Switch contact with a weight-reduced contact spring

Abstract

In an electrical switch, in particular an electrical microswitch, has at least one electrical contact designed as a hollow-shape section of a component of an electrically conducting material. In this electrical switch, the occurrence of vibrations with the introduction onto an opposing contact is prevented.

Claims

1. An electrical microswitch, comprising: a component of an electrically conducting material; said component including a planar section and a cylindrical hollow shape section, said planar section and said cylindrical hollow shape section being monolithic with each other, with one end of said planar section extending into said cylindrical hollow shape section, said planar section having planar top and bottom main surfaces; said hollow-shape section including at least one electrical contact and having a reduced mass, a center of said cylindrical hollow-shape section lying in an extension of a plane parallel to the planar top and bottom main surfaces of the planar portion, said plane extending within said planar portion; at least one opposing electrical contact, said at least one electrical contact and said at least one opposing electrical contact coming into contact to make an electrical connection and allowing conduction of electrical current only upon actuation of said microswitch; wherein occurrence of vibration and impulsive events causing liftoff of the at least one electrical contact is prevented when contacting said opposing electrical contact as a result of reduced mass of said hollow shape section.

2. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the hollow shape is created from a plane material by forming the plane material.

3. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical contact has at least one contact surface, onto which a noble metal coating is selectively introduced.

4. The switch according to claim 3, wherein the noble metal coating on the contact surface is only applied to one side of the contact surface.

5. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the component is a stamped component, and wherein the at least one electrical contact is integrally formed with said stamped component.

6. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical contact is arranged within a range of angles on said hollow-shape section.

7. An electrical microswitch, comprising: a stamped component of an electrically conducting material; said stamped component including a planar section and a cylindrical hollow shape section, said planar section and said cylindrical hollow shape section being monolithic with each other, with one end of said planar section extending into said cylindrical hollow shape section, said planar section having planar top and bottom main surfaces, a center of said hollow-shape section lies in an extension of a plane parallel to the planar top and bottom main surfaces of the planar portion, said plane extending within said planar portion; said cylindrical hollow-shape section including at least one electrical contact created from a plane material by integrally forming the plane material with the stamped component, the at least one electrical contact being arranged within a range of angles on said cylindrical hollow-shape section; the at least one electrical contact having at least one contact surface onto which a noble metal coating is selectively introduced only on one side of the contact surface; at least one opposing electrical contact, said at least one electrical contact and said at least one opposing electrical contact coming into contact to make an electrical connection and allowing conduction of electrical current only upon actuation of said microswitch; wherein occurrence of vibration of the at least one electrical contact is prevented when contacting said opposing electrical contact as a result of reduced mass of said hollow shape section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

(2) In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a component of an electrical switch with an electrical contact,

(4) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a component according to FIG. 1, and

(5) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the switch having the component of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a stamped component 1 of an electrically conducting material. In one section of this stamped component 1 an electrical contact 2 is designed. Contact 2 is integrally connected with the other regions of stamped component 1.

(7) FIG. 2 shows that contact 2 has a hollow cylindrical shape. Contact 2 is designed by rolling of the material of stamped component 1 arranged in the front region of stamped component 1. The angles .alpha. and .alpha. indicate the surface regions of contact 2 in which contact surfaces 3 of contact 2 are located. With these regions, contact 2 can be applied to an opposing contact that is not further represented.

(8) FIG. 3 shows a switch 10 using the component 1 and contact 2 described above in conjunction with opposing cylindrical contact 4.

(9) Stamped component 1 consists for example of brass, which has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm. In the region of contact surface 3, a noble metal coating is applied to the brass.

(10) Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.