable for use as a switch to detect the open/closed position of a portable telephone or notebook PC.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pushbutton switch that can be turned ON and OFF with a light force and hence is highly durable.
The pushbutton switch according to the present invention comprises: an insulating body molded of an insulating material and having a box-like shape consisting of a pair of opposed side panels, a pair of opposed front and rear panels and a bottom panel, said insulating body having an opening at one end, and a pair of contact pieces to be electrically connected to and disconnected from each other being embedded in the inner bottom surface of said bottom panel of said insulating body;
a rotary actuator rotatably held at one end in said insulating body at a position higher than said inner bottom surface and carrying at the other end a push button projecting outwardly of said insulating body;
a plate spring having a retaining contact piece engaged at one end with the free end of said rotary actuator and a movable contact piece for sliding at one end into or out of contact with said pair of fixed contact pieces on said inner bottom surface of said bottom panel of said insulating body, said retaining contact piece and said movable contact piece being coupled together at the other end to form a V-letter shape, and said plate spring being disposed between said rotary actuator and said inner bottom surface of said bottom panel and resiliently biasing by reaction force from said inner bottom surface the free end portion of said rotary actuator in a direction in which to project out said push button from said opening of said insulating body; and
a cover covering said opening of said insulating body but having a window through which said push button projects out of said insulating body.
According to the present invention, since the movable contact piece slides into or out of contact with the fixed contact piece on the inner bottom surface of the insulating body, it does not undergo severe elastic deformation. Accordingly, the present invention offers a pushbutton switch that permits ON-OFF control between contacts with a light force and is almost free from breakage.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5142113 (1992-08-01), Miyata
patent: 5278370 (1994-01-01), Miyata et al.
patent: 5667062 (1997-09-01), Yasufuku et al.
patent: 5796058 (1998-08-01), Aimi et al.
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Friedhofer Michael
Sagami Electric Company
LandOfFree
Pushbutton switch does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pushbutton switch, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pushbutton switch will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2487469