Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Contact
Patent
1998-12-01
2000-07-11
Scott, J. R.
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Contact
29622, 200283, H01H 124, H01H 1100
Patent
active
060876034
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly relates to switch contacts formed by spring tongues.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For electrical switches for automobiles, it is known that the movable contact points connected to the operating element can be designed as spring tongues which are stamped out of a contact plate. Such a switch is described, for example, in German Patent No. 4,039,984. With the known switch, the operating element is shifted parallel to the plane of the stationary contacts, so that electrical connection between the movable contacts and the stationary contacts is achieved due to displacement in the desired order.
One disadvantage of the known switch is that the movable spring tongues are not attached to the operating element until after the forming of the operating element. An additional disadvantage of the known switch is that due to the abrasive movement, the movable contact areas maintain contact with the insulating compound in which the stationary contacts are embedded as well as the stationary contacts themselves. In addition, during the transition to contacting or separating from a stationary contact, the contact surface between the moving contact and the stationary contact changes relatively slowly, while at the same time, part of the movable contact remains in contact with the insulating compound surrounding the stationary contact. The resulting electric arc causes heating of the surrounding insulating compound and possible soiling of contacts, formed due to the insulating compound, is burned into the movable contact.
The object of the invention is to improve on the switching performance of the switch of the known generic type, so that both load currents and control currents can be switched by this switch.
The invention consists in principle of joining the spring tongues together through a plastic socket and also anchoring the plastic socket in the switch housing. This prevents a shifting movement parallel to the contact plane of the stationary contacts. The change in contact closure between stationary and movable contacts takes place instead with the help of a mechanical control, which is driven by a suitable operation linkage. In this way it is possible to avoid a transfer of the movable contacts from the stationary contacts to the insulating compound surrounding the stationary contacts, so that soiling of the contacts is prevented, and a clean separation of the contacts from one another during the switching operation is possible. Furthermore, it is possible to simplify the casting mold of the switch housing, since the plastic socket with the spring tongues and the housing itself are produced in separate casting operations. The design of the switch according to the present invention also makes it possible to test the contact closure of the movable contacts step by step before the anchoring of the plastic socket in the switch housing, as discussed further below.
According to one preferred embodiment, all contact tongues running essentially parallel to one another are punched out together in one punching operation, wherein they are still mechanically connected to one another. Then the contact tongues that are connected to one another by webs are fixed opposite one another by injection of a common plastic holder, and finally, in a third step, the spring tongues are electrically separated from one another in the desired manner by cutting the connecting webs open subsequently.
One disclosed method of connecting the movable contacts to stationary plug-in connections takes advantage of the fact that the spring tongues open into plug-in connections that are molded in one piece and, together with the spring tongues, are punched out of the contact plate. It may be preferred to strengthen the plug-in connections by designing them as contact blades which are formed by folding corresponding projections on the spring tongues. In a preferred embodiment, the plug-in connections are anchored in the switch housing at the same time by the engagement of
REFERENCES:
patent: 4046980 (1977-09-01), Rosebrock
patent: 4436971 (1984-03-01), Kim
patent: 4523165 (1985-06-01), Schedele
patent: 4882457 (1989-11-01), Erdelitsch et al.
patent: 5446251 (1995-08-01), Lin
Search Report of the German Patent Office for Application 196 02 036.0. Jul. 24, 1997.
Publication Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG. Nov. 26, 1964.
Engelhardt Martin
Hecht Walter
Klein Rudolf
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Lewis J. Gordon
Scott J. R.
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