Tilt switch with flat spring centering means

Claim 1

A momentary electrical tilt switch having an open housing providing a center cavity and including a plurality of terminals extending through one wall of the housing and providing head portions within the cavity with certain head portions of a pair of the plurality of terminals providing juxtapositioned pivot seats for a plurality of switch blades, wherein the improvement comprises: a. an actuator pivotally connected to the housing for tiltable movement in opposite directions; b. first and second elongated switch blades each positioned upon one of the pivot seats within said cavity and each providing a contact-bearing and extending in opposite directions and to either side of the pivot seats; c. said switch blades each providing at their opposite ends a yieldable arm reversely bent with respect to their longitudinal axis and of a length such that their free ends project over and beyond their respective pivot seats; d. actuating members on the bottom of said actuator for each of said switch blades, with each actuating member spaced laterally and horizontally from each other so as to contact said yieldable arms of said switch blades inwardly of their free ends and at a point on opposite sides of their respective pivot seats so as to maintain each of said switch blades in an unbalanced condition; e. a flat spring within the housing extending parallelly between said switch blades and in an elevated plane with respect thereto and in contact with a flat portion on the bottom of said actuator between said actuating members for yieldably maintaining said actuator in an untilted position; f. said actuating members movable with said actuator so as to reposition the downward contact force of either one of said actuating members onto the free end of said yieldable arm of one of said switch blades at a point to the other side of the pivot seat to pivot the contact-bearing end of said switch blade into contact with a head portion of one of the terminals.