Industrial membrane switch with breather
US4331852A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 3, 1980 |
| Grant date | May 25, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H13/52
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A push button switch has an operator that is mounted for axial movement within a bezel towards its exit end. A contact assembly is disposed across the exit of the bezel. The contact assembly includes a pair of termination areas formed on a substrate and a shorting patch disposed on a flexible membrane, the shorting patch being separated from the termination areas by a spacer to provide a switch air gap. A second spacer is disposed on the other side of the substrate and forms an air reservoir that communicates with the switch air gap through an aperture in the substrate. When the operator is moved against the membrane to close the switch air gap, air is circulated into the air reservoir increasing the pressure therein, and returns to break the contact of the termination areas with the shorting patch when the operator is retracted.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.