Micro-switch and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170252-B2
Application number	US-201514622331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An electric micro-switch has at least one electric contact. The contact has a profiled section. The profiled section has a longitudinal extension, a bent portion formed in the longitudinal extension and having an outer surface that is, at least in section, formed in a rounded manner. A contact region is defined on the outer surface of the bent portion. A method for manufacturing the micro-switch is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric micro-switch comprising a switching mechanism having two stationary electric contacts and at least one counter contact engaged in a spring holder, wherein each stationary contact has a profiled section, and the profiled section has a longitudinal arched extension, a bent portion formed in the longitudinal arched extension and having an outer surface that is, at least in section, formed in a rounded manner, and a contact region defined on the outer surface of the bent portion, a longitudinal direction of the two stationary electric contacts is transverse to a longitudinal direction of the counter contact, the two stationary electric contacts and the spring holder are not coplanar, and a longitudinal extension of the counter contact is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the stationary electric contact.

2. The micro-switch of claim 1 , wherein each contact is manufactured from a solid material.

3. The micro-switch of claim 2 , wherein each contact is a stamped component.

4. The micro-switch of claim 1 , wherein the counter contact has planar contact region.

5. The micro-switch of claim 1 , wherein a layer of an electrically conductive material is applied to each contact region.

6. The micro-switch of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive material is a precious metal.

7. The micro-switch of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive material is carbon.

8. A method for manufacturing the micro-switch of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
stamping the at least one contact out of an electrically conductive material and embossing its contact region;
coating the contact region of the or each contact with an electrically conductive material in liquid phase; and
inserting the contact into a switch housing, after the electrically conductive material has hardened.

9. The method of claim 8 , further providing at least one counter contact having a planar contact region and coating the planar contact region with an electrically conductive material in liquid phase.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein coating the contact region of the or each contact with the electrically conducting material is carried out in an immersion process.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein plating the contact region of the or each contact with the electrically conducting material is carried out in an spraying process.

12. The method of claim 11 , including by using at least one inkjet printer for the spraying process.

Assignees

• Johnson Electric Sa

Inventors

• Koepsell Martin

Classifications

• H01H13/36

  using flexing of blade springs · CPC title

• H01H1/26

  with spring blade support · CPC title

• H01H2201/024

  precious · CPC title

• H01H13/02

  Details · CPC title

• H01H11/0056

  comprising a successive blank-stamping, insert-moulding and severing operation · CPC title