Abstract:
A switch mechanism is disclosed which is readily adaptable to a multiple pole switch mechanism wherein a removable card is supported in a housing. First and second contacts make up a switch pair and are mounted in the housing for mutual cooperation with the first contact having a mounting portion, a movable contact portion and a movable actuable portion. The removable card provides a selective actuation means to actuate the first and second contacts between open and closed circuit conditions. The card has abutment means to engage the movable actuable portion of the contact blade or blades. Also, the card has alternative areas which do not actuate respective ones of the contacts and this may be provided by apertures in the card so that no material of the card is present to engage the contact blade actuable portion. Accordingly, either open or closed circuit conditions may be achieved. Where the switch mechanism is a multiple pole switch, the card may have apertures and abutments as desired to achieve a desired combination of open and closed circuit conditions. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or application, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This invention is related to my application entitled Electrical Switching Device, Ser. No. 517,046 filed Oct. 23, 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,756 issued May 25, 1976. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to electricity, circuit makers and breakers, mechanical and also multiple circuit control. The prior art has disclosed switches wherein an end of a cantilever blade can engage a stationary contact if an end of the blade drops into a notch in a movable actuator. Another prior art disclosure is a safety switch used with a microwave oven. If some material such as a dishcloth accidentally gets into the door of the oven, this cloth will have enough bulk to force a cantilever blade against a stationary contact. Such switches did not permit ready flexibility in selecting the actuation of a switch. They did not permit selective actuation of a group of multiple switches and they were not tamper resistant. They did not permit flexibility of contact actuation nor did they permit one, in a multiple switch, to be able to select a particular on and off pattern of the multiple switch yet be able to selectively actuate the switches in an exactly opposite condition. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism which provides considerable flexibility in the actuation pattern of a multiple pole switch. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism which is actuated by a card inserted into a support in a housing. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a selective switch actuating means caused by abutments on a removable card. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a switch actuating mechanism which responds, not to the apertures in a card, but to the abutments on a removable card. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention may be incorporated in a switch mechanism comprising in combination, a housing having a first reference plane, support means in said housing, a removable card supported on said support means and having abutment means, first and second contact means, said first contact means including a contact blade having a mounting portion, a movable contact portion and a movable actuable portion, first means relative mounting said second contact means and said housing in a position for engagement of said second contact means by said contact blade contact portion, and selective means to actuate said first and second contact means selectively into contact closed and contact open circuit conditions including said card and including first locator means establishing disposition of said card in said support means with said abutment means on said card in said first reference plane to engage said contact blade actuable portion to establish said first and second contact means in a first of said two circuit conditions. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a switch mechanism embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the switch mechanism of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of FIG. 1, with the cover partly open; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4--4 of FIG. 1 with the cover closed; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of FIG. 1 with the cover closed; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan and end views, respectively, of the card used within the switch mechanism; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of the modification of the invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a front view of the switch of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view on line 10--10 of FIG. 6; and, 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view on line 11--11 of FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The FIGS. 1-7 show a switch mechanism 11 which incorporates the invention and includes generally a housing 12, a base 13, first contact 14, second contact means 15, and a card 16. The card 16 is shown partly broken away in FIG. 1. The base 13 in this preferred embodiment is of insulation material and may be what is known in the trade as a printed circuit board having a first side 19 and a second side 20. The second side 20 is one which has a conductor pattern 21 thereon including a conductor designated a common conductor 22. The first side 19 of the printed circuit board 13 is that on which the physical components are normally located and is the one on which the housing 12 is located. 
     The housing 12 includes a front wall 24, a rear wall 25, and end walls 26 and 27 which defines an open top and open bottom housing. A cover 28 is a part of the housing 12 and is attached thereto by a unitary hinge 29. Unitary latches 30 are provided on the front wall 24 and may latch the cover in a closed position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The latches may be moved outwardly against the resilience of the unitary connection with the front wall in order to release the cover 28. The housing 12 in this preferred embodiment is constructed of a semi-rigid molded plastic material and this housing and unitary cover may be molded in one piece in the open position shown in FIG. 1 and in phantom in FIG. 5. 
     Support means 32 is provided in the housing 12 for the card 16 and this support means includes in general the cover 28 and also includes a shoulder 33. This is a peripheral shoulder 33 on the inner side of the walls 24-27 and lie generally in a plane to receive the planar card 16. 
     In this preferred embodiment the switch mechanism is a multiple pole switch mechanism and the first contact means 14 is a comb-like structure having a rear strip 37 which is a mounting portion for such strip. This comb-like structure is a conductor, e.g., metal, and is resilient. The comb-like structure has a plurality of cantilever contact blades 36 extending from the rear mounting strip 37 and each contact blade 36 has a movable contact portion 38 and a movable actuable portion 39. The respective contact portions 38 are designed to be mounted in a position to engage respective ones of plural contacts 40 of the second contact means 15, a contact portion 38 and a movable actuable portion 39. The respective contact portions 38 are designed to be mounted in a position to engage respective ones of plural contacts 40 of the second contact means 15. A contact portion 38 and a contact 40 comprise a switch pair and in the preferred embodiment there are a plurality of such switch pairs in predetermined positions along the length of the housing 12. As shown in the drawings, there are nine such switch pairs in the embodiment shown. 
     First mounting means are provided to relatively mount the housing 12 and the first contact means 14. This first mounting means includes unitary studs 42 on the bottom of the housing 12 which extend through locking apertures 43 in the base 13. These studs 42 may be, for example, in the corners of the housing 12 and unitary heads 44 may be formed by heat deformation on the second side 20 of the base 13 to secure the housing 12 to such base 13. The rear strip 37 of the comb-like first contact means 14 is secured between the bottom edge 45 of the housing rear wall 25 and the base 13 to secure this first contact means 14 in position. Second mounting means is provided to mount the second contact means 15 in a position for engagement by the respective contact portions of the contact blades 36. The plurality of contacts 40 of the second contact means 15 in this preferred embodiment are heads of contact rivets 47 which extend through rivet apertures 48 in the base 13 and make electrical contact with the conductor pattern 21 on the second side 20 of the base 13. As stated above, a switch pair consists of a movable contact portion 38 of the first contact means 14 and a contact 40 of the second contact means 15. These switch pairs are in predetermined positions, namely 1-9, in the embodiment shown of a nine pole multiple switch mechanism. 
     The rear strip 37, which is the mounting portion of the first contact means has bendable tabs or extensions 41 extending through apertures 49 in the base 13 and at least one tab makes electrical connection with the common conductor 22. This may be by solder connection as is usual with printed circuit boards. Such common conductor may be a bus conductor providing a voltage for the various switch pairs or may be a ground conductor, as desired. 
     The first contact means 14 is made of resilient material and each individual contact blade 36 has the movable contact portion 38 bent at about a 10° angle from the mounting portion 37 and has the movable actuable portion 39 bent at about an 80° angle from the contact portions 38, as shown in FIG. 3. The 10° bend establishes the contact portion 38 normally out of engagement with the respective contact 40 due to the resilience of the contact blade, as shown in FIG. 3. The 80° bend provides that the actuable portion 39 is transverse to the card 16 and in the preferred embodiment is generally perpendicular to this card. 
     The support means 32 includes not only the shoulder 33 but includes the cover 28 and more specifically includes unitary elongated lugs 50 on the underside of the cover 28. These lugs 50 are disposed intermediate the predetermined positions of the switch pairs 38, 40 and together with the shoulder 33 support the card 16 not only against gravity but also against the resilient urging of the various contact blades 36. A comparison between FIGS. 3 and 4 will show that whereas when the cover 28 is open, the contact blades 36 may abut and hold the card 16 away from the shoulder 33, when the cover 28 is closed as shown in FIG. 4, then the card 16 is supported firmly in all directions despite the attitudinal direction of the switch mechanism 11 and despite gravity and urging of the various contact blades 36. 
     Selective means 52 is provided to actuate the first and second contact means selectively to open and closed circuit conditions. This selective means 52 includes the card 16 and includes first locator means 53 and second locator means 54. As stated above, the card 16 is supported in the housing 12 by the support means 32 but it is located by either the first or second locator means 53 or 54. The first locator means includes a tab on one of the cards 16 and housing 12 and a notch on the other. In the preferred embodiment the tab is shown as a tab 55 on the card 16 and the notch is a notch 56 in the end wall 27 of the housing 12. The second locator means 54 also includes a tab and a notch and in the preferred embodiment includes the tab 55 on the card 16 plus a second notch 57 in the end wall 27 of the housing 12 to alternatively receive the tab 55. 
     The housing 12 has a first reference plane 60 as shown in FIG. 5. The first mounting means mounts the actuable portions 39 of the first contact means in this first reference plane 60. The card 16 has first and second reference lines 61 and 62, respectively. Abutment means are provided on the card 16 and include a plurality of abutments 63 along reference line 61 and a plurality of abutments 64 along the reference line 62. In the preferred embodiment the abutments 63 and 64 are merely planar portions of the card 16 along each of the reference lines 61 and 62 at each of the nine predetermined positions of the switch pairs. In this preferred embodiment there is only one abutment for a switch pair and such abutment 63 or 64 will be in either the first reference line 61 or the second reference line 62, but not in both. Accordingly, the absence of an abutment in the other of the reference lines is provided by surfaces 65 which define apertures long the reference lines 61 and 62 at each of the nine predetermined positions. Accordingly, there is one abutment in one of the lines and one aperture in the other line for each of the switch pair positions. 
     The card 16 may be a metallic conductor but in the preferred embodiments of insulating material. 
     OPERATION 
     The card 16 is a part of the selective means 52 to selectively actuate a switch pair or a plurality of switch pairs into a selected open or closed circuit condition. The first locator means 53 includes the tab 55 on card 16 and notch 56 on the housing 12. This tab is generally along the first reference line 61 and permits placing the card 16 in the housing 12 so that the tab 55 is in notch 56 and, accordingly, the first reference line 61 will be along the first reference plane 60 of the housing 12. In this position the abutments 63 on the card 16 will be in the first reference plane 60. With the cover 28 open as shown in FIG. 3, the card may be placed on the shoulder 33 and the abutments 63 along the first reference line 61 will rest on the actuable portions 39 of the various contact blades 36. When the cover 28 is closed and latched (as shown in FIG. 4), the abutments 63 will press on the actuable portions 39 so that the respective contact portions 38 engage the respective contacts or rivet heads 40. Where there is an aperture 65 instead of an abutment 63 along the first reference line 61, then there is not material of the card 16 to engage the actuable portion 39 and accordingly the actuable portion 39 of that switch pair will extend at least partially into the aperture 65. This is as shown in FIG. 5 and it will be noted that in the preferred embodiment the actuable portion extends completely through such aperture 65. Accordingly, the respective switch pair is in the open circuit condition. 
     In the preferred embodiment there is an abutment in one of the reference lines 61 and 62 and an aperture in the other of the reference lines 61 and 62 for each of the nine predetermined switch pair positions. The showing of nine switch pairs is only as an example of a multiple pole switch. This does, however, provide 29 combinations of switch positions, namely 512 different switch combinations merely by selecting the position of the aperatures 65 along the card 16. Such a switch mechanism 11 may be used in a controllable radio circuit, for example, to provide 512 different codes of operation of the radio circuit. Should there be a malfunction, for example, in one of the nine different circuits controlled by the nine switch pairs, then the cover 28 may be opened and the card 16 turned over, side to side, so that the tab 55 would lie in the locator notch 57 rather than in the notch 56. This establishes the second reference line 62 on the first reference plane 60 and it means that the actual switch combinations are now exactly reversed. This is because wherever there was an abutment 63 there is now an aperture 65 along the first reference plane 60 and wherever there was an aperture 65 there is now an abutment 64. Accordingly, wherever there was a switch open condition, there is now a switch closed condition and vice-versa. 
     Considering only a single switch pair 38, 40, if an abutment 63 is present along the first reference plane 60, then the switch will be actuated into a closed circuit condition when the cover 28 is closed upon the card 16. If there is no abutment present along this first reference plane 60, namely, because there is an aperture 65 at that switch pair location, then the switch pair 38, 40 will be in an open circuit condition as shown in FIG. 5. Considering the switch mechanism 11 as an entirety, namely, including multiple poles, the disposition along the first reference plane 60 of the various abutments 63 and apertures 65, these will select either closed circuit or open circuit conditions, respectively, for the various switch pairs. 
     Considering the portion of the card 16 which is shown in the plan view of FIG. 1, for example, the first switch pair on the right will be actuated into the closed circuit condition because the abutment 63 on card 16 is in the first reference plane 60. The aperture 65 for that switch pair is out of position and does not cooperate with the actuable portion 39. The second switch pair from the right as viewed in FIG. 1 will be established in an open-circuit condition because the aperture 65 is in the first reference plane 60 for that switch pair position. 
     FIGS. 8-11 show a further embodiment of the invention including a switch mechanism 71 which includes generally a housing 72 and a base 73. Many parts of the switch mechanism 71 may be similar to the switch mechanism 11 of FIGS. 1-7, and the differences will be described hereinafter. Again, the base 73 may be a printed circuit board having a conductor on the second side thereof designated a common conductor 22. The switch mechanism 71 includes first contact means 14 and second contact means 15, the same as in the switch mechanism 11. The housing 72 may be an insulator housing, part of a housing assembly together with a card 76 similar to card 16 in that it has abutments 63 and alternative areas 65 along a first reference line 61. The alternative areas are established, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, by apertures so that there are no planar portions of the card acting as abutments. Also, the card 76 has abutments 64 and alternative areas 65 along the second reference line 62. Again, the card may be reversible side-for-side by the selective means established by tab and notch means similar to that in switch mechanism 11. The reversible feature means that only one aperture is provided in the card for each of the predetermined positions of the nine switch pairs of first and second contact means. 
     The card 76 may be an insulator card and is supported in support means 82 in the housing 72 which is generally a shoulder in a plane in the housing against which the card 76 may bear. The housing 72 also includes lugs 80 bearing against the card 76 for added stiffness. The housing 72 is shown as an open bottom housing and may be open top housing as well; but in this embodiment, it is shown as being closed top housing for added stiffness. 
     A tang 84 cooperates with a locking aperture 85 as securing means to secure the housing 72 to the base 73. In this embodiment there are a plurality of tangs which are unitary in this case with the housing 72 and there are a plurality of locking apertures 85 in the base 73. These tangs are slightly resilient and when the housing 72 is pushed down onto the base 73 with the tangs at the locking aperture locations, the tangs will push through such locking apertures and resiliently engage the second side 20 of the base 73. This secures the housing 72 and base 73 together. 
     FIG. 10 shows an abutment 63 at one of the predetermined positions of a switch pair cooperating with a movable actuable portion 39 of the first contact means 14 so that this switch pair is in a closed circuit condition. 
     FIG. 11 shows the actuable portion 39 cooperating with an alternative area or aperture 65 on the card 76 and therefore the contact portion 38 of the first contact means 14 is out of engagement with the respective contact 40 of the second contact means 15 for an open circuit condition of that switch pair. This is simlar to the switch operation of the switch mechanism 11. 
     The switch mechanism 71 has been shown as a nine-pole switch merely by way of example, and it may be a single pole or any multiple pole switch as desired. It will be noted as shown in FIG. 11 that if all of the apertures 65 are in the reference line 61 of the card 76, then these apertures 65 are in the reference plane 60 of the housing 72, and then the card 76 will be supported in only one direction, namely, that provided by a slight floating movement within the housing 72, but cannot escape. In this one of 512 switch conditions all switch pairs will be in an open circuit condition. 
     It will be noted that the switch mechanisms 11 and 71 provide switch mechanisms with considerable flexibility in arrangement of the open circuit and closed circuit conditions of the multiple poles of the switch. This flexibility is achieved very simply and in an economical manner by the simple expedient of the card 16 or 76. This card may economically be made of mylar tape of about 0.005 inches thickness and about one-half inch in width. The tape is provided on reels and may easily be punched in the desired aperture configuration. The card in combination with either the housing 12 or the housing 72 provides a housing assembly which is tamper-resistant to the changing of the switch condition. This would not be true if these were lever switches or slide switches wherein handles were available for manual actuation. In this case, the cover 28 must be separated from the housing 12 or the housing 72 must be separated from the base 73 in order to gain access to the card 16. This minimizes unauthorized changes of the switch condition; yet when the switch condition is desired to be altered, for example, the selective means is desired to be utilized to completely reverse the switch conditions, the housing may be opened and the card reversed side-for-side to place the tab 55 in the alternate notch 56 or 57. Also, the card 16 or 76 is completely removable to be replaceable by another card of a different aperture configuration. In each case it is the abutment means 63 or 64 which are located in the reference plane 60 of the housing which determines the actuated ones of the switch pairs. 
     The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.