Switch with customized circuit board electrical contact pad placement using selectively mounted electrical contactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10497527-B2
Application number	US-201815959428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A modular auxiliary switch includes a housing including a first housing part and a separate second housing part secured to the first housing part. A printed circuit board is housed in one of the first and second housing parts, and has a first side facing the first housing part and a second opposite side facing the second housing part. An actuator mechanism is housed in the first housing part and is coupled to the printed circuit board. A separate first electrical contactor is selectively mounted to the printed circuit board so that a first electrical contact surface of the first electrical contactor overlaps and is in direct contact with one of the first side and the second side to define a first electrical contact pad on the printed circuit board.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular assembly for an auxiliary switch comprising:
a printed circuit board including a first side and a second opposite side; and
a first electrical contact separate from the printed circuit board, the first electrical contact having a planar first wall, a trifurcated second wall spaced from the first wall and having an arcuate section extending toward the first wall, and a base wall interconnecting the first and second walls, the first electrical contact selectively fixed to the printed circuit board with the first wall in direct contact with the first side to define a first electrical contact pad on the printed circuit board and the trifurcated second wall in direct contact with the second side.

2. The modular assembly of claim 1 , including a second electrical contact separate from the printed circuit board and having a configuration identical to the first electrical contact, the second electrical contact fixed to the printed circuit board with a planar first wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with one of the first side and the second side to define a second electrical contact pad of the printed circuit board and a second trifurcated wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with the other of the first side and the second side.

3. The modular assembly of claim 2 , wherein the planar first wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with the first side of the printed circuit board and the second trifurcated wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with the second side of the printed circuit board.

4. The modular assembly of claim 2 , wherein the planar first wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with the second side of the printed circuit board and the second trifurcated wall of the second electrical contact in direct contact with the first side of the printed circuit board.

5. A modular auxiliary switch comprising:
a housing including a first housing part and a separate second housing part secured to the first housing part;
a printed circuit board housed in one of the first housing part and the second housing part, the printed circuit board having a first side facing the first housing part and a second opposite side facing the second housing part;
an actuator mechanism housed in the first housing part and coupled to the printed circuit board; and
a first electrical contactor separate from and selectively mounted to the printed circuit board so that a first electrical contact surface of the first electrical contactor overlaps and is in direct contact with one of the first side and the second side to define a first electrical contact pad on the printed circuit board.

6. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 5 , wherein the actuator mechanism includes a solenoid driven actuator having a plunger and an engagement member secured to a distal end of the plunger, the engagement member in direct contact with the second side of the printed circuit board.

7. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 5 , wherein the first electrical contactor is formed of a spring steel and includes a first plating comprised of silver and a second exterior plating comprised of gold.

8. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 5 , wherein locating the first electrical contact surface on the first side configures the auxiliary switch as a normally closed single pole single throw auxiliary switch and locating the electrical contact surface on the second side configures the auxiliary switch as a normally open single pole single throw auxiliary switch.

9. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 8 , further including a second electrical contactor separate from and selectively mounted to the printed circuit board so that a second electrical contact surface of the second electrical contactor overlaps and is in direct contact with one of the first side and the second side to define a second electrical contact pad on the printed circuit board, wherein with the first electrical contact surface located on the first side locating the second electrical contact surface on the second side configures the auxiliary switch as a single pole double throw auxiliary switch.

10. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 9 , wherein the first electrical contactor comprises:
a first wall defining the first electrical contact surface,
a second wall overlapping the first wall, and
a base wall interconnecting ends of the respective first and second walls,
wherein the second wall has a first portion which extends parallel to the first wall and a second portion which is offset from the first portion toward the first wall so that a first spacing between the first portion and the first wall is greater than a second spacing between the second portion and the first wall,
wherein the second electrical contactor is configured identical to the first electrical contactor.

11. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 10 , wherein the electrical contactor is formed of a spring steel and includes a first plating comprised of silver and a second exterior plating comprised of gold.

12. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 10 , wherein second wall includes a first elongated slot and a second elongated slot, the first and second slots trifurcating the second wall into a first engagement section, a second engagement section, and a third engagement section, each of the first elongated slot and the second elongated slot extends onto the base wall.

13. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 10 , herein the second portion of the second wall is arcuate shaped.

14. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 13 , wherein second wall includes a first elongated slot and a second elongated slot, the first and second slots trifurcating the second wall into a first engagement section, a second engagement section, and a third engagement section, each of the engagement sections being rectangular shaped.

15. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 14 , wherein each of the first elongated slot and the second elongated slot extends onto the base wall, and a distal end of the second wall extends outwardly past a distal end of the first wall.

16. The modular auxiliary switch of claim 14 , wherein the first electrical contact is configured so that the second spacing is smaller than a thickness of the printed circuit board, and the arcuate shape of the trifurcated second wall is configured to hold flat the first wall to the one side of the printed circuit board.

17. A method of configuring an auxiliary switch comprising:
providing a printed circuit board having a first side and an opposite second side;
providing a separate first electrical contactor configured to be selectively mounted to the printed circuit board so that a first electrical contact surface of the first electrical contactor overlaps and is in direct contact with one of the first side to define an electrical contact pad so as to configure the auxiliary switch as a normally closed single pole single throw switch and the second side of the printed circuit board to configure the auxiliary switch as a normally open single pole single throw switch;
providing a separate second electrical contactor to be mounted to the printed circuit board so that a second electrical contact surface of the second electrical contactor overlaps and is in direct contact with one of the first side and the second side; and
locating the second electrical contact surface on the second side with the first electrical contact surface located on the first side to configure the auxiliary switch as a single pole double throw auxiliary switch.

Assignees

• Safran Electrical & Power

Inventors

• Wyatt Christopher Kenneth
• Broadwell James
• Morgan Dean

Classifications

• H01H50/545

  Self-contained, easily replaceable microswitches · CPC title

• H01H11/04

  of switch contacts · CPC title

• H01H11/0012

  for converting normally open to normally closed switches and vice versa · CPC title

• H01H1/5805 Primary

  Connections to printed circuits (for slide switches H01H15/005; for tumbler switches H01H23/006) · CPC title

• H01H2011/046

  by plating · CPC title