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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The field of art to which this invention pertains may be generally located
in the class of devices relating to electrical switches. Class 200,
Electricity, Circuit Makers and Breakers, United States Patent Office
Classification, appears to be the applicable general area of art to which
the subject matter similar to this invention has been classified in the
past.
2. Background Information
It is known in the Electrical Switch art to provide push-button switches
for making and breaking circuits handling moderate current loads for a
variety of applications. Push-button switches are used in various
products, such as automobiles and other vehicles, tools, electrical
appliances, and the like. In the automotive field, push-button switches
are used for energizing and de-energizing engine controls systems, various
lights, climate controls, and the like. Examples of prior art push-button
switches adapted for the aforementioned uses are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 3,204,067; 3,694,603 3,883,710; 4,175,222; 4,288,670 and 4,308,440.
A problem encountered in the prior art push-button switches is that they
employ expensive and fragile stamped metal terminals of various shapes.
These terminals are of a complex design and due to their smallness, create
a very difficult situation for crimping the same to the switch wire leads.
As a result, instances of wire detachment from the terminals in a switch
assembly occur, and cause switch failures. Furthermore, once the prior art
stamped metal terminals are assembled to their respective wire leads, the
terminal and wire assembly so formed is difficult to assemble into the
switch housing, and this is especially so in the design of a three-wire
switch. Also, the terminal and wire assemblies can become very tangled in
the assembly line containers and cause an inherent delay and loss of
production assembly time, due to the time it takes to untangle the same.
The aforedescribed stamped metal terminals also have an inherent problem
of milli-volt drop, during the operation of push-button switches employing
such terminals, resulting in low efficiency switches. The prior art use of
fragile stamped metal terminals also requires the use of various types of
locating pins in the switch housing, to restrain them from movement in the
switch housing, and maintain their position in the housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a push-button type switch which is
adapted to switch moderate current loads in a variety of applications such
as in vehicles, tools and electrical appliances. The switch of the present
invention is adapted to sequentially open and close a circuit or to
sequentially switch power between two alternate circuits. The push-button
switch of the present invention includes a housing which comprises a lower
portion, and an upper portion operatively mounted on said lower portion.
The housing lower portion is provided with an interior compartment, which
has a electrically insulating interior planar surface on which is
operatively mounted a printed circuit terminal board. The printed circuit
terminal board includes an electrically insulating base board which has an
upper planar surface on which is electrolytically deposited at least a
first and a second electrical terminal. The said terminals are spaced
apart by co-planar insulating material deposited on the base board planar
upper surface so as to provide an overall planar surface. A planar,
circular, electrically conductive contact plate has a plurality of contact
members which are disposed in a first position over the printed circuit
terminal board to electrically connect the first and second electrical
terminals. The contact plate is adapted to be rotated to a contacting
second position to electrically disconnect the first and second terminals.
A push-button stepping means is operatively connected to the contact plate
to sequentially rotate the contact plate to said first and second
positions.
The printed circuit terminal board employed in the present invention
eliminates the need for very expensive and very fragile stamped metal
terminals heretofore used in the prior art push-button switches. Said
stamped metal terminals are usually of a complex design and due to their
smallness create a very difficult problem for crimping the same to
suitable electric wire leads. Consequently, there exists a problem with
the use the aforementioned stamped metal terminals which results in wire
detachment from the terminals in the switch assembly and consequent switch
failure. The push-button switch of the present invention overcomes the
last described problems encountered in the use of stamped metal terminals.
A further problem that arises with the use of the prior art stamped metal
terminals is that once they are assembled to the electrical wire leads,
the terminal and wire assembly is difficult to assemble into the switch
housing, and especially in a three-wire design. Also the assembled
terminal and electrical wire assemblies become very tangled in the
assembly line containers for the same, which tangling can cause inherent
delays and losses of production assembly time, due to the time that it
takes to untangle such combinations of the terminals and electrical wires.
This last mentioned problem in the use of the prior art stamped metal
terminals is eliminated by the use of the printed circuit terminal board
employed in the switch of the present invention.
The push-button switch of the present invention employs fewer and less
complex components in its construction and arrangement, and accordingly,
during the assembly process of its parts such operation can be carried out
in a much shorter time then heretofore possible in the assembly of the
prior art push-button switches, which feature results in a significant
cost reduction.
The printed circuit terminal board of the present invention provides an
extensive planar operating surface area between the contact plate and the
printed terminal board face, and accordingly, there is provided a major
reduction in the problem of milli-volt drop during operation of a switch
made in accordance with the principles of the present invention as
compared to push-button switches employing the use of loose stamped
terminals, which must be individually secured in the switch housing. The
printed circuit terminal board employed in the switch of the present
invention thus resolves a very serious design problem, and it provides
increased life and operating efficiency of the switch because of the
employment of the printed circuit terminal board.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an assembled switch made in accordance
with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the switch structure shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an elevation section view of the switch structure illustrated in
FIG. 2, taken along the line 3--3 thereof, and looking in the direction of
the arrows.
FIG. 4 is a horizontal section view of the switch structure illustrated in
FIG. 3, taken along the line 4--4 thereof, and looking in the direction of
the arrows.
FIG. 5 is an elevation section view of the switch structure illustrated in
FIG. 4, taken along the line 5--5 thereof, and looking in the direction of
the arrows.
FIG. 6 is a right side view of the switch structure illustrated in FIG. 4,
taken along the line 6--6 thereof, and looking in the direction of the
arrows.
FIG. 7 is a horizontal section view of the switch structure shown in FIG.
1, taken along the line 7--7 thereof, with parts removed, and looking in
the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 8 is an elevation section view of the switch structure illustrated in
FIG. 7, taken along the line 8--8 thereof, and looking in the direction of
the arrows.
FIG. 9 is a right side elevation view of the switch structure illustrated
in FIG. 8, taken along the line 9--9 thereof, and looking in the direction
of the arrows.
FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the switch actuator button employed in
the switch of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the switch actuator button illustrated in
FIG. 10, taken along the line 11--11 thereof, and looking in the direction
of the arrows
FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the switch actuator button illustrated in
FIG. 10, taken along the line 12--12 thereof, and looking in the direction
of the arrows.
FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of a contact guide employed in the switch
of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the contact guide illustrated in FIG. 13,
taken along the line 14--14 thereof, and looking in the direction of the
arrows.
FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the contact guide illustrated in FIG. 13,
taken along the line 15--15 thereof, and looking in the direction of the
arrows.
FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the contact plate employed in the switch of
the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a side view of the switch contact plate illustrated in FIG. 16,
taken along the line 17--17 thereof, and looking in the direction of the
arrows.
FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the switch contact plate illustrated in
FIG. 17, taken along the line 18--18 thereof, and looking in the direction
of the arrows.
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary section view of the switch contact plate
illustrated in FIG. 18, taken along the line 19--19 thereof, and looking
in the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 20 is a horizontal section view of the switch structure illustrated in
FIG. 3, taken along the line 20--20 thereof, with parts removed and
showing a two-wire printed circuit board, and looking in the direction of
the arrows.
FIG. 21 is a top plan view of a three-wire printed circuit board made in
accordance with the principles of the present invention, and showing a
switch contact plate disposed thereover.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the switch of
the present invention comprises a housing which includes an upper portion,
generally designate by the numeral 10a and a lower portion, generally
designated by the numeral 10b. The upper cylindrical portion 12 of the
housing upper portion 10a may be provided with a threaded periphery for
mounting the switch in the product in which the switch is to be used. The
housing portions 10a and 10b may be made from any suitable electrical
insulating material, including synthetic polymeric materials, and the
like, as for example a plastic material available on the market under the
trademark "ACETAL". As best seen from FIGS. 3-5, the housing lower portion
10b is provided with a substantially rectangular, interior compartment 14
which is open at the upper end thereof, and which is provided with a
planar interior bottom surface 16.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 20, a printed circuit terminal board generally
indicated by the numeral 18, is seated in the compartment 14 on the bottom
surface 16. The printed circuit terminal board 18 is generally rectangular
in plan view, as shown in FIG. 20, and it includes a base board 19 which
has parallel upper and lower surfaces. The base board 19 for the printed
circuit terminal board 18 is made from a suitable electrically insulating
material, as for example a fiberglass material. A suitable electrically
insulating material for the printed circuit terminal board 18 is any
epoxy, glass, paper composite material.
As illustrated in FIG. 20, the base board 19 of the printed circuit
terminal board 18 is provided on its upper planar surface with a pair of
electric terminals, generally indicated by the numerals 20 and 22, which
are deposited electrolytically thereon. The conductive material for the
electric terminals 20 and 22 may comprise any suitable conductive material
capable of being deposited electrolytically on the base board 19, as for
example, silver, copper, and the like. As viewed in FIG. 20, the electric
terminal 20 is substantially J-shaped in plan view, and the electric
terminal 22 is substantially reverse C-shaped in plan view. As shown in
FIG. 20, the electric terminal 20 extends from one end of the electrical
cable end of the printed circuit terminal board 18 and along the left side
thereof, as viewed in FIG. 20, as indicated by the numeral 24, and to the
opposite end thereof, as indicated by the numeral 26. The arcuate portion
of the J-shape of the electric terminal 20 is indicated by the numeral 28.
The portion of the electric terminal 20 adjacent the cable end of the
printed circuit terminal board 18 is indicated by the numeral 30. As
viewed in FIG. 20, the electric terminal 22 includes a right side portion
32 which extends between a cable end portion 36 and a portion 34 on the
opposite end of the printed circuit terminal board 18.
As shown in FIG. 20, a first insulated electrical cable or conductor 38 is
electrically and fixedly attached to the cable end portion 30 of the
J-shaped electric terminal 20, by any suitable solder means, as for
example, by silver solder, as indicated by the numeral 40 in FIG. 20. A
second insulated electric cable or conductor 42 is electrically and
fixedly secured to the cable end portion 36 of the reverse C-shaped
terminal 22 by any suitable solder means, as by being silver soldered
thereto, as indicated by the numeral 44. The electric terminals 20 and 22
are insulated from each other by the insulated areas indicated by the
numerals 46, 48 and 50. The insulating area 46 comprises a longitudinal
strip of suitable insulating material which spaces apart the ends 26 and
34 of the electric terminals 20 and 22, respectively. The insulating areas
48 and 50 insulate the rest of the adjacent areas, of the two electric
terminals 20 and 22, from each other. The insulating material for the
insulating areas 46, 48 and 50 may be deposited in their respective areas
by any suitable means, and they are made equally level or co-planar with
the conductive surfaces of the electric terminals 20 and 22 to provide a
planar overall surface.
As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 20, the housing lower portion 10b is provided
with a pair of laterally spaced apart U-shaped cable slots 52 and 54,
which are formed in the wall of the cable end of the housing lower portion
10b. As shown in FIG. 20, when the printed circuit terminal board 18, with
the electrical conductors or cables 38 and 42 attached, is mounted in the
compartment 14, in the housing lower portion 10b, the electrical
conductors or cables 38 and 42 are positioned in the cable U-shaped slots
52 and 54, respectively, in a press fit relationship, to assist in
maintaining the printed circuit terminal board 18 in position in the
housing recess 14. The printed circuit terminal board 18 is retained in
the housing lower portion 10b against relative longitudinal movement by
the press fits of the cables 38 and 42 in the U-shaped cable slots 52 and
54, respectively. The printed circuit terminal board 18 is made to
predetermined longitudinal and transverse dimensions, so as to locate the
printed circuit terminal board 18 in the housing recess 14 in a close fit
with the wall surfaces thereof. The printed circuit terminal board 18
preferably fits within the recess 14, within a half of a millimeter
clearance of each of the wall surfaces of the recess 14. The very close
fit of the printed circuit terminal board 18 in the housing recess 14
functions with the press fit seating of the cables 38 and 42 in the cable
slots 52 and 54, respectively, to center the printed circuit terminal
board 18 in an operative position in the recess 14.
As best seen in FIG. 7, the housing upper portion 10a is provided with a
recess 56, in the lower end thereof. Integrally formed in the recess 56 is
a pair of locating pins 58 at the cable end of the housing upper portion
10a. The locating pins 58 are disposed so as to seat in a pair of locating
holes 60 (FIG. 4) in the cable end of the housing lower portion 10b when
the housing portions 10a and 10b are assembled together (FIG. 3). As best
seen in FIGS. 7 and 9, the housing upper portion 10a is provided in the
recess 56 with a pair of integral, laterally spaced apart retainer posts
or abutments 62 and 64. As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the housing upper
and lower portions 10a and 10b, respectively, are in the assembled
position, the lower end of each of the retainer posts or abutments 62 and
64 is seated against the printed circuit terminal board 18, to restrain it
against movement perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit
terminal board 18. As best seen in FIG. 7, the housing upper portion 10a
is provided with a pair of integral, laterally spaced apart retainer posts
or abutments 68 and 70, which are mounted in the upper end housing recess
56, and which are disposed in the end corners opposite to the end corners
in which the locating pins 58 are mounted. Integrally formed on the lower
ends of the retainer posts or abutments 68 and 70 are a second pair of
locating pins 72. The locating pins 72 are adapted to be operatively
received in a pair of locating holes 74 (FIG. 4) in the housing lower
portion 10b when the housing portions are assembled together (FIG. 3). As
shown in FIG. 20, the corners of the printed circuit terminal board 18 are
rounded inwardly to provide an arcuate recess 76 for the passage
therethrough of the locating pins 58 and 72. As best seen in FIG. 4, the
upper periphery edge of the housing lower portion 10b is provided with a
flat surface 78 which is adapted to receive and be seated on the lower
peripheral flat edge surface 80 (FIG. 3) when the upper and lower housing
portions 10a and 10b, respectively, are assembled. The aforementioned
housing portion surfaces 78 and 80 have applied thereto a suitable
adhesive, such as an epoxy adhesive, before the said housing portions are
assembled to each other so as to lock the housing portions 10a and 10b
together.
As shown in FIGS. 3-5, and 20, the housing lower portion 10b has formed in
the bottom surface 16 of the compartment 14 a circular recess 82, which is
formed on the longitudinal center line of the housing lower portion 10b
and in a position spaced off-center, longitudinally toward the left end
thereof, as viewed in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the circular recess 82
in the housing lower portion 10b is aligned with a circular hole 84 (FIG.
20) in the printed circuit terminal board 18. As best seen, in FIGS. 3-5,
a cylindrical shaft 86 is integrally formed in the circular recess 82, in
the housing lower portion 10b, and it extends upwardly to a point
substantially parallel to the peripheral upper end surface 78 of the
housing lower portion 10b.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 20, the switch of the present invention includes a
contact plate 96 which is illustrated as being circular in plan view. The
contact plate 96 is made from any suitable electrically conductive
material, as for example, brass, copper, steel or aluminum, and it is
disposed co-planar with and adjacent to the top planar surface of the
electric terminals 20 and 22, and the insulated material areas 46, 48 and
50, on the printed circuit terminal board 18. As best seen in FIG. 3, the
cylindrical guide shaft 86 has its upper end slidably mounted in the lower
end of an axial bore 88 which is formed through a contact guide and drive
member, generally indicated by the numeral 90. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 13,
the lower end of the contact guide and driver 90 includes a reduced
diameter, integral downwardly extending shaft 92 which is of a
non-circular cross section, and which is slidably mounted through a
non-circular shaped opening 94 which is formed axially through the
circular contact plate 96. As shown in FIG. 20, the axial hole 94, through
the contact plate 96 is a six-sided non-circular opening through which is
slidably mounted the six-sided outer periphery of the drive shaft 92.
As shown in FIGS. 16 through 19, the contact plate 96 has formed thereon,
three contact members 98, which are spaced apart 120 degrees
circumferentially from each other, around the periphery of the lower
surface of the contact plate 96. The contact members 98 are rounded on
their lower ends, and they are each formed by pressing the metal in the
contact plate 96 downwardly with a round tool, to form a depression 100 on
the upper side of the contact plate 96, and a dimple or hemispherical or
ball shaped contact member 98 on the lower side of the contact plate 96.
The contact members 98 are adapted to slide through a rotary path, over
the co-planar surfaces of the electric terminals 20 and 22, and the
insulating areas 46, 48 and 50. The contact members 98 establish
electrical communication between the electric terminals 20 and 22 and the
contact plate 96.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the contact guide and driver 90 has
cylindrical upper end portion 102 which is formed to a larger diameter
than the diameter of the contact plate drive shaft 92. The upper end of
the drive shaft 92 is integral with the cylindrical upper end portion 102.
Formed around the upper end of the drive shaft 92 and extending
longitudinally upward from the lower end of the cylindrical upper end
portion 102, of the contact guide and driver 90, is a circular recess 108
(FIGS. 3, 15) in which is operatively mounted the upper end of a coil
spring 109. The coil spring 109 is telescopically mounted around the
contact drive shaft 92, with the lower end of the spring being seated
against the upper surface of the circular contact plate 96. The coil
spring 109 maintains a downwardly biasing force on the circular contact
plate 96 to maintain the contact members 98 in operative engagement with
the co-planar surface of the printed circuit terminal board 18.
The switch of the present invention includes stepping means for rotating
the contact guide and driver 90 to sequentially move the contact plate 96
through 60 degree steps, in a clockwise rotation. A stepping assembly
which may be employed to provide the clockwise rotation of the contact
guide and driver 90 is disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No.
3,694,603, and the disclosure of the stepping system disclosed in said
patent is incorporated herein by reference. The last mentioned stepping
system is of the type which is capable of rotatably advancing a member in
response to actuation of a push-button.
FIGS. 3 and 7-15, illustrate the operation of a stepping assembly which may
be employed to rotate the contact guide and driver 90 in the present
invention. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 10, the stepping assembly includes a
cylindrical actuator plunger, generally indicated by the numeral 114 (FIG.
10). The plunger 114 is telescopically mounted in the bore 112 in the
switch housing upper portion 10a, and it includes an upper cylindrical
portion 118 which is flat on the upper end thereof to form a push-button
surface 120. The plunger upper portion 118 is integrally attached to a
larger diameter cylindrical lower portion 116. As best seen in FIGS. 10
and 11, the plunger 114 has integrally formed on the lower end thereof,
six circumferentially disposed and evenly spaced apart lugs 122, which
each have formed thereon, on the lower end thereof a camming tooth 124. In
FIG. 3, the numerals 126 and 128, designate the internal bores in the
plunger lower and upper portions, 116 and 118, respectively. As shown in
FIG. 8, the upper housing portion 10a has six longitudinal ways or grooves
132 formed on the inner surface of the bore 112 by six longitudinal
camming ramps 134 which are formed in the bore 112. As shown in FIGS. 7
and 8, the camming ramps 134 protrude inwardly from the inner surface of
the bore 112.
As shown in FIG. 13, the contact guide and driver 90 is provided on the
lower end of the upper portion 102 with six upwardly facing camming teeth
104. As shown in FIG. 14, the camming teeth are evenly spaced
circumferentially around the lower end of the cylindrical upper end
portion 102 of the contact guide and driver 90. As shown in FIGS. 13
through 17, the contact guide and driver 90 is provided with three
integrally formed latch dogs 105, which are also evenly spaced
circumferentially around the camming teeth 104. The latch dogs 105 are
disposed as shown in FIG. 13, in positions at alternate ones of the
camming teeth 104. Each of the latch dogs 105 has the rear end of a saw
tooth form, so as to define a camming ramp 103 which extends diagonally
for the full width of each of the latch dogs 105.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper cylindrical end 102 of the contact guide and
driver 90 is slidably mounted in the lower end of the bore 126 in the
lower end 116 of the plunger 114. The lugs 122 (FIG. 11) on the plunger
114 are slidably mounted in the longitudinal ways or grooves 132 (FIG. 8)
(not shown in FIG. 3). The compression spring 109 biases or moves the
contact guide and driver 90 upwardly, so that the camming teeth 124 (FIG.
10) on the lower end of the plunger 114 are meshed with the camming teeth
104 (FIG. 13) on the contact guide and driver 90. In the retracted or
initial position shown in FIG. 3, the lugs 122 on the contact guide and
driver 90 are also slidably mounted in the lower end of the longitudinal
ways or grooves 132.
As shown in FIG. 8, the lower end of the camming ramps 134 are formed with
diagonal shoulders. The outer diameter of the latch dogs 105 (FIG. 14) on
the contact guide and driver 90 is greater then the inner diameter of the
camming ramps 134, which are disposed on the inner surface of the
cylindrical bore 112. When a force is exerted on the push-button surface
120, the plunger 114 and the contact guide and driver 90 are moved
downward in a longitudinal or axial direction, due to the guiding action
of the lugs 122 on the plunger 114 and the latch dogs 105 on the contact
guide and driver 90. The last mentioned downward movement compresses the
spring 109 and the shaft 92 in the lower end of the contact guide and
driver 90 is slidably moved downward over the cylindrical shaft or stud 86
into the recess 82 in the switch lower housing portion 10b. When the
downward force on the push-button surface 102 is released the compression
in the spring 109 exerts an upward or return force on the contact guide
and driver 90 and the plunger 114. As a result of the aforementioned
differences in the inner diameters of the diagonal shoulders on the
camming ramps 134, and the outer diameter of the latch dogs 105 on the
contact guide and driver 90, when the latch dogs 105 are urged upwardly by
the spring action, they engage the diagonal shoulders on the camming ramps
134 to effect rotary indexing of the contact guide and driver 90 to move
the latch dogs 105 60 degrees to a new rotative position. The last
mentioned camming action effects the rotation of the contact plate 96 to
rotate it in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 20 to a new switched
position.
As viewed in FIG. 20, the contact plate 96 is in a position wherein two of
the contacts 98 are contacting the electric terminal 20 and one of the
contacts 98 is contacting the electric terminal 22 to electrically connect
the electric terminals 20 and 22 and to effect on "on" condition. When the
aforedescribed stepping assembly is actuated to turn the contact plate 96
through another 60 degree rotative step, all three of the contacts 98 will
be in contact with the electric terminal 20, to put the switch in an "off"
condition. A succeeding stepping operation will provide a 60 degree
rotative movement of the contact plate 96 to again move one of the
contacts 98 back into a position as shown in FIG. 20, where in said one
contact 98 is in contact with the electric terminal 22 and the other two
contacts 98 will be in contact with the electric terminal 20, as shown in
FIG. 20.
It will be seen, that at all times during operation of the switch of the
present invention, that the circular contact plate 96 is always urged
towards engagement with the planar surface of the printed circuit terminal
board 18 by the action of the coil spring 109. This last described feature
is not found in many of the prior art push-button switches in which an
electrically conducting switch member is alternately raised and lowered
from contact with one or more terminals, and optionally rotated when the
conducting switch member is not in contact with the terminals. The printed
circuit terminal board eliminates the need for extensive and fragile
stamped metal terminals which are complex in design and due to their
smallness, very difficult to secure in an operative position inside the
switch housing. The printed circuit terminal board structure also
eliminates the problem of wire detachment from a terminal in the switch
housing. The extensive surface area between the circular contact plate 96
and the face of the printed circuit terminal board 18 provides a major
reduction in the problem of milli-volt drop which is inherent in the prior
art push-button designs due to the problem of loose terminals in the
switch housing. The employment of the printed circuit terminal board 18 in
the switch of the present invention increases the switch life and
operating efficiency of the type of switches with which the invention is
concerned. The printed circuit terminal board 18 also provides a
push-button switch which requires a smaller number of components to
fabricate the same, which results in further assembly efficiency and a
significant cost reduction in the manufacturing of the various components
employed and in the assembling of the same.
FIG. 21 illustrates a three-wire printed circuit terminal board, generally
indicated by the numeral 18a. The parts of the printed circuit terminal
board 18a which are the same or similar in structure and function to the
corresponding parts in the first printed circuit terminal board embodiment
of FIG. 20, have been marked with the same reference numerals followed by
the small letter "a".
The three-wire printed circuit terminal board 18a includes three terminals
identified generally by the reference numerals 136, 138 and 140. The
numerals 142, 144 and 146 designate three conventional cables or
conductors which are secured to the terminals 136, 138 and 140,
respectively, by any suitable means, as by silver solder 148.
The terminals 136 is substantially C-shaped in plan view, as shown in FIG.
21, and it includes a portion 150 which is disposed along the left side of
the base board 19a of the printed circuit terminal board 18a. The left
terminal 136 includes a portion 152 which is adjacent to the cable end of
the printed circuit terminal board 18a, and a portion 154 which is
disposed at the other end of said board.
The terminal 138 is disposed centrally on the base board 19a and it
includes a portion 156 which is adjacent the cable end of the printed
circuit terminal board 18a and a centrally located portion 158 which
combines with the portion 156 to form what appears to be a substantially
Y-shaped terminal in plan view, as shown in FIG. 21. The third terminal
140 is disposed along the right side of the terminal base board 19a, as
viewed in FIG. 21, and it includes a central portion 160 along the right
side of said board, a portion 162 at the cable end of said board 19a and a
portion 164 at the end of said board opposite to the cable end. The
terminal 140 is substantially reverse C-shaped in plan view, as shown in
FIG. 21. The ends 154 and 164 of the terminals 136 and 140, respectively,
are divided by a conductive strip 166 which has a pair of strips of
non-conductive or insulating material 46a on either side thereof.
The three cable, printed circuit terminal board 18a shown in FIG. 21 also
includes two neutral areas 168 and 170 on the left and right sides of said
board. The electrical terminals 136, 138 and 140, and the neutral or
non-conductive areas 168 and 170 are all separated from each other by
strips of insulating material designated by the numerals 48a. It will be
understood that the entire surface of the printed circuit terminal board
18a has a single overall planar surface which is formed from the surfaces
of the aforedescribed portions, whether insulating or electrically
conductive.
The circular contact plate 96a is adapted to be rotated in a clockwise
direction by the same rotating structure described for the printed circuit
terminal board of FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 21, the circular contact plate
96a is disposed so as to have the three conductive contacts 98a in a
position such that the middle terminal 138, which is the "hot" terminal is
electrically connected through the contacts 98a and the electrically
conductive contact plate 96a to the left side terminal 136. When the
electrically conductive contact plate 96a is rotated clockwise for 60
degrees, by the aforedescribed stepping and rotating means, the contacts
98a are slidably moved to a position whereby one of the contacts 98a would
be disposed on the end 164 of the right terminal 140 and one of the
contacts 98a would be disposed on the portion 158 of the terminal 138. The
third contact 98a would be disposed on the neutral area 168. It will be
understood that the neutral areas 168 and 170 are made from the same
conductive material as is used in making the terminals 136, 138 and 140.
It will be seen, that the three-wire printed circuit terminal board 18a is
adapted for use in a push-button switch which successively energizes first
the cable 142, then the cable 146, and then the cable 142, and so forth.
There would not be an "off" position when using the printed circuit
terminal board structure of FIG. 21. An "on/off" switch may be provided
with the printed circuit terminal board 18a structure, shown in FIG. 21,
by detaching either one of the outside cables 142 or 146. For example,
with the cable 146 detached, and the contact plate 96a in the position
shown in FIG. 21, the left terminal 136 would be electrically connected to
the center "hot" terminal 138. When the contact plate 96a is rotated 60
degrees, the three contacts 98a would be positioned whereby one of the
contacts 98a would be on the terminal end 164 of the terminal 140 from
which the cable 146 had been disconnected. A second contact 98a would be
on the neutral area 168, and the third contact 98a would be on the
terminal 138, and the switch would be in an "off" position. Accordingly,
it will be seen that successive "on and off" positions of the contact
plate 96a could be effected by successive operations of the aforedescribed
stepping and rotative means.
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